Happy Sabbath and Merry Christmas!

I think Christmas falling on Sabbath is very special. It's almost a double blessing in one day! Last night, I was thinking about how Sabbath and Christmas are special but are still very different.

God hallowed the Sabbath. For six days, He created our world and all the things in it. The seventh day was special because He rested on it and made it holy. In turn, we are commanded to keep the Sabbath holy, to rest on God's holy day.

By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made
Genesis 2:2-3.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.

For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy
Exodus 20:11.

Jesus was crucified on Friday and rested in the tomb on the Sabbath day.

Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.

Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there
John 19:41-42.

On the other hand, there is no Biblical command to celebrate Christmas. The Christmas story is covered in several gospels, but it is not something we are told to remember. We do so because Christmas is a celebration of the beginning of Jesus' life. And His life and death are extremely important to us as Christians.

I was thinking about how Sabbath is a day of rest and realized that the first Christmas was exactly the opposite. Joseph and Mary were tired from a journey. They arrived in town and found that all the inns were full. No vacancy. Instead, they bedded down in a local stable. Mary labored to bring Jesus into the world. His birth was preceded by a very difficult work from Mary.

It is ironic that today I am remembering the Sabbath, the pinnacle of creation, by resting in God. I am also remembering the Savior's birth, which required hard work to happen. Two very special days, celebrated on the same day. A day of rest and a day of labor.

Happy Sabbath and Merry Christmas!