Have you ever been on a vacation and come back home tired? Vacation is meant to provide rest and refreshment, but sometimes, we come back home even more tired than when we left. The truth is even our most restful times on earth will not ultimately satisfy our need for rest. True, genuine rest can only be found in Christ. All other rest pales in comparison to the rest that He gives.
As Jesus taught a crowd of people one day, He encouraged them to come to Him with their cares and burdens. He said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (verse 28). What an invitation Jesus offers here! We get to trade in our burdens and our worries for His rest. Jesus’ invitation does not end there, however. He continued in this passage of Scripture, saying, “Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart” (verse 29). Jesus offers rest because He is humble and gentle, two attributes that bring rest. We can learn from His humility and gentleness and find rest. The rest He offers is far greater than any other rest on this earth. He offers "rest for [our] souls" (verse 29). We are all longing for rest for our souls. All other rest will eventually fade away. Even the greatest forms of rest will fade, leaving us tired and weary once again. This is not so with the rest Jesus offers. His rest is lasting. His rest never fades away, even when life is difficult and heartbreaking. He takes our burdens and struggles for us and allows us to rest in Him.
Where are you looking for rest today? Are you looking for rest from another person, activity, or favorite hobby? These things are certainly not bad, but their rest is not lasting. Turn to God today. Find rest in Him. Give Him your cares and concerns, regardless of how big or small. In exchange, you will find rest for your soul.
Turn to Christ for rest today. Take 15 minutes to listen to your favorite worship song, memorize a passage of Scripture that is special to you, or pray. As you turn to Him, you will find rest for your soul. At the end of your day, take note of how turning to Him for rest impacted your day.
1When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he went out to teach and preach in towns throughout the region.
2 John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, 3 “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”
4 Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— 5 the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” 6 And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.”
7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? 8 Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people with expensive clothes live in palaces. 9 Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. 10 John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,
‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
and he will prepare your way before you.’
11 “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is! 12 And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it. 13 For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time. 14 And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come. 15 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!
16 “To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,
17 ‘We played wedding songs,
and you didn’t dance,
so we played funeral songs,
and you didn’t mourn.’
18 For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”
Judgment for the Unbelievers
20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God. 21 “What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse. 22 I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you.
23 “And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. 24 I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.”
25 At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!
27 “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
