Matthew 11:28-30 - THE GOSPEL CALL - part 4
MAT.11:28-30; THE GOSPEL CALL - part 4
"COME TO ME,
ALL YOU WHO ARE WEARY AND BURDENED,
AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST.
TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU AND LEARN FROM ME,
FOR I AM GENTLE AND HUMBLE IN HEART,
AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
FOR MY YOKE IS EASY AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT."
Mat 11:28-30 (NIV)
INTRODUCTION
"I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are wise and very
beautiful; but I never read in either of them: 'Come unto Me all ye that
labour and are heavy laden.'" St. Augustine [The 365-Day Devotional
Commentary]
Through the ages these verses have been among the most beloved
in the NT. [Ryrie SB]
Only in Matthew is this invitation [Cambridge Annotated SB]
This is the gospel call; whoever will, let him come. [Matthew
Henry Commentary]
This great invitation, extended to all, is threefold: (1) to
come and receive salvation; (2) to learn in discipleship; and (3) to
serve in yoke with the Lord. [Ryrie SB]
I WILL GIVE YOU REST; YOU WILL FIND REST
We have to come to Jesus Christ in order to receive the rest of
God:
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though
your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they
be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he
that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and
milk without money and without price" (Isaiah 55:1).
"And 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" (Rev. 22:17).
REST IN VS 28
"To give intermission from labor, to give rest, to refresh,"
Matt 11:28; (Vine's Expository Dictionary)
REST IN VS 29
"Cessation, refreshment, rest", the constant word in the Sept.
for the Sabbath "rest," is used in Matt 11:29; here the contrast
seems to be to the burdens imposed by the Pharisees. Christ's "rest"
is not a "rest" from work, but in work, "not the rest of inactivity
but of the harmonious working of all the faculties and affections--
of will, heart, imagination, conscience-- because each has found in
God the ideal sphere for its satisfaction and development" (Vine's
Expository Dictionary)
The Christian's Rest: note the difference between the two rests
promised by Jesus Christ. They are the two greatest rests imaginable.
1. "I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28): first, there is the
rest of salvation or justification. This is the rest of deliverance
from the slavery and bondage of sin, the power of Christ to conquer
the enslaving habits that damage the human body and destroy the
human soul. It is the rest of conscience that comes to a person's soul
when he ceases his struggle in the wilderness of sin. It is the rest
of conquest and triumph which a person experiences when he conquers
the enemies of sin and evil through the power of Christ--day by day.
It is the rest of victory through the daily storms of life.
2. "Ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Matthew 11:29): second,
there is the rest of sanctification or of pleasure and satisfaction,
of confidence and completeness. The rest is not a rest of
inactivity, of no work, of an endless slumber, of the right to laziness. It
is a rest of three things.
a. It is a rest of refreshment: a rest of refreshing one's body,
mind, and spirit.
b. It is a rest that fits one for life: a rest that infuses a
person with true purpose, meaning, and significance.
c. It is a rest of encouragement and motivation of soul: a rest
that stirs a person to live and undertake his God-given task with
enthusiasm and vigor and endurance. [Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible
Commentary]
The Rest of Glorification: And to you who are troubled, rest
with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven. --2 Thes.
1:7
Belief, Obedience And Rest
God's rest has several meanings in Scripture: (1) the seventh
day of creation and the weekly Sabbath commemorating it (Genesis
2:2; Hebrews 4:4-9); (2) the promised land of Canaan (Deut. 12:8-12;
Psalm 95); (3) peace with God now because of our relationship with
Christ through faith (Matthew 12:28; Hebrews 4:1, 3, 8-11); and (4) our
future eternal life with Christ (Hebrews 4:8-11). All of these meanings
were probably familiar to the Jewish Christian readers of Hebrews.....
The Israelites failed to enter the promised land because they did
not believe in God's protection, and they did not believe that God
would help them conquer the giants in the land (see Numbers 14-15). So
God sent them into the desert to wander for 40 years. This was an
unhappy alternative to the wonderful gift he had planned for them. Lack
of trust in God always prevents us from receiving his best...... Our
hearts turn away from the living God when we stubbornly refuse to
believe him. If we persist in our unbelief, God will eventually leave us
alone in our sin. But God can give us new hearts, new desires, and new
spirits (Ezekiel 36:22-27). To prevent having an unbelieving heart, stay
in fellowship with other believers, talk daily about your mutual
faith, be aware of the deceitfulness of sin (it attracts but also
destroys), and encourage each other with love and concern. [Life
Application SB re Heb.3:11-19]
The rest that Jesus promises is peace with God. [Small Group SB]
Especially can He give us rest from the heavy burden of sin.
[Disciple SB]
Jesus promised rest for the weary and troubled. Rest is not the
absence of labor, hardship, or suffering. Rest is the absence of guilt,
worry, anxiety, and lack of meaning. Jesus promises meaning, hope,
assurance, peace, and joy even in the troubles we must endure in life.
[Disciple SB]
"I will give you rest, I will refresh you" (see Jer 31:25).
Those who follow Christ will find refreshment in their renewed
relationship with him, freedom from guilt over sin, deliverance from fear and
despair, and the promise of continued help and guidance from the Holy
Spirit. (Life Application Commentary)
Those who come to Christ do not cease to work, but instead of
laboring "for the meat which perisheth," and becoming utterly weary in
the attempt, they labour "for that meat which endureth unto
everlasting life". [SDA Commentary]
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