Laying Down Your Burden

Intro: In 1678 an imprisoned John Bunyan wrote the Christian Allegory “The Pilgrim’s Process.” It’s about a man named Christian who flees from the city of destruction setting out to find the Celestial City. His journey is slow and troublesome as he labors under a growing pack of burden on his back. Then he climbs “Salvation Hill” where a cross sits on its crest, as he nears the cross the burden falls from his back and tumbles into an empty tomb at the bottom of the hill. Suddenly Christian is full of joy and says “He hath given me rest by His sorrows, and life by His death.” Christian surveyed the wonderous cross and it “eased him of his burden.”

Are you carrying a burden today? Is it growing heavier with each step? Are you trying to work your way into heaven? Are you carrying a burden of grief that this broken world can’t help with? Jesus invites you to lay down your burdens and receive the much needed rest for your journey to that Celestial City of God.

I. Come to Christ (28)

Come to Me, what loving words! It means “come here.” Its an open invitation for all to be saved. Regardless of who you are or what you have done, Jesus loves you unconditionally and He wants to save you. The invitation is sincere, He really wants you to come!

ILL: Little Johnny wanted a big birthday party. His parents agreed with a few conditions. 1st, he had to make the list and personally give the invitations. 2nd, He had to invite little Timmy from down the street who he had conflict with. Johnny agreed. The big day came and everyone was having fun, but Timmy wasn't there. Mom said to Johnny “I told you to invite Little Timmy,” then Little Johnny said, “ I did but then I dared him to come.”

Jesus sincerely invites all, even those who had recently rejected and opposed Him. Jesus had been preaching and doing great miracles in Galilee, so that people would believe in Him and be saved, but many refused to repent and believe (20), Jesus found opposition everywhere yet still gives an open invitation to all who would come!

Are you opposing Jesus today? Through your sin are you hostile and rebellious towards Him? Do you refuse to believe, slander His good name, discount His mighty deeds, and reject His love? Then this invitation is for you!

Many of you feel beaten up and weighted down by life, as Christian searched for the Celestial City with his burden, you too are weary and heavy-laden. That means you are greatly fatigued and under perpetually weight that you can’t carry. You need a break from from your toil.

In Context, Judaism had become a religion of works, the Jews tried to work their way to heaven. They tried the impossible, earning their salvation through doing the Law. But the Law is meant to reveal sin and the need for a Savior! Jesus said the works of God is faith in Him (John 6:29).

You are invited to trust in Jesus, not a church, not a creed, not a clergyman, but the Savior who loves you, who died for you and who rose again from the grave for you. He offers rest from the impossible task many you are attempting. Today reply by trust (Faith) in Him alone!

II. Connect to Christ (29)

Jesus also invites us to connect to Him! He wants to do more than just save us! He wants to help us as we take up His mission and tread through the difficult circumstances and situations living in a fallen world brings! We need Christ’s power to carry on!

Jesus says “Take my yolk upon you!” Hook your cart up to Me! This is a metaphor. A yoke is a wooden beam that held two beast of burden together so they could pull a plow or a cart in tandem. Jesus is contrasting what it’s like to learn from the Rabbis of the day and to learn from Him. The Rabbis were harsh, they “yoked” their disciples to the impossible burden of the Law (Acts 15:10), but in contrast Jesus is gentle and humble at heart. The rabbis brought burden but Jesus brings rest!

Rest is an important theme in this text (2x)! It means to become physically refreshed as a result of resting from work. But the Jews had turned rest into hard work! They had added over 1,000 ordinances to the 4th commandment (Ex.20:8), in the following verses Jesus disciples are accused of breaking the Law because they became hungry and plucked a few of grains of wheat to eat as they walked through a field on the Sabbath (Mat. 12:8), However Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath (Mat. 12:8), Who makes us lay down in Green Pastures, Who leads us besides quite waters (Ps. 23:2) and Who restores our souls (Ps. 23:3). His rest is real, true, and quite the Paradox. His rest is to find rest even as you work!

Being yoked to Jesus is more than having Him help us pull the Load, but through submission He is pulling the Load! It’s not help from beside but help from within! He empowers and refreshes us at the same time!

The Christian life is not void of difficulty and hard work, We have a mission to reach the Lost in a fallen world. However, by Grace through faith in Jesus we are never alone (Mat. 28:20b), we are yoked/ connected to Christ! .

ILL: The missionaries car that had a loose (spark plug) connection. Check your connection!

III. Celebrate Christ (30)

A. His Yoke Is Easy

We have reason to celebrate Christ, His yoke is easy! Easy (chrēstos) {Adj} means pleasant and suitable. It means well fitting! Palestinian yokes were carefully measured and adjusted to each animal so they wouldn’t chafe. That made it more comfortable for the beast to wear. If you were to walk into Jesus’ Carpenter’s Shop there would be a sign that reads “My Yoke fits well!”

Jesus’ yoke is tailored made you, because He took the yoke of our burdens and was nailed to our cross and was crushed for our iniquities (Is. 53:5b).

B. His Burden Is Light

Because He did all the work! He satisfied God’s holy requirements, He carried the burden we were meant to carry through His perfect obedience which is applied to us by grace through faith! And Jesus cried out from the cross “IT IS FINSHED!”

The only load you now have is one of Love and devotion, as He transforms us into His likeness and image so that we can declare and display the Gospel message to those around us who weary and heavy laden, so that they too can come to Christ, Connect to Christ, and Celebrate Christ for what He has done for them!

CON: Con: A preacher once told of a little boy who lived near a railroad track. Every day he played near the rails while his father worked nearby. One afternoon, a train was coming faster than expected, and the father saw his son playing on the tracks. He dropped everything and ran, shouting with all his strength, “Son! Run to me! Run now!” The boy didn’t argue. He didn’t ask questions. He didn’t try to fix anything himself. He simply ran into his father’s arms just seconds before the train thundered past.

Later someone asked the boy, “Weren’t you scared?” He said, “Yes, but when my daddy told me to run, I knew he was the only safe place.” Friends, that is exactly what Jesus is saying today.

You are carrying burdens you cannot carry. Sin you cannot fix. Pain you cannot outrun. And life is moving faster than you think. And today Jesus stands with open arms saying: “Come to Me.”