Why Jesus didn’t Give you Rest. You will be Shocked to know why. Read this.
Why didn’t Jesus give me rest like the preacher bellowed the other day from his precious pulpit? I had asked this particular question likewise you and millions of other people round the globe. This is why I am writing this, to let you know why He didn’t give you rest and why He would still not give you rest
Mathew 11:28-30
Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavily laden and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and you will learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Jesus in the text said He will give us rest but He didn’t give us rest in this text neither did He say He is going to give us rest in the future. Then what did He say?
BURDEN TRANSFER
A lot of times we have preached or heard it preached that immediately we come to Jesus that He will immediately whisk all our burdens away like a flash or by the wave of a supernatural wand. But let me ask: Has it ever happened to you or any one you know? That immediately they met Jesus, all their burdens and troubles vanished immediately; please let me know here so I can stop musing. While I wait let me continue on this path on all cylinders.
Jesus described for us those He wants to come; those who labor and are heavy laden. For me the first picture that comes to mind is the man offloading sacks of cement from a truck into a warehouse. What picture came to your mind? Please share here as well.
But beyond my mental picture, Jesus is calling for anyone who is under some intense pressure of life trying to make ends meet. This is not all about physical pressure but also mental, emotional, and spiritual pressure. If you have found yourself carrying a burden which has stretched you and has left you no room to do something else with your life. If you are in this category, let us gather here because Jesus said He will give us some rest.
PREFERRED SUBSCRIPTION PLAN
Jesus said He will give you rest when you come to Him; if this means anything to you then take a pause and let’s find out what He really meant.
Like we had always assumed that all our burdens, including physical, emotional, mental and spirituals burdens /anxieties to be rolled away-then that’s what rest means to us. But in v.30 He gives us a picture of what rest He is really talking about-a light burden. Rest therefore is not the absence of burdens or pressure or work but the ability to find your burdens easy.
Why should you even wish for a life without burden? Burdens define us and the burdens in life gives our purpose direction. Without burdens, there will be no meaning in life. Burdens define what we live for per time. So, Jesus does not have a life plan subscription void of burdens, pressures and troubles. Refer to 1Corinthians 3:16-18 for further reading.
In v29, He tells us the process of obtaining this rest, He shows us 2 paths to take actually:
- Take my yoke upon you
- Learn of me
TAKING HIS YOKE
We’ve been taught that taking His yoke upon us means taking up our cross to follow Him, including forsaking family and material things in order to suffer for Christ. Actually, taking His yoke sounds good to mean these; but religion has conditioned us to follow symphony in order for us to maintain our morbid piety and in contradiction to God’s word.
Yoke: in this context, is that wooden or metal bar that joins 2 beast like an oxen or bull together in order for them to plow the field or carry a burden together. This explains why Paul instructed that we should not be unequally yoked together with the heathen. Because for 2 animals to be yoked together, they have to be equal in size at least physically in order to get a balanced movement; or better still, they must complement each other.
God is a father and as a father His burden is to be in a relationship with us. When we are in a relationship and are yoked together, we share the burden. He cannot bear a burden not yoked to Him. When we come to Jesus, He doesn’t want us to go rather that we stay and get to know Him better, Move in the same direction with Jesus, share His passion and burdens. His nature begins to rub off on you and you will see yourself growing to be more like Him, which is His goal for us.
LEARN OF ME
We cannot fully learn God because He is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent-how can we know Him? But we can learn His character and word. He points out 2 things worthy of emulation which is His meekness and soft heart.
But if learning is what it is, them Jesus really wants us to learn all about Him. Learning in life never ends, likewise learning about Jesus.
Truth is, even when we graduate from our theological schools; we still haven’t learnt Jesus. Learning about Him is not only in books but in an ever growing healthy relationship that breeds a meek and teachable spirit. When He finds you seeking to learn, He opens up to you. See Mathew 11:27 for further reading.
IN CONCLUSION
Why then did He not give us rest like He promised He would if we come to Him? The reason is this: He is not supposed to give you rest but He says, when you take His yoke which is coming into a relationship with Him which provokes you to learn of Him then you will find the rest promised.
When you stay in a relationship with Him, you will constantly learn from Him, in the process the burdens you are carrying becomes easy to bear. You will grow in capacity beyond your present pressure and burdens. It is in the place of learning that you will grow and expand.
What have you learnt about Jesus recently?
Are you still living on your childhood Sunday school lessons?
A Jesus update is needed in your present labor and heavy burden.
The rest He promised to give you is the rest you are able to find. When you don’t find it, you will not have it.
I pray that as you begin your Jesus update you will not only begin to find rest but express the entirety of His expressions and endowments in your life.
Now is the ideal moment to start. God bless you!
Incase you have not met Jesus and you will like to meet Him that can help you ease your burden, then say this prayer with me: Lord thank you for this opportunity, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and that you have died for my sins on the cross and God has raised you from the dead. I confess with my mouth that you are now my Lord.
If you have just made this confession then you are saved and born again. Do reach out to me and I will let you know further the next step to take.
To read more of my musings please go to to https://waterways.com.ng/blog/
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and i am here expecting rest since. thank you sir for this timely insight.
Thank you sir for this insight. My rest is to be found with Jesus. The rest i find is the rest He will give.
Only my God will bless you for sharing this truth. Please increase the volume for those at the back to hear you.
hmm! Jesus doesnt whisk away pour problems and burden just like that, it is for us to find the rest that we need in every situation. Thank you for sharing.
Rest is not the absence of work, pressure and burdens but the ability to make my burdens light. This is eyeopening.