“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28.
Come Unto Me
This verse begins with a call. Like the ringing of the telephone, it commands your attention. It is GOD that is calling for you today, and His message is “Come! Return!” He wants you to return. Man was first taken away from God as a result of sin. Isaiah 59:2 says, “Your sins have separated between you and your God.” Today, you are at a distance from God because of your sins. God knows that if you die in this condition you will be lost, far from God forever. The Lord Jesus is calling “Come.” Will you respond? What will your answer be?
All You That Labor
It is with compassion that the Savior of sinners, our Lord Jesus Christ, calls to those struggling to find rest. Seasoned sailors were on a routine voyage to Tarshish when a storm broke around them. They labored hard to control the ship but the harder they struggled, the worse the storm became. It wasn’t until they confronted Jonah that they realized the cause of the storm. Are you laboring hard with your life but overwhelmed with the emptiness and the futility of all your efforts? God is calling to you as you labor in your vain search for peace and rest.
You That Are Heavy Laden
Your sin is an overwhelming weight, a weight that you will never overcome on your own strength. Genesis 22 tells the story of the young man, Isaac, who felt the weight of the wood on his back as he climbed up the mountainside. The weight of the burden caused him to think, “I see the wood, the fire, and the knife, but something is missing.” Isaac was on a journey with an unknown purpose, feeling the heavy burden that he was carrying. Do you feel the burden of your sin today, and know that there is something missing? James 1:15 tells us that “sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” As you move on the journey of life, the Lord Jesus is calling to those burdened by their sins, “Come unto Me.” The burden of sin will take you down to hell. Today, God is calling out to those that realize “I am lost and unable to save myself.”
I Will Give You Rest
The Savior offers a promise. I WILL give you rest. Come and find relief from the labor of bearing your sin. It was God’s Son, upon the cross of Calvary who labored as He bore the judgment of God against sin. As the words of the hymn say, “All thy sins were laid upon Him, Jesus bore them on the tree. God who knew them (all my sins) laid them on Him, and believing, thou art free.” That, my burdened friend, is the secret of finding rest. There was one who labored and was heavy laden as He suffered for sin. Come to Him with all your labor and heavy burdens, and trust the completed work of Calvary. Yes, you will find the rest that God alone can give.
No two words ever uttered express a greater contrast than two words spoken by the Lord Jesus. In loving welcome, He said “Come.” It is an invitation. Those who refuse the invitation will hear from those same blessed lips, the terrible word, “Depart.” It will be a command.
