Jesus Offers Two Rests

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus gave two separate promises of rest. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Then He offers a second rest: "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

Both types of rest are not given at the same time. If we invite the unsaved to come to Christ and to find that His yoke is easy and His burden is light, they come to Jesus and receive rest from the guilt of their sins, but at times they still struggle to obey. They find it's not always possible to submit to God. At times, it may seem that His yoke is not easy and His burden is not light.

But then Jesus invites us to, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me." When oxen are yoked together, they work together and are not at odds with one another. To be yoked to Jesus is to be willing to follow His lead. When we know God's will we accept what He chooses.

Jesus wants us to learn that He is gentle and humble. And when we are willing to have a gentle, humble spirit of obedience in all things, then we find soul rest.

These verses do not mean there is no yoke and no burden. It means that there is something about Jesus that makes his demands light and easy.

Thank You, Jesus, that I've found that Your yoke is easy to bear and the burden You give is not too heavy because You carry the heavy load.

"This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3).