I. Who Jesus Is Talking To
A. To Those Who Labor
1. Literally- to toil, to be wearied
2. It may be labor towards an honorable cause, or a dishonorable, sinful cause
a. Trying to improve finances to bless your family
b. Working hard at some illegal or unethical pursuit
3. Labor- “active participle”; speaks of what we “do”; active side of human misery
4. The invitation is for those who are “worn out”
5. Jesus doesn’t qualify what kind of condition is acceptable or non-acceptable
6. He does call for self-examination. Are you worn out & ready to come to Jesus?
B. To Those Who Are Heavy Laden
1. Literally- to be overburdened, like an overloaded pack animal
2. Heavy laden– “passive participle”- speaks of what others do to us
a. Passive side of human misery
3. Perhaps you are burdened because of others’ treatment of you
a. Abuse/unfair treatment from parents/children/ relative/friend
b. Family/marriage problems, divorce
c. Difficult job/financial situations
4. Perhaps burdened because of other people’s troubles, world problems
a. You are lovingly trying to help people, & the burden becomes heavy
b. You are consumed w/the bad choices that loved ones are making
c. Burdened by economics, political arena, wars, natural disasters
5. For the unbeliever- Albert Barnes- Christ tells them to come to him, to believe in him, and to trust him, and him only, for salvation. Doing this, he will give them rest—rest from their sins, from the alarms of conscience, from the terrors of the law, and from the fears of eternal death.
II. What Jesus Says To Do
A. Come To Me- literally…”Come now!”
1. Jesus calls people to Himself; He exclusively is the One who gives rest to the soul
2. He doesn’t call you to just go to church, though that can to be helpful
3. He doesn’t say to change yourself
4. He doesn’t direct you to anyone else. W/great authority, He calls us to Himself
5. NOTE- Make a decision, that even in your weariness, you will go to Him
a. 1st, commit/re-commit your life to Him. Make a heart decision
b. We come to Him by coming to His word. Read Jesus’ words, the Bible
c. We come to Him in prayer, pouring our hears out to Him
1 Peter 5:6, 7 “…humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
d. Coming to Jesus requires humility, & the surrender of self will & self help
2 Timothy 2:1 “…be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”
B. Take My Yoke Upon You
1. How strange to call a weary person to put on another yoke, carry another burden
2. Taking the yoke is a very definite action; it’s not an accident, it’s a decision
3. Yoke- an instrument that fastened work animals together
4. Gayle Erwin– in a good sense, a yoke is a “power transfer unit”
5. Paul spoke of religious legalism as being a yoke of burden
Acts 15:10 Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
6. Religion w/o relationship, legalism, self-improvement, trying to earn God’s love:
a. These are self imposed yokes with which man burdens himself & others
b. Salvation & holiness thru man’s efforts is not easy, but a heavy burden
7. Jesus’ yoke is not a destructive burden, but a life giving burden.
Hosea 11:4 I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love, and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them.
8. Take My yoke upon you– Jesus’ yoke is unlike any other
a. To take His yoke means more than coming for a visit
b. To be yoked means to be fastened together, to walk side by side
c. Many “come to Jesus” until their burden is lifted
d. If the burden becomes lighter, they depart from Jesus. They never “learn”
e. Usually, we go back to those things that cause us to be burdened
9. Learn From Me
a. If you yoke yourself to Jesus
i. You will find Him gentle (meek). Not weak, but power under control
ii. Lowly in heart- not rising far from the ground, humble, not proud
iii. NOTE- Learning of Jesus comes from being yoked, not from occasional visiting, and viewing from afar
b. Many are afraid to join themselves to Jesus, thinking He is oppressive
c. They view Christianity as a religion of “what you can’t do”
d. An experience that keeps them down, suppresses them, holds them back
e. The only restraint a Christian experiences is for his good
f. Jesus wants to deliver us from the power, damage, and domination of sin
III. What You Will Experience
A. Rest For Your Souls
1. Rest- To cause one to cease from labor in order to recover & collect his strength
2. Soul- psuche
3. John 8:36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed
4. Barnes- “It is easier to be a Christian than a sinner”
5. NOTE- The rest of Jesus is both “given” and “found”
a. Sometimes we pray, read, seek, and wait
b. Sometimes the rest “just comes” by His gracious hand
B. An Easy Yoke
1. Easy- useful, better, good, virtuous, manageable, mild, pleasant. (Well fitting)
2. Jesus doesn’t offer/promise us “yokeless living”. He promises “better living”.
3. Jeremy Taylor– Christ’s yoke is like feathers to a bird; not a load, but a help
C. A Light Burden
1. Light- light in weight, quick, agile
2. He doesn’t offer/promise “burden free living”. He promises us lighter burdens
3. Barnes– The poor and needy; the weary and heavy-ladened; the soul sick of sin and of the world; the sinner conscious of guilt and afraid to die, may come to Jesus Christ and live. The invitation is wide as the world. The child and the old man may seek and find salvation at the feet of the same Savior. No child is too young; no man is too old: no one is too great a sinner. Christ is “full” of mercy, and all who come shall find peace.