Held by Grace: Finding Rest in the Hands of Christ

Resting in Jesus

The invitation to find rest in Jesus is one of the most beautiful and gracious gifts in all of Scripture. Our Lord's words, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Mt.11:28), are not just poetic; they are deeply theological. In these words, Christ shows that true rest is not in what we do, but in what God has already done for us through Jesus Christ. 

Resting in Jesus starts with faith. It begins by trusting that His saving work on the cross is complete, sufficient, and personal.

The cross of Christ is not an unfinished project; it is, as Jesus Himself declared, finished.

Hanging on the cross, Jesus said, "It is finished" (Jn. 19:30). Luther expressed this beautifully when he wrote, "Faith grasps Christ as the ring grasps the jewel." Therefore, our rest comes not from trying to earn God's favor but from believing that, in Christ, God's favor already rests upon us. This truth has the power not only to justify our lives through Christ's redemptive work but also to sanctify our spirits in the unbreakable promise of God's salvific presence given in and through the holy waters of baptism. 

In his Freedom of a Christian, Luther reminds us that "A Christian is perfectly free, lord of all, subject to none." He goes on to say, "A Christian is perfectly dutiful, servant of all, subject to all." This paradox reveals the nature of our rest in Christ—freedom from sin and death through His cross, and freedom for love and service in His name. We no longer labor under the burden of earning righteousness; rather, we live in the peace that Christ has made us righteous through faith.

This peaceful rest is the core of Sabbath rest—the rest that comes from knowing the work of salvation is finished. Gerhard Forde explained it well: "Faith is simply the assurance that there is nothing left to do—Christ has done it all."

To rest in Jesus, then, is to lay down our spiritual exhaustion at the foot of His cross and receive the peace that surpasses understanding. 

 

Always Working

Even in seasons when we cannot see God's hand at work, He is no less active or present. The Psalmist confesses, "He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep" (Ps. 121:4). Our rest, therefore, is not in inactivity but in confidence that God is active on our behalf.

Luther's theology of vocation teaches us that God is constantly at work through the ordinary and unseen. He refers to these as the "hidden" and the "revealed" God. For example, God works through parents who nurture, doctors who heal, and farmers who sow. God operates in the small, unnoticed moments of our daily lives. That’s why Luther can confidently say, "God is milking the cows through the vocation of the milkmaid."

When we rest in Jesus, we can trust that even when our world feels quiet or uncertain, the Lord is quietly carrying out His good and gracious will.

In those moments when we feel as though our prayers go unanswered or our efforts produce no results, we hold onto the promise that "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil.1:6). Faith is based not on what we see, but on what we know to be true: God is working all things together for good for those who love Him (Rom. 8:28).

Baptismal Identity

To rest in Jesus is also to rest in our identity as the baptized children of God. In Holy Baptism, we are united with Christ's death and resurrection (Rom. 6:3–4). Our old self was crucified with Christ, and our new self is daily renewed by His Spirit. Furthermore, our rest is rooted not in changing circumstances, but in the unchanging truth of God in Christ, namely, that we belong to Christ and have been purchased by His holy, perfect, and innocent blood.

In the Small Catechism, Dr. Luther reminds us of the daily power of baptism when he says: "It indicates that the Old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever."

Resting in the baptismal promises given to us by Jesus means we do not have to build our identity or secure our worth— it has already been given to us. 

No sin, failure, or fear can undo what God has done in baptism. It is a gift to you, freely given by the everlasting goodness of God. As Paul Gerhardt wrote in his beloved hymn, "I am baptized into Christ!" I am a child of paradise." Holding on to our identity in Jesus gives us an unshakable anchor, for the apostle Paul writes: "Nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:39).

Sabbath Stillness

Resting in Jesus isn't about escaping life's struggles but about living through them with divine assurance. It's about taking deep breaths of God's amazing grace when the world demands our performance. It's trusting that our Redeemer reigns even when our hearts are weary. It's, as the Psalmist powerfully showed in Psalm 121, lifting our eyes to the hills and calling on the name of our Lord as our help, shield, and rampart. 

Renowned 20th-century Lutheran pastor and scholar Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, "The Sabbath is the day when we cease from our own works and let God do His." In that sacred stillness, we rediscover that Christ Himself is our Sabbath—our eternal rest, our peace, our life, and our everlasting joy.

To those with ears to hear, accept the word of the Lord: come, weary soul, and find rest—not in your striving, success, circumstances, diplomas or accolades, title, position, wealth, or status—but in Jesus alone.

Rest in Jesus' blood-stained cross for you. Rest in Jesus' atoning righteousness for you. Rest in Jesus' constant, eternal care for you. Rest in your baptismal identity and who He says you are, for you are His, and He is yours, now and forever.