Riff's Christian Journal

Matthew 11:28 KJV… Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Right away the first thing that would come to mind is physical rest. Everyday people come home physically or mentally tired needing to rest from the days work. However, this is not the kind of rest that Jesus is offering.

In the verse that follows the main verse, above, states exactly the kind of rest about which Jesus is talking. Here is that verse:

Matthew 11:29 KJV… 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.

Rest for our souls, spiritual rest, but from what? You must remember to whom Jesus is talking. These are the Israelites who have been living under the Law which is a works obedience based religion. These are people who are trusting in their own righteousness to make themselves deserving of entering Heaven upon their death.

Under the Law with the various rules, regulations, and blessing and curse promises, the Jews worked daily at their obedience hoping their righteousness was good enough to get them to heaven. However, they continued to fail to be obedient to the Law and to God, and they would become quit weary in their daily life of working to be obedient. They just could not do it and would feel the burdens of their failure.

Jesus knew this and came to offer a rest that would take this heavy yoke of a burden from off of them and offered a better path to Heaven; through Him.

The call Jesus gave was to come to Him and trust in Him for their salvation even though they knew not what He would do. How could this Jesus have a way designed to provide rest for their soul?

It was not until after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus that the “rest” that Jesus offered would come to life. Just stop working at being obedient to the Law and rest in Jesus. That was it. Just like we read in Hebrews.

Hebrews 4:10 KJV… For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

Even today, everyone who is not a disciple of Jesus still live under the yoke of the Law, still trying to achieve your own righteousness, and you, too, will fail. The offer of “rest” that Jesus made to the Jews, He offers to you as well. Here is how you can enter into the “rest” offered by Jesus.

Stop trusting in your own righteousness and rest in the knowledge that Jesus has done for you what you cannot do for yourself. By coming to Jesus and proclaiming Him to be Lord and by faith trust in Him for your salvation you will enter into the “rest” that is offered by Jesus. Taking off the burden of obedience to the Law and trusting in Jesus for having done for you what you cannot do for yourself will give you the “rest” you so greatly need for your soul.

You no longer need to be obedient to the Law for salvation or even to keep your salvation. For your salvation from being born-again to keeping your salvation, and never loosing it, was all done by the will of God based on all that Jesus has done for you who are saved.

How about you. Do you want to continue being under the Law with the yoke of trying to be obedient to the Law, trying to gain your own righteousness and failing, or would you rather enter into the “rest” that Jesus gives and be covered in the robe of His righteousness?

Resting in Jesus is easy. Let go of your own works of righteousness and confess that Jesus is Lord, trusting in His righteousness, and by faith believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead and you will be given the rest that was promised by Jesus.

Coming to Jesus will give you wonderful comforting “rest”for your soul. Is not that what you really want anyway?