Eternal Rest

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28 Often Sunday nights are my least favorite time of the week. Though I enjoy my work, Monday morning means rising early to face a demanding new workweek. At times, however, those feelings of reluctance about the coming week remind me of the promise of the eternal Sabbath.In the context of our Bible reading for today, Jesus rebukes the Jewish religious leaders for taking a legalistic approach to daily living. They were critical of the way Jesus and his followers observed the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-14), and those leaders thought they had all the answers about following the law and getting right with God.But it’s impossible for any of us to get right with God by trying to follow the law perfectly, and Jesus knew that. So he invites all who are weary and burdened to come to him, because he alone will give us true rest.Couched in Jesus’ invitation is his declaration that he is the only Savior. Only he has the power to give his followers rest from sin and from fruitless striving to please God. In short, Jesus himself is our true Sabbath. He promises us peace with God—true, lasting peace —and this is available for us now, wherever we are.Though it may seem as if we are forever facing challenges, we can count on Jesus to be our forever Sabbath. We can look forward to resting in God’s presence with all of his children eternally. Freed from pain, sorrow, and fear of death, we can worship God and enjoy him forever in Christ.  Lord Jesus, Savior of all who come to you, help us to find our rest in you, now and always. Amen.