Law and Gospel: The Cure for Wearisome Religion
Matthew 11:25-30
I have never cared to much for exercising on a treadmill: I think it may be my overwhelming desire to be practical, even with effort and exercise; I hate to walk in one place for any amount of time, only to have NEVER moved or accomplished anything but a small amount of exercise. For the most part, “religion” is man's attempt to reach God but Christianity is God reaching man and SAVING HIM IN CHRIST from inevitable ETERNAL destruction: Jesus provides SALVATION FROM SIN, NOT RELIGION.
Listen to Matthew 11:25: “At that time Jesus said, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.(human beings who are totally helpless, totally reliant and dependent) 26 Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.”
God alone is Sovereign in choosing those to whom He will reveal His truth. No one can know God and His Redemptive work in Christ by worldly wisdom and learning. People can have some knowledge ABOUT JESUS without knowing Him as THE SAVIOR and Lord of their lives: but God comes to the poor in spirit, the totally helpless.
Matthew 11:27 "All things have been handed over to ME by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
“Jesus makes extraordinary claims here: He claims that God’s sovereign disposition of all things has been committed to Him. As in Daniel 7, the Son of Man has received all power and dominion. He claims that He alone knows the Father and the Father alone knows Him. Jesus’ knowledge is equal to the Father’s knowledge and HIS SONSHIP is unique. He claims that His Sovereignty extends even to deciding who will know the Father.” (Geneva Study Bible footnote 11:27)
Matthew 11:28: "COME TO ME, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST (to stop working and find rest and recreation, to stop moving.) FOR YOUR SOULS. 30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
1. “Come to ME”
Do you understand the authority of Jesus’ invitation to “COME TO ME”? Jesus offers HIMSELF as the ONLY message and the ONLY means for your meaningless spiritual aspirations, doubts, weights, and manmade expectations for religiosity to CEASE. Jesus is the only way to stop the RELIGIOUS TREADMILL of constantly trying and yet remaining in the same place, no closer to redemption. He Says: “COME TO ME!”
In Luke 4:18 He proclaimed: "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." … (vs. 21) "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
“COME TO ME” is the call of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the GOOD NEWS, and it is the BEST NEWS on earth, marked by the Sovereign Power of the Savior, NOT by manmade principles.
Listen to these verses: Jesus says in John 6:37: "All that the Father gives ME will COME TO ME, and the ONE who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” In John 7: 37, “Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him COME TO ME and drink.”
Luke 10:22 (same as matt 11:27): "All things have been handed over to ME by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."
LISTEN CAREFULLY TO Matthew 7:26: "Everyone who hears these words of MINE and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” The Invitation, the CALL by Jesus to “COME (Actually, COME NOW!-Imperative) TO ME”, is a call to Repentance. Repentance is the enabling act of God which turns a heart from mere “Religion” to the Redeemer and “COME TO ME” is a call to Repentance.
John MacArthur says this: “God has to break into the blackness of our stupidity and can only do that into the heart that is humble and broken before Him. So, salvation, then, in its foundation is a meeting of the humble, dependent, open and helpless heart with a revelation given by a gracious, sovereign God. (Message: Jesus’ Personal Invitation)
The context of our text in Matt. 11 shows the absolute need to repent, to have a change of mind and heart: Matt.11: 20: “Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent: 21 "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. (THEY WOULD HAVE REPENTED!) 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."
2 Corinthians 7:10: “Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation.” Oswald Chambers explains this: “The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man’s respectable “goodness.” Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person’s life (see Galatians 4:19). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses— repentance is a gift of God.” You will NOT repent and be redeemed unless the Holy Spirit convicts you of your sin and empowers you to turn to Jesus alone for forgiveness. Jesus said: “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.”
2. The WEARY and HEAVY-LADEN COME to Jesus to find REST.
The word, weary, means ‘to labor with wearisome effort”, but the root word means “a beating of the breast with grief and sorrow”. To be “Heavy-laden” is like loading a ship FULL of cargo but also to be loaded with a burden of rules and regulations. Though the law had been given by God as a help to His People, the oral traditions of the scribes and Pharisees went far beyond the demands of God and the law became a heavier burden. When the law was understood as a way of salvation, it became a “yoke of bondage” with no escape. Jesus provides the ONLY WAY to escape the perfect requirements of the law. HE ALONE provides escape from the heavy wearisome load of sin and your efforts to fulfill the law and GIVES SALVATION, that’s what the word “REST” means here. Are you WEARY from trying to carry that load? Jesus says: COME to ME and find rest.
To think that learning more or doing more will make you more presentable to God FOR His grace is to be on the treadmill of self-improvement, not under Grace: The Cure for Wearisome Religion and weary people is Christ ALONE, not more laws! More laws lead only to more lawlessness.
Galatians 5:1: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” Redemption, salvation, rescue us from sin and death resulting in Recovery, Refreshment, RE-creation and Eternal Rest. The understanding for the word “rest” (an-ap'-ow-sis) is a pause or intermission. Jesus causes us to PAUSE (STOP) from trying to accomplish what we CAN’T accomplish. We now serve the LORD God with GLADNESS BECAUSE He has saved forever or completely those who have drawn near to God in faith through Him. (Hebrews 7:24)
3. Jesus: Learn from ME.
It does NOT MEAN that you are WITHOUT a YOKE altogether, because Jesus says: "Take MY YOKE upon you and learn from ME.” Our teacher is Jesus, the Living Word. HE is our tutor AND OUR SAVIOR. Follow the MASTER! THE LAW is a harsh teacher: “The soul that sins shall surely die!” That is as harsh as you can be, and Jesus comes and says: ONLY THROUGH ME can that yoke be removed. Come to me and learn and RECEIVE GRACE. TAKE GRACE! His grace and love are the essence of the Gospel. “For God so loved the World.”
Jesus comes as God’s Grace Incarnate and says: I AM gentle and humble in heart: I understand your helpless sinful position and so I WILL GIVE MYSELF for you. I will become meek and lowly. I will submit to the penalty for your sin so that you can be forgiven. Look at the CROSS and see. Look at the CROSS and believe. Look at the CROSS and repent and receive life. The Proof is the CROSS and the PROUD will not receive the GRACE and LOVE “that GOD sent His only begotten Son” to DIE for the humble of heart, for the “whosoever believes”.
Look at the Christ of the Cross and FIND REST. Behold your SAVIOR and receive SALVATION. This is what Christ has to offer! SALVATION FROM SIN. Look at the LAW of God, know that you are polluted with sin from the very first commandment (You shall have NO OTHER GODS before me,) and trust that JESUS ALONE pays the penalty for your sinful heart and sinful actions. “That whosoever shall believe in HIM shall not perish but have everlasting life.” IN CHRIST ALONE the law is fulfilled for those who believe.
The word “yoke” in the OT Septuagint is translated “scales”. Christ carried the wooden yoke of the cross, the burden of your sin, so that the justice of God against sin was satisfied by His Death. As a result, you can live under the yoke of GRACE. Jesus’ invitation in Luke 9:23 is this: "If anyone wishes to COME AFTER Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Because God has revealed your sin and need for THE Savior, the ONLY SAVIOR, you can accept Him by faith, and you accept the Yoke of His Grace rather than the yoke of law. You are justified by the yoke that Christ bore for you.
His yoke is easy and His burden is light and He will NEVER give you more to bear than His Grace can carry. Only Grace can produce a contrite heart and repentance. We find that we are saved FROM works to Walk IN Good Works that God has prepared beforehand- Only Grace the of God can produce fruit. Only the Grace of God will produce everlasting joy and gratitude.
2 Cor. 4:17: For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
Revelation 3:20, Jesus says: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear My voice and open the door I will come into him and will sup with him and he with Me.” Revelation 15:4: "Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name ? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED." Rev. 12:17: The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” Religion doesn’t save. It is a treadmill that will only leave you in the same sinful place; Only Jesus saves and He alone saves completely!
OUTLINE:
1. “COME TO ME”
a. JESUS is the only way to stop the RELIGIOUS TREADMILL.
b. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the GOOD NEWS is the BEST NEWS on earth, marked By the Sovereign Power of the Savior…
c. “COME (NOW!) TO ME” is a call to Repentance.
2. The WEARY and HEAVY-LADEN COME to Jesus and find REST.
a. The Cure for Wearisome Religion and people is Christ, not more laws.
b. Redemption results in Recovery, Refreshment, RE-creation and Eternal Rest but NOT REST FROM responsibility to believe and obey.
3. “LEARN from Me.”
a. Take MY yoke upon YOU: GRACE
b. I AM gentle and humble in heart: the CROSS
c. Find REST: SALVATION
d. Carry an easy yoke and a LIGHT burden: Serve with Gratitude and Joy.
