“Come Unto Me”
Mattthew 11:25-30

January 16, 2005
by C.W. Powell

Matthew 11:25-30

25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 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.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

I want to do several things today with respect to this section of Matthew’s Gospel. I want to set the background for these words of Christ; explain the meaning, and make application. The application will be made as we go along together through these things.

I. The background for this great invitation of Christ to Himself.

A. The inquiry of John the Baptist. Calvin teaches that the common idea that John the Baptist wavered in his faith is in error. Instead, he sends some of his disciples to Christ because of the weakness of their faith. This may very well be true, for John had said that “He must increase and I must decrease.” Why were these disciples of John still clinging to John, unless it be that their faith in Christ was wavering? John told them what to ask, “Art thou he that should come….” Then the words of Christ “Blessed is he who is not offended in me,” would be directed at John’s disciples and not to John.

B. John was at the end of his ministry and the day was fast coming when he would lay down his life for the truth’s sake. Jesus gives a very strong affirmation of the importance of John. He also compares the ministry of the law to the gospel. How much greater the witness of the New Testament than that of the Old. John was not permitted to preach the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. He was the forerunner of Christ, the Elijah who was to come before the Lord—not that he was literally Elijah, but that he came in the spirit and power of Elijah.

C. Jesus strongly rebukes the shallowness of that generation in their pride and arrogance. He compares them to children in the marketplace that expects everyone who comes by to dance to their tune, to play the game they are playing. Nothing else would satisfy them, for they were spoiled, self-centered children But it does show that the ministry of the law is sufficient to leave men without excuse. John came living the life of an ascetic, and they said he was mad. Christ came living a full life, and they said he was a winebibber and a glutton. They did this to try to turn people away from the message of the Gospel by discrediting the messenger.

D. That generation of the covenant people was harder and more depraved than the heathen cities around them.

1. God’s word is not like other messages that you hear—it leaves you without excuse. It comes with authority and power and there will always be a response from you. You will either be harder and more corrupt or you will be softened and humbled to serve God aright. There is not middle response to the Gospel.

2. The cities which had heard and seen little were less hardened in their defiance of God than were the men of Israel. We must beware how we hear and how we respond to the Gospel. It is very dangerous to refuse to diligently consider the claims of the Gospel.

II. The Text Itself, which breaks into three parts.

A. The emotional response of Christ to these things. Luke has it more emphatic: Jesus rejoiced in Spirit and gave God thanks. Vs. 25, 26

1. He rejoices that the blessing of the church rests on the decree of God, and not on its outward splendor. Christ “acknowledges” this, affirms and approves it.

2. If you want fame and pomp and power in this world, do not look to find it in the church of Jesus Christ; you will find it in the church of antichrist.

3. These are not absolute terms; some wise and great have been shown the Gospel, and some foolish have continued in their foolishness.

4. The true church is what it is because “so it seemed good in the Father’s sight.” It is His pleasure to call whom He will into the fellowship of the Gospel.

a) Why was Israel hardened to reject and spurn Christ; so that the Gentiles might be brought in, as Paul writes.

b) Why were some cities of the Canaanites indifferent to the Gospel—because the Spirit was not poured out upon them. Because it seemed good in the Father’s sight.

c) Do not fret: in the last day there will be people from every kindred, tribe and nation, but these things are hidden in the good pleasure and decree of God.

5. God does not take pleasure in man’s sinful nature. He will be glorified in His Son Jesus Christ, and therefore he chooses the weak and foolish things of the world, that no flesh should glory in His sight.

6. Beware that you do not despise the very thing that Christ rejoices in: the eternal decree and purpose that God has for the world. We must learn to rejoice in what Christ rejoices in.

B. The affirmation of the uniqueness of Christ and His mission. Vs. 27

1. Here is the answer to the question of “How do I know that I am elect?” Have you come to Christ?

2. The knowledge of God is by revelation only and this revelation is only in Jesus Christ. All knowledge of God that does not come through Jesus Christ is a caricature and permeated with error.

3. Jesus Christ is the way to God, and only those who come to God by Him inherit eternal life. He said, “No man comes to the Father but by me.” He also say, “No man can come to me unless it were given him of the father.”

4. The indubitable mark of election is this: faith in Jesus Christ. There is no other, and this mark is certain and indelible. If you believe in Christ you have eternal life; if you don’t you are alienated from God and lie under the curse of sin and death. There isn’t anything hard about it. Faith and predestination are eternally connected in this passage, and what God has joined must never be separated. Those who believe in Christ are predestinated to eternal life, and those who are predestinated are predestinated to faith in Christ. Unbelief is a horrible and terrible bondage that you can be delivered from only by the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the message of the Gospel alone that can shine into your dark heart so that you cry in wonder and exaltation, “I see! I see!” How great is that voice that can penetrate the stone to where Lazarus lies in death so that he comes forth alive and seeing and praising God.

C. The Invitation itself: “Come unto Me.”

1. To those who are weary and heavy laden. It is necessary to feel your need or you will never partake of the remedy of the Gospel. This is why Jesus said, and “blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness. It is pride and arrogance that keeps us from coming to Christ, for we feel no need of Him. But if you feel a need for righteousness, you will find an abundant table spread for you.

2. Come unto Me—not to Moses, not to Aristotle, not to the church, but to ME. To have everlasting life you must be connected to the vine, for life and strength flows only from Him.

3. I will give you rest. He is our Sabbath, and we come to Him for rest. Everything in Creation, in the law, in the Gospel is summarized in these words: “I will give you rest.”

a) Rest from guilt. You cease to labor to be justified, but you trust in Him who justifies the ungodly. “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

b) Rest from worry. “My god shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” You look to God for your daily bread, and take it from Him who feeds all things and supplies all things.

c) Rest from fruitless and slavish labor. How many people have no joy in their work, because they do not look on it as a labor of thankfulness to God., “This is a stinking job, and I don’t get paid enough, and I don’t get any respect,” pretty much summarizes the attitude of many. They work as slaves, not unto God. They have no rest in their work. Jesus can save you from that: for He give nobility to work, “Do it unto the Lord,” is the word of the Holy Spirit.

d) Rest from frustration and emptiness: Your labor cannot be empty, when you are working according to the decree of God. The hardest working Christians I know are those who believe that all things are decreed and ordained of God.

e) Rest from fretfulness: “Fret not thyself because of evildoers…for they shall soon be cut down.” Is the message of the Psalm. It is God’s decree to bring all evil to judgment. Satan has his hour; the evil man has his day; but both work within the decree of God and are finished when their hour and days are up. Do not fret about evil and other people: Serve thou the Lord.

f) Let the peace of God rule your heart and mind. This is the wonderful truth of the 4th commandment, so well summarized in the Heidelberg Catechism, Q. 103.

May God bless you.