Have you ever felt that the burdens you are carrying are just too heavy? Have you ever felt that your stress level is at its limit and you just cannot cope any longer? This week’s lesson provides practical help when we come to the breaking point. In fact, whether our burdens are extremely heavy or relatively light, Jesus invites us to come to Him to find relief.
Our principal Bible passage this week is Matthew 11:28–30: “ ‘Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light’ ” (NKJV). Did you notice the three specific, triple-word commands in Christ’s statement? First, He says, “ ‘Come unto Me.’ ” He is the Source of our peace. He is the Wellspring of our strength. He alone can lift our burdens. He is really the only One who can truly relieve the overwhelming stress we, at times, experience. The second triple-word command is “ ‘Take My yoke.’ ” Oxen that are yoked are united together for service. When we are united with Christ in service to others, our burdens become lighter. We will study more in-depth about what it means to be “yoked” with Christ in this week’s lesson. The third triple-word command is “ ‘Learn from Me.’ ” Jesus carried the weight of this world upon His shoulders, yet He lived in an atmosphere of divine peace. He was not stressed out with the challenges He faced. In this week’s lesson, we will explore this passage in considerable detail, especially emphasizing Jesus’ longing for us to rest in Him and find peace of heart and mind.
Part II: Commentary
The story is told of an aged farmer trudging down a narrow, old-country, dirt road, carrying a sack of potatoes on his back. His shoulders slumped; his gait was labored and slow. It was an extremely hot summer day, and sweat poured off the old man’s forehead. His spirits picked up a bit when a neighbor approached in his horse-drawn wagon and asked the old man if he wanted a ride. Happily, he climbed into the back of the wagon. As they rode along, his neighbor observed that the man still had the sack of potatoes on his back. He turned and said to the farmer, “Friend, get some relief. Just set your sack down.”
As the story goes, the old man simply responded, “You have been so kind as to give me a ride; the least I can do is carry my load.” No doubt this story is fictional, but it illustrates the point of this week’s lesson well. It is possible for us to still carry our own heavy burdens even after we have come to Jesus. Our Savior longs to relieve us from the stress of carrying these burdens. He desires to carry our load. Let’s study how we can be free of the burdens that often crush our joy.
Come to Jesus.
Jesus invites us to come to Him. In a practical sense, what does this mean? Coming is a decision of the will. Coming implies our personal choice. Jesus has given to each one of us freedom of choice. He will not coerce the will. He will not pressure us to come. He graciously invites us. He impresses us with His Spirit to come. But coming is our choice. To come is to place our trust and confidence in His ability to lift the burden. We come in faith, believing that He is greater than the problem, larger than the difficulty, and bigger than the challenge. Ellen G. White shares this encouraging insight: “ ‘Come unto Me,’ is His invitation. Whatever your anxieties and trials, spread out your case before the Lord. Your spirit will be braced for endurance. The way will be opened for you to disentangle yourself from embarrassment and difficulty. The weaker and more helpless you know yourself to be, the stronger will you become in His strength. The heavier your burdens, the more blessed the rest in casting them upon the Burden Bearer.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 329.
Yoked With Jesus
When we come to Jesus, He invites us to take up His yoke. These words that were common to His first-century hearers seem strange to our ears. William Barclay, in his Bible commentary on Matthew 11:28–30, explains Jesus’ words regarding the yoke this way: “It is Jesus’ invitation to take His yoke upon our shoulders. The Jews used the phrase the yoke for entering into submission to. They spoke of the yoke of the Law, the yoke of the commandments, the yoke of the Kingdom, the yoke of God.” To take Christ’s yoke is to submit to His will. When the yoke was placed around the neck of the ox, the animal then submitted to the direction of its master.
According to Barclay, there may be a deeper meaning to Christ’s words: “It may well be that Jesus took the words of His invitation from something much nearer home than that. He says, ‘My yoke is easy.’ The word easy is in Greek chr-estos, which can mean well-fitting. In Palestine ox-yokes were made of wood; the ox was brought, and the measurements were taken. The yoke was then roughed out, and the ox was brought back to have the yoke tried on. The yoke was then carefully adjusted, so that it would fit well, and would not gall the neck of the patient beast. The yoke was tailor-made to fit the ox.”
Do you think that Jesus made yokes in the carpenter shop of Nazareth? Barclay talks about a legend that Jesus “made the best ox-yokes in all Galilee and that from all over the country men came to Him . . . to buy the best yokes that skill could make.” Can you imagine a sign above the door of Jesus’ carpenter shop that read something like this: “The best yokes in all of Galilee made here”?
The yoke that Jesus places around our neck to unite us to Him fits well. He becomes our Partner in service and is yoked with us. What He means is: “The life I give you is not a burden to you; your task is made to measure in order to fit you.” Whatever God sends us is made to fit our needs and our abilities exactly. As the apostle Paul states: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13, NKJV). Yoked with Jesus, we have the absolute assurance that He will strengthen us to bear any temptation, trial, or tribulation that confronts us. The rest that Christ gives us is the assurance that He is by our side to enable us to thrive in every one of life’s challenges.
Ellen G. White adds: “ ‘Take My yoke upon you,’ Jesus says. The yoke is an instrument of service. Cattle are yoked for labor, and the yoke is essential that they may labor effectually. By this illustration Christ teaches us that we are called to service as long as life shall last. We are to take upon us His yoke, that we may be co-workers with Him. The yoke that binds to service is the law of God. The great law of love revealed in Eden, proclaimed upon Sinai, and in the new covenant written in the heart, is that which binds the human worker to the will of God. If we were left to follow our own inclinations, to go just where our will would lead us, we should fall into Satan’s ranks and become possessors of his attributes. Therefore God confines us to His will, which is high, and noble, and elevating. He desires that we shall patiently and wisely take up the duties of service.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 329. To take His yoke is to submit to His will, and in submitting to His will, we have the highest sense of freedom and the greatest sense of peace.
Learn From Jesus.
The last of the three commands of Christ in Matthew 11:29 is “ ‘Learn of Me’ ” (NKJV). As we study the life of Christ, one predominant theme comes through. Christ was totally committed to doing the Father’s will. In John 8:29, Jesus says, “ ‘I always do those things that please Him’ ” (NKJV). In His final intercessory prayer in John 17, Jesus prays, “ ‘that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You’ ” (John 17:21, NKJV). There was an unbroken oneness between Jesus and His Father. Never once in His earthly life did Jesus decide to act or think contrary to the Father’s will. Even in the most difficult time of His life, Jesus surrendered His own will to the Father’s will. In Gethsemane, when the fate of the world trembled in the balance and Satan wrung the heart of Jesus with his fiercest temptations, Jesus prayed, “ ‘Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will’ ” (Matt. 26:39, NKJV). Perfect peace comes when our hearts and minds are one with Christ’s mind. When, as the old song says, there is “nothing between my soul and the Savior,” we are at peace. Sin disturbs our peace. A broken relationship between us and Jesus upsets our peace. When we come to Him desiring to do His will, yoked with Him in service, He promises, “ ‘You will find rest for your souls’ ” (Matt. 11:29, NKJV).
Part III: Life Application
Can you think of anything in your life that would keep you from a full surrender to Jesus? Is there anything that would keep you from coming to Him? There are many people who think they cannot come to Christ unless they first repent of their sins and give up their bad habits. The truth is that we come to Jesus just as we are with all our faults, tormented by guilt and plagued with the weakness of our flesh. When we come, He accepts us with open arms. He gives us the gift of repentance. He accepts our confession. He receives us as His sons and daughters. He empowers us to overcome. Yoked with Him, we become new creatures in Christ. This week, consider beginning your day with these two statements:
• Jesus, today I come to You. I acknowledge that You are the Source of my peace, purpose, and joy in life. I submit my will to You today and lay all my plans at Your feet.
• Jesus, reveal to me anything in my life that is not in harmony with Your will. Where I have attitudes, feelings, desires, and habits that are contrary to Your will, please reveal them to me. Today, my chief desire is to please You.
Notes
Adjust My Preferences
Welcome! Please set your reading preferences below.
You can access this panel later by clicking the
preference icon
in the top right of the page.
Have you ever felt that the burdens you are carrying are just too heavy? Have you ever felt that your stress level is at its limit and you just cannot cope any longer? This week’s lesson provides practical help when we come to the breaking point. In fact, whether our burdens are extremely heavy or relatively light, Jesus invites us to come to Him to find relief.
Our principal Bible passage this week is Matthew 11:28–30: “ ‘Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light’ ” (NKJV). Did you notice the three specific, triple-word commands in Christ’s statement? First, He says, “ ‘Come unto Me.’ ” He is the Source of our peace. He is the Wellspring of our strength. He alone can lift our burdens. He is really the only One who can truly relieve the overwhelming stress we, at times, experience. The second triple-word command is “ ‘Take My yoke.’ ” Oxen that are yoked are united together for service. When we are united with Christ in service to others, our burdens become lighter. We will study more in-depth about what it means to be “yoked” with Christ in this week’s lesson. The third triple-word command is “ ‘Learn from Me.’ ” Jesus carried the weight of this world upon His shoulders, yet He lived in an atmosphere of divine peace. He was not stressed out with the challenges He faced. In this week’s lesson, we will explore this passage in considerable detail, especially emphasizing Jesus’ longing for us to rest in Him and find peace of heart and mind.
Part II: Commentary
The story is told of an aged farmer trudging down a narrow, old-country, dirt road, carrying a sack of potatoes on his back. His shoulders slumped; his gait was labored and slow. It was an extremely hot summer day, and sweat poured off the old man’s forehead. His spirits picked up a bit when a neighbor approached in his horse-drawn wagon and asked the old man if he wanted a ride. Happily, he climbed into the back of the wagon. As they rode along, his neighbor observed that the man still had the sack of potatoes on his back. He turned and said to the farmer, “Friend, get some relief. Just set your sack down.”
As the story goes, the old man simply responded, “You have been so kind as to give me a ride; the least I can do is carry my load.” No doubt this story is fictional, but it illustrates the point of this week’s lesson well. It is possible for us to still carry our own heavy burdens even after we have come to Jesus. Our Savior longs to relieve us from the stress of carrying these burdens. He desires to carry our load. Let’s study how we can be free of the burdens that often crush our joy.
Come to Jesus.
Jesus invites us to come to Him. In a practical sense, what does this mean? Coming is a decision of the will. Coming implies our personal choice. Jesus has given to each one of us freedom of choice. He will not coerce the will. He will not pressure us to come. He graciously invites us. He impresses us with His Spirit to come. But coming is our choice. To come is to place our trust and confidence in His ability to lift the burden. We come in faith, believing that He is greater than the problem, larger than the difficulty, and bigger than the challenge. Ellen G. White shares this encouraging insight: “ ‘Come unto Me,’ is His invitation. Whatever your anxieties and trials, spread out your case before the Lord. Your spirit will be braced for endurance. The way will be opened for you to disentangle yourself from embarrassment and difficulty. The weaker and more helpless you know yourself to be, the stronger will you become in His strength. The heavier your burdens, the more blessed the rest in casting them upon the Burden Bearer.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 329.
Yoked With Jesus
When we come to Jesus, He invites us to take up His yoke. These words that were common to His first-century hearers seem strange to our ears. William Barclay, in his Bible commentary on Matthew 11:28–30, explains Jesus’ words regarding the yoke this way: “It is Jesus’ invitation to take His yoke upon our shoulders. The Jews used the phrase the yoke for entering into submission to. They spoke of the yoke of the Law, the yoke of the commandments, the yoke of the Kingdom, the yoke of God.” To take Christ’s yoke is to submit to His will. When the yoke was placed around the neck of the ox, the animal then submitted to the direction of its master.
According to Barclay, there may be a deeper meaning to Christ’s words: “It may well be that Jesus took the words of His invitation from something much nearer home than that. He says, ‘My yoke is easy.’ The word easy is in Greek chr-estos, which can mean well-fitting. In Palestine ox-yokes were made of wood; the ox was brought, and the measurements were taken. The yoke was then roughed out, and the ox was brought back to have the yoke tried on. The yoke was then carefully adjusted, so that it would fit well, and would not gall the neck of the patient beast. The yoke was tailor-made to fit the ox.”
Do you think that Jesus made yokes in the carpenter shop of Nazareth? Barclay talks about a legend that Jesus “made the best ox-yokes in all Galilee and that from all over the country men came to Him . . . to buy the best yokes that skill could make.” Can you imagine a sign above the door of Jesus’ carpenter shop that read something like this: “The best yokes in all of Galilee made here”?
The yoke that Jesus places around our neck to unite us to Him fits well. He becomes our Partner in service and is yoked with us. What He means is: “The life I give you is not a burden to you; your task is made to measure in order to fit you.” Whatever God sends us is made to fit our needs and our abilities exactly. As the apostle Paul states: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13, NKJV). Yoked with Jesus, we have the absolute assurance that He will strengthen us to bear any temptation, trial, or tribulation that confronts us. The rest that Christ gives us is the assurance that He is by our side to enable us to thrive in every one of life’s challenges.
Ellen G. White adds: “ ‘Take My yoke upon you,’ Jesus says. The yoke is an instrument of service. Cattle are yoked for labor, and the yoke is essential that they may labor effectually. By this illustration Christ teaches us that we are called to service as long as life shall last. We are to take upon us His yoke, that we may be co-workers with Him. The yoke that binds to service is the law of God. The great law of love revealed in Eden, proclaimed upon Sinai, and in the new covenant written in the heart, is that which binds the human worker to the will of God. If we were left to follow our own inclinations, to go just where our will would lead us, we should fall into Satan’s ranks and become possessors of his attributes. Therefore God confines us to His will, which is high, and noble, and elevating. He desires that we shall patiently and wisely take up the duties of service.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 329. To take His yoke is to submit to His will, and in submitting to His will, we have the highest sense of freedom and the greatest sense of peace.
Learn From Jesus.
The last of the three commands of Christ in Matthew 11:29 is “ ‘Learn of Me’ ” (NKJV). As we study the life of Christ, one predominant theme comes through. Christ was totally committed to doing the Father’s will. In John 8:29, Jesus says, “ ‘I always do those things that please Him’ ” (NKJV). In His final intercessory prayer in John 17, Jesus prays, “ ‘that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You’ ” (John 17:21, NKJV). There was an unbroken oneness between Jesus and His Father. Never once in His earthly life did Jesus decide to act or think contrary to the Father’s will. Even in the most difficult time of His life, Jesus surrendered His own will to the Father’s will. In Gethsemane, when the fate of the world trembled in the balance and Satan wrung the heart of Jesus with his fiercest temptations, Jesus prayed, “ ‘Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will’ ” (Matt. 26:39, NKJV). Perfect peace comes when our hearts and minds are one with Christ’s mind. When, as the old song says, there is “nothing between my soul and the Savior,” we are at peace. Sin disturbs our peace. A broken relationship between us and Jesus upsets our peace. When we come to Him desiring to do His will, yoked with Him in service, He promises, “ ‘You will find rest for your souls’ ” (Matt. 11:29, NKJV).
Part III: Life Application
Can you think of anything in your life that would keep you from a full surrender to Jesus? Is there anything that would keep you from coming to Him? There are many people who think they cannot come to Christ unless they first repent of their sins and give up their bad habits. The truth is that we come to Jesus just as we are with all our faults, tormented by guilt and plagued with the weakness of our flesh. When we come, He accepts us with open arms. He gives us the gift of repentance. He accepts our confession. He receives us as His sons and daughters. He empowers us to overcome. Yoked with Him, we become new creatures in Christ. This week, consider beginning your day with these two statements:
• Jesus, today I come to You. I acknowledge that You are the Source of my peace, purpose, and joy in life. I submit my will to You today and lay all my plans at Your feet.
• Jesus, reveal to me anything in my life that is not in harmony with Your will. Where I have attitudes, feelings, desires, and habits that are contrary to Your will, please reveal them to me. Today, my chief desire is to please You.
Notes