Rest for Your Souls

Matthew 11:28–30 NKJV

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.”

THE PROBLEM: Labor and Heavy Laden

Have you ever been completely physically exhausted from a hard day’s work?

Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted from worries about tomorrow, the condemnation of guilt, and the pressure to survive?

Do you toss and turn on your bed because your mind refuses to “turn off”?

Have you ever been so emotionally exhausted that you wanted to quit and walk away?

Jesus addresses those who “labor” and are “heavy laden”

“Labor” means to grow weary, tired, and exhausted with toils, burdens, and griefs.

Jesus is specifically referring to restlessness in the human soul. Restlessness is the inability to rest, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual.

“Heavy Laden” means “to be loaded down”.

This harkens back to the heavy load placed upon the Israelites under their slavery to Pharaoh. They were heavy laden with no day off to rest.

In the immediate context, Jesus was referring to the load of religious legalism place upon them that they labored to uphold but always fell short. They were never quite good enough to earn God’s favor and blessing.

Practically, we often find ourselves under a heavy burden of care that threatens to crush us.

THE PROMISE: “I Will Give You Rest”

When we are exhausted and heavily burdened, we long for rest.

We become weary in this life and long for rest for our soul.

Rest is freedom from the burden of physical and mental toil.

God is the Author of rest.

God rested at the end of the first creation

God established a day of rest for the nation of Israel in the Law of Moses

God established a land of rest, i.e. the Promised Land.

Jesus is our Sabbath.

Jesus revealed Himself to be our Sabbath.

He is the One who can give rest for our souls.

Jesus offers rest for our souls.

Soul rest means soul salvation.

No longer laboring to be good enough for heaven.

No longer laboring to undo the sins of the past.

Rest comes by faith in Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross.

The PROPOSITION: Three Parts

“Come unto Me”

“Coming to Christ” requires action on our part.

We must bring our heavy burden to Jesus.

1 Peter 5:7(NKJV) “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

We must exchange our burden for His rest.

“Take My Yoke upon You”

This means to come under (submit to) the yoke of Christ’s lordship.

“Learn from Me”

Once yoked under Christ’s lordship, we begin to learn how to rest in Him.

We learn the way of rest as we follow Him.

We learn the eternal perspective that brings His peace and rest.

RESPONSE TO THE WORD

You can find rest for your soul in this life by coming to Christ

You can find rest for your soul by casting all your burden upon the Lord.

You can find rest for your soul by allowing Jesus to teach you the eternal perspective.

One day you will experience final rest when your journey in this life is over.

Revelation 14:13 (NKJV) “Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”’ “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”’”