Happy Labor Day! Jesus modeled the labor of grace when he died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Read 1 Peter 3:18-22. I was in seminary when the professors talked about the work of Jesus. I had never thought about the work of Jesus before. Today, we categorize work into blue-collar and white-collar work. Blue-collar work is physical labor like auto mechanics, factory jobs, and waiters. White-collar work is office work, like accountants, engineers, and secretaries. Then there are the jobs that are hybrids, like a small business manage,r where the person works in the store and in the office.  The Apostle Paul was a tentmaker and a teacher. Jesus was a carpenter, a teacher, and a healer. I never thought about the work of Jesus, but the gospel writers often record how he needed to spend some time away from the crowd. Even Jesus needed a break from his work. As my thoughts came back to the lecture of my seminary professor, I soon realized that the work I was thinking about was not what the professor was talking about. When he said, “The work of Christ”, he was specifically referring to the work of Jesus on the cross. The work of Jesus was to restore God to people through his sacrifice. The three hours Jesus spent on the cross were agonizing. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” and he breathed his last, his work was done. Now it is our turn to respond to the work of Jesus by proclaiming Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We then dedicate ourselves to the work he gave us, which is to make disciples. 

Holy God, on this Labor Day, give us rest. Thank you for Jesus and give us a determination to carry out the work he has called us to do. Amen.