God’s Sabbath, or Rest, is found in man. After God created man, He could rest, because from then on God’s work would be done through man.
Jesus said, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” He said that right after He had healed a man on the Sabbath, the day of God’s rest. When criticized for working on the Sabbath, Jesus answered, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
Jesus understood the mind of God His Father. He knew the ways of God for He was God’s Way. “I am the Way,” He said. He also said that He knew what was in man. And He knew Himself, what He was, and His significance to the human race.
The Sabbath was made for man. That is quite a statement. The rest of God was made for man. Jesus understood God’s rest because he lived in the rest of God.
After God created man, it was then that He rested. Man was the crown of His creation, its period! After each day of creation, God saw that it was good. But after creating man and woman He rested, because man was the goal of His creation. From then on, God’s work would be through mankind.
Adam and Eve’s failure did not deter God nor change His original purpose. His work would go on, His work of making man in His own image and after His likeness.
Oh to grasp the wonder of the love of God for man. Romans 3:23 is often quoted, particularly the first part, “All have sinned.” But look at the second part, “and fall short of the glory of God.” Just think of what this is saying. God made us to share His glory. This is what He is seeking. This is what we were made for.
Jesus never talked down to us. He never compromised His message. His message is Himself. God in flesh and blood, one of us, yet without sin. And He can make us just like Himself.
He started this great work and undertaking first by being, by growing up and living a perfect human life. He suffered a lot as He displayed His glory and perfection to us sinners. He faithfully witnessed to us that we were made to be just like Himself. His human perfection condemned our sin.
The majority rejected Him, but there were those who followed, and learned, and believed, and that nucleus of humanity was the beginning of the New Creation.
Just think of what happened at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit of God entered sinful human beings for the first time. But I thought that God cannot join Himself with those who are unclean with sin. But He did. How was this possible?
The Apostle John explains it this way. “To all who received Him, who believed in His Name, He gave power to become children of God; who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12
With the entrance of the Holy Spirit of God into that body of believers on the Jewish holy day of Pentecost, there was given to them the holy divine Life of God.
After His resurrection, Jesus told His disciples that He must ascend to the Father in order for the Holy Spirit to be sent to them. The Ascension of Jesus is of vital significance. Jesus took our humanity into the Presence and Being of Almighty God. Never before had there been a Man within the Godhead. It is Jesus’ holy humanity that opens up the way of union with Almighty God.
With the Holy Spirit came the cleansing fire of God. That is why there was the appearance of “tongues of fire” that rested on each one present that day. God’s holy fire cleanses and consumes all that is unholy within us, all that would destroy our souls.
The believing Christian really has two kinds of life within his/her being, the old sinful life inherited from our earthly parents and the holy humanity of Jesus. The Apostle Paul describes how these two natures war with each other. But his faith got hold of the One who won the victory over sin, and he could say, “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
First Creation, then Incarnation, and finally Transfiguration. Why could God rest after He created man? Because He knew that His Man was coming. (He promised this to Eve after she and Adam failed Him.) God’s rest is found in His human divine Son.
God is working still, through His Son and in all those who have come to believe in Him and follow Him. It sometimes looks like a losing battle, but things do not always appear as they are.
The evil one, Satan, is like a roaring lion. He makes a lot of noise. But he has a fatal wound. He was slain by that holy Man dying on the Cross. Satan knows that his time is short, and his fury is great.
There is a great struggle going on for our souls. Through faith in our great Warrior may we know the victory in Him. “The Father is working still, and I am working,” said Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man.
Rosemary E Hyslop October 24, 2014