“REST STOP”
(Hebrews 1:1 – 5:14)
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. – Hebrews 4:9-10
“This carol is not about “merry gentlemen” needing rest, but rather a Gospel blessing for all mankind to find peace or “comfort and joy” in the Good News of the Messiah’s long-awaited arrival on Earth.”
– Kay Warheit, Orchard Hill Church blog, on the Christmas carol “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen”
It may sound a little strange to bring up the notion of rest during the Christmas season. In fact, it likely feels like just the opposite. Attending Holiday work events and church programs, buying gifts and planning get-togethers with family members, navigating New York City gridlock alert traffic, and the ever present need to have either your credit cards or smart phones a swiping for those purchases! Rest is not the word that comes to mind.
The reality is that God’s salvation is a form of rest, and Christmas time is a great time to remember this truth. The writer of Hebrews says we enter that rest by ceasing to try to earn God’s salvation through good works, and instead resting in the salvation that came through Jesus the Messiah. This is the same Messiah whom we celebrate during this Advent season as coming into the world in a miraculous Virgin Birth.
So go ahead and experience his rest, ye merry gentlemen (and gentle ladies), that comes by faith in the Messiah. If we get that part right during the holidays, everything else will fall into place.
Application:
As you go about during the holiday season, be conscious of the sights and sounds of the season: Christmas carols, traditional television programs, etc. For example, when A Charlie Brown Christmas debuted in 1965, the U.S. was in the midst of the tension-filled decade with the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the assassination of President Kennedy. Charles Schulz, a baptized Christian and creator of the Peanuts comic strip, insisted on including a nativity reading in the show despite CBS not wanting to do it. The move was well received by the public. Sprinkle your festivities with these “rest stops.”
Reflection:
Salvation can often feel like it’s all doing: do this every week, do this every day, go here, go there, change this, change that . . . But this passage tells us salvation is actually meant to feel like resting . . . in God. So often our salvation feels like how we’ve performed, but it’s meant to feel like rest in Him.
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, amidst the overwhelming pace of the holidays, thank you for the truth that salvation is perfect rest in Jesus. Help us, your people, to stop trying to earn your favor through works and truly enter this rest. May the comfort of his Good News ground our celebrations. Quiet our anxious hearts and help us see the “rest stops” you provide, reminding us to lean on your grace. Thank you for your Son. Amen.
About our Author
Chris Rainey is a learning technologies manager, bi-vocational Christian minister, writer/poet, corporate trainer, and curriculum developer. Chris is an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God and is a graduate of the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary with an M.Div in Christian Education and a BA in Bible from Evangel University. He is originally from Southern Illinois, but has now lived in Northern New Jersey for over 30 years. He enjoys reading, hiking, biking, swimming, watching Survivor, and the New York Mets. He resides with Marcia, his wife of over 40 years, and has three daughters and a grandson.
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