◄ What Does John 5:17 Mean? ►

In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth in six days, and on the seventh day He rested from all His work. But man wilfully disobeyed God and sinned against his Creator. Death came into the world because of man's sin, and as the consequence of sin, the earth was cursed, sorrow and pain entered the world, and God started once again to work. God set in motion His new work of redemption, and His glorious plan of salvation started to unfold.

God's Sabbath rest was rudely interrupted by sin, but God in His grace knew before the foundation of the world that man would disobey Him and His work of redemption would have to begin at a point in time. God foreknew that man would sin against Him and that only the shed blood of a perfect Kinsman-Redeemer could pay the price for the sin of the whole world. And so He purposed to send His only begotten Son to be born into the human race to pay the price for sin. And so began God's ongoing work of redemption.

The salvation of man's spirit, soul, and body became God's continuous work of salvation from the moment that man sinned. God's Sabbath rest was halted, and He began His amazing work of redeeming fallen humanity, which was why the Lord Jesus answered the Pharisees by saying: "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working." Indeed, the day was fast approaching when Christ's redeeming work on the Cross would result in the defeat of sin and victory over death for all who would believe on His name.

The Holy Trinity started to work for the redemption of the human race in perfect union from the moment that man sinned. And today, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost continue their redeeming work of saving the fallen race of man, as the perfect plan of the merciful Father is executed by the eternal Son, in the power of the omnipotent Holy Ghost.

Jesus had just healed a sick man who had been bedridden for 38 years and who lay at the side of the Pool of Bethsaida. He had compassion for this son of Abraham who had been imprisoned and enslaved in his physical and spiritual prison for so long. Jesus, as Son of God and Saviour of the world, released this man from thirty-eight years of slavery to sin and Satan by simply commanding him to take up his bed and walk. But as it was a Sabbath day, it brought the bitter condemnation of the foolish, self-righteous, hypocritical, merciless Jews, on the incarnate Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.

Each member of the Godhead has their own unique role in the salvation of mankind, and that work of salvation; spirit, soul, and body, will continue until there is a new heaven, a new earth, and eternal rest for the Creator and His creation alike.

Heavenly Father, thank You that I am saved by grace through faith in Christ, Who has become my current, continuous, and eternal Sabbath rest. Thank You for Your ongoing work in the lives of both sinners and those that are saved by grace through faith. Thank You for my own salvation, justification, sanctification, and future glorification. You started a good work in me, and I pray that it will be completed in the day of Christ Jesus, to His greater glory. May I rest in You Who is my Sabbath rest so that You may work through me for the benefit of others and for Your praise and glory. This I ask in Jesus' name, AMEN.