Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: Nehemiah 3-4
     New Testament Reading: Matthew 11

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

The Pharisees all said “Do!” and tried to make the people follow Moses and all their traditions. But we find true salvation only in a person. The object of faith is not a church, a creed, or a denomination, but the person Jesus Christ. To come to Him means to believe in, trust in, and rely on Him. Jesus invited those who are weary and burdened. That is exactly how the people felt under the yoke of the Pharisees’ legalism.

To truly come to Jesus, a person must admit that he is burdened with the weight of sin. Only those who acknowledge they are lost can be saved. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is preceded by repentance toward God.

 I will give you rest. Notice that rest here is a gift; it is unearned and unmerited. This is the rest of salvation that comes from realizing that Christ finished the work of redemption on Calvary’s cross. It is the rest of conscience that follows the realization that the penalty of one’s sins has been paid once for all and that God will not demand payment twice.

When we come to Jesus by faith, He gives us rest. When we take up my yoke and learn from me, we find that deeper rest of surrender and obedience, as we acknowledge His lordship in every area of our lives. As we learn more about Him, we find a deeper peace, because we trust Him more.

The first rest, when we come to Christ, is “peace with God”; this second rest is “the peace of God”. The first is a rest of our conscience, the second is a rest of a contented heart.

To ‘take a yoke’ in Jesus’ day meant to become a disciple. When we submit to Christ, we are yoked to Him. Jesus said, my yoke is easy and my burden is light(v30). Again, there is a striking contrast with the Pharisees. Jesus said of them, They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry and put them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them (Matt. 23:4). Jesus’ yoke is easy, meaning it is well-fitting. He has just the yoke that is tailormade for our lives and needs.

The burden of doing His will is not a heavy one. His burden is light. This does not mean that there are no problems, trials, labor, or heartaches in the Christian life. But it does mean that we do not have to bear them alone. We are yoked with One who gives sufficient grace for every time of need.

The mistake for many Believers is to bear life’s load in a single collar. God never intended a man to carry his burden alone. Therefore, Christ deals only in yokes! A yoke is a neck harness for two, and the Lord himself pleads to be One of the two. We find the secret of peace and victory in the Christian life by putting off the taxing collar of self and accepting the Master’s relaxing yoke.