Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

Genesis 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

God shows us we need rest from our labors. So, we may worship him!   (God the Father)

Jesus says that he would give us the gift of rest. It requires you to do something to get this gift. We must surrender yourself and come to him to receive it.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.               (Jesus the son)

Rest= relief, especially inward peace, this rest is free from the guilt of sin by justification, and from the power of sin by sanctification.

Consider Matthew the Tax collector disciple and apostle – despised hated, no friends, rejected by society, now working for the Romans to oppress the Jewish people..   God wanted to use him for a great ministry, so Jesus came to him and said follow me! Matthew did just that.

Jesus speaking here tell us the new message: personal discipleship, or an invitation to individuals that, if we follow him,  our lives will have our burdens lifted and our journey will be light, because he is with us helping us to carry the load. Jesus invites all to follow Him, with the assurance of the same experience. Jesus will, approach us with a true servant’s gentleness and guide us along the way.

Look at these verses that are only in Matthew.

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Come unto me = come to Jesus for he is the one and only one that can give you the rest you’re seeking. Only Jesus can give you this gift of rest from the burdens of life.

All ye that labour = this labor comes in many forms =Financial Stress, Health/Painful Stress, Physical work hard strenuous work, Stressfulness is mind filled labor. Spiritual labor is strenuous also, which he promises to us rest from your labor.  No matter which kind it is.

heavy laden=deeply burden in sin and trespasses, Israel was a nation that was deeply burdened with the iniquity of sin and filled with the seed of evil doers, corrupting others, and forsaking the Lord Jesus Christ. They provoked God to anger.

Do we sometimes provoke God to anger because of what we do?

The “burdens,” it is impossible not to be reminded of the “heavy loads” the Pharisees put on men’s shoulders to follow the law. Society tends to do this to us today.

Divers who wait to reach the bottom put on weights it helps them stay on the bottom and as they surface, those very same weights slow there assentation.

Our sin is likened to weights, it wears you down it is extremely heavy almost impossible for you to carry by yourself.    This is the reason Jesus will come along side you and help to carry it with you if you let him. The only place you can put this weight is at the foot of the cross.

I will give you rest = this rest that Jesus is speaking of is a gift from God to usward. Rest from our burdens, rest from our woes, and rest from our sins.

Jesus invites the “weary” (suggests those who have become weary through heavy struggling or toil) and the “burdened” (weariness, overloaded like beasts of burden) to come to him; and he will give them rest.

 Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Yoke = Paired together -no getting away from, The Lord, this “yoke”, put on animals for pulling heavy loads, is a example for the discipline of discipleship.

Learn of me = Jesus says, follow me, follow my lead, walk with me, I will show you.

I am meek and lowly in heart = I will teach you; I am willing to help you,

(Holy Spirit the comforter left with us, helps us. )

Ye shall find rest unto your souls = I will sanctify your souls, the only way this was possible was because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. If we are sanctified, we are justified. And we can enter into the presence of God the Father.

Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

For my yoke is easy = when we let Jesus place upon us his yoke we know it will be easy because he is with us and will guide us in what and how to do it.

My burden is light =when we let Jesus place his burden upon us it will be light and we will rejoice for he is leading. Jesus’ yoke, not the yoke of the law; discipleship must be to him.

This gift of rest comes through the personal invitation extended to you from Jesus Christ our Lord who is calling you to salvation. Salvation given to you for repentance of sin and leaving the sin at the foot of the cross where Jesus was sacrificed for the sins of the whole world.  Through Jesus shed blood we can obtain this gift of rest. Amen!

The rest of Jesus Christ is twofold—given and found. It is given in pardon and reconciliation. It is found under the yoke and the burden; in the development of Christian experience, as more and more the “strain passes over” from self to Christ. Amen!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

We must be committed to Jesus Christ and then receive the Gift of rest!

Without commitment we will fail each and every time.

Matthew committed himself to following Jesus and was part of a great ministry. The ministry of spreading the Gospel of Jesus throughout the world. He played a role in the Great Commission along with other disciples and apostles. They shared God word with others.

Will you do that?   Can you do that?

What is holding you back from commitment?

Commit today to yoking yourself to Jesus and following his leading in your life and Jesus will show you the gift of rest.