Jesus Promised Rest

I was out shopping the other day for two items my wife wanted, both of which were eluding me. One of the items, Sprite-0, seems to be on the endangered list because it’s getting harder and harder to find. Knowing my success in one grocery store I went there in hopes of finding the refrigerator 12 pack still being stocked and going home a hero. I was scanning the isle full of sodas and was about to concede its extinction when I saw the spot, on the very bottom shelf of all places, where the 12 pack should be, but appeared to be vacant. Just by chance there might be one way in the back I got down on my knees to look and sure enough there was one. I got spread-eagle on the floor and reached way back for the soda whereupon I heard an eight-year-old proclaim, “Mister, you okay? Do you need some help?” How embarrassing! I looked up and thanked him, “No, I’m fine.”

[Matthew 11:28] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Weary people need rest. Jesus provides rest. Rest from the law. The people of Israel were weary from the burden of the law. The law of God given through Moses was good, but people are not good. Therefore, those under the law were always aware that they were not living up to the standard the law set. How wearisome! That is why “...God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law...” (Galatians 4:4-5). Amazingly, the first apostasy from the church was a move to return to salvation by law-keeping instead of faith in Jesus the redeemer. Paul encouraged, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). To this day, Christians are frequently tempted to link their salvation to law instead of to Jesus. When we fall prey to that temptation we quickly find ourselves worn out. Remember that Jesus promised rest. Rest from life’s burdens. People are fatigued by life when it is lived having no hope and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12). When people experience hardship, pain, and death they often turn to despair, bitterness, and doom which sucks the life right out of them. Jesus makes possible and teaches us a perspective on life that is full of faith, hope, and love. Jesus provides a real and eternal victory over hardship, pain, and death that allows those burdened by life to be comforted by the words of Jesus: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me” (John 14:1). Jesus also declares: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10) Even when walking through the valley of the shadow of death, the sheep find peaceful and fearless rest with the Good Shepherd. Rest from sin. The lifestyle of sin wears us out physically and emotionally. When we use the phrase “that person has been living a hard life” we mean that that person has been living daily with unrepentant sin. It is not a coincidence that we can see that the “hard life” has taken a hard toll on that person’s body. Sin is physically destructive. As a matter-of-fact, sin is so physically destructive that its final outcome is death! It is also a great burden to carry around the emotional weight of true and heavy guilt. Jesus calls us out of the lifestyle of sin and gives true forgiveness from the guilt of sin “...so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:21). Sin, attractive at first, wearies the bones and the soul in the end. Jesus promises rest! Are you okay? Do you need some help? Go to Jesus. He’ll help.