You can turn with me and your Bibles to the Gospel of Matthew for our meditation this evening before the supper. Matthew chapter 11. Matthew chapter 11, we'll pick up at the end of the John the Baptist section where Jesus comments on the Baptist in verse 11. I'll read to the end of the chapter and then our focus will be at the end of the chapter, verses 25 to 30.
A familiar passage, one that I hope is encouraging to our hearts as we consider our blessed Savior, that good shepherd of the sheep, that one who receives us unto himself and cares for us perpetually. So beginning in chapter 11 at verse 11, assuredly I say to you, among those born of women, there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions and saying, we played the flute for you, and you did not dance.
We mourned to you, and you did not lament. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, he has a demon. The son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. But wisdom is justified by her children.
Then he began to rebuke the cities in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.
At that time, Jesus answered and said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight. All things have been delivered to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
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. Amen. Well, let us pray.
Our Father, we thank you for the written word of the living and true God. We thank you for the ministry of the Holy Spirit. As He teaches and brings to remembrance all things, we ask that He would guide us now as we consider this wonderful passage of Holy Scripture where our blessed Savior calls us to Himself and promises that rest which no man can give. We give glory to You for so great a salvation. for justification, for sanctification, for that glorification that one day we will enter into.
Till such time, God, give us that appreciation, that gratitude, that thankfulness, and help us to embrace happily, willingly, and joyfully the yoke of our blessed Savior, that we would indeed follow the Lamb wherever He goes. Again, forgive us now for all of our sin, and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Introduction
Well, in this particular section of Matthew's Gospel, we see an emphasis on both opposition to our Lord, but as well reception to His mission. We notice specifically here in verses 16 to 19 that He's reproving that generation. They always had something to complain about, and he puts it this way. Verse 18, John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, he has a demon.
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. They were never happy. They were not religiously minded. They were not scripturally minded.
They were not prepared. They were not ready to see and behold the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. But I want you to notice that sort of complaint, or rebuke rather, by our Lord in verse 19. I think that's a little bit more serious than might meet the eye.
In the book of Deuteronomy, the incorrigible son, the glutton, the wine-bibber, was delivered up to the elders of the city to be executed. So these men, at least implicitly, are charging that the Savior of sinners is a vile, wretched man. And then we see this condemnation of the unrepentant cities that have witnessed the glorious works of our Lord Jesus Christ. Great debate by Greg Bonson and Gordon Stein.
Bonson said, miracles don't make theists. You must be born again. And I think this is a classic case of that particular scenario. These cities had seen, these cities had witnessed, these cities had actually seen with their own eyes the various and sundry works of our Lord Jesus of a miraculous nature and yet They did not repent.
So Jesus closes that section with this strict condemnation in verse 24, but I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. So if as we follow the gospel narrative and we see this continued opposition against Christ, it might be the case that we get a little discouraged. Is anybody going to come to Him? Does anybody believe on Him?
Does anybody want to know the joy of the Lord as their strength? Well, Jesus highlights that there are those who, by God's grace, receive. Those who, by God's grace, do come to Him, both here in chapter 11 at verses 25 to 30, but as well, notice over in chapter 12 at verses 46 to 50. So after an extended treatment in chapter 12, a vile, wretched opposition to our Lord, notice in 1246, while he was still talking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and brothers stood outside seeking to speak with him.
Then one said to him, look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak with you. But he answered and said to the one who told him, who is my mother and who are my brothers? And he stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said, here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." So while there was opposition, while it was a continued and increasing opposition, there were nevertheless those who by grace came to the Lord Jesus Christ.
So let's look specifically at chapter 11, verses 25 to 30, to notice the foundation for that, or the reason or rationale why sinners come to our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice he doesn't emphasize the goodness of man. He doesn't emphasize the free will of man. He doesn't emphasize the wisdom of man.
He doesn't emphasize that they make better decisions than others. No, there are three things he asserts here, three things that Matthew asserts. First, the sovereign will of the Father, verses 25 and 26. Secondly, the mediatorial office of the Son, verse 27.
And then the gracious declaration of the Savior in verses 28 to 30. So it's that foundation or that context by which sinners move from darkness to light. But note first in terms of the sovereign will of the Father in verses 25 and 26. At that time, again, the context is very specific, there is opposition, there is enmity, there is hatred, there is a detestation of our Lord by the unbelieving Jews.
So at that time, Jesus answered and said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. He's not taken unawares by this. He's not caught off guard. He's not surprised.
He's not saying, I just don't know why they're not coming to me in multitudes. I just don't know why I'm being frustrated at every step of the way. Christ was never of that mindset. Christ was always resolute.
Christ was always determined. Christ as the mediator definitely knew the purpose for which he came into this world. So instead of reacting in frustration to this continuing tide of opposition, he rejoices in the Father. I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.
He expresses that intimate relation that he sustains with the Father by calling him Father. He acknowledges the sovereignty of God by calling him the Lord of heaven and earth. There's nothing outside of his control. There's nothing outside of his purview.
There's nothing outside of his absolute sovereign power. Remember Rahab confessed that she understood that Yahweh of Israel was the God of heaven and earth, the majestic and most high, the glorious one. Well, Jesus sees the Father in that particular light. So he says, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.
Now notice what he thanks God for, the particular content of this prayer. Again, as man he prayed, as God he is prayed unto. He's praying here to the Father according to his humanity, and he says, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. So the opposition to our Lord, the rejection of our Lord, again, was not based on him being frustrated in his purpose and plan to save his people from their sins.
This was the power of God. And when Jesus uses this particular language, it ought to cause us to stand in awe. You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent. I don't believe Jesus is teaching that there's actually wise and prudent people, but those who are wise and prudent in their own eyes.
Those whose estimation of themselves is far more advanced than it ought to be. Turn back to chapter 9, specifically in verse 12. This is the scene where Jesus has saved Matthew. Now Matthew is called to gather a feast in his home to celebrate and as well to evangelize.
And the guest list was other tax collectors and other sinners. And of course, when the Pharisees saw it, they whined, they grumbled, and they complained. That's particularly what Pharisees do in the New Testament. And then we see this statement, well at the end of verse 11, why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?
When Jesus heard that he said to them, those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, for I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. When he says, I didn't come to call the righteous, he is not speaking of a category of righteous persons out there that have no need of redemption by our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a group of people out there, not here specifically, I hope, that think that they are righteous, that see themselves as wonderful, that do not see their need for the Lord of glory.
So back in chapter 11, I praise thee, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and the prudent, those who do not want the Savior, those who do not see their sin, those that don't see the gravity of offending a thrice holy God. As well, when somebody sees this particular passage, I think the inclination might rise up, well, that doesn't seem fair. God hides gospel truth? God hides truths that can save sinners from those very sinners who stand in need?
Is that okay? Is that legitimate? Is that lawful? We like to clamor on about fairness today.
That doesn't seem fair. This is an act of God's justice. This is an act of God's judgment. This is an act of God's sovereignty.
This is an act of God's power and of God's glory. Notice then that Jesus goes on to say, and have revealed them to babes. So there are some he hides gospel truth from, and there are others he reveals gospel truth from. And then notice in verse 26, even so Father, for so it seemed good in your sight.
In Calvinism or Reformed circles, we talk about the good pleasure of God. Brethren, that's not just an add-on or a tack-on to show our Calvinistic card or credentials. Everything that obtains in terms of the salvation of sinners is according to the good pleasure of God Most High. Notice, again in verse 26, even so, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight.
It's not looking for outside approval. God doesn't care what men think with reference to his sovereign grace. And as well, he doesn't seek outside counsel to confer with the likes of us and to run it by us to see if, in fact, we approve of his dealings with men. Turn to the book of Romans.
In Romans chapter 11, after a lengthy section celebrating the sovereignty of God, specifically in election and predestination, Paul ends this subsection in 11.33 to 36. And he says, oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out. For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has become his counselor?
Or who has first given to him and it shall be repaid to him. For of him and through him and to him are all things. To whom be glory forever, amen. So he incites or invokes the prophet Isaiah, who has known the mind of the Lord?
What finite creature has plumbed the depths of the infinite? And then he turns to the book of Job, and he says, or who has become his counselor, or who has first given to him, and it shall be repaid to him. Back in Matthew 11, verses 25 and 26, this is an absolute declaration of glorious sovereignty on the part of God Most High, acknowledged by Jesus. And just by way of a practical observation, has it ever perplexed you when you've met Christians that have a problem with this?
I couldn't believe in a God of predestination. I couldn't believe in a God who elects. I couldn't believe in a God who functions in that particular manner or capacity. Well I'm sorry, you don't get to define your God, you don't get to pick the God and model the God after your own wayward heart.
You must submit, you must bow, you must confess, and you must acknowledge the glory of this God who on the one hand hides these things from the wise and the prudent. But on the other hand, reveals them unto babes. If you are a babe, don't complain about the method of grace. If you are a babe, praise God most high that he's opened your eyes, that he's called you out of darkness into marvelous light.
And know that if he's done that for you, there's hope for a multitude of sinners out there. We don't know who the babes are. We don't know who the wise and the prudent are. So what is our call? to go out and to proclaim the gospel to every creature under heaven, to make known Christ and Him crucified and resurrected, to talk about His life, His death, His resurrection, and the significance of that for justification by faith alone.
So the Lord Jesus, as He begins, revels in the absolute sovereignty of His Father.
The Mediatorial Office of the Son
Then notice, secondly, in verse 27, He speaks of the mediatorial office of the Son. Verse 27, all things have been delivered to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. That's Johannine theology. John tells us that just about on every page in the book of John.
See, there's no contrariness between the gospel writers. They all preach and teach and confess the same Christ, the same Father, the same Spirit. They come at it from different angles to emphasize different theological truths. But here Matthew is giving us a glimpse into the mediatorial office of our blessed Savior.
He's not mediator because he's performed well and God conferred that upon him. He's not mediator because he was the best possible choice out of the lot. He is the mediator because he is the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. He is the mediator because that unity of essence with the Father, and he in the covenant of redemption took to himself the reality that he would assume a body, he would assume our humanity, he would live for us, he would die for us, and he would rise again for us.
So in verse 27 he says, all things have been delivered to me by my Father. which is a statement that no regular creature could make. There's only one who could make that statement. It's the God-man. It's the Lord Jesus Christ.
All things have been delivered to me by my Father. It's like John 5, when Jesus says that the Father has entrusted to me judgment. The Father has entrusted to me the conferral of life. The Father has entrusted to me the access or denial into the very kingdom of heaven.
Well, who could say that among us as fellows? It's only the Word became flesh who dwelt among us. So he says, all things have been delivered to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Now, I think it's the John 1 18 sort of a thing.
No one has seen God at any time. Yet the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father has declared Him." So it's not that we don't know God, it's that the one who knows the Father with that kind of intimacy, they have the same nature, that one functions as the mediator to allow us access or entrance in to the presence of God. He is the mediator. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." So the emphasis here is upon the mediatorial role of the Son.
We learn that in Hebrews 7. One who comes to the Father through the Son will have that salvation to the uttermost. The graciousness of the Son. Brethren, I would concede, maybe, maybe, I don't know, just from the hip here.
Concede, maybe, with Calvinism or Reformed theology. No, I wouldn't concede it for a second, because the Bible teaches it all too clearly. But let me just try to paint this scenario here. If we had this God who, for the most part, only hid.
If we had this God who, for the most part, only hid. Then, again, I'm not actually saying this. There might be a reason for people to whine. But the whole purpose and intention of the coming of the Son of Man is to save His people from their sins.
And when you turn to the book of Revelation, is it just a few people? It's a great multitude that no man can number from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. It's what I always try to encourage us as Calvinists or Reformed believers. When we go out and we evangelize, the issue isn't, Well, there's only this little handful of people that are going to be saved.
The issue is that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. In other words, Christ has said, all that the Father gives me will come to me. and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out." Not only does Jesus possess or have this relation to the Father wherein He can reveal the Father, and the Father reveals the Son, but we see that the Son wills to do this. In other words, He doesn't undertake this mission grudgingly. He doesn't undertake this mission with some sort of a capacity to only damn and bring judgment.
The glory of the cross is that there's a great multitude that's going to enter in as a result of the cross. But I think as well we see the exclusivity of the Son. There's not two mediators. There's not five mediators.
There's not a whole host of ways. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. There's one way to the Father, and it's through the Son. John 14, 6, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me. So now before we head into this glorious or gracious declaration of the Savior, think about the backdrop to the gracious declaration of the Savior. The sovereign will and purpose of God to save His people from their sins. The power of Jesus Christ as mediator vis-a-vis prophet, priest, and king to save His people from their sins.
So when Jesus says what Jesus says in Matthew 11, 28-30, you cannot detach it from what has preceded. In other words, I would suggest the only way you could effectively preach Matthew 11, 28-30 is by an absolute emphasis upon the sovereign will of the Father and the mediatorial office of the Son. If we didn't believe in God's sovereignty, if it was up to man and their free will, if it was up to man to better his condition and his own strength, perhaps adding a bit of Jesus to season his life and to make it go a little bit better, who would want to preach the gospel in that context? When we go out and evangelize or when pastors or preachers get behind pulpits, they're not coming here with an appeal to you and your wisdom or you and your will to make good decisions for Jesus.
I know and am convinced that God has been well pleased to save His people from their sins. He has enacted that or executed that in the sending of His Son, who lived for sinners, who died for sinners, and who was raised again for sinners. And it's based on those verities, those truths, those blessed realities, that the then exhortation to come to Jesus makes sense.
The Gracious Declaration of the Savior
So now notice the gracious declaration of the Savior, two parts here. First, the encouragement in verse 28, and then secondly, exhortation in verses 29 and 30.
The Encouragement: Come to Me
Note the encouragement proper, verse 28, come to me. Pretty simple, isn't it? Notice what it negates. Notice what it doesn't say.
That's a good help in theology. You call this, in the doctrine of God, apophatic theology. That means negations, things that God isn't. It teaches us great truth about what God is.
You've got words like infinite. That means He's not finite. Invisible. That means He's not visible.
You've got these things stated negatively in the Bible because of that distance between God and the creature wherein we learn what God is first and foremost by what he's not. And I think in a statement like this, come to me, what is he not saying here? Notice he is not saying, do for me. Work for me.
Go out and try harder for me. See, that would be good advice. If a guru, a religious teacher, a master said, you know, you need to get your life together, get up at five, have a good breakfast, make sure you read your Bible and pray, go out for a run, exercise, pick up heavy things, put them down, go to work, show up on time, actually breathe and function like a normal human being, you'll probably own the company and, you know, not too distant future. That's all good advice.
It's not gospel. This is a problem, brethren. Try harder, be better, do more, scolding, lecturing. Jesus says, come to me.
It's so simple, it's so sublime, it is so glorious, it is so wonderful. The encouragement is to come to me. It is Christ alone who is the mediator of the covenant between God and men. It is Christ alone who is able to reveal the Father to men, according to verse 27.
It is Christ alone who brings men out of darkness into marvelous light. It is Christ alone who saves to the uttermost all that draw nigh to God through Him. It is Christ alone, by God's grace alone, through faith alone, in which the sinner has peace with God. So when Jesus says, come to me, there's a lot He's not saying, but the glorious fact is that He's saying a great deal.
Salvation is found in Jesus. Salvation is found in the Lord of Glory. Salvation is found in that one who lived, who died, and was raised again for sinners. That one who, as we will see, the closer he gets to Jerusalem, he announces the manner in which he will affect this.
Look at chapter 16. Chapter 16, specifically at verse 21, from that time, Jesus began to show to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised the third day. Look at chapter 17. Chapter 17 and verse 22, now while they were still staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.
And they were exceedingly sorrowful. And then notice as well in chapter 20, chapter 20 specifically at verse 17, and then we need to appreciate the response of the disciples on the heels of this. So 2017, now Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the 12 disciples aside on the road and said to them, behold, we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes and they will condemn him to death and deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and discourage and to crucify. And the third day he will rise again.
So the fact is is that he says, come to me. And then he fleshes out or displays for us what the coming to me means. It means to believe on him. In light of his death and resurrection, it is intriguing here in this section, chapter 20, he announces that he must go to Jerusalem and be crucified.
And then on the heels of that, in verse 20, then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from him. And he said to her, what do you wish? She said to him, grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right hand and the other on the left, in your kingdom. Huh, Jesus just said he's going to die.
Jesus just said he's going to be scourged. Jesus just said that he's going to be bloodied and beaten and brutalized in Jerusalem. He has said he'll be raised again, but they constantly don't hear that part. So if we judge based on the other situations where he announces these things, they only seem to focus upon his death.
So he just announces that he's gonna die, so now they come and they jockey for position. And of course Jesus chides them, and then this culminates in verse 28. He says, as he likening himself to the model that they ought to follow, not to the Gentile, not to the heathen, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. As Machen says, the announcements, he doesn't say it like this for this purpose, but I think this is the framework.
He says that Christ died is history. Christ died for sin is theology. So in chapters 16, 17, and 20, the Lord of glory announces that he must go to Jerusalem. He must be tried.
He must be scourged. He must be crucified. He must be resurrected. Well, wouldn't you possibly ask the question, Why are you going to do this?
Now, don't put this past them, brethren. It was Pentecost that flipped the switch on. When John the Baptist says, behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, that indicates people did see, people did understand. But as I've said, and as Barcelo said, people forgot.
They forgot the old covenant system. Not completely, they were still under it, technically. They forgot the significance of the Day of Atonement. How is Jesus the Lamb of God?
Well, 2028 is theology. 2028 is explanation. 2028 gives us the goods as to how the one who says, come to me, can actually receive sinners unto himself and bless them with so great a salvation. With reference to the invitation, exhortation, encouragement, I realize some don't like the word invitation. It sounds like you're going to a birthday party. Let's call it a divine or an effectual invitation, whatever we need to do to sort of disabuse it of that notion that you're free to take it or leave it.
But when he says, come to me, in verse 28, Gill makes the observation. He explains that Jesus kindly invites, he uses invites, and encourages souls to come unto him. But it is to be understood of believing in Christ. Brethren, the rest of Scripture makes that very clear.
Come to me. Now, we'd see a historical application in his earthly ministry according to his humanity. He's standing there. He's actually verbalizing these words.
A person standing on the fringe could come to him. They could be physically in proximity to him. The emphasis is on faith. Come to me.
He says, Gill continuing, it is to be understood of, believing in Christ, the going of the soul to Him, I like that language, the going of the soul to Him, and the exercise of grace on Him, of desire after Him, love to Him, faith and hope in Him, believing in Christ and coming to Him are terms synonymous. He cites John 6.35. Listen to Machen. He says, the true reason why faith is given such an exclusive place by the New Testament, so far as the attainment of salvation is concerned, over against love and over against everything else in man, except things that can be regarded as mere aspects of faith, is that faith means receiving something.
Listen to this, this is profound. It means receiving something, not doing something or even being something. The center of the Bible and the center of Christianity is found in the grace of God. And the necessary corollary of the grace of God is salvation through faith alone.
When Paul comes to deal in Romans 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 and the book of Galatians, what's the theme? What's the note? What's the battle cry? We are justified by faith alone.
That launched the Protestant Reformation. Now there were forerunners to that to be sure, but that was the emphasis. It's not our faith plus works. It's not our faith plus our faithfulness.
It's not a Roman Catholic scheme. It's not the new perspective on Paul scheme. It's not the federal vision scheme. It is rather grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
That's the emphasis in this come to me. Now, as we look back at 1128, we notice who he's addressing. The debates are sort of further explicated or explained here. Notice in 28, come to me, and then he says, all you who labor and are heavy laden.
All you who are labor and are heavy laden. I'm sorry, verse 28, all you who labor and are heavy laden. He's not addressing somebody who's physically weary. He's not addressing somebody who's had a hard day at work, 60, 70, 80 hours at work this week, schlepping whatever it is they schlepped, and they're tired, and Jesus says, come to me, we'll have a spa time, and I'll rest you.
That's not it. He's dealing with the sin problem that affects man. He's dealing with the heavy ladenness and the labor and the burden of sin. In Psalm 38, 4 to 6, the psalmist writes, For my iniquities have gone over my head, like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness. I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly, I go mourning all the day long. Brethren, that's who he's addressing here, not the wise and the prudent and the wise, the guys that think they're righteous in the sight of a thrice holy God. Psalm 38, 18, for I will declare my iniquity.
I will be in anguish over my sin. Psalm 130, a psalm we looked at, I think two months ago at the supper. Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. That's, again, not sorrow and distress because it was tough to be a king. He says, if you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared.
The distress and the sorrow of David's heart wasn't the external enemies. It was the internal enemies. And Jesus says, come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden. And then notice the promise that he gives there.
It's very specific. It's very clear. I will give you rest. And I think in the context, it's certainly rest from your sin.
It's rest from that overwhelming burden. It's rest from that wretchedness, that ball and chain that drags you down. But I would suggest as well in the context, it's rest from pharisaical religion. These guys that were fastidious about tithing, mint and anise and cumin, but neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice, mercy and faith.
The kinds of guys that would load up burdens upon people's backs that they themselves could not carry, Jesus rebukes them in Matthew chapter 23. And so far, as they tell you Moses correctly, do it. But don't follow them in their practice. Don't follow them in their manner.
Don't follow them in their course. The Pharisees were not the promoters of true religion. They were not the promoters of a healthy rest in God most high. They were the kinds of guys that would complain when Jesus would heal somebody on the Sabbath day.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, come to the synagogue on that day to be healed. What kind of a monster is that? Jesus says, you know, if you have an ox or a donkey that falls into the ditch, you fetch it out. You're going to show more regard for a beast of burden than you are for a daughter of Abraham, for a son of Abraham.
These were not men that were calculatedly promoting rest in religion. And again, we need to guard our hearts against that mindset. The gospel isn't good advice, it's good news. It's not get up, do your job, be faithful, be healthy, all that sort of thing.
It's to come to Jesus for salvation. Now, that's the encouragement or invitation, the effectual divine invitation.
The Exhortation: Take My Yoke
Notice the exhortation in verses 29 to 30. It says, take my yoke upon you. What does that mean? It means when we come to Jesus, when we believe the gospel, Soteriologically or theologically, we see that sanctification follows justification.
We're not justified freely by God's grace, receiving the forgiveness of sins and imputed righteousness alone. I mean, we get all that, but we have a new mindset. We have a new desire, a new will. We're new creatures in Christ Jesus, 2 Corinthians 5, 17.
We want to do the will of Him. who saved us. There's the gratitude response to God's grace that overcomes our guilt. And so Jesus says, take my yoke upon you. Remember, our confession says, faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, the coming to me, is the alone instrument of justification.
Yet it is not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no debt faith, but worketh by love. So Jesus says, very simply, 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.
The idea of yoke, according to Davies and Allisette, it came to be a metaphor for obedience, subordination, or servitude. The Lord Jesus uses it to speak of discipleship. Come to me in faith, you're justified freely by grace, you receive the forgiveness of sins, you receive an imputed righteousness, and now in the life of sanctification you willingly take to you the yoke of Jesus. But that yoke of Jesus isn't some all-encompassing, joy-killing, life-sucking drudgery.
Look at how he explains it. He says, learn from me, and then goes on to say, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. See, John tells us this way in 1 John 5. He says the commandments of God, they're not burdensome.
I mean, they are to the world. Tell the world that they're in sin today because they didn't go to church on the Sabbath. Are they going to say, thank you, give me more? No.
They're going to roll their eyes. Well, probably many Christians would do that, too. I don't want to just pick on the world. But you start showing the world the law of God.
And what do they do? Do they receive it happily? Joyfully? Oh yeah, that's such a, no, they despise it.
It's a burden to them. There was a comedian when I was growing up and he had this bit and he said, I believe in seven of the 10 commandments. Ha, ha, ha. Everybody laughs, that's such a joke.
We just pick and choose what we want from God's buffet, what we want to do. God's law is not burdensome to those who are justified freely by grace. To those who take the yoke upon themselves by grace, placed upon them, it's not a burden. It's not grievous.
It's not punishment. It's not torture. That's why it really isn't the case that pastors should have to harangue people or scold people. If you are blood-bought children of God who have the Holy Spirit in you, you should want to do what God calls you to do.
It really is that simple. I realize there's a lot of mitigating factors in there, and I'm not picking on you. I've got those same mitigating factors as well. So he makes this statement, learn from me, gives this enticement, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, gives this blessed promise, you will find rest for your souls.
I think possibly background is Jeremiah 6 16, thus says the Lord, stand in the way and see and ask for the old paths. where the good way is and walk in it, then you will find rest for your souls. And then he describes or ends this with a description of his own yoke. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. It's not oppressive.
It's not pharisaic. It's not judgmental, it's not neo-Nomian or legalistic, it's not papist, it's not new perspective-ish, it's not federal vision. My yoke is easy and my burden is light. Turretin says, before it, the law, was an instrument of the spirit of bondage to throw down and bruise man. but afterward it becomes the instrument of the spirit of adoption to promote sanctification.
Thus the law leads to Christ and Christ leads us back to the law. It leads to Christ as the Redeemer and Christ leads to the law as the leader and director of life. I think that's a great way to express the normative use of the law. And we ought to praise God for this motif.
Justification by God's grace alone, through faith in Jesus Christ alone. But that faith, the instrument of faith, is not alone. It's always accompanied with all other saving graces. And we have sanctification.
Application and Conclusion
Well, in conclusion, I think that what we ought to appreciate in the passage is that there is a remedy for overwhelming burden of sin. Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Whatever non-rest you may be going through presently. Whatever hardship or trial or affliction you may be undergoing, whatever difficulties may face you, be them in the home, be them in the church, yeah, sometimes we have issues in the church, be them in work or society, know this.
You have rest spiritually. You have peace with God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. You have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus conferred upon you by a God of absolute glory and grace and mercy. So whatever your issues, find rest tonight in the means of grace that God has ordained for the encouragement of your soul.
As well, we ought to appreciate in the passage the exclusivity of Jesus Christ. I wanted to read one more quote from Machen. Listen to what he says, the Christian religion is intolerant to the core. Don't let this get out because we'll be shut down.
Because if there's one thing you cannot be in today's world is intolerant, unless you're intolerant against the Christian religion. That's perfectly acceptable. So Machen flips it on its head. Well, actually he didn't have pride flags all over his city when he wrote this, I'm sure.
So he says, the Christian religion is intolerant to the core. There lies the whole offense of the cross and also the whole power of it. Always the gospel would have been received with favor by the world if it had been presented merely as one way of salvation. The offense came because it was presented as the only way. and because it made relentless war upon all other ways." Wow.
That's the kind of religion we need today. That's the kind of proclamation we need today. That's the preaching of an exclusive Christ to the glorious Father in the Spirit that is going to be blessed of God. We cannot play games with the godless.
We cannot play games with the he-then. We don't capitulate, we don't accommodate, we tell them the truth. 16 ounces to the pound, knowing that it's that truth that ultimately brings gospel rest. If we love men, we'll preach the biblical Christ in all of his fullness to every sinner under heaven. If we actually love men, we will tell them the truth as it is in Jesus.
I would suggest it's not loving. And dare I say it is hateful. to tell people things that are lies about the Savior to try to make them feel good. Our purpose isn't to try to make people feel good. Our purpose is by God's grace to set forth the glory of Jesus Christ such that sinners may come to Him and find rest for their souls.
Take His yoke upon Him, learn from Him, and understand that He is the most blessed, the altogether lovely, and the chief among 10,000.
Closing Prayer
Well, let us pray. that He would make effectual and apply these truths to the hearts of men, women, and boys and girls. For God, we have great expectations that from every tribe, every tongue, every people, and every nation, a great multitude will be assembled in that church triumphant. And we look forward to that, and we bless you for that. So, God, help us to be faithful, help us to be servants, help us to embrace that yoke of Christ with joy, with thanksgiving, and always, always delighting in the rest that we have in our blessed Savior.
And we pray in Jesus' name, amen.
Lord's Supper Instructions
We can turn to Matthew 26 as we now move into the supper. Matthew chapter 26, just a couple of reminders before we pass out the elements and participate in the supper. First, the ordinance or sacrament is for believers only. If you're not a believer, we would encourage you to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.
Listen to Matthew 11, 28. As well, the ordinance is for believers who are dealing with their sin. And by that, I don't mean perfection, absolute positive holiness, because nobody would ever take the supper on this side of glory. We're not going to have absolute positive holiness and perfection until that side of glory.
And so for now, we need to seek by God's grace. I think Paul summarizes it well in Acts. He says, I try to live with a conscience void of offense toward God and men. In other words, you're maintaining short accounts with the Lord in your sin, you're maintaining short accounts with others in your sin.
This was the problem in Corinth. There were sins going on in the life of the church there. There were the haves excluding the have-nots, and there was no repentance, there was no remorse, there was no sorrow over that. So Paul rebukes them, Paul upbraids them, Paul chides them for that conduct in connection with the supper.
It is not right to live at odds with your brother, with your sister, with your family. As well, the ordinance is a means of grace to be sure, but we need to remember the elements are not changed. The bread does not become the actual body of Jesus. The wine or grape juice does not become the actual blood of Jesus.
Jesus is speaking metaphorically when he says, this is my body, this is my blood. It's not transubstantiation as the papists teach. It's not consubstantiation as the Lutherans teach. Both of those models introduce Christological Heresy, difficulties, to divinize the flesh of Jesus means that He doesn't redeem us from our sins.
He must assume our humanity, and our humanity is not divinized humanity. So to do that or to teach the ubiquity or the everywhere presence of the physicality of the body of Jesus is not good. So we do not imbibe that, but as well, we need to understand that God in this is gracious and merciful, strengthens and builds us up and nourishes us according to his mercy. And then I would suggest finally, the ordinance points us to Christ.
It's not wrong to take a moment to reflect on how bad you are, but always go back to how good he is. We oftentimes get preoccupied with ourselves. Oh, I'm so bad. I'm so wretched.
Oh, you can do that for the rest of your life. But the goal is to remember Jesus, his life, his death, his resurrection, his broken body and shed blood. So those reminders given, we will read the section after we receive the bread. The brothers will come and pass out the bread.
And while they do that, we will remain seated and we will sing 340. 340, again, remain seated as the brothers pass out the bread. ♪ There is a garden filled with life ♪ ♪ A garden filled with grace ♪ ♪ There is peace that's within my heart ♪ ♪ There's a garden filled with grace ♪ O come, O come, O come, O come, O come, O come, O come, O come, to Bethlehem. This is my Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die. And shall be till I die. and shall be till I die. Redeeming love has made my fear, and shall be till I die.
In heaven, O earth, speak this song, ♪ I'll sing in your power to save ♪ ♪ And this, for this we tell in tongue ♪ ♪ My silent in the grave ♪ ♪ My silent in the grave ♪ ♪ My silent in the grave ♪ till all the ransomed church of God be saved to sin no more, be saved to sin no more. You read in Matthew 26, that verse 26, it does say, and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said, take, eat, this is my body. Well, let us pray. Our gracious and our blessed God, we thank you for the provision of our Lord Jesus Christ, that in the fullness of the time you sent forth your son born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those under the law.
And we know from our Bibles that he does that by giving his own life on our behalf. We thank you that he took the wrath and the punishment of God almighty in Himself on the cross for us men in our salvation. We bless you, we praise you, and we thank you. And we pray now in Jesus' name, amen.
We'll take together. Well, you can turn again in your hymn books to 352. Just a reminder, the juice is in the outer ring. If you're inclined to take juice instead of wine, the juice is in the outer ring of the dish.
We will remain seated and sing 3, 5, 2. In my place with His blood. Alleluia! What a Savior!
Filthy, vile, and helpless we, Swamp-less land of prophecy, Hold us o'er tentatively, Alleluia, our Savior! Alleluia, what a Savior! When He comes, our glorious King, All His ransomed home to bring, Then anew His song we'll sing, Alleluia! What a Savior!
Continuing in verse 27, then he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying, drink from it all of you, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom. And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Well, let us pray.
Our gracious God, we know that the blood of Jesus Christ, your son, cleanses us from all sin and we rejoice in that. We ask that you would help us to continually reflect upon these truths, what we have in the gospel and who we have in the gospel. May this be a help to us and may it promote to us or promote in us that happily taking the yoke upon us and following our blessed savior. We give all glory and praise and honor to you now and we pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.
We'll take together. Well, after the Passover, the Lord and his disciples went to sing a hymn, and that was most likely from the Psalter, Psalms 113 to 118. So we'll close our service tonight with 117B, as in Bravo, intriguing that they would sing of Gentile inclusions in the covenant promises of God. We'll stand as we sing Psalm 117B together. ♪ Come, Lord, come, all ye nations ♪ ♪ All ye peoples, sing his praise ♪ ♪ For his truth endures forever ♪ ♪ And his steadfast love is great ♪ ♪ He is faithful, he is faithful, alleluia ♪ you O Israel, hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is abundant redemption, and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
God, I pray that you would go with us now, that we would be pleasing in your sight, and that you would bless and strengthen us each and every day. Again, look with favor upon the sick amongst us. Bless and encourage all of us who are going through any spiritual difficulties or trials. Help us to glorify you, and we pray through Christ the Lord, amen.
Well, we'll close with a brief time of meditation.