Refreshment from God

January 24, 2010

Lesson: Matthew 11:25–30

Key Verse: Matthew 11:28

Introduction

There is a valuable promise given to the children of God, a promise worth more than silver and gold, a promise that comes with each rising and setting sun; each day we hear it in the words of our Lord: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Every soul which belongs to our Savior needs refreshment. This refreshment of the soul gives refreshment to the body as well. As the body needs refreshment after a full day’s work, much more the soul needs greater refreshment. Each day we face the sin that “so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1). The Psalmist’s prayer is ours: “Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling;” the Psalmist then declaring, “I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living” (Psa. 116:7–9). Matthew Henry encourages us in the receiving of such refreshment: “Jesus Christ will give assured rest to those weary souls, that by a lively faith come to him for it; rest from the terror of sin, in a well-grounded peace of conscience; rest from the power of sin, in a regular order of the soul, and its due government of itself; a rest in God, and a complacency of soul, in his love.”

The Father and the Son: Matthew 11:25–27

In the midst of the cities that repent not, and Christ’s verdict “That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee” (Matt. 11:21–24), the Son of God raises his voice unto heaven, that those who belong to him on earth may find rest in the midst of sorrow. “Christ looking up to heaven, with thanksgiving to his Father for the sovereignty and security of the covenant of redemption; and looking around him upon this earth, with an offer to all the children of men, to whom these presents shall come, of the privileges and benefits of the covenant of grace” (Henry).

The revelation of the truth of judgment upon the wicked comes from the Lord. It is a message, though it speaks of the darkness of transgression, that is given to those who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. This is for the purpose that the child of God may know the richness of the grace of God. The Son, therefore, addresses the Father: “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and has revealed them unto babes.” The truth is received with rejoicing by those who see themselves as babes in the household of God. The wicked see themselves as wise and prudent (sagacious, having put together a system of belief by the thinking of their own minds). In other words, the wicked claim authority upon their own words, while they look at the Christian as being ignorant of such great things. It is good in the sight of the Lord that he reveals many truths of justice, righteousness, and mercy to the children of his household.

There is much glory in the Godhead; and the Father and Son know its glory, and they desire that those whom the Son has saved will know a measure of that glory: “All things are delivered unto me of the Father;” says the Son, “and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.” The glory of the Godhead is known to us as the Son reveals the nature of the Father to us. “When we come to God as a Father, we must withal remember, that he is Lord of heaven and earth; which obliges us to come to him with reverence, as to the sovereign Lord of all, and yet with confidence, as one able to do for us whatever we need or can desire; to defend us from all evil and to supply us with all good. Christ, in Melchizedec, had long since blessed God as the Possessor, or Lord of heaven and earth; and in all our thanksgivings for mercies in the stream, we must give him the glory of the all-sufficiency that is in the fountain” (Henry).

The glory of the Godhead is manifested in our faith and in our works. We are not Christians because we do good things. We do good, act righteously, practicing what has been revealed to us as truth, justice, and mercy; therefore showing that we belong to our Father in heaven, growing in the knowledge of Christ our Savior, and that we are being taught by the Holy Spirit. Paul prays for the saints (the faithful brethren in Christ) that they “might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” This heaven-given knowledge and understanding (knowing the facts and wisdom to act upon them) results in producing fruit that will honor and glorify our Lord: “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God: strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness: giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (Col. 1:9–12).

Discussion: How are we to honor our Father in heaven?

The Son and the Weary: Matthew 11:28–30

Because of the grace of God, manifested in the covenant promise of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Christ calls us by invitation to find refreshment in himself: “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Man passes laws that they may overburden others. In so doing, they control others to do their bidding. Christ speaks to those who would control others by their own interpretations of the law: “Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! For ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers” (Luke 11:46). This is the practice of many leaders in both the civic and church governments. The picture of such endeavoring tyrants which Christ gives us is that of the beast of burden. This is the picture which tyrants love as long as they can be the controller.

However, Christ offers us refreshment, especially as all burdens come from the world. Our hope is in Christ, whose hand is upon those burdens, working them to the end that his purpose will be carried out to his glory. The victory is ours as we come to Christ for refreshment, to receive that rest which is defined by our Lord: “Take my yoke upon you, and 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.” We are offered a yoke, a coupling or union with Christ. We “learn of Christ,” not as student behind a desk listening to a teacher, but as child sitting at the feet of his father, learning from the words and deeds of the father. We learn by walking with Christ. We are able to walk with Christ because he has initiated the walk, saying, “I am with you always.” “To take Christ’s yoke upon us, is to put ourselves into the relation to servants and subjects to him, and then to conduct ourselves accordingly, in a conscientious obedience to all his commands, and a cheerful submission to all his disposals: it is to obey the gospel of Christ, to yield ourselves to the Lord: it is Christ’s yoke; the yoke he has appointed; a yoke he has himself drawn in before us, for he learned obedience, and which he does by his Spirit draw in with us, for he helpeth our infirmities, Rom 8:26” (M. Henry).

Though the yoke does not eliminate some hardships and troubles, it does promise strength during its time, and victory as its end. Paul gives us this hope: “For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:15–17).

Discussion: How is the yoke given by Christ refreshment to our soul?

Lessons are based on the International Sunday School Lessons for Christian Teaching, copyright © 2010 by the Committee on the Uniform Series.