THE YOKE: 2ND SYMBOL OF CHRISTIANITY
Mt. 11:29-30
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: A FLYING DEAD DUCK
1. John McKay, of the NFL, tells a story illustrating the supreme confidence of University of Alabama football coach Bear Bryant.
2. “We were out shooting ducks, and finally, after about three hours, here comes one lonely duck. The Bear fires. And that duck is still flying today. But Bear watched the duck flap away, looked at me and said, ‘John, you are witnessing a genuine miracle. There flies a dead duck!’” [McKay, A Coach’s Story]
3. Obviously, he was denying he missed. Any duck that is still flapping isn’t dead. Nor is a Christian dead to Sin when they’re still toying with the world!
B. MESSAGE IDEA & SCRIPTURE
1. The Cross is the great symbol of Christianity. It sits atop church steeples, it’s the central symbol on the Christian flag, it’s worn on earrings and necklaces, and is the identifying mark of Christians around the world. It’s an awesome reminder of all that Jesus suffered and Jesus spoke of the cross as symbolic of Christian dedication. "Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Mark 8:34).
2. But we’re going to find that Jesus also spoke of another symbol as representing our union with Him and service for Him: the Yoke!
3. This is found in Matt. 11:28-30, “Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
I. PURPOSE OF YOKES & HISTORY OF THEIR USE
A. DEFINITION & HISTORY
1. Yoke Defined: “A contoured crossbar having two U-shaped attachments that fit around the necks of a team of oxen or other draft animals, with a central ring for hitching the team to a cart, plow, or other load.”
2. HISTORY. Before modern times, farmers didn’t have machines like tractors to do the work. They used donkeys, horses, or oxen to plow the fields. Trees and stone blocks were also hauled by the harnessed animals.
3. Evidence has been found of yokes in China as early as AD 500 and AD 800 in Europe, but the Bible speaks of the use of yokes as early as 1760 B.C. (Gen. 27:40).
B. ADVANTAGE OF YOKE: GREATER STRENGTH
1. Pairing up animals not only doubles their strength, but triples and quadruples it! A horse-pulling contest was held. One horse could pull 4,500 pounds and the other horse pulled 4,000. You’d think, if together, they could pull about 8,000 pounds together. Not so. When teamed up, the horses could pull 12,000 pounds together (or a third more total weight)!
2. This indicates that when we get into harness as a yoke-fellow with Jesus Christ, that we not only have our strength to draw on, but His mighty strength! So the difficulties of life are much more easily handled.
II. THE TWO YOKES
There are two yokes. The first is Satan’s/ the world’s/ sin’s yoke. This yoke is heavy and wears you down. The second is Christ’s yoke. It is easy & light.
A. SATAN’S YOKE
1. ALL LOST PEOPLE HAVE THE YOKE OF SLAVERY TO SATAN ON. As the Lord Jesus said, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin” John 8:34. We’ve all sinned, therefore, every one of us has been a slave to sin! Jesus in Matt. 6:24 stated that everyone was subject to one of two masters, God or mammon.
2. Those without Christ wear a heavy yoke of sin. They are slaves to that sin, controlled and bound to it. Satan has them blinded to this fact. They were born with this yoke so they often don’t even know they have it on. It is a heavy yoke and it’s forcing them closer and closer to eternal death.
3. Satan’s yoke is heavy. In Deut. 28:48, God wanrs the Israelites that if they leave Him “you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. [They] will put an iron yoke on your neck....”
4. In Christ, God takes away the world’s heavy yoke. See Isa. 10:27 and Jer. 30:8.
B. CHRIST’S YOKE
1. Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters;” you have to choose who you will serve. So, precious Saints, if you want to be servants of God, if in your heart there burns a holy desire to serve God, begin at the right place. Jesus directs you to the DOOR of entrance into His service when He says, “COME UNTO ME, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’
2. Jesus gives us freedom – we don’t have to buy it; we can’t earn it, nor deserve it. He says, “COME TO ME -- by believing on Me, trusting wholly in Me, and surrendering your self-will. Then you’ll find Me to be your All in all and I will give you rest.”
3. His yoke is easy & light. A lost person who tried to live the Christian life would find it neither easy or light. Everything about it would be contrary to their nature. That’s why we must be born again and receive a new nature, transforming our natures into the nature of Christ.
4. Once we’ve yielded to Christ, we have the correct foundation to build the right structure on. Start right, and everything’s easy. Start wrong and nothing works right. So we need to start by surrendering all to Jesus and let Him lead us.
III. CHRIST’S YOKE: OUR SUBMISSION TO SERVE
Paul Powell, in The Complete Disciple, states: "The cross and the yoke symbolize for us the two different aspects of commitment. The cross is an instrument of death; the yoke is an implement of toil. The cross is the symbol of sacrifice; the yoke is the symbol of service. The cross suggests blood; the yoke suggests sweat. To be committed to Jesus Christ means that we are ready for either the yoke or the cross."
A. EVERY CHRISTIAN IS SUPPOSED TO BE SERVING.
1. Some teachers have tried to make two categories of Christians: believers, who only believe; and disciples, who go on to join Christ in mission and obey His teachings.
2. I reject this unscriptural dichotomy. Every believer is supposed to be a disciple. The Apostle James condemned, as false Christians, those who did not follow Christ. He said, “Faith without works (obedience) is dead.” Jesus said that those who say, “Lord, Lord” but don’t DO THE WILL OF MY FATHER, will be rejected (Mt 7:21).
B. IT’S A COMMAND: “TAKE MY YOKE ON YOU”
1. Jesus requires this of you; you are not only to take up the Cross of surrender, but also the yoke of Continual Service with Christ in the Gospel work.
2. Some Christians haven’t put on their yoke. Why? For some – they weren’t taught right; they don’t know the commands of Christ. Others have received a false Gospel (Gal. 1:6-7) – an easy gospel with no requirements and no obedience. Others just take the easiest way they think they can get away with.
3. People always want the ‘path of least resistance.’ They want lighter yokes (1 Kgs. 12:4). On the outside, these people seem to be going along with the program, but in their hearts they aren’t sold out or fully committed. A self-pleasing spirit is in control. They’re not “denying themselves, taking up their cross and following Jesus.”
C. THE BLESSINGS OF CHRIST’S YOKE
1. It’s only when we take His yoke that we “learn of Him,” (Mt. 11:29). How? A yoke puts two animals in close proximity for lengthy periods of time together. They face the difficulties of work together. They carry each other’s loads. They communicate their sympathy. They learn each other’s natures. They learn to depend on and love each other. That is what happens when you get into the yoke with Jesus!
2. A YOKE ISN’T FOR THREE. Relationship with Jesus isn’t a group thing. Jesus wants it to be just between you and He. He wants the one-on-one time with you. Wow: He WANTS to be yoked with us! But are we willing to be in that kind of close relationship with Him?
3. Jesus has come to seek and to save all who are lost. He’s called us to go into the highways and hedges (Lk. 14:23), with Him, and compel them to come in. We’re to be His hands, His feet, and His voice to encourage the saints. We’re Jesus’ yokefellow. We’re in harness with Him.
4. Jesus DIDN’T SAY “Your yoke of life will be easy.” He said, “MY YOKE IS EASY and my burden is light.” He’s not promising we won’t have troubles, but that, with His grace and comfort, our troubles will be made light.
5. EXPERIENCE PROVES THIS TO BE TRUE. You who have known the Lord 25, 30, or 40 years—what do you say? Have you found that serving Christ was a burden or a joy? I know it’s a joy because I’ve been in this Way for 45 years. I wouldn’t exchange it for the world, literally! Praise Jesus!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. The story was told of a proud stallion horse that was wild, and no matter what the rancher did, he couldn’t break the stallion. The stallion was always trying to get out of the pen, to get free. The rancher also had a donkey that was “as stubborn as a mule.”
2. The rancher tied the donkey and the stallion together and opened the pen. The stallion dragged the donkey out onto the range. The rancher watched as the stallion bucked and threw the donkey around, trying to get free. All day he could see the two jostling each other. By evening, the two had disappeared beyond the horizon.
3. A week went by and there was no sight of the two. Then the rancher saw them coming. The donkey led them both back into the pen. From that day on, the stallion was a new horse, willing to be compliant. What had happened?
4. The stallion was the stronger, but the donkey had an indominable will. The determination of the donkey outlasted the fight of the stallion. And the domesticated attitude of the donkey was passed into the stallion.
5. That’s what being yoked together with Christ does for us; it drives out our old sinful desires and replaces them with a desire to please our Father in Heaven.
B. THE CALL
1. How many of you are ready to put on your yoke with Jesus tonight? Stand with me.
2. Are there some here who’ve never surrendered your life to Jesus, your sins, your self-will? Let’s all come to the front and kneel to receive forgiveness, cleansing, and our yokes of assignment with Christ.
3. PRAYER.
[This is a rewrite of Charles Spurgeon's message "Christ's Yoke & Burden"]
