Hebrews 4

Finding Rest in Hebrews 4: A Better Way to Live

The Gift of Rest Is Still for Us

As we reflect on Hebrews 4, one theme keeps rising to the surface: rest is a gift. It's not a burden, an outdated practice, or just a theological footnote—it’s a spiritual necessity. Hebrews 4 starts with a “therefore,” pointing us back to the reality that Jesus is greater than angels, greater than Moses, and fully God. Because of this, we’re called to listen closely, to believe, and to enter the rest He’s offering us.

This rest, described in the chapter as a “Sabbath rest for the people of God,” aligns beautifully with the rhythms of Lent, Sabbath, and spiritual disciplines we’ve been exploring. But here's the truth: the debate over whether Sabbath is “commanded” in the New Testament often misses the point. We don’t need to argue over it—we need to receive it. Sabbath is a gift. When God says, “Rest,” He’s not being restrictive. He’s being generous. And if we’re capable of taking that rest and choose not to, we’re missing something vital.

We live in a world spinning way too fast, with people burning out and breaking down left and right. The invitation to Sabbath is God’s way of saying, “I love you. You were never meant to carry all this or run this hard.” The rest described in Hebrews 4 is about stopping, worshiping, enjoying God, enjoying others, and breathing. Whether it’s a few hours or a full day each week, this is God's way of re-centering us and giving us a weekly taste of eternity.

A Foretaste of Eternity

The rest Hebrews 4 speaks of is more than a nap or a day off. It’s a glimpse of heaven. God has always intended rest to point us forward—to the garden, the promised land, and ultimately, to eternal life with Him. But the pattern in Scripture is sobering: every time God offers us rest, humanity tends to reject it.

In Genesis, rest was lost in Eden. In Exodus, it was rejected at the edge of the promised land. And today, we often overlook it in the hustle of modern life. But God hasn’t changed. His offer stands. He’s still saying, “Come, enter My rest.”

When we Sabbath, we’re practicing eternity. We’re tasting heaven. Think about your favorite food, your favorite drink, your favorite people—and now imagine enjoying all that, while worshiping God fully and freely, forever. That’s what Sabbath whispers to us: This is what’s coming. And every week, we get a little preview.

Rest Is Trust

Rest isn’t just about slowing down. It’s about trusting God. Hebrews 4:3 reminds us that those who enter God’s rest do so by faith. The Israelites missed out on rest in Canaan because they didn’t trust God’s promise. In the same way, we can resist rest if we don’t believe God will carry what we leave undone.

Every time we Sabbath, we’re saying, “I trust You, God.” We’re admitting we can’t do it all—and we weren’t created to. That’s faith in action. It’s leaving emails unanswered, chores undone, and projects incomplete, and believing God holds it all together.

There’s a rhythm here we’re called to: work six, rest one. It's not laziness. It's obedience. It's imitating the God who worked and then rested, not because He was tired, but to model a rhythm for us. As Hebrews says, “Anyone who enters God's rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His” (4:10). This is the faith-fueled rest we’re invited to embrace.

Jesus, Our Rest and Our High Priest

The chapter ends not just with a call to rest, but a call to approach. Hebrews 4:14–16 reminds us that Jesus is our great high priest—fully God, fully human. He knows our weakness. He understands temptation. And because of this, we can approach God with confidence.

That’s the invitation: come as we are. Come in our mess. Come with our fatigue, our fear, our overwhelm. And what we’ll find is not judgment, but mercy and grace.

Jesus is not only the fulfillment of Sabbath—He is our Sabbath. He is our rest. He is the Word of God, living and active, piercing through the noise and the pressure and the distraction, inviting us to live in rhythm with grace.

So today, let’s hear the call of Hebrews 4 not as a rule, but as a loving reminder: stop, breathe, worship, and trust. There’s a better way to live. Let’s enter His rest. “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest…” –Hebrews 4:11