Celebrate Jesus!

God commanded us to observe the Sabbath, a day to rest and refocus on the Lord (Exodus 20:8). 

Sadly, by the time Jesus came to earth, the Pharisees had turned the Sabbath into a burdensome, legalistic observance. Their man-made rules distorted the meaning and purpose of the Lord's Day (John 7:21-24, Luke 6:1-10).

God's purpose for the Sabbath and other special holidays (holy days) is to help His people remember and celebrate His love and faithfulness (e.g., Passover). 

Although we can rest in Christ's love daily, it's healthy for us to have a day each week to refresh ourselves physically and spiritually, a day to celebrate our salvation, God's Word, and Christian fellowship.*

 

It's also good to step back from time to time to ask ourselves if we've let elements of our faith become legalistic and burdensome.

 

If our Sabbath has lost some of its meaning, we can consider ways to make it more meaningful. We can also create monthly, quarterly, or annual family traditions to celebrate our faith. And let's be sure to plan ahead to joyfully and deliberately celebrate The Two Most Important Days in History.

 

I'd love to hear your ideas for celebrating your faith. Why not leave them in a comment.

💙💙💙

Check out this devotion for some ideas: 5 Creative Things Christians Can Do to Improve Well-being.

 

Additional Notes:

 

* The Sabbath commandment is the only one of the Ten Commandments not restated in the New Testament. This may be because every day is a Sabbath to the Christian. After all, we can “rest” in the finished work of Christ (Hebrews 4). See Is One Day Holier than Another.

 

Sadly, some Christians still view the Sabbath very legalistically. They judge other Christians by the day of the week they celebrate the Lord's Day, violating the commands in Colossians 2:16:  

“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.”

Let's celebrate the Sabbath according to our conscience and not judge others who celebrate it differently.

BLN