Jeremiah 17:19–22 (BSB) — This is what the LORD said to me: “Go and stand at the gate of the people, through which the kings of Judah go in and out; and stand at all the other gates of Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, all people of Judah and Jerusalem who enter through these gates. This is what the LORD says: Take heed for yourselves; do not carry a load or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. You must not carry a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath day, but you must keep the Sabbath day holy, just as I commanded your forefathers.

In Jeremiah’s day, the Mosaic Law was still in full effect. One of the Law’s key components was the way in which a strict rest from all labor was required on the Sabbath. And yet, as the nation slid into idolatry and the neglect of God’s Law, the Jews fell into a pattern of violating that Law to the extent that not only would they keep transacting business on the Sabbath, they would actually carry their goods through the Temple grounds as a short-cut to other parts of the City. Even after the Babylonian captivity, we see the same issue addressed by Jesus (Mark 11:16). While there, it may not have been a Sabbath issue, the use of the Temple courts as a cut-through for merchandising still was.

As we read, the Sabbath was noted by God in Exodus 31:12–13 (BSB) — “Surely you must keep My Sabbaths, for this will be a sign between Me and you for the generations to come, so that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. ” To not do so was a capital offense.

Under the New Covenant, Believers are no longer bound in the same way to the Sabath as the Jews were. And while sound scholars will debate the extent of the Sabbath’s abrogation, or what form the actually takes, we can still derive a most potent principle from what Scripture lays before us in this regard. And that, in one parallel in particular.

I would argue (as do others) that in this transition into the New Covenant, carrying the burden of our own works or righteousness when we come to worship the Lord, is a direct repudiation of our trust in – and total reliance upon – Christ as our righteousness and the fulfillment of the Law.

In other words, we do not come to Church, into gathered worship, relying on our own obediences, perfections, works or righteousness in any way for our acceptance before God. We come, burden free, resting fully in the finished work of Christ.

We do not come to gathered worship to gain God’s approval – as a rite of acceptance.

We do not come to gathered worship hoping that in the act, our burdens of sin will get lifted.

We come to gathered worship as those who are trusting already in Christ’s having taken the whole of our sin burden upon Himself – on the Cross.

We come to gathered worship to rejoice in His finished work – not as a work unto itself.

We come to gathered worship in faith.

And this, is how we fulfill the Sabbath now. We rest, in Him.

Do not carry anything on the Sabbath beloved. He has borne it all.