What was Jesus saying when He said, "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."
Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV
- Some things to think about while were discussing is what is a Yoke?
Please post your responses in the comments section and lets have some good discussion.
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In biblical times a yoke was a device that rested on top of oxen or cattle. In essence, i feel that Jesus is saying he can take away your stressful and heavy burdens and replace them with the light of the lord. That he will carry our burdens himself, so that we don't have to worry about anything.
ReplyDeleteThats a good thought and I think we are on the right track. But I think that there is so much more to this verse. For example, what was a yoke used for? It was so a farmer could lead his oxen where he wanted them to go. So if God asks us to take His yoke; does that mean that we are giving Him permission to lead our lives? If this is indeed true than who is leading us when we have on the heavy, tiresome, burden filled yoke that is not from Christ?
ReplyDeleteI think that we have to dig deeper into the word of God to truly figure out what this verse means. When Jesus uses the word yoke in the book of Matthew it is not the first time it is mentioned in the Bible. In fact, it is mentioned over 50 times starting in the book of Genesis. Here are two times it is used in Isaiah which I think are interesting:
"Therefore thus says the Lord God of Hosts:"O My people who dwell in Zion do not be afraid of the Assyrian......It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil" Isaiah 10:27 (Christ is Greek for "the anointed)(Messiah is Hebrew for "the anointed)
"That I will break the Assyrian in My land, and on My mountains tread him underfoot. Then his yoke shall be removed from them, and his burden removed from their shoulders, This is the purpose that is purposed against the whole earth.." Isaiah 14:25-27
As I read this verse, there were references to other vs in my Bible. I think going to Jeremiah Chapter 6 vs 16 clarified my thought.
ReplyDeleteThus says the lord " Stand in the ways 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. Jesus was without sin, he was meek, caring and loving. No one can come to the Father but through him. I think in this passage of Matthew, Jesus was quoting from Jeremiah, as he was a Jew and knew the scriptures. He was saying that to seek his gentle way, to be meek in your adversity, to love above all else, and your burdens will be light. In other words live like Christ.
Thats amazing I didn't pick up on that connection until now. The more and more I study the Bible I begin to see these connections between the old and new testament. It seems that everything Yeshua(Jesus) says is connected like roots of a tree through each book of the word of God, right up to the beginning. I also want to add another thought to what you said above:
ReplyDeleteI think Jesus was quoting from Jeremiah, Isaiah,Genesis, 2 Chronicles, Deuteronomy, and 1Kings because as God in flesh He wrote them. I could be wrong though; do you think He was all knowing in the form of the Son? Top Christian theologians agree that He was 100 percent God and 100 percent Man. To me, understanding Yeshua's divinity and humanity, as well as where we draw the line is mind boggling.
Yes I do believe He was all knowing as the Son, but He was also a man. As Yeshua prayed in the garden the night He was betrayed,He knew what was to come. He knew at the last supper what was to come. The disciples had a hard time comprehending his death and resurrection, but again He knew what was to come, and in His distress asked His Father to take the cup away from Him ( Yeshua). The Book of Mark Chapter 14. Jesus was all knowing, but His time on earth prepared Him for His death and resurrection, where He now will stand with us infront of His Father on our behalf as He has taken the yoke off our shoulders to carry our burdens and sins. Just as we witness in this life, God and the Holy Spirit takes our troubles, we learn from them to go out and love the people God puts before us ( those that we can speak of the miracle of Christs love and forgiveness as we are usually the ones that have had the same or similar heartaches). Jesus knew the depths of despair of a human, but He loved us so much He dies for us, and the Father loved us so much He gave His only begotten Son, that for whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life. ( God loves us so much , it was He too that died)
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Amen......
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