The Road to Rest
Matthew 11:25-30
John Bunyan's classic analogy of the Christian life, Pilgrim's Progress follows the journey of the main character named Christian as he travels from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City, which describes the spiritual journey of a Christian towards salvation.
So, as Christian begins his journey, we find that he has a heavy burden on his back, symbolizing the weight of sin and guilt that he carries. This burden weighs him down and causes him great distress as he struggles to find a way to be freed from it. It is only through his encounter with Evangelist, who points him towards the Wicket Gate and the cross, that Christian can release his burden and begin his journey towards salvation and eternal life.
Now of course, the heavy burden represents the burden of sin that all humans carry and our need for redemption and forgiveness through faith in Christ. All of us were born into this life with a burden on us. As the apostle Paul wrote to the Roman's, Romans 5:12 (NASB95) "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—" The heavy burden on our back is a good description of what life is like apart from Jesus.
But you know, even those who are Christians can struggle with burdens that we put on ourselves. There are times when we may not be living as we should, not walking in proximity with the Lord as we should, and we begin to do things in our own power--with our own strength and it can feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders.
There are other weights beside sin that can weigh us down too. There's guilt from that sin, sickness, anger, jealousy, pride, worldly distractions, fear, anxiety, worry, unforgiveness, busyness, and a host of other things. So many things that can begin to take precedence in our lives and hinder our ability to follow Christ and love Him as we should.
This morning in Sunday School, we studied the gospel of Matthew, chapter 11, which begins with John the Baptist sending his disciples to Jesus to confirm if He is the Messiah. Jesus responded by pointing to the miracles He was performing as evidence of His identity. He then praised John the Baptist, highlighting his role as the messenger who was to prepare the way for the Messiah.
Jesus then went on to denounce the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum for their lack of repentance despite witnessing His mighty works. He contrasted them with Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom, and flat out said that Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, which by the way were areas where Jesus performed the majority of His miracles, and stated that their judgment will be harsher for rejecting Him than what Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom would experience because they didn't experience His mighty works as the others had.
Later in the passage, Jesus offered a prayer of thanksgiving to God, affirming His unique relationship with the Father and the revelation of divine truths to those who are humble and receptive. He then extended an invitation to all who are weary and burdened to come to Him for rest, promising that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.
So, what I want to focus on today is the portion of chapter 11 that wasn't really covered by our SS lesson. And I find that interesting because verses 28-30 are some of the most popular, most quoted, and most comforting words in the Bible. Who among us cannot quote them from memory?
Matthew 11:28-30 (NASB95) 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 for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
I want you to notice that when Jesus began His prayer in v.25, He began with praise, which is a fitting beginning to any prayer. All too often we jump right into our petitions and forget all about praise, when praise is what should be first and foremost. Our God is the creator of all things that exist and all things that exist outside our realm of existence. So, He created everything that is, and everything that is not. He is the Lord of heaven and earth. He is not a cosmic vending machine whose sole purpose is to fulfill your wants and desires. He is God and we are here for His purpose, not the other way around. He is worthy of praise, just as we read in the Revelation of John.
Revelation 5:12-13 (NASB95): ..."Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."
So, Jesus began His prayer with praise to the Father, but I also want you to note that He doesn't begin this prayer with the phrase "Our Father" as He did in the disciple’s prayer, or the Lord's prayer. And I believe that's because here He isn't referring to God in the universal sense, but in the specific sense. For example, when you begin your daily prayer, do you begin with "Our Father" (even when you're not reciting the Lord's Prayer?) or "Father," "O Father," or "My Father?" Do you see the difference? "Our Father" is everyone, in general while "O Father" or "My Father" is more specific and far more personal. So, He offered praise to His Father and then spoke of our need for...
1. The Divine Revelation
Matthew 11:25-26 (NASB95) ...You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26 Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.
You know, there's a level of sarcasm in these words where the religious leaders are ironically identified as wise and intelligent, and the followers of Jesus are spoken of as infants. But you must understand that Jesus isn't speaking of high IQ's and low IQ's. The terms "wise" and "intelligent" are used here in the same way that Paul used them in 1Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 1:25 (NASB95): Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Now obviously, God isn't foolish. Matter of fact, God is the epitome of intelligence and wisdom. But the wicked, the unbelievers consider the wisdom of God to be foolishness, because they just don't get it. They think like the world does, but God, and hopefully Christians, think like God does.
So, the "wise" and "intelligent" spoken of in our verse here is referring to the wisdom and intelligence of this world. People who think they can do things their own way. They don't need a Savior because they can "figure it out" and provide for themselves. They can pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. It's the foolish pride of mankind which plots, schemes, and develops his own religion so he won't have to be accountable to anyone but himself.
And this is exactly what the religious leaders of Jesus' time had done. They had taken the law that was given by God and modified it to the point that they thought they were keeping it, and therefore were pleasing God to the point that He would have to let them into the His kingdom. And you know what, that same pride is still with us today. It's found in every false religion such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Janism, and other world religions. It's even found in the cults that speak of Jesus, the Bible, and use biblical terminology such as grace, mercy, hope, faith, and salvation, but they have a completely different Jesus than the Jesus of the Bible, and they believe that they can achieve salvation through their own good works.
These are the "wise" and "intelligent" that are spoken of here, but the "babes" are those who trust in the grace of God alone, through faith in Jesus alone, to the glory of God alone. They know that there is nothing intrinsic within them that would merit God’s favor, but because of His grace and their faith in His only begotten Son, they lay hold of the promise of eternal life.
So, these are the wise, the intelligent, and the babes, but what is it that was hidden from some but revealed to others? Well, in one sense it would be everything that Jesus has been preaching on in the previous chapters concerning the kingdom of God. But primarily that Jesus is the Messiah and that the kingdom He's been speaking of is His kingdom. Those who will enter His kingdom are those who are righteous from the heart as He spoke of in the Sermon on the Mount. But those who have only the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, which is only an outward conformity to the law, will not enter God's kingdom. This is what has been hidden from some but revealed to others.
It's divine revelation that comes from God and is revealed to us through Jesus Christ. It is contrasted with worldly wisdom telling us that God's truths are not hidden from those who lack intellectual prowess, but those who do get it, get it through the simplicity of faith.
So, to understand, we need divine revelation and when we receive that, we then become a part of...
2. The Unique Relationship
Matthew 11:27 (NASB95) 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.
The Son has a unique relationship with the Father. He said that "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father" which emphasizes the perfect unity and intimacy that is shared between the Father and the Son. It also highlights the divinity of Christ, and it underlines the truth of the Trinity, that God is Three Persons in One God; each have distinct roles, yet they are completely unified in essence.
Jesus, as the Son, is the exclusive revelation of the Father. Hebrews 1:3 (NASB95): And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
John 14:9 (NASB95) Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?"
As the exclusive revelation of the Father, Jesus is also the mediator between God and man. No one knows the Father except the Son and to those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.
This verse alone ought to remove all pride from anyone who is seeking God, because is explicitly says that you cannot come to God under your own power and in your own intellect. You come based upon Jesus granting you the needed revelation to understand Him. And who is it that Jesus chooses to unveil such a revelation? Well, He told us in v.25, the infants, the babes, the humble.
You know, this is really the same thing as the Beatitudes. Entrance into the kingdom of heaven is given to those who are poor / destitute in spirit. They know they have nothing to offer God, so they come to Him begging for mercy. God will answer that request, but He will also satisfy their hunger and thirst for righteousness by covering them in the righteousness of Christ!
There is no room for man's pride in any of this but understand this--Jesus is more than willing to reveal the Father to all who humbly and truthfully come seeking Him.
Coming to Christ requires divine revelation, and by coming, we enter a unique relationship. And to all who come to Him in sincerity and faith, He gives them...
3. The Invitation to Rest
Matthew 11:28-30 (NASB95) "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Jesus calls us to come and rest in Him. That word "Come" is a call to all who are weary and heavy-laden to come to Him. It's a compound word that means "here" and "come"--so, Jesus is giving His call to "Come here", to "Come here to Me!" It's a call to change directions which involves a change in life. It involves repentance and conversion. Repentance literally means to change your mind and go in a different direction.
Think of what I spoke of at the beginning concerning Pilgrim's Progress. Pilgrim is walking along the trail with that heavy burden on his back. He's weary. He's tired. He wants to be free of his load. Suddenly he hears a voice telling him to come over here if he wants to be released from the burden he's carrying. For Pilgrim to respond to that call, he must first "hear" the call, then "believe" the call, and then finally "follow" the directions given to him by the call.
So, Pilgrim stepped off the path he was on and set out in a new direction toward the one who was making that call. So, the first thing we see about the invitation to rest is that Jesus is the one making the call, but His offer to us won't do us a bit of good, and we won't receive any rest at all unless we heed the call, believe the call, and then obey or follow the call.
Now, the second thing we see about the Lord's invitation to rest is that it involves a new yoke. You might think that's weird because it sounds like maybe we're just trading one yoke for another, one burden for another. But I want you to remember that a yoke is a device that is crafted to the specific animal, or species of animal for that animal to pull more comfortably and effectively. For example, a yoke for a mule won't properly fit on an ox, and vice versa. It is carved to fit properly and provide comfort and even distribution of the weight, which would make the load both easier and more comfortable to pull.
The term "yoke" is often used as a metaphor for submission, and in biblical times it was used of students who attached themselves to a teacher to learn from him. Ancient Jewish advice to students was, "Put your neck under the yoke and let your soul receive instruction." So, the yoke we are to put on symbolizes obedience to Jesus, learning His ways, and following Him. That is what Jesus meant when He said, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me."
His invitation to rest is a promise that He would release us from being heavy-laden and give us true rest if we would come to Him and become His true disciples. He's talking about a change of masters. A change of life, and rest for our souls. We can cease our own efforts to save ourselves. His yoke fits us better, it's a lighter burden, and we will find rest in Him. Rest that involves assurance that our eternal destiny is secure in Him. It is fixed and settled, and it assures us that Philippians 1:6 ...He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Friend, if you are here today or listening to my voice online and you haven't entered the rest that Jesus offers, then be assured that this offer is being made to you right now. Jesus is the only way for a person to be set free from the guilt of their sins and receive rest for their souls. But there is a decision to be made. A decision that every person must make. Jesus said, Matthew 11:28-30 (NASB95) "Come to Me..."
Will you go to Him? Will you step off the path you're on and go in a different direction? Will you "hear" His call, "believe" His call, and "follow" the directions given to you by His call?
