He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

Devotion based on Colossians 2:13-17

When Jesus walked the earth, there were a lot of laws that people were supposed to follow when it came to rest on the Sabbath day. Did cooking count as work, not rest? How about walking somewhere or helping someone in need? Various authorities took it upon themselves to interpret the rules and then enforce them. If there were fines associated with each infraction, a person could rack up a lot of debt.

Jesus kept all the Sabbath laws perfectly. Even when local powers and authorities did not interpret those laws correctly, Jesus kept them the way God intended. He did not accumulate a single bit of debt, literal or figurative.

Then, in one striking action, Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty that every human being had accumulated for breaking laws of any kind, including the Sabbath laws. It was as if all the legal charges against people were written on a sheet of paper that was nailed to the cross along with the hands and feet of Jesus. Authorities became powerless to accuse people since the debt was paid.

That’s why we don’t follow Sabbath laws today. They were a shadow of the rest we find now in the reality of forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ.

Prayer: