Christ Will Give You Rest: Beau M. Landers on Sabbath Rest for the Weary Believer

What if “is the sabbath still required for Christians today” isn’t the right question? 

In his new book Christ Will Give You Rest: A Biblical Theology of the Sabbath, Beau M. Landers argues that the sabbath is a key to understanding ‘how the whole Bible progresses, integrates, and climaxes in Christ.’ Landers offers a better way of thinking about the sabbath – as an “entrance into redemptive history.” In this Q&A, he reflects on the journey that led to his book, where true rest is found, and how a better understanding of the sabbath offers a deeper love for Christ and greater freedom to rest in Him. 

I believe many Christians struggle with the Sabbath, often living under a mix of guilt, confusion, or apathy. Questions arise: Should Christians observe the Sabbath? Which day should be set aside? My hope is that readers will instead see Jesus as the law-fulfiller (Matthew 5:17) and the giver of true rest (Matthew 11:28–30). I pray that they walk away with a deeper love for Christ’s work in bringing rest and a freedom to embrace every day as an opportunity to experience the rest he promises.  

I would say there were both a moment and a passage that sparked this book. The moment came when I realized that the Sabbath is a key to understanding how the Old and New Testaments relate—how one theme in Scripture can illuminate the whole story and magnify the work of Jesus. The passage was Matthew 11:28–30, where Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Though often quoted, I noticed he immediately follows this with two separate Sabbath scenes in Matthew 12. That’s when it clicked for me: the rest Jesus offers in chapter 11 is directly connected to the Sabbath he is transforming in chapter 12. In that moment, everything about Sabbath, rest, and Christ’s work began to come together in a new way.  

We live in a tired, broken world. Everywhere we turn, there are new demands and distractions pulling at our attention. Life is loud, fast-paced, and exhausting. My hope is that this book will help readers see that true rest is not found in productivity, entertainment, or fleeting escapes—but in Christ himself. By exploring the biblical Sabbath and the rest Jesus offers, readers can begin to reorient their lives around what truly matters: trusting God, delighting in his work, and embracing each moment as an opportunity to experience his peace. I hope it encourages people to step back from the constant rush, evaluate their priorities, and allow the rhythms of Scripture to guide their daily lives. Ultimately, this book seeks to remind us that sabbath is not about a day of the week any longer. The rest Christ gives is available here and now, even in the midst of a demanding world, and living in that rest transforms both our hearts and our actions.

The irony of writing a comprehensive biblical theology on Sabbath and rest is that it is, in itself, hard work! With nearly every passage and conclusion, I had to wrestle with my own fleshly tendency to live in a cycle of constant work. I love relying on my own effort, pushing through difficulty, and exhausting myself in the name of productivity. At the same time, I often search for rest in all the wrong ways, like a man looking for water in the desert. Writing this book has been a personal challenge and reminder to live a rightly ordered life—trusting in the work of Jesus, embracing his rest, and keeping my priorities where they belong.  

This book has been an incredible work of the Lord in my life in at least three ways. First, it has strengthened my understanding and conviction in the unity of Scripture. I firmly believe that the Bible’s greatest apologetic is the Bible itself. Studying a theme that appears throughout nearly every book of Scripture has left me in awe of God’s enduring and authoritative Word. Second, writing this book has deepened my love for God and his plan of salvation. From the very beginning, God designed creation so that humanity might live in a “day seven” rhythm with their Maker. Though sin disrupted that rhythm, God worked from the beginning to bring redemption, ultimately fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of King Jesus. Third, this study has given me language and clarity for my own long-experienced struggles with the sabbath. Rest often felt elusive, and setting aside a single day seemed insufficient for my soul’s needs. Now, I see that true rest comes from peace and contentment in a life rightly ordered around the work of, and relationship with, Jesus. Writing this book has reshaped how I approach both work and rest, helping me embrace God’s rhythm as a source of ongoing spiritual renewal.  

Beau M. Landers’ vision for Christian rest in a world full of constant rush is only possible through the work of Christ, and He is the one who enables believers to reorient our lives around what truly matters. Christ Will Give You Rest will refresh weary hearts and encourage readers to receive the gift of sabbath without guilt, confusion or apathy, as we seek to truly believe that Jesus wants us to rest in Him. 

Christ Will Give You Rest is available as a hardback and eBook here.