• Just as in the Old Testament the Israelites were supposed to praise God who took them out of Egypt - redeeming them from bondage to the Egyptians, we are to celebrate the Sabbath with joy for the redemption that we have received through His Son.
• Jesus came to fulfill the law which means the fourth commandment as well. Yet Christ did not render all the Old Testament laws concerning the Sabbath unimportant as many Christians think, rather Christ followed Old Testament laws concerning the Sabbath and stayed within them allowing only acts of piety, mercy, and necessity to be done. The laws that he did not follow were those of the Pharisees, and that was the statement he was trying to make.
• Yet we are not to become too moralistic or legalistic in our view of the Sabbath, arguing over things like if we can wear jeans or not, and therefore make the Sabbath a burden to people, but when we look at the Sabbath as a joy and devote it to the praise and worship of God for our redemption, than these little squabbles should be put to the side in importance.

Rest

• The Sabbath also should be a day of rest. Yet rest is more than just sleeping the entire day and catching up on sleep. It is also is spiritual rest and both spiritual and physical rest is found in Jesus Christ. "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Jesus says in Matthew 11: 28. Therefore we must go to church and be eager to listen to God's word, for that is where we find true rest.
• Yet it is not enough that we just go to church, and then quickly take off our dress pants and tie and start doing homework or go water skiing right away. The Sabbath is meant to be a day of rest. Both physical and spiritual.
• Human beings are not meant to be solely labourous creatures. We work all week and so we must rest from our work - for our own physical well-being as well as our spiritual. To continue to do your everyday work (that includes homework for students and even good work) is exhausting physically as well as spiritually - coming dangerously close to making work an idol in your life. Can we not put one day of the week aside for straight devotion unto God?
• The point is, when we come out of the Sabbath day do we feel rested? Do we feel physically rested and eager to take on the challenges and work that lies in the week ahead of us? Do you feel that you are spiritually revived and ready to live for God in the week ahead?

If you don't feel physically and spiritually rested for the week ahead, or if you don't find the Sabbath a day of joy and celebration, or if you find yourself not wanting to go or skipping out on church, maybe you should take a look at your life and see if you are celebrating the Sabbath like God intended it to.