Rooted in Christ’s Rest

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Are you tired? I’m not just talking about being sleepy, (from that late night fireworks show) but are you tired? Are you worn down? In the last couple of years, throughout our culture - we have focused on the idea of Rest. There have been many different studies done and companies have invested many different resources into making sure their employees are able to find Rest. This has become so important because typically find that we are busy people. There is always something to do. We find that we can fill our time with all sorts of different activities. Our world says don’t wait for the moment, but seize the moment. Because of this we find that our world and as individuals we lack the understanding of what rest is - how to rest. Today, we are continuing our journey in this sermon series through the Gospel of Matthew called “Rooted in God’s Kingdom”. We have talked about the call of Jesus on our lives, the mission He calls us to be apart of, His care for us in the midst of a world of doubt. Today in the Gospel of Matthew we find that we are rooted in Christ’s rest. And Rest isn’t about recharging ourselves, but being restored in Christ.

This last week, my family and I were blessed to go on a summer vacation. We found ourselves in Austin, Texas. And it was exactly how you would expect Texas - hot. We thought as a whole family it would be a great idea to go for a boat ride on the water, get a swim in the lake to cool off from the hot sun. So we rented a boat, found a somewhat isolated part of the lake, and jumped in the water. It was cool, refreshing, and relaxing floating there in the water. Maybe you have had this experience, where you are floating in the lake or river and its so peaceful, it’s so relaxing you begin to just sit and rest. This is exactly what I found myself doing. Floating and just simply resting in the calm water. After a few moments - I decided it would be great to get back in the boat to go and explore the lake some more. I opened my eyes and found that I had drifted. The boat was so far from me. I was so focused on my own relaxation that I lost track of the boat. The currents and waves were calm and relaxing but they cause me to drift. To get back to the boat it required so much work swimming through the currents and waves. In my own relaxation - I failed to see that I had drifted.

Typically, when we think about rest, we make ourselves the center and source. We do different activities or implement different strategies to attempt to escape our busy lives to fill our tired and drained lives up. We attempt to escape from work emails going on a retreat to the lake. We attempt lose ourselves in the next big Netflix show to relax after work. We find a new hobby to spend some more time on. We go to different social events to try and rest from the burdens of loneliness. But the truth that we come to discover, is all these different activities and events don’t offer true, rest. There is no true rest apart from Jesus. Apart from Jesus we find ourselves drifting and our lives empty become more and more empty. Spiritual rest isn’t about escaping the world or responsibilites; it isn’t about setting aside all the TO Do list to focus on “me”. It’s about finding yourself in Jesus.

In our reading today from Matthew. We see another group of people struggling and searching for rest in the world. Earlier in Matthew 11, John the Baptist from prison sent His disciples to ask Jesus - “Are you the Promised One to come or should we look for another?” And Jesus answered Him by listing all the things that He had done. Raising the dead, giving the blind sight, the lepers being cleansed. John the Baptist and other were trying to find comfort, and rest in the broken world. And the message that Jesus was teaching was much different the message of the Pharisees and religious leaders of the day. They had the understanding that the through Law - through obedience of God’s Law - the Torah, you could earn rest or earn a place in God’s Kingdom. Through enough obedience, through enough knowledge, through your own abilities you could earn a place in God’s family as one of God’s chosen. The Israelite people through the years had this way of talking about the Torah - God’s Law. They thought about it as a Yoke.

A yoke if you don’t know is the wooden bar that was used to lift things or control animals with like an animal pulling a cart or wagon. Over they years teachers of God’s Law used this imagery of a Yoke being put about God’s people. That if lived according to the Yoke of the Toah; the Yoke of the Law; if you obeyed and followed God’s commandments close enough you could eventually find rest in the Kingdom. It’s the burden you carry now, and rest in the God’s Kingdom is the reward. For them, obedience to the Law led to life.

In the midst of the burdened people of Israel. In the midst of people struggling with doubt. In the midst of people unable to carry the burden of the law. Jesus says in our text today.

Matthew 11:28–30 ESV

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Jesus says to the people in Matthew don’t try to find rest through obedience to the Torah or the Law. Jesus says find Rest in Me. Jesus says don’t learn from the old ways of doing things - learn from Me. Don’t carry the yoke of the Torah - carry my yoke. You no longer need Moses and the prophets because you have the One before you who they were pointing to! Jesus stands before the burdened people inviting them to find rest in Him! The work has been done!

I think we hear this text and we think - carry this yoke of Jesus doesn’t exactly sound like rest. Many of us think that resting is sitting on the couch doing nothing or enjoying time out on the boat. But carrying the yoke of Jesus is being led by Jesus. CS Lewis in Mere Christianity talks about this:

“The sense in which a Christian leaves it to God is that he puts all his trust in Christ: trusts that Christ will somehow share with him the perfect human obedience which He carried out from His birth to His crucifixion: that Christ will make the man more like Himself and, in a sense, make good his deficiencies. In Christian language, He will share His “sonship” with us, will make us, like Himself, “Sons of God”.

In other words, Christ shares the benefit of His work with you. He carried the load of God’s judgement for you and you simply receive the benefits. Carrying the yoke of Jesus is trusting in His work for you! It’s anything you have do, but its being led by Jesus. Jesus has done the work of the Law for you. He has carried your burdens and shame and yoke of the cross. And through His death and resurrection - He has won for you life. Through Jesus and His 3 day rest in the tomb - you have a rest in God that will have no end. Jesus restores you through His work on the cross.

Finding rest in this world is not about pulling away from responsibilities, removing all the things on your to do lists. True rest is not about recharging ourselves, but being restored in Christ. Its not about emptying your work load but being filled in the promises of Jesus. Are you feeling tired today? Are you feeling overwhelmed? Are you feeling burdened? Hear the words of Jesus today. Come to Me. Rest in the work that Christ has done for you!

Now may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.