Living the Gift of Rest: God’s Pattern for Our Lives

Reading of the Word

Mark 2:23–28 NASB 2020

And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain. The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” And He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.”

Prayer of Illumination

Lord of the Sabbath, You created us for rest in You. As we hear Your Word today, quiet our restless hearts, silence the noise of distractions, and open our ears to Your voice. May Your Spirit give us understanding, and may Christ Himself be our peace. Amen.

Introduction

Have you ever had someone suck the joy out of a good thing? Maybe a boss who made work unbearable with endless policies, or a coach who took the fun out of the game with too many rules. That’s what the Pharisees did to the Sabbath.

The Sabbath was God’s idea—a day to rest, to worship, and to enjoy His blessings. But over time, the Pharisees piled rule after rule on top of it until the joy was gone. On the Sabbath, you could only take 2,000 steps. Step number 2,001? Sin. If you spit and it made a little furrow in the dirt, that was plowing. If you carried anything heavier than a dried fig, you were “working.” That’s how extreme the Pharisees’ rules had become.

So when Jesus’ disciples plucked a few heads of grain, it was scandalous! But Jesus used this moment to remind them—and us—that the Sabbath was never meant to be a burden of rules. It was always meant to be a gift of rest.

And if we’re honest, we can do the same thing today. We take what God gave as a gift and turn it into a checklist—attendance, appearances, expectations. Instead of resting in Him, we measure ourselves by how well we keep the rules.

The Pharisees made Sabbath about performance. Jesus made it about presence.

1. The Problem with Rest (vv. 23–24)

I was once part of a church that nearly split over the color of the carpet—red or blue. And I kid you not, it took months to decide. I thought Jesus was going to come back before they made a choice! But all that time and energy went into carpet instead of the Kingdom. That’s exactly what the Pharisees did with the Sabbath. They missed the heart of God’s gift and buried it under rules.

They made it into a huge controversy when it was only about meeting a need: hunger.

The Pharisees criticized Jesus’ disciples for plucking grain on the Sabbath.

They had elevated man-made rules to divine authority. This wasn’t just nitpicking—this was spiritual policing. They weren’t defending God’s law; they were defending their power. His very presence threatened their system, so they watched for every chance to accuse Him.

The disciples were weary from ministry, their stomachs growling with hunger. They plucked a few heads of wheat—just enough to keep going. Nothing extravagant, just tired men grabbing a snack as they followed their Master. But to the Pharisees, this was scandal.

Lets take this a step further: Imagine being accused of sin for peeling a banana or tearing open a sugar packet for your coffee. That’s how absurd their accusation was.

The Pharisees turned God’s gift of rest into a burden. They weren’t protecting God’s law—they were protecting their power. And when Jesus exposed them, He showed the Sabbath was never meant to chain people down but to free them.

Sabbath is a sacred and divine institution that is a privilege and benefit to God’s people.

When you lose sight of the true purpose, it twists into something it was never meant to be. The Sabbath was never meant to be a burden—filled with anxiety and rules that make you walk on eggshells. It was always meant to be a blessing. Resting in God isn’t optional; it’s essential if we want strength to make an impact in His harvest field.

Christ cuts to the heart of the matter where the Pharisees are made to look at their hearts and true motives.

Matthew 12:7 NASB 2020

But if you had known what this means: ‘I desire compassion, rather than sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

Compassion is greater than any rule.

God didn’t give us rules to torture us or to stand ready with condemnation every time we slipped. He gave them because He is full of compassion and mercy, and He wants the very best for us. But when rest becomes about rules, you miss the heart of it—you miss the Rest-Giver Himself.

2. The Purpose of Rest (vv. 25–27)

7Jesus reminded the Pharisees of David, who ate the consecrated bread that was meant only for the priests. The point? God’s law was never meant to starve the hungry or ignore human need—it was always about meeting needs, because God’s heart has always been for people. The law was given to draw us closer to Him, not to trap us in lifeless traditions. Jesus showed the Pharisees, and us, that true obedience isn’t about guarding rules—it’s about meeting people right where they are with compassion and care.

Then Jesus delivers the principle: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Not a chain, but a gift. Not a burden, but a blessing. Rest isn’t a rule—it’s a gift.

They made it seem that the heavier the rules and the harsher the burden, the holier you were. But Jesus turned that upside down—showing us that true closeness to God isn’t found in carrying crushing loads, but in receiving His gift of rest and grace.

Creation itself shows this: God created man, then gave Sabbath rest as a rhythm for life.

Work was created as a beautiful gift of God but work without rest is not God’s plan.

The Pharisees stripped the Sabbath of its rest and turned it into a list of rules—rules that kept people from truly resting in God.

Under the Pharisees, Sabbath became frantic—rushing to get everything done before, walking on eggshells during, and facing judgment afterward if you didn’t meet their standards. What God gave as a gift, they turned into a burden.

True rest will not be found in what we do for God.

Busyness is not holiness.

True rest was created by God because He knew our need—not rest like the world gives, but rest for His people, nurtured and blessed by Him. In Sabbath rest we grow in grace and experience His providential care at work in our lives.

Principle: God gave Sabbath rest as a gift to restore, refresh, and renew us.

3. The Person of Rest (v. 28)

True rest will not be found in what we do for God. Rather, it will be found in God alone.

“No rest, no peace” – If you never stop, never slow down, never rest in God, you’ll always live restless, anxious, and without peace.

“Know rest, know peace” – When you know how to rest in God—when you experience His Sabbath gift through Jesus—you discover real peace.

Then Jesus makes His climactic claim: “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Much of Jesus’ ministry happened on the Sabbath, and He declared Himself Lord of it. By doing so, He claimed authority over its laws and limits. As Lord of the Sabbath, He alone decides how this day is truly meant to be used.

By calling Himself Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus declared His authority over every part of life:

Over sin—He forgives and sets free.

Over sickness—He heals and restores.

Over relationships—He reconciles what’s broken.

Over religion—He replaces empty ritual with real worship.

As Lord of the Sabbath, He is Lord over all.

True rest is not found in a day. It’s found in a Person. Sabbath isn’t about a day—it’s about a Person.

Christ didn’t come to abolish the Sabbath, but to restore it—so God’s people could once again receive the blessing He intended from the beginning.

We face this same battle today with the institutionalism of the church.

Going to church isn’t something to be dreaded—it’s something we should come into with joy. Too often, though, we treat Sunday like a trip to the dentist—something to endure instead of something to enjoy. You’ve probably heard the excuses: ‘Do I have to go today?’ ‘I’m too tired.’ ‘The game’s on later.’ But worship was never meant to feel like a chore. The church was created for people—not people for the church. It exists so we can meet with God and His people, to be uplifted, edified, and transformed. It was never meant to be a burden, but a blessing.

Creation itself shows this: God created man, then gave Sabbath rest as a rhythm for life. Work is good, but work without rest is not God’s plan.

As with all the parables, it comes down to this: we can respond to the truth—and as we do, our understanding deepens—or we can, like the Pharisees, close our eyes to it, ignore it, and let it pass by without ever trying to grasp its meaning.

Principle: Sabbath points us to Jesus—the One who offers rest for our souls (cf. Matt. 11:28–30).

Application

Pause: Build intentional rhythms of rest—weekly, daily, purposefully. Prioritize: Let your rest be rooted in worship and renewal. Decide ahead of time: Nothing will stand in the way of my time with God. Rest is obedience, and it’s our choice to say, “Jesus, You are my top priority.” Personalize: True rest isn’t about doing nothing—it’s about doing what restores your soul in Christ.

This Week’s Takeaway: True Sabbath is not a rule to follow but a Person to know—and in Christ, we find the rest our souls are longing for.

Conclusion

The Pharisees made Sabbath about control. But Jesus made it about freedom.

Rest isn’t a law to keep—it’s a gift to receive. And true Sabbath isn’t found in a day—it’s found in a Person.

Jesus is the Rest-Giver: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). That’s not just an invitation—it’s a promise.

So today, you don’t have to prove yourself. You don’t have to live restless, anxious, and exhausted. In Christ, you can breathe. In Christ, you can be renewed. In Christ, you can finally rest.

Because Sabbath is not about what you do for God—it’s about what God has done for you in Jesus.

And when you rest in Him, you’ll rise with Him to live for His Kingdom.

Prayer Following Sermon

Lord Jesus, You are the Lord of the Sabbath, the Giver of true rest. We confess how often we have chased performance instead of Your presence, rules instead of Your grace, and busyness instead of Your peace.

Today we lay down our burdens at Your feet. Teach us to rest in You — in Your forgiveness, in Your victory, in Your finished work on the cross and the empty tomb.

Help us leave here renewed, not in our own strength, but in Yours. And as we go, may we invite others who are weary to find the same rest in You. In Your holy name we pray, Amen.

📣 Charge

This week, don’t just rest from your work — rest in Jesus. Make space for His presence, receive His peace, and share His invitation with someone who is weary.

✝️ Benediction

May the Lord of the Sabbath bless you with His peace. May He quiet your restless heart, renew your weary spirit, and remind you that in Christ, you are free. Go now in His rest, and live in His joy. Amen.