FRIDAY
Finally, today let’s just bask in the good, glorious news of the gospel.
It is to the Jews who are living in self-righteousness, under the weight of the law that Jesus says some of the most beautiful words in Scripture:
Matthew 11:28–30 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The law, with it’s self-righteousness, is a heavy burden. All who strive to be made right with God by obeying the laws are laboring and heavy laden. In Jesus and the the righteousness he gives we can cease from our striving and attempts at being made right with God by adhering to the moral law, thinking that we can be good enough.
So often the Christian religion is perceived to be a burden of morality. A heavy yoke that we are forced to carry—if I’m a Christian I have to be moral, go to church, give my money, pray all the time, be boring, etc. It’s such a shame that even Christians sometimes think this way when Jesus, our savior, our friend, our God, the author and perfecter of our faith has said these words. Following Jesus is a light burden because he has taken the burden of our sin upon himself. Like Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress, the great story by John Bunyan, we all carry a heavy burden on our backs until Jesus removes it. May the Christian faith never feel like a heavy burden to you! May your soul experience the rest that only Jesus brings. May you find freedom, rest and peace in the finished work of Jesus on the cross that atones for all of your sins and gives you the righteousness of Christ. May you find joy in following and obeying the commands of Jesus. (More on this in a couple of weeks.) May you find freedom in the Son.
John 8:31–34 “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
This is the heart of the irresistible gospel. Self-righteousness is a heavy burden to carry and you will never find rest for your soul. Hedonism leads to greater and greater enslavement to your sin. In Jesus you find rest for your soul. In Jesus you find freedom and life.