May 27, 2025 - Matthew 11:28,29 -“The Savior’s Call to the Weary and Heavy Laden”

Matthew 11:28,29

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

This tender yet sovereign word from the lips of our LORD Jesus Christ is not a mere invitation extended to those who might choose Him at their leisure. It is a royal command, spoken with Divine Authority and irresistible Power. The One Who speaks is not only the Shepherd but also the King—He Who has “all power…in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). He does not beg sinners to come. He commands the weary, the burdened, the broken, and the heavily laden, saying, “Come unto me.”

To “come” is not an act of man's free will, for none will come unless drawn. As our LORD Himself declares: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44). The call is effectual. Those whom the Father gave to the Son shall come—“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me” (John 6:37). It is not a general offer rejected by most, but a sovereign summons attended by Divine Grace that makes the sinner willing in the day of His Power (Psalm 110:3).

Notice that this command is given to a specific people: “all ye that labour and are heavy laden.” These are not those who feel healthy in their souls, nor those resting comfortably in their religious self-righteousness. These are the convicted, the crushed, the conscious of their sin and helpless estate. They labor under the weight of the law they cannot keep, and they are heavy laden with guilt because of the sinfulness of their sin that they cannot remove. To them Christ says, “I will give you rest.” Not offer nor suggest, but I will give, as a gift, sovereignly bestowed.

And what is this rest? It is not a pause from labor, but the end of striving to justify oneself before God. It is the soul's resting in the finished work of Christ. It is that Peace which comes from the knowledge that He Who calls is the One Who also bore our sins in His own body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24). It is rest in His righteousness imputed, His blood shed unto death, His obedience fulfilled, His redemption accomplished.

Then comes His further word: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me… For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). The yoke of the law is heavy—it demands and never gives. The yoke of Christ is easy—it has been carried already by Another. The burden of our sin has been laid on Him, “and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). What remains for us is not condemnation, but communion. To walk with Christ under His yoke is not servitude—it is liberty. For “if the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). His burden is light because He carries it with us, and indeed has already borne it to Calvary. The believer yoked to Christ walks not alone but in union with the risen LORD, upheld by His Spirit and led by His Word.

This command of Christ to “Come” is not to be debated or delayed. It is to be obeyed by His Grace. It is not a suggestion to be considered, but a summons that grants what He promises. And all who come, come not because they willed it, but because they were made willing by His sovereign grace alone. They find in Him their Rest, their Righteousness, and their Reward.

Come, then, weary soul—not in your strength, but in His. Come, not to do, but to have done for you. Come, and find that His yoke is easy, His burden light, and His rest eternal, everlasting as Christ Himself.