Question: Is Yahshua (Jesus) not our "rest"?

REST = rely on God for our food etc. Rest in His assurance and promises. Exodus 35:2 “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death”. Not a mere rest as one does under other circumstances. Resting does not make a day or period holy or every night you sleep would be holy. It is holy because God designated the seventh day and other annual periods as such.  Then it is to be given to the Lord by living it in His word, dedicating your time to Him. Then ask how did Jesus and God’s people keep it in the past and do likewise.

Some say the need to keep the fourth Commandment (the 7th day Sabbath / called Saturday) has been replaced by Jesus because; the Sabbath was only about resting which Christians can now do in Jesus. They rely on Matt 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest”. I have referred to “rest” in the Celebrating the 1st Day of the Week section. In addition, we are to ask ourselves, how do we get rest in Jesus, how do we “come” onto Him, where is He heading and how do we follow Him? In Matt 19:17 Jesus directs if we are to enter into life (get rest), we are to keep His fathers commandments. Joh 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour”. Psa 40:7-8 “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart”. Jesus was heading to His father in heaven by doing His will, using the laws and commandments as His guide. Jesus confirmed He had not come to destroy or change the “Law”. In fact, He came to magnify it. Show how it is to be kept. Shine a light on it and make it clear through clarification and examples. Isa 42:21 “The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable”. Jesus was the living Law. Scripture speaks of their attributes in the same way. Truth (Joh 14:6, Psalm 119:142), holy (Acts 4:27, Rom 7:12), perfect (Heb 5:9, Psalm 19:7) righteous (1 Cor 1:30, Psa119:172), light (Joh 8:12, Pro 6:23), just (Acts 22:14, Rom 7:12), abide in forever (Joh 8:35, Psa 111:7-8), should be in the heart (Eph 3:17, Psa 40:8), gives freedom, no condemnation and liberty (Rom 8:1, James 2:12).

Rejecting the Law is rejecting Jesus (and visa versa), which brings wrath (Joh 3:36, Neh 13:18). Jesus was pure; in Him was no sin. 1 Joh 3:4 defines sin as transgression of the Law, going against Jesus; “whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law”. Therefore, how can any Christian professing to follow Christ think they are no longer under the law; under Jesus’ directive? That they are now free to commit sin against God and man (Rom 7:7)? Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: Psa 19:8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. Psa 19:11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. (See Psa 119:18, 97-8, 115, 165) Psa 89:34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. 

What is the reward or wages of sin, breaking the Law, going against God or Jesus? Death not rest (Rom 6:23)! Separation from God. So if you wish to “rest” in Jesus, keep ALL His and His father’s commandments. Whether you get to heaven in obedience to the Law or faith in Jesus; following for what he stands, do as he did.
Some are taught they are free from the bondage of the law. A negative spin is put on the law to turn people against it. This is not a new trick, it happened during the historic merger between Rome’s pagan religion and Christians. There is a positive side to this binding concept. When the Jews in Exodus marked their door posts, they were bound under God’s promise and protection. Similarly a person is protected by the legal system under which they are bound. Thus being bound by the law has its positive benefits of protection. However, the bondage spoken of by Paul in Gal 4:9 is not of the Law. See Book of Galatians topic.

Thus if there is any of the commandments you are not keeping, even one, it means you do not yet know Christ, only possibly, part of Him. 1 Joh 2:3-4 “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him”. As I said in the Introduction, Jesus said some hard things. We are not to take offence at hard, plain talking. Truth should not be concealed or compromised for fear of offending. Proverbs 27:17 “iron sharpens iron…”