Rest by Weston Combs

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 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.” (Matthew 11:25-30)

In this passage we find one of the greatest promises ever made. We see in the first few verses that Jesus has been given full authority and that only he can truly know the father except for the people he reveals him to. This means that we don’t come to find God by ourselves at all, but Jesus enacts this within us. At this time Jesus was often speaking against the religious Pharisees who believed that keeping a list of rules would save them. That’s why Jesus calls them people “who labor and are heavy laden”, because they are burdened by laws. Paul puts it like this:

For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. (Romans 7:5-6)

Through Jesus we are freed from religious legalism and are now under a new covenant, a yoke that is easy. On the cross Jesus did the hard work and paid for all of our sins. We don’t have to worry or be anxious about our own qualifications, because there’s nothing we could do to earn our salvation. Surrendering completely to God is how we find our rest.

-Weston