Langata Rd, Opposite Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, Kenya.
Jesus’ Personal Invitation: Rest for the Weary
Matthew 11:28-30,
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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 My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Today, we shall begin examining one of the most important objective of Christ’s mission on earth. He came to establish the ground upon which he can offer us a unique invitation to Himself. “Jesus’ Personal Invitation;”
Matthew 1:21,
“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Our Lord came into the world, the Bible says, to save sinners; that is the purpose of His incarnation. Jesus came upon the earth with a very clear missional agenda, and that was to save sinners from judgment, wrath, Sin and hell.
And Jesus Christ expressed this purpose of the incarnation when He said,
Luke 19:10,
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost.”
That is the purpose: salvation. That is the message of Christianity: salvation. Now, this certainly expresses the heart of God. If we go back - just for an illustration’s sake - to the prophet Isaiah, we find that, even through the prophet Isaiah, God is giving an invitation to people to be saved.
In Isaiah 45:22 -25,
“it says, ‘Look unto Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. “I have sworn by Myself, the word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. ‘Surely,’ shall one say, ‘In the Lord have I righteousness and strength:’ even to Him shall men come; and all that are incensed against Him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.”
This is an invitation, and that is the heart of God, a heart of salvation.
In Isaiah 55 :1-3,
“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come to the waters, and he that hath no money; come, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto Me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.”
Everyone should heed this generous invitation and it is offensive to God to ignore or reject such an invitation.
Revelation 22:17,
“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let him that heareth say, ‘Come.’ And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
God is always inviting people to come for salvation. And we find that this as the character of our Lord.
Our Lord is God incarnate; we should expect Him to carry on the same effort.
Just after feeding the multitude, by providing for them fresh fish and bread, He “said unto them,
John 6:35,
“I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.”
When Jesus says, “Come,” He is saying, “Believe on Me. I am bread and I am water.”
John 7:37-38,
“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
Only Jesus can invite people to life, Only Jesus is the bread of life. Only Jesus fits the description of being the light of the World.
The key to understanding the invitation in Matthew 11:28 is to know what Jesus is offering. We notice that Jesus is offering to give us rest. If He says, “Come unto Me,” what is the reason? Simply stated, “I will give you rest.”
But the promise of our Lord is for rest; that is what Jesus offers His people.
We often think of rest as physical inactivity (e.g., a nap), or as "vacation" from labor. These are legitimate forms of rest, but that is not what Jesus is talking about. This rest is deeper than bodily rest; it is rest for our "soul" – our innermost being.
The great God of the universe, who is holy, perfect, mighty, infinite, bids me to come knowing too well that I am flawed, weak, limited, and burdened.
He doesn’t push me away in annoyance or impatience. He doesn’t dismiss me either.” He simply and warmly says, “Come.”
1) Come unto me, All ye that Labor
Everything requires effort. We shouldn’t be surprised. Striving in work was the verdict for humans after the fall.
So from yard work to parenting to marriage to maintaining our health, life is toil. And toil is ceaseless.
Most of us grab reprieves from physical labor at one time or another, but mental and emotional labor is another story.
Fighting our inner battles, resisting selfishness, bitterness, and unforgiveness. Wondering if we measure up, wrestling with guilt over parenting decisions, contending in our marriage, perseverating on the past, fearing the future. But Jesus says, “Come.”
2) Come unto me, All ye that are Heavy Laden
We are heavy laden with our sins and the sins of others, and some days the burden is crushing. I don’t have a mother or father to run to anymore. My husband is often a comfort to me, but he is also a burden, and sometimes he is the cause of my struggle (and I of his). There is nobody on the planet who can offer me comfort for the deep striving that sometimes wearies my soul. But God says, “Come.”
3) Come unto me, And I Will Give You Rest
Rest is a reprieve, a replacement of striving, even if only for a little while. Rest isn’t necessarily being still, but it is taking a break from working. When I crochet, or watch a movie, spend time with my family, or do something I enjoy, I am resting. Resting from work. Resting from obligations. Resting from the beaten path. But it’s temporary, and very soon the work starts up again.
And in our own strength, is there ever rest from worry? But the Holy Spirit says, “Come.”
4) We can rest even during trials.
God’s rest is internal and eternal. The rest he offers is “rest for your soul” (Matthew 11:29). God’s rest doesn’t mean cessation of trial. “In this world you will have trouble,” Jesus promised.
John 16:33,
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
But God’s rest is rest in the trial. It is respite from the effects of the trial.
God’s rest is rooted in his promises. It is anchored in hope. It is knowing that he is real, his Word is true, and he is sufficient. His promises offer assurance that supersedes labor and burdens. The rest is inner, in our soul, and in our mind. God offers rest from striving, from worrying, and from doubt. The Scriptures are replete with abiding promises that act as a balm to put our mind at ease.
"Rest for your soul" is a phrase that refers to finding peace and reprieve from the burdens of life through faith in Jesus. It's a deeper form of rest than physical rest, and is rooted in hope and God's promises.