Behold The King: Finding Rest in Embracing Jesus

Matthew 11:16–29 KJV 1900

But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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.

While humanity is vain and fickle, God shines with gentile, merciful, and unwaveringly consistent.

When you hear or consume God’s Word, do you respond by faith or simple fascination?

God has made His will and purpose known to humanity through the prophets. This prophetic work began with Abraham and reaches its climax in John. Throughout history, people have responded to the revealed word of God with either fascination or faith, curiosity or contrition. The Jews, in particular, have longed to hear from God, but they often receive His message and then justify their sinful actions without truly repenting and changing. Jesus addresses this resistance, highlighting God's divine mercy and the missed opportunity for those who refuse to repent. He concludes with a heartfelt invitation to embrace His rest.

Hebrews 1:1–3 KJV 1900

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

In this captivating conversation, Jesus reveals three profound insights that will change your life if you listen.

Loving involves Confronting

In a world where uncertainty lingers and hearts resist change, Jesus takes a stand. With unwavering determination, he cautions the crowd about the price the will pay for their stubbornness.

As God had led the prophet Isaiah in

Isaiah 13-20, Jeremiah in 46-51, Ezekiel 25-32, and Amos 1:3-2:3.

Now, the Word of God is pronouncing judgment upon the cities where he had performed unimaginable miracles. The context of this passage helps us understand that Jesus was not pronouncing this judgment in secret but in front of many citizens of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. Jesus was performing a public announcement!

Jesus’ unwavering commitment to the crowd compels him to speak the unvarnished truth!

John 3:16 KJV 1900

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.

Ephesians 2:4–5 KJV 1900

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Jesus put out Public Service Announcement

“EMERGENCY ALERT: Threat of eternal damnation expected for everyone who stubbornly refuses to repent and trust in Jesus. From 4,000 B.C. till Jesus returns. Seek immediate shelter in Jesus Christ. Avoid trusting in man’s wisdom.”

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Note: Tyre and Sidon were notable Canaanite cities that God drove out of the land because of their vile and unnatural acts. Sodom needs no introduction. vile and unnatural acts. Sodom needs no introduction

Proverbs 6:16–20 KJV 1900

These six things doth the Lord hate: Yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, Feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren. My son, keep thy father’s commandment, And forsake not the law of thy mother:

1 Samuel 15:22 KJV 1900

And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to hearken than the fat of rams.

2 Peter 3:10 KJV 1900

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Divine Mercy Does Not Replace Personal Responsibility

If God had offered His Son’s salvation to Tyre and Sidon in the way He did to Israel, they would have humbly repented. If God had extended His grace to the sinful streets of Sodom, even they would have turned from their wicked ways. Yet, the very nation that Jesus came to, the one He foretold His arrival to, shamelessly rejected Him without hesitation.

Is disbelief the worst sin in the world? People often try to rank sins, and everyone ranks sin differently. Some put murder at the top and parking in a handicap space without a tag last. Smoking, drinking, cursing, and running with those who do the same are worse than indulging too much at the buffet. But only some have disbelief- failure to trust Jesus on their list.

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Yet disbelief of God’s word led the Israelites to kill the prophets, and disbelief would lead them to send Jesus to His death unjustly.

Luke 11:47 KJV 1900

Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

Jesus says that disbelief and unrepentance are condemnable, especially for those so close to the decisive actions He had displayed for the burden of proof.

2 Thessalonians 1:8 KJV 1900

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

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In today’s fast-paced culture, it is evident that many individuals, including those who identify as Christians, prioritize material wealth over spiritual richness. Knowing Jesus as Savior provides access to a deep and authentic relationship with Him.

James 5:1–6 KJV 1900

Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

All have been Invitated to Embrace Rest

In the journey of life, we are given an invitation from God Himself to acknowledge our own imperfections (sin) and embrace the person and teachings of Jesus. By humbly accepting this invitation, we discover a path that leads to true rest and peace for our weary souls.

Jesus ends this sermon with hope! God will embrace you with all your imperfections if you only humbly recognize your inability to measure up to His perfection and, by faith, receive his teachings.

Psalm 42:2–5 KJV 1900

My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat day and night, While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: For I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him For the help of his countenance.

Hebrews 4:10–15 KJV 1900

For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

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His yoke is not a heavy burden, but a gentle guide. His burden is not a weight to bear, but a relief to carry. It is easy, and it is light.

Galatians 2:16 KJV 1900

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

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The crowd's hesitation toward John's message and now Jesus' Gospel was that they had lived under the constant program of the Pharisees. Their teachings told them that godliness was laboring to become godlike. Jesus is saying that we are unable to produce godliness through labor, but through His grace, we are able to embrace rest. In Him, we are considered to be righteous and godly by no merit or effort of our own.