Hebrews 4:9-10
10 August 2025
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,
for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from His works, just as God did from His.
So, we have here the declaration of a passage: an entire half of a chapter where we see that there is a Sabbath rest. There is a Sabbath rest, which is a freedom from the bondage of slavery, and it is a freedom to worship God. And that, effectively is the distinction between a Christian whose life is lived by faith and a religious person whose life is lived according to his works. And this is the sad irony that we've seen with Israel in the recent weeks that we've been studying chapters three and four.
Because Israel was a people set apart, chosen by the one true living God. They were set apart and chosen that they may worship Him, that they may know the blessing of being freed from the slavery that they had in Egypt to the being free to worship and live for God. And yet, what have we found of Israel in these chapters? A summary of where their hearts are. A declaration of a people in a generation during Moses’ time that were hardened in their hearts, wicked in their unbelief, and so they did not enter the rest promised by God.
And yet what we come to as we get to chapter four is the declaration that there remains the promise of a rest. And it's now, today, in this particular section of Hebrews 4, that we come to really understand not only what that rest is, but how this rest can be possible. We've already not simply alluded to, but we've spoken very emphatically about the Lord Jesus Christ and the Gospel. And it's when we come to verses 9 and 10 that we really see the climax of that declaration.
So let me just read verses 9 and 10 of Hebrews 4 once more. It says, “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works, as God did from his.” This short text tells us, first of all, that a rest remains. It also tells us who it is for, and it also crucially tells us how it is secured.
Now, we're just going to spend a few minutes dealing with these first two points in verse nine, and we're going to spend most of our time dealing with verse 10. And when we get to verse 10, we're going to see why. But first of all, we need to briefly, effectively summarise the fact that there is a rest which remains and who it is for. Verse nine tells us both of these points.
Look just with me at the beginning of verse nine, and just think with everything we've read in Hebrews chapter three and four just how precious these words are, because verse nine begins by saying, “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest, for the people of God.” Now, this is important to think, given Hebrews 4 has already dealt with two rests in the Old Testament. What are these two rests? Well, the first one is the rest of a seventh day in our working week, which is a principle of rest given to people created by God. Where we see God created the earth in six days and rested on the seventh. And so we too work on the six days and rest on the seventh. So that's the first thing.
And we know that Israel was given in the law the stipulations of how they were to obey the Sabbath day's rest given to them. Then we've also looked in chapter four, linking to chapter three, that there's another rest which is mentioned in the time of the old Covenant. And that is the promised rest of crossing the river Jordan into the promised land of Canaan. And think back to chapter three. There was an entire generation, the people of Israel, who decided themselves not to cross over to that river Jordan and to the promised land. They were fearful. And so God declared that they would not cross, that this would be the consequence, that they would fall in the wilderness.
But there then came a generation which followed under the leadership of Joshua. And they did enter the promised rest. They did enter this promised land. But what we found in verse 8 of chapter 4 is that even though a rest of the sort was given physically, verse 8 declares that if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. And that means that although physically and practically it did mean that they reached the promised land, they did reach a state of resting. They did not reach this spiritual rest which verse nine now deals with.
Now, this is important to establish because we have yet another contrast between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. We see the distinction between promises, types and shadows to now fulfilment. In the Old Covenant, we are dealing with the promise of rest. Now, as we come to the new Covenant, we see, know and understand how that is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. And this is what verse nine is declaring, that there remains a Sabbath rest. There remains a rest—for who? For whom is this rest? Well, look what the verse says. There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. That's who it is for.
This is deliberate, it is particular, and it is glorious. When Christ came, He came for a specific people. And we, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, are that people. We are a people who are declared to be the people of God. That's who it is for. If we're sitting here wondering, well, is this rest for me? If you are a child of God, then the answer is yes, this is rest for you. Because what we understand of this rest is that although there is a pointing forward to a specific day where on one practical level, we know that today the Lord's day is a day set apart in the week where we can rest in the presence of God, with the people of God. What this is dealing with ultimately, spiritually is what you and I have in Christ.
What you and I have in Christ. Now, this is where we come to the third point, and this is where we're spending most of our time. And that is how this rest is secured. One of the things that you might have noticed about verses 9 and 10 is that where's Jesus in these verses? Where is the mention of how this rest is secured in the context of this passage? Because as we read verse 10, it says, “for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works, as God did from his.”
And what we're going to see in these upcoming minutes is that likely, most, if not all of you, have probably been reading this verse, not in the most helpful or accurate of ways. So let's just consider how we may likely read what this verse is saying, and then we'll start to deal with what this verse is actually saying. So as we read it, we read, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works, as God did from his.
So we would read this and think, whoever. Again, so that means us. Whoever entered God's rest has also rested from his works. So we've entered God's rest. Therefore, we rest from the works that we do. Now, one of the problems we have been reading that is the question of what are our works that we are wrestling from. What works are you resting from? Well, we might think, well, it's the works that we're doing from Monday to Saturday. Well, yes, practically, if it was relating specifically to the Sabbath, that could be what it's about. But this is dealing more with the spiritual significance of rest.
So what works is it? Is it works which we would seek to earn or salvation? Do we rest from that? No, we don't rest from that. We repent of that. So in what way are we resting from our works? Also, the contrast given in this verse, because it says, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works, as God rested from his. Now compare, if you're dealing with your works and God's works, your works are but filthy rags which are deserving of nothing but the eternal hellfire, which is the consequence of sin, which leads to death, which is an eternal death. So that would be our works. So if we're resting from that, as God rests from his, what are his works? Well, we saw back in verses three to four, this is in reference to God's creation.
So God worked for six days in creating the earth and everything that was in it, and he rested on the seventh day. And what did God say and declare before his creation? He saw that it was good. Any works that you and I do, they are not good works. They are works which lead us to hell. The works that God has done, they are right and they are perfect. So we look at this verse and we may scratch our heads and think, well, what is this verse all about? Now, this is where at this point, we're going to go even deeper into noticing a change in the language and verse 10 compared to previous verses.
Let me just read this verse again and see if we notice something. It says, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works, as God did from his. If you just look at some of the previous verses in Hebrews chapter four, and let's pay attention to something. In verse 1 of chapter four, it says: “Let us fear.” In verse 2, it says, “For good news came to us just as to them.” Verse 3 says, “For we who have believed enter that rest.” And verse 9, “there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” And following verse 11, it says, “Let us therefore strive.” Each of these verses deals with us, we in the plural.
But here in verse 10, it doesn't say, for whoever entered God's rest has also rested from their works, as God did from his. No, it says from his works, because a singular person is now in view here. And that is because the singular person who is in view here In Hebrews chapter 4, verse 10 is the Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews chapter 4, verse 10 is actually writing about Jesus Christ resting from His works, as God did from His.
Just think for a moment, this entire passage is contrasting the rest of the old covenant, both Sabbath and promised land, to the rest which is found in Jesus Christ. And even here in this little section from verse 8, there's a direct contrast between Joshua and Jesus, because verse 8 says, if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. But there is another day, as we're seeing in verse nine. And that is because Christ. That is because Christ has now entered that rest, ceasing from His works.
And this is why verse 10 contrasts the work of God in creation where He saw that it was good, and He rested to the work of Christ, which is good, it is perfect. And now He rests. He ceases to work. Now, at this point we've still got one big, huge question mark about verse 10, because verse 10 begins, “for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from His works, as God did from His.” So if this is about the Lord Jesus Christ, then why does the verse begin with the word whoever? And the reason is, because the ESV has assumed that this verse is speaking about us and not about Christ. And so a more accurate translation can be found in the Authorised Version.
The Authorised Version, which is more literal, says, and note: “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” Note this again speaking of the Lord Jesus. For He, that is Jesus, that is entered into his rest, that is Jesus; He also hath ceased from His own works the works that Jesus hath done, as God did from His. And this is a way by which we can then make sense of how this rest is secured. Because at this point, in the closing crescendo of another mighty monumental argument in the book of Hebrews, what is the focus upon?
Oh, well, we rest from our works—that's what we do. Verse 11 is going to tell us what we are to do on the basis of Christ's rest. We are to strive to enter it, and we're going to come to that next week. Verse 10 is speaking of resting from His works. And this fixes our gaze not upon our works. It fixes our gaze upon the perfect completed work of Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters, this is the glory of the gospel.
When it comes to entering the promised rest. When it comes to the glory of our salvation, what have your works to do with it? Absolutely nothing. That is not what we get into view. What we get into view is the glorious work of the Lord Jesus Christ and what He has secured for vile sinners like us. And this is what we need to understand. He has secured this rest. Turn with me to Acts chapter 2. In Acts chapter 2, this is the sermon at Pentecost. And here we have Peter preaching the glory of the gospel. And he gets to the point of the resurrection in verse 24.
And it says in verse 24, “God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it.” Now, first of all, the point of God raising Him up, if we're dealing with the subject of Christ's works, what are the works of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well this is something that we've already spent so much time studying in the first three and a bit chapters of Hebrews, seeking to understand. What has Christ done? Well, first, He's come to this earth. Meditate upon this once more. This is God, the second person of the triune God coming to where you are, here on this earth. This sin-stained God-rejecting hell-deserving Earth; the Son of God has come to it.
And how did He come to it? He came like us. He became a man like us, physically like us. But morally and spiritually, He is gloriously not like us. Because we are morally corrupt. We are spiritually bankrupt. We are ourselves hell-bound sinners. Jesus Christ—He is morally upright; He is righteous; He is perfect. That's why He fulfils the law. That's why only He can be the One who would become the perfect living sacrifice laid down for undeserving sinners like us. Now this is where we come to the Gospel itself and the work that Christ did.
What work did Christ do that is complete, that is perfect? He did a complete and perfect salvific work. He has come to die for sinners like us. Literally, on that cross, He would bear the sins of His people. He would face the punishment that we deserve. Where God the Father's anger would be burning against the Son. Christ would face this and He would lay down his life for sinners like us. This is what Christ did. These are his works. And it says here in Acts 2:24 that Jesus Christ, who was dead, he was declared dead. He was buried in a tomb by Joseph of Arimathea. It was confirmed. It's over. Only it's not over!
It's not over because in verse 24 Peter declares, “God raised Him up,” God raised Him up. That is what God has done. Because the work of Christ is perfect and it's complete. And the verse unpacks why Jesus had to be raised up. Now note this. This wasn't, “Oh well, there's the option of resurrection at the end of this whole thing.” No, Jesus had to be raised. Note what the verse says. “God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death,” loosing the pangs of death. What we have to grasp in our minds is that when Jesus died, He died a death for His people, which means He was being held under it penally.
The grave is a consequence of sin. And that's what these pangs of death are. In this verse, the pangs of death are what you and I, we deserve to face because of sin. And there's no sense of injustice or confusion as to why our bodies suffer because of sin and why we die. Sin is the reason and the just consequence. These pangs of death are that we die and are condemned. And brothers and sisters, sin is the reason that the Lord Jesus languished on a cruel cross. Your sin, my sin. And on that cross justice was met, but not because of any wrongdoing on our Lord's part. Understand again, Jesus Christ is morally incorruptible. He is literally perfect.
And so in being this sinless One, He died as the sacrifice for corrupted sinful ones like us. That's why He died, that's why He was buried. But also it is why He could not stay there. Notice again, Acts 2:24, it said “God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death.” Because, notice, “it was not possible,” It's not possible “for Him,” Jesus, “to be held” there. And the reason it's not possible is because of who He is. Quite literally, it is not possible for Jesus, being perfect, to be held in the grave. You and I, we can be held in the grave and condemned to hell because we are sinners. Jesus is without sin. And what He secured, what He secured by His work at Calvary was a literal crushing of sin and death by Jesus, the morally incorruptible One, Himself tasting death.
These pangs of death, by Himself being buried in a tomb, He would defeat death. And therefore He must rise. Jesus Christ must rise from the grave. There's no doubt, there's no uncertainty about this. Because of who He is, because of what He has done, He must rise from the dead. And that is the absolute bedrock of the Christian’s faith and assurance, that Jesus Christ has dealt with your sin and that because He has risen, we too, in Christ, must rise. And this is the glorious climax of this section in Hebrews. Because these are the works that Jesus Christ has done.
And Jesus Christ is who we get into view this very afternoon. Let me ask you, as you're sitting here in these pews, in this building, what are you resting in? Who are you resting in? If it is your works or a sense of, well, I need to do less works or more works, do you think that that will mean the means by which you enter any final rest? Do you have rest in your soul in the works that you are trying to do, or maybe not trying to do? Your works have nothing to do with this. Jesus Christ's perfect completed work is everything. It's everything. It's everything.
That's what our faith is in—Jesus Christ. Our hope in His crucifixion, our hope in His resurrection, our hope in His ascension. Because Hebrews 4:10 is saying that He has rested from His works. What does that mean for us today as we look to Christ? Are we looking wondering, well, what else is Jesus going to do? He's got more to do for me to get me into heaven. No, the work is complete at Calvary. He is risen. He is ascended. He is seated on the throne. He is today and forevermore the Lord of lords and King of kings. This is Jesus Christ, your Lord and your Saviour.
By the faith that you have in Him and in Him alone. We know our works get us one way, and that is the wages of sin is death. And so we repent and we come in faith in Jesus Christ. We look to His completed work, and we see that He rests from His work; He is seated; He is exalted; He is the one who reigns, and we trust in Him. We love Him and we worship Him. Romans 1:3-4 declares: “concerning His Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness, by His resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
This is what we have in Jesus Christ, and this is how and why we have rest—true, spiritual, everlasting rest for our souls. Now, now we have it. That's why Psalm 62:1 declares, My soul finds rest in God alone. And we can, and we do rest in God alone through Jesus Christ. Because He declared it Himself at Calvary. He declared, “It is finished.” Jesus has declared that the work, the purpose for which He came to this earth when He was dying on the cross for sinners like you and me, He declared, “It is finished.” He did not declare part one done—parts two, three and four still to come, over to you. What are you going to do next? No, He declared it is finished.
That's why God raised Him from the dead. That's why where we know Jesus is today is the source of eternal comfort. Because where Jesus is, we know we will be. What Jesus has promised, we know He will fulfil. It is all because of Him. As we contrast this with Israel: yes, there was a promise of rest, but it was no more than a promise because Israel didn't obey. They had the evil, unbelieving heart leading them to fall away (Hebrews 3:12). But for the church today, we have this better, lasting, eternal rest because of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. This means peace with God. It means freedom from the law.
It means a freedom to worship the glorious God because of this Gospel, to enjoy Him—now and forevermore—eternally in glory. This is why as an application for us as Christians, we can rejoice at a day like this. In your busy working week, with all the things and pressures you have this principle of rest, where there is a day set apart each week where we can gather to worship with the Lord's people, fixing our gaze upon our great and mighty God. This is because of who we are. This is because of who we now worship.
And it points forward to what we will then have in glory. Because there is coming a day when this will reach its full final fulfilment. Revelation 14:13, “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now. Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labours, for their deeds follow them!’” What we rest in, who we rest in, all that we rest in is in and through Jesus Christ. And what our rest will look like eternally in glory will be with Jesus Christ, when at that point there will be no more sickness, suffering and death, where we will see and behold the exalted Lord, the One who is risen and exalted, victorious over all.
And this will be an inexhaustible and eternal joy for our souls to behold. That is what this language of rest is speaking of for the Christian. Because Christ has done the completed and final work at Calvary, and He is risen and He is victorious. Our rest is found in Him. Our rest is fulfilled in Him. It is a rest we know now. And it is the rest we will enjoy forever with Him in glory. And in this we delight that there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. And that is secured because of the Gospel and the faith—the faith that we have in Him, and in Him alone.