Why Not Give Up Your Burdens for His Rest?
How many of you have ever felt tired—not just in your body, but deep down in your soul? Weary from the day-to-day grind of just simply trying to survive.
Tired of striving just to survive. Tired of worrying about what could happen. Tired of chasing after things that never satisfy or gratify.
Well, Jesus has given us an invitation;
Let’s look at three verses and explore
He came and presented us with a wonderful,
An offer to exchange our hard life in this world with its struggles for his blessed rest!
Remember, all life is
Let’s look at his words:
Matthew 11:28–30
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Now let us dive in and unpack this splendid offer.
Matthew 11:28
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Jesus begins with this simple invitation:
Matthew 11:28
Come to Me,
Come to Him.
The first thing we have to know is it is all about us, coming to Him!
He has come all the way from heaven to come to us. He
He makes it all about him because, other than him, there is no other way for a man to experience a comfortable life!
He makes it all about coming to him, because in the beginning, he was there with God, and he was God, and all things were made through him, with nothing made that he did not make. He gave it all up to provide a better life for us!
So, He makes it all about coming to Him, because in Him was life, in the light of men.
He makes it all about coming to him because he is the light that shines in the darkness, and without him, those in darkness cannot see.
He makes it all about coming to him because the world was made through him, and the world he made did not recognize him, and so he came to his own people, the ones he chose to reveal himself to, and they and the world rejected him.
He makes it all about coming to him because as many as received him he would give the right to become children of God, those who would believe in his name, he will give the opportunity to be born again; not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but to those who would come to him, he would give them the honor of being born again of God by the will of Almighty God!
He tells us to come to him because he came to us so that we might experience life and experience it abundantly and eternally, because without him, no man can experience the life that God has designed for them. He is the first, the last, and the everything! He calls himself
Life is all about coming to him. Without him, there is no life! Therefore, we must come to him!
So, don't build your world around celebrities, sororities, or fraternities. Don't conform to the pattern of this world because nothing in this world is of any value. Everything in this world is perishing and is fading away.
He is the eternal God who, because of his love, humbled himself and came to us like a root out of dry ground. He was despised and rejected by men, and because he humbled, himself he grew up as a man of sorrows, familiar with grief.
He experienced grief so that he could bear our grief and carry our sorrows, and yet we refuse to see his glory and his love.
He came to bless us, and he was wounded for our transgressions against him.
He was bruised for all of our iniquities, and he was punished so that we might have peace, and by his stripes we are healed.
It is all about him because..
He came to us, because we were like sheep and had gone astray.
Yes, every one of us has turned to our own way, but still the Lord of the universe placed all of our iniquity upon him so we might have life.
We must come to him because he came to us. He came to bear our burdens. He was oppressed and he was afflicted like a lamb, he was led to slaughter, and though he could've called 10,000 angels to deliver him, he did not open his mouth.
It is all about him because..
He came to us, and we must now go to him and lay our burdens down at his feet.
He is the Lord, the King of glory. The Lord, strong and mighty, mighty in battle.
He is able to sustain you. So cast all your cares on him because he cares for you.
It is all about him, so come to him and be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be known to him.
Let go of your concerns and place them in his hands, and his peace, not as the world gives, shall be given to you which, shall surpass all understanding, and his peace will guard your hearts and your minds, and you will find rest for your soul.
To whom does he make this offer? Let’s continue the sentence
Matthew 11:28
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
All you who labor
The invitation is to all who labor. And who are the all?
They are all of us, who labor. All who labor in this world, who are just trying to survive.
Many of us are tired and weary from having to work day in and day out.
So many of us have missed living because we are too busy trying to make a living, to even experience a living.
Many of us are trying to keep our head above water and many of us are drowning in debt.
His promise is given to all of us who will come to face the reality that in this world, we will have nothing but trouble.
There is trouble in the world.
And all over the world men, and women are suffering because the world is full of trouble.
There are wars and rumors of wars, and men's hearts are failing them because of the trouble that they are burdened under mountains of trouble.
But this is the way of the world.
That word “labor” points to weariness from working to the point of exhaustion.
The world deceives and tells us:
Work harder, while it drains us, sucking the life out of us as we pursue the emptiness that the world offers.
The world tells us, climb higher, and the incline gets steeper every day, and the masses are just waiting for us to fall.
The world tells us, buy more, and the prices go up and up. Daily, we are inundated with ads everywhere telling us to buy this and buy that. You’ve got to have this, you’ve got to have that, and all the while, none of what the world offers is satisfying.
Once we have something of the world, we have to have more, only to find out it just doesn’t satisfy. Then, after all we have worked and labored for, what does it profit us when one day, we must leave it to someone who will come after us? And, who knows whether they will be wise or foolish, and all of which we have worked so hard for for is lost or given foolishly away?
The world encourages us to foolish labor for that which will not satisfy us, when there is one who will give us our daily bread at no cost and give us joy and happiness without money and without price.
The world tells us to strive to impress others, and they are only impressed a little while and quickly forget, and then they will cry out that we be crucified
And at the end of the day, for all of our labor under the sun, for things of this world, does it satisfy?
Scripture reminds us:
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2).
“The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing” (Ecclesiastes 1:8).
“What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36).
Next, we are told
Matthew 11:28
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28
and are heavy laden
Not only are we working, but we are also “Heavy laden” which points to the crushing weight of life’s burdens.
We work every day, and every day the burdens of life seem to increase.
Life ain’t easy. This life is not supposed to be easy! We were told not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because if we did, we would die. But, nevertheless, we desired the knowledge of the world, and because we ate of the tree, the ground was cursed, and the Bible says: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.
In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”
Listen now and hear the heaviest burden we all have to carry while we are working day and night, something we don’t like to hear, but must hear and face it. We are going to die!
We were born with one certainty, that we exist here until we die! And no matter what we have worked for, it will all be left here for someone else to benefit from. Someone else who may not have even labored for it, they will get it for free.
This is a truth that cannot be denied by anyone!
Can you relate? You may have a big Bank account, you may drive a fine car, with a diamond in the back, a sunroof top, but you have no peace because you are still going to die.
You may have thousands of online followers, but still you feel empty inside, cause you are still going to die.
You labor and work hard for the best, but you lie awake at night worrying about what tomorrow brings, and who knows, maybe before tomorrow comes, you will die.
The world’s way is laborious and vain. It never produces lasting joy. In the end, you still die!
So let me ask you:
Has the world kept its promises to you? Did that promotion, that purchase, that party give you real peace? Or did it just leave you wanting more?
This world can offer you no lasting peace, satisfaction, or gratification. In the final analysis, you will leave this world, as you came into this world: with nothing, and taking nothing with you when you leave it!
Jesus says:
Matthew 11:28
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
I will
He will give you rest. Even the reality of death is no longer a burden for those who come to Jesus.
Look at his words, "I will give you rest!" In this world, you will have trouble, you will struggle. The wind and the waves will buffet you, but you can be of good cheer because Jesus has overcome the world, and if you come to him, no matter what your troubles, he will give you rest.
Yes, in this world you will have trouble, but if you have come to Jesus, there may be many afflictions, but because of his righteousness, he will deliver you from them all.
We have but to call, and before we can finish our request, and while we are still speaking, He will hear, and he will be there to give us his best. He will give us his rest!
Yes indeed, in this world, we will have trouble. It is ordained, and we will suffer persecution and evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived, suppressing the truth in unrighteousness.
They will persecute us because we will practice righteousness, but in our persecution, we will realize that our suffering is nothing compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us, and because of this, we shall have peace and we shall rest in the bosom of the Lord.
Then he says
Matthew 11:29
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
“Take My yoke upon you,”
Look now at the picture of a couple of yoked oxen.
PICTURE OF OXEN YOKED TOGETHER
A yoke was a wooden beam that joined two animals together to pull a load. Usually, the animals would run wild in the field, but when they were yoked, they would be in submission to their Master.
Yoked together, they would be able to accomplish a greater work with less strain on each animal. The yoke will also keep them working together.
When they are yoked together, the younger or weaker animal will learn from a stronger, more experienced one.
Without Christ, we are like an animal running wild in the field without direction, completely unmanageable, self-willed, and determined to have our own way at all costs.
Without Christ, we are like a ship that has no anchor and is at the complete mercy of the winds and the waves. Without his guidance, we will soon crash into the rocks of the world. We have a need for the yoke of Christ if we are going to obtain rest for our souls.
When we are yoked with Jesus, who is in perfect submission to the will of the Father, Jesus will help us also fulfill the will of the Father.
“Take My yoke upon you,”
To take Christ’s yoke means to join our life to His. To live in complete submission to him, fully yielding to his Lordship, obeying his commands, and serving him only. You have seen what it looks like when oxen are yoked together.
Now, let me paint you a picture of what it would look like to be yoked to Jesus.
PICTURE OF JESUS YOKED TO A MAN
If you are yoked to Jesus, what does that mean?
Yoke to Jesus, you will live your life with only one purpose, seeking to please him and trying every day to be more like him.
To wear his yoke is the condition we must be in if we are going to obtain rest for our souls.
If we do this, we shall not walk in darkness, but we shall walk in the light.
He is there with you everywhere you go. You don't have to worry bout a thing because he is there with you. You will not want for anything because he will provide for your every need; he will provide for everything.
He will lead you beside still waters. He will give rest to your soul, no, in fact, better than that, he will restore your soul.
He will lead you in the path of righteousness; he will do it because you are yoked to him. He will not lead you to evil.
Because you are yoked to him, even though you will pass through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil, for even when death comes upon you, you will know, if you are yoked to him, you will know that he is the resurrection and the life, and though you may die, yet shall you live.
You will live because he lives!
Because you are yoked to him, you will fear no evil because his rod and his staff will comfort you. Though your enemies will surround you on all sides, his anointing will be with you, and he will prepare a table in their presence, and your blessings will be overflowing, and though weapons are formed against you, no weapon will prosper and harm you.
Oh, how wonderful it is to be yoked to Jesus! Wherever he leads, you will follow.
Sometimes you will pass through the waters, and he will be with you. And though the rivers may flood, they will not overflow you.
Sometimes you will walk through the fire, but you shall not be burned, you shall be like Shadrach and Meshack in the Abednego, and the flame shall not even scorch you, for there in the furnace of affliction, you will be yoked to Jesus.
Think of the yoke, my brothers and sisters. If you are yoked to Jesus, he will be your refuge and your fortress. He is your God in whom you can trust. He is there with you to deliver you from the snares of the evil one. He will deliver you in the pestilence of every pandemic.
If you are yoked to him, he will reach out his arms and cover you. You will not have to worry about the terror that might come in the night, nor the arrows that fly by day, because you are yoked to him.
A thousand might even fall at your side, and maybe even 10,000 at your right hand, but you don't have to worry, because you are yoked to Jesus.
No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near you, for He has provided 10,000 angels to guard over you and to keep you, because you are yoked with him.
In their hands, they will lift you up as they lift up Jesus, and you will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. You will speak with new tongues, and you shall cast out devils and demons in his name. The young lion and even the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
Because you are yoked with Jesus, who or what can be against you?
You can be confident that because you are yoked to Jesus, my brothers and sisters, you may be hard-pressed on every side, but you will not be crushed. You may be perplexed, but you will not be in despair: you may be persecuted, but you will not be forsaken: You may be struck down, but not destroyed, and though you may be down, and fall 7 times, but there is no reason for anyone to gloat, because you shall rise up, because you are yoked to Jesus.
In every trial, through every tribulation, he will deliver you, and he will set you on high because where he is, there you will be. And when you call on Him, He will answer you, because He is with you. When you are in trouble, he will deliver and honor you, and with long life, he will satisfy you.
And when your strength has waned and you have come to the end of your days in this earth and this tent of your earthly house is destroyed, you will know that you have a building from God, a house not made with hands a house that he has prepared in the heavens a house with many mansions and because you are yoked to Jesus you will dwell in the house of the Lord with him forever!
Glory be to God from whom all blessings flow.
Then he continues
Matthew 11:29
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
Matthew 11:29
This means discipleship. A disciple is a student who learns from a teacher.
He commands us to learn from him! Remember it is all about him!
Consider carefully that statement.
Learn from me.
We spend years learning from teachers in our school systems. We submit ourselves to their doctrines and their theories of the patterns of this world. We conform to established guidelines and systems designed by men, but our Lord tells us, learn from him.
How many of us are willing to learn from him? We give our time and effort to everything else but him! And we wonder why there is no rest for our souls. The world is meant for trouble.
We will give years of our lives to learn the systems and the way of man, but we will hardly give an hour of our day to learn the truth and the way of Christ.
And even though he has told us to honor him with one day of the week, meaning 24 hours, we complain if we have to sit and worship for more than 2 hours, but will spend 4 hours worshiping our favorite sports team.
How can we be free and be at rest, if we don’t learn from him?
We need to learn from him so we may know the truth and not follow the lies of this world.
For instance:
Has he not told us that if we abide in him, and his words abide in us, that we shall know the truth and the truth shall make us free?
Has he not told us that if we learn of him, and abide in him, that we can ask what we will, and it will be done for us, and we will then bear much fruit that will bring glory to our father and blessing to us and our families?
Has he not told us that he will give us unspeakable joy if we just learn of him?
Has he not told us that his joy, is our strength? And that in our brokenness and weakness, his strength is perfected, and then we are strong! That is the opposite of the way of the world.
Has he not told us, when we learn of him, he gives power to the weak and those who wait on him will renew their strength and they shall mount up with wings like eagles and they shall run and not be weary?
Has he not told us that we are to learn of him and that we can do all things through him who will strengthen us?
Has he not told us that the battle is not ours and that the battle is his?
How long will it take us to learn from him that vengeance is his and not for us?
Has he not told us to love one another as he has loved us, and also love our enemies?
We hunger for the knowledge of the world, but has he not told us, he has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wisdom of the world?
Why then, my brothers and sisters, why? Why do we refuse to learn when he said to learn from me?
If we are yoked to him, let us come to understand, that yoked to him means being near to him. We don't have to go out of state to a university to learn the truth.
We don't have to spend thousands of dollars and be in debt to student loans for half of our lives to get an education. If we are yoked to him, we can learn from him because he is near us. He is not in heaven that we would have to say who can go to heaven and bring us the truth that we may hear it and do it. He is near to us; he is not beyond the sea that we would have to say who will go over the sea and bring the truth to us that we may hear it and do it.
No, my brothers and sisters, he is very near to you and me, he will put words in our mouths and in our hearts, and give us the strength that we may do as he commands.
If we are going to learn of him, then we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him (Luke 9:23).
It means saying “no” to living for ourselves and saying “yes” to living for Christ.
It means learning to forgive and not condemn.
It means learning to love and not despise.
Learning of him means to be patient and kind, it means not envy and not be haughty or puffed up.
Yoked and learning from him means we are not rude to others.
We have learned to deny ourselves, and we are not easily provoked. We don't always think of evil that others might do, nor do we rejoice in the wrongdoing of others, but we rejoice when there is truth.
If we learn of him, we will bear all things as he did when he bore the cross, unjustly accused, lied about, and spit upon, and yet he continued to love, knowing that his sacrifice would save many.
If we learn of him, we will always hope for the best, we will endure the hardships and stresses of this world, because if we are with him and learn of him we will realize that he never fails. We will always be a winner and always triumph in the end we will win!
If we learn of him, we will know that before we were born, and not even formed, all the days of our lives were written in his book before we even started our journey.
If we learn of him, we will know with a certainty that he will deliver us from all evil, and as we journey through this life, we will see that he will direct our lives, and whether we turn to the right or to the left, we will hear his voice, and he will say, this is the way walk in it.
If we will learn of him, we will know that weeping may endure for a night, but joy will come in the morning, and that he has put our tears in a bottle and every one of them has been written in his book.
If we will learn of him, we will know, soon one day, he will wipe away every tear from our eyes and there shall be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying.
If we will learn of him, we will realize that by his spirit, we have been born again, and the former things have passed away, and death will be swallowed up in victory; for these corruptible bodies will put on incorruption, and this mortal will put on immortality.
If we will learn of him, we will know of his goodness and his mercy, and that for us, who have been born into iniquity, will He, wipe away our sins and our transgressions and he has laid up for us more a crown of righteousness, which he, the righteous judge will give to those of us who have loved learning of him with the expectation of his glorious appearing!
If we learn of him, it means obeying His Word and grants us the certainty of a long and prosperous life!
If we learn of him, we know His Holy Spirit will strengthen us to do all he commands.
Now, many may attend church but don’t come to learn of him or become disciples of Christ? Some only come to just find ways to benefit themselves.
Matthew 11:29
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
He tells us he is gentle and lowly in heart, and because he is, we will find rest for our souls.
He is gentle with us, he does not have impossible expectations of us. He will not weigh us down with burdens, but he will raise us up.
He is gentle and not demanding. He makes our discipleship under him easy because he leads us not with harshness but with humility. He leads us and he aids us by his grace.
We will find rest for our souls because we will find peace with a gentle and loving God. We will be made one with God the Father.
The Bible tells us, if we are one with him, he will keep us in perfect peace, because in his presence is fullness of joy and his pleasures forevermore.
In his presence, he will give us rest!
This means he understands every one of us more than we understand ourselves. He knows what gives us peace, he knows how to bless us with every good gift. He knows how to give rest to our souls.
Then he says:
Matthew 11:30
30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
He says “His yoke is easy.”
The word “easy” (Greek chrestos) means kind, well-fitting, or good.
Farmers shaped yokes to fit an animal’s neck so it would not chafe or wound. A poorly fitted yoke causes discomfort; a well-fitted yoke enables the animal to work effectively.
Jesus is saying His yoke fits us perfectly. It doesn’t injure—it enables.
Compared to the stresses of the yoke of the world, in which you have no certain help, his yoke is easy because he is there as a refuge, to give you strength and comfort. He is a very present help in time of trouble; therefore, you do not have to fear even if the earth is moved and the mountains are carried into the midst of the sea.
He is yoked with you, so you do not have to fear. You do not have to be dismayed, for He is your God, and He will strengthen you when you are weak. Yes, He will help you and uphold you with His righteous right hand.
His yoke is not a wooden yoke of oak, but it is like wings of an eagle with which he will lift us up and cause us to soar above all of the troubles, trials, and tribulations and situations intended to bury us, and he will carry us to victory in his kingdom.
His yoke is easy, not hard, because the plans He has for you are plans of peace, not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
His yoke is easy because when the trouble comes he works all things, all things, for the good of those who are called according to his purpose.
He says “My Burden is Light.”
Christ does not mean following Him has no cost—discipleship involves self-denial and obedience (Luke 9:23).
But compared to the crushing burden of sin, guilt, or the world’s endless striving, His burden is light.
It is light because He shares the load. He provides grace, the Spirit’s strength, and the promise of eternal reward.
The Spirit makes possible what would otherwise be impossible by human strength.
Finally, the last verse
Matthew 11:30
30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
My Yoke, My Burden
A yoke is still a yoke. It limits and it confines, and a burden is still a burden; it is something you must carry. But notice the keyword is the word "my".
Do you get it? The yoke and the burden are the yoke and burden that Jesus places upon you. They come from him.
It is not that they are not challenges, but the mercy and grace of God limits them.
Under his yoke and his burden you can count it all joy when you wind up in various trials because you know no trial or temptation has come upon you that is more than what you can bear because God is faithful he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you're able but he will make a way of escape so that you may be able to bear it.
Because you carry his yoke and his burden, you can count it all joy because you know that the testing of your faith produces patience, and when patience has finished its perfect work in you, you are made perfect, complete, and lacking nothing.
And when you have come through all the storms and all the trials, you will be able to say this with complete certainty, I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Because you carry his yoke and his burden, you can also say “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
Again I repeat
Matthew 11:28–30
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Here’s the final truth: the world’s way enslaves you, but Christ’s yoke frees you. His commands are not burdensome. His Spirit gives you the power to do what you could never do on your own.
So let me ask you: Whose yoke are you carrying? The world’s yoke that crushes you, or Christ’s yoke that gives you life?
Jesus closes with this promise: “For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
That doesn’t mean following Christ is effortless. It means His way is possible and joyful because His Spirit empowers you.
This is the difference: the world burdens you with empty promises; Christ blesses you with eternal life, joy, and reward.
So why not believe Him? Why not take Him at His word?
Here is the exchange Jesus offers:
The world’s way—laborious, vain, empty, ending in nothing.
God’s way—rest, life, joy, eternal reward.
Hear His words one more time:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
So I’ll ask you again: Why not give up your burdens for His rest?
Today, you decide whose yoke you will carry. The world’s heavy yoke—or Christ’s light and life-giving one.
