April 26

But Jesus answered them, “To this very day My Father is at His work, and I too am working.” — John 5:17 BSB

God doesn’t take a break. He’s always active. The worlds don’t stop moving in their orbits when the Sabbath begins. The grass keeps growing, the flowers keep blooming, and the wheat keeps ripening, even when the day of rest comes.

There’s no Sabbath in God’s work of providence. His care for His children doesn’t pause when the Sabbath dawns. The people criticized Jesus for healing a man on the Sabbath.

This was His response: “My Father is always working, even now, and I’m working too.”

This was His answer to the accusation that He had broken the Sabbath by healing the man. From this, we also get an idea of the kinds of works that are appropriate for us to do on the Lord’s Day. There’s no justification here for ordinary, secular work on the Sabbath, but works of mercy and acts of faith are certainly in line with the spirit of the day of rest.