The Bible Provocateur
The Bible Provocateur
Your Burden for His Yoke: The Ultimate Trade Deal
"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." With these profound words, Jesus makes an extraordinary claim—offering spiritual rest to anyone burdened by life's struggles. But have you ever considered the remarkable implication behind this invitation?
Only God Himself could promise universal rest to all who approach Him. When Jesus declares "Come unto me," He reveals His divine identity in one of the most compelling yet often overlooked passages of Scripture. His invitation contains both a command requiring our response and a promise demonstrating His sovereign power.
The metaphor of Christ's "yoke" transforms our understanding of discipleship. In agricultural settings, a yoke joined two oxen together to share the burden of plowing. When we take Christ's yoke upon us, we're not adding another burden—we're exchanging our impossible load of self-righteousness for His perfect righteousness. We surrender control, allowing Him to lead while we follow.
This revolutionary exchange liberates us from the crushing weight of trying to earn salvation through our own efforts. As one participant in our discussion observed, "We're not in a backyard sacrificing a dove or lamb because the blood of the Lamb is still alive." Christ's finished work replaces our futile laboring with His grace.
The beauty of this exchange echoes throughout Scripture, from Noah extending his hand to bring the restless dove into the ark to Christ extending His invitation to draw weary souls into His rest. In surrendering our will to Him, we discover what our hearts have always sought—true peace with God.
Ready to exchange your heavy burden for Christ's easy yoke? Join us as we explore the profound implications of Jesus's invitation to rest and discover the freedom that comes from being yoked to the divine Savior who alone can give rest to our souls.
and then he says at the end I will give you rest. Imagine if a man on earth said that. What does this tell you? What does this tell you about the Lord Jesus Christ, brother Brian, what does this tell you about Christ? Who he is, what he is, his abilities? What does this tell you? Come unto me and I will give you rest.
Speaker 2:He is the Lord of the Sabbath, he is the rest. That's why I said I almost was looking forward to the veil discussion, because it actually would cover this. The first thing that we're all trying to do is work to keep the law. That's laborsome. You can't keep it. You're always going to be laboring Right. So how do you come to rest that God asked? That is there.
Speaker 1:But what does this tell us, though? What does come unto me, and I will give you rest. What does that tell you about Christ? Forget the doctrines for a second. What does it tell you about him, who he is Now? You said Lord of the Sabbath, but I want to embellish that a little bit.
Speaker 2:He's the Savior, he's the only place there is rest.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 2:In his righteousness and his words.
Speaker 1:Okay, meg, what do you think? What does this tell you about Christ, who he is, that he's God number one?
Speaker 3:Amen, amen that he's God number one. Amen, because anytime that one is looking to rest, that is the only place that we can rest. Because if you go throughout scripture and you see that the only ground that was pleasant, the only ground that was good was Christ Absolutely. Everything else was Christ Absolutely. Everything else was bad.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, Sister. Sister Rebecca, I had a question for you. So my question is this Jesus says come unto me all you that labor, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and he says I will give you rest. Now he, he says I will give rest to all who come to him and are in labor and that labor and are heavy laden, all of them. What does that suggest to you about his, about one or more of his attributes?
Speaker 4:the. The call does go out to everybody to come to Christ, but we know by other texts that we can't come unless the Father who sent him draws us unto the Son. And we also know that all those whom have been drawn, they will come. But there's also twofold there, right, all those who labor. It could be those who are really one in righteousness and striving for it, without knowing that they can rest in Christ's righteousness. And it's basically say you're laboring and you can rest in me, like you have me to rest in my righteousness. It could be that I could be wrong. Correct me if I'm wrong, anybody. And. But the confusion comes that when we see scriptures like all and things like this the gospel call goes out to everybody to come to Christ. There is a call to everybody. But then there is the effectual call, the call that has that effect, that draws those in who have been chosen before the foundation of the world.
Speaker 4:That's where the distinction is being made. Man is truly responsible for not responding to that call In his own heart, his own desire, his own flesh, in his own will. He is responsible and it's down to him that he has rejected the Canons of Dort. Article 5, says Sin of man in of himself. It is not of God. He is responsible for not coming. But man can't come at the same time unless god gives him a new heart, puts his spirit within them and draws him. I hope that cleared up.
Speaker 1:Correct me if I'm wrong no, I like it and I'll tell you something. What I like about it? Because it, because I do believe, because I think that what is consistent with what you're saying is when christ says come to me all ye, or of you, you all who labor and are heavy laden. So this, right here, is the part that suggests that he's talking to a, like you said, the come part. He's addressing everybody. But then he also says all of you who labor and are heavy laden, all of you who labor and are heavy laden. So these are people who feel a, who have a sensitivity toward their, toward the burdensome, the burden in their labors. So these are people who are, who are made sensible to the situation of the need to seek rest. And so it is true that the call goes out universally, but there is that effectual call that makes someone who's made sensible that they labor and are heavy laden and in need of rest. But one of the things that I was trying to, that I'm trying to get to, is this Christ says that anyone, all who come to him that labor and are heavy laden, he says I will give rest. So if Jesus Christ, like Meg said, if he's God, if Jesus Christ, like Meg said if he's God, if he were not God, how is it possible? Would it be possible for him to give rest to the millions and billions of people who obtain salvation? He would have to be something more than just a man. And so one of the things that I want people to try to glean from the word of God because people are always saying well, the Bible never says Jesus, never says he was God this is another one of those passages where I don't know how you can conclude any other thing. How could you? Because how could he say come to me. He says come to me, jesus Christ. The man in the flesh is telling people while he's in his flesh you need to come to me. If you would have rest, I will ease your burdens, I will ease your labors, I will give you rest. And not only that, not just to you, but to all who who are, who labor and are heavy laden. It's an astounding passage when you think about it, but you do have this combination of what man is responsible to do and the sovereign nature of Christ involved in it, especially when he says I will give you rest. I can give you rest, but you must come to him and you must come and recognize that he is able to do it. But the fact that he could give rest to as many people as who seek it shows that he is of divine nature, because there's no way he could even know that you have labored and are heavy laden and let alone be able to give all the billions of people, millions of people who've ever lived and shall live rest. But if you take these words and try to put them into the words of a natural man, it would sound crazy for somebody walking down the street to tell you come to me and I will give you rest. It's amazing, I'll give you rest.
Speaker 1:It reminds me of that passage in Genesis when Noah was in the ark and he had been out in the water for a while and he sent the dove out. Been out in the water for a while and he sent the dove out. Remember, he sent the dove out and the dove had nowhere to put to put his feet, had nowhere. It says in genesis 8, 9. But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot and she returned to noah into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. Then it says Noah put out his forth, his hand to the dove and took her and pulled her back into the ark. On top of that, noah's name means rest. On top of that, oh, that's fire.
Speaker 1:It's beautiful. It's beautiful when you, when you think about it, you know. So he pulls, and this is what God does. So it's the same scenario Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, I will pull you back in. And so and we're going to show later in this verse how we see this, even magnified on it, on a higher level.
Speaker 1:So he goes on to say he says take and this is, this is the part that we should all love. I want to spend time on this one. He says take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your souls. Now look at this for a minute. Like the first, like verse 28, he says come unto me. And now here he says when, in doing so, take my yoke upon you and learn of me. So when he says take, he, then he's also adding to this aspect of man's will that needs to respond to his goodness Take, exercise your will and take my yoke upon you. But when you understand what he means by my yoke, you get to see the other side of it. You get to see on one side take, christ is addressing the will. And then he says my yoke, his sovereignty, because when you take his yoke upon you, everything changes. Amen, everything changes Because what I want?
Speaker 1:So here's what I want to ask everybody now what this means. I want to go around so we know that the part when he says take my yoke upon you, we know that taking is emblematic of his addressing the will. This is what you need to do Take my yoke upon you and Christ is almost, it's almost as if he's offering his yoke to you. So then he says take my yoke upon you. So then he says take my yoke upon you. So I'm going to put some. I'm going to ask people if you know what this means.
Speaker 1:What does I want to ask? I want to ask when you read this passage because, as I said earlier, this is a common passage that so many people quote and recite. But I want to make sure, I want to make sure that that we have the wherewithal to. But I want to make sure, I want to make sure that that we have the wherewithal to to glean as much as possible as we can from this verse. So it's not about assuming somebody doesn't know, but I want to see what we add to this. What? What is his yoke? Now, remember, take my yoke upon you and then learn of me, for I am meek and lowly. So what does it mean by his yoke? Does anybody know who wants to start? I'll start. Go for it.
Speaker 3:So when we hear taking the yoke right, we know that yoking in the Old Testament would be like where they would take two cattle, yoke them together and they would walk as one until the field. So if we are taking his yoke upon us, that means that we are becoming one with Christ. And if you fun fact if you do the study of sheep, you will see that sheep cannot carry heavy burdens on their back and they it will hurt them. And so when he's saying that, his, he is gentle and lowly at heart. His yoke is easy because we are becoming one with Christ and walking with him.
Speaker 1:Amen. So so you brought up something that I I thought I would have to explain, but you've done a good job of it, and here's what I mean. So you would have two oxen, like Meg said, and they would be yoked together, and a yoke is a thing that you know, a harness basically, that puts around them so that they keep pace together and they plow the fields. And one of the things that it took me years before I understood, before it hit me, was that the yoke was tying us to Christ. But notice that he opens up, when he opens up in verse 28. He says listen to what he says, come to me all you who labor, who labor and are heavy laden. And then, in the very next verse, he says take my yoke upon. You Just went off, tell me what you're thinking.
Speaker 3:Okay. So when he said, come to me all who are labor and with heavy laden, that means we're not supposed to work that the reason why that his yoke is easy and his burden is light is because he takes it all, and he has taken it all on that cross.
Speaker 1:So contrast that with what he's telling us to do. What is he telling those who labor?
Speaker 3:and are heavy laden. That he takes on our burdens. That we lay the things that we need at the foot of his feet and he takes on our burdens. That we lay the things that we at the foot of his feet and he takes them.
Speaker 1:Brian, you had a comment, go ahead.
Speaker 2:His yoke is his righteousness. He takes the labor of us trying to keep the law. When we strive and labor, we can't keep it and it's all like I. I said it's always laborers. His yoke is he's already kept the law. It's his righteousness. All he's asking us to do is say, look, you can't do it. Just take my righteousness that I've already done, my sovereignty, and just claim it. Just walk with me and follow my righteousness that I've already done and it's easy. You don't have to do this, no more. It's like it's almost screaming to us.
Speaker 3:Amen brother.
Speaker 1:Now we got a new brother, another brother here named Brian. I saw you in the comments, Brian. You got something you want to add to it, my friend.
Speaker 7:Yeah, y'all really drew me in. I don know how I even got on this on this live. I'm glad you did. I, I, I was gonna just you know how somebody parked and then they, you know, listen what they some scriptures, and then they, then they, then they just just drive off. Right, that's, that's what I was gonna do. But but it's interesting when I was hearing you talk because my pastor he's been having us preach the same message for the last two months, basically Matthew's five and Matthew's 23. And this is basically what we're talking about. And as he began to have me dig into this, it was interesting because it tied in glory to God to the arguments that I've been having with the black Hebrew Israelites. I got black Hebrew Israelites in my family Right and they focus on I'm going to show how all this is going to tie in. You don't be like, yeah, that's a blessing.
Speaker 7:Deuteronomy 28, 1 and 2,. It begins to talk about how, if they keep, observe and keep the law, that God would set them high above the nations. He said if you also, if you would keep the law and do all of it, he would cause all these blessings to come and overtake you. So the Lord began to have me deal with that and I said hold on. I said, but in the New Testament he put it in at all. I said but in the New Testament he put it in. So over here in the New Testament, are we to be trying to keep the law, to get the blessing, or is the blessing to the save already in us? So the thing that the Lord gave me was, I said, wow. So in the Old Testament they was trying to become righteous, but in the New Testament we were made righteous. Amen, brother. And we were seated at when we were seated with him. We were seated, I wouldn't see it. We were seated together in heavenly places. So all this is like it's like tying together.
Speaker 7:And it was interesting because I just got off the phone, my pastor and I was trying to get away from this topic and a few minutes ago I went and I read and this ties in with what we're talking about right here, and it's Luke 1139. Okay, and basically I'm going to paraphrase it. Jesus said they got upset because they came and they ate with. You know Jesus ate with them or whatnot. He didn't wash his hands. They got upset and they noticed that he didn't wash his hands and he went in on. He said y'all want to focus on the outside, washing on the outside, but y'all inside is full of wickedness, y'all all messed up. So they was doing stuff on the outside, but the inside was messed up. And so that's what I believe Jesus dealing with us in that, in that when we talking about text, we talking about they doing stuff on the outside, but the inside is messed up. He want to get our inside right. He want the outside to get done, but the inside he want it right. Amen, brother.
Speaker 1:I'm going to digress with that All right, I appreciate it. Man, that was good. You know what? I can hear the enthusiasm in your voice, and I love it, because that level of enthusiasm is what I love to see in God's people. I love to see it happens to me. I know exactly what you're talking about, brother. I can't pronounce the last name, hassan.
Speaker 5:Yeah, what's going on? Man, Can you hear me?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can hear you, fine brother, what you want to add to it, to the conversation so far, man, you touched a lot of good points.
Speaker 5:I'm in a different sector, though. Right, because when we talk about the law, we see that, rather than getting rid of the law, because the law is nothing but a covenant, it's a covenant between God and his people. Can we agree on that? Right? Yep Was given to Moses on Mount Sinai Right. So we saw that not only Christ came and validated the law, because he said do not think that I come to do away with the law, but I come to accomplish it. Right, not only that, he drilled it even harder by changing the law from the priestlyhood of the man-priest right and put it as unto Melchizedek right, you follow me, I follow you.
Speaker 5:Yeah, so I want us to understand, as believers, like do you know? Can you ask yourself a question? The law is still being fulfilled, it's still being accomplished, right? God grace, what do you mean by that Beautiful question? What I mean by that? We're not in no backyard on a live in dove or lamb or goat, because the blood of the lamb is still alive and it's still being shed. You understand what I'm saying? No, I don't, well to the point that even in Revelation, when Christ come in on the horse, he's stealing his blood.
Speaker 1:But hold on, here's what I want to do.
Speaker 5:Uh-huh, because I want to stay on topic, right, right, well, yeah, that's why I say I'm on a whole different sector, but I think it might be a little too advanced for the yeah. But that, no, no, no, no, no disrespect, that's exactly what it sounded like. I'm derailing, I'm sorry.
Speaker 4:But I want you.
Speaker 2:I want us believers to know. Here's what I know the blood is still alive.
Speaker 5:It's still. It's still. You know what I'm saying. That's why we ain't got to sacrifice. That's why certain things we ain't got to do, but the minute things we still have to behold to them right. Serving God and walking with Christ. That takes work.
Speaker 1:That's still the law. That's true, that's true, and I'll rest it right there.
Speaker 1:And here's the thing, because I want to make sure that we are on the same page about this no one can be saved by law keeping. Come on, nobody, nobody can be saved by law keeping. That's what Christ did, right, I agree. So as long as that's where we are, then I'm good, because what the bible does teach is that when we come to faith in the lord jesus christ, that the law of god is put on our hearts. So in that sense it doesn't go away, but the but.
Speaker 1:The law has nothing to do with our salvation any longer, and that's what this passage is teaching. Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden, doing what, trying to find salvation by law keeping. That's done. Yoke yourself to me and you will be saved by faith. There will be justification that comes by way of faith. We're no longer under the Mosaic law Now. We're under the law of faith, and the law of faith is what gives us salvation, and that's what's important.
Speaker 1:Anybody that really believes the word of God understands that the law is good and perfect and holy and righteous, but the but, the problem with the law, has nothing to do with the law itself, but has everything to do with man. And so man chooses to labor and to work of his own, of his own accord, and tries to earn his way. And Jesus says I have a better way. Yoke yourself to me, unshackle yourself from the yoke of Satan, from the yoke of sin, from the yoke of death. And because he went to the cross and destroyed the works of the devil, and because he went to the cross and destroyed the works of the devil, that has now become possible. This is why I tell people all the time that Satan has been bound.
Speaker 5:That's why we are able to relinquish his yoke and take the yoke of Christ.
Speaker 1:Even that process, right Walking with Christ is an effort which is work, walking with Christ is work, but it is not work in the sense of salvation, in the sense of that you are trying to earn your salvation, but it is improving upon sanctification. There's a difference.
Speaker 5:Right, right, because it causes you to die to yourself daily. You know things like that, and even parts of why Buffett the flesh and all that. And that's just the part that I want to expand on, but that's the meaty part. You see what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:I see what you're saying, brother.
Speaker 5:But great teaching, brother. In my own perception, work matters right, because even the heart is deceitful. Above all things right. Who can understand right, even your heart right? So just be vigilant, that's you know.
Speaker 1:I get it. Let me make the rounds, okay. God bless you brother, appreciate it, man.
Speaker 5:All right, hang out for a while. If you can Keep working unto Christ, the work don't stop. I prefer grace, brother, I prefer if you can Keep working unto Christ, the work don't stop. I prefer the grace part All righty Church.
Speaker 1:I can't see the whole name.
Speaker 8:Church of the Firstborn. Good evening, sir, it's me. I've been on your program before.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I remember, I know the voice. Go ahead, what's your?
Speaker 8:thought All right. First thing is, we're talking about taking my yoke upon you yes, just a little, tyson, I'll be very quick.
Speaker 8:The shepherd of the sheep. His voice summons, subpoenas, apprehends, arrests, captivates, harpoons, his own sheep. The sheep recognized his voice when Christ was talking to Lazarus while he was deceased. Christ did not give him the command to come forth. He only gave the command after he was regenerated, made alive so he could hear, discern and obey, to come out. When Christ spoke to the crowd underneath the tour, those people were not regenerated, although they heard physically come unto me all ye that are laden under heavy labor, and I will give you rest. Only their physical flesh could hear that. In another verse, john 6, 44, christ spoke of no man can come to me, amen, except the Father which hath sent me. Drag him Right. You cannot be before Christ. So until Christ enters you, you have absolutely no ability. Although responsibility you have, you have no ability to come or hear his voice After you've been regenerated. At that moment you have the heart of christ.
Speaker 8:You have his will operating, all right, but but I want you, I want you to address, take my yoke upon you yeah, that yoke is grace that leads you to his yoke, to walk in what we call echad one, the father in us, him in us, and not to resist him, but to resist self will self flesh.
Speaker 1:Amen, brother. I appreciate that that's a good word there, brother. Brian, you had your hand up there. I'm going to go, brian, then I've got a question for you, greg, and then Candy after that.
Speaker 2:So go ahead, brian no, I was just saying hey. Hey, this is for Lisa, that was it.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I got it. Okay, you want to add something while I got you up here, or no?
Speaker 2:Well, it's just like I said. It's his righteousness, if we can really grab hold of that. That's why the rest of those verses say his yoke is easy.
Speaker 9:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And you will find rest for your soul, right, I mean, you can just see Jesus telling us this is your rest, right. Here is my righteousness, he's like.
Speaker 1:He's like saying, he's like why are you working so hard when you don't have to?
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:You know, yes, sir, yes sir, exactly Right, brother Greg, I have a question for you. So Jesus says take my yoke upon you.
Speaker 6:So my question to you is once you take on the yoke of Christ, can you ever be free from that yoke? No, it's his. I kind of see it different. I don't see it as, like you know, we're being teamed up on a, you know, on a cart, christ on the right side and us on the left, and we're yoked together. But I see it as take my yoke, he, he's the one driving right. He puts the yoke on you, right. He said you just walk, I'll steer right. He, you know, he's, he's, it's his yoke, he, he, he owns you, if that makes sense it makes total sense, it makes and the you know, muslims.
Speaker 6:will you know, while we believe in Jesus, he was a prophet. Well, all the prophets pointed people to God, right, but Jesus made himself central. I will give you rest. I am the bread of life, I'm the way, the truth and the life. I'm the resurrection and the life. I will raise up the dead on the last day and judge them.
Speaker 1:Let me stop you there for a second, and for a good reason because what you're saying is amazing, because here's what I was trying to say earlier who can say that but God? Who can say any of those things you just cited? Who can say that but God? When you think about it, you know.
Speaker 6:But go ahead. No, that was the point. You know what? What mere prophet could say such things?
Speaker 1:right, you know right, absolutely, uh, candy girl, your thoughts.
Speaker 9:I just look at it as like when we come unto Jesus, we come into Christ In the process. He is in the Father and through Jesus we receive the Holy Spirit. So it just goes back to come unto Him and we receive that yoke which is, to me, the Holy Spirit within us, and then we don't have to worry about anything. We just trust in him, other than and let the sanctification from the Holy Spirit within us transform us in the law of the spirit, which is Amen, sister, amen.
Speaker 1:I believe. Complete, completely right May come to you now.
Speaker 3:OK. So somebody put in the comments and it light bulb again. He says he that began a good work in you. Yeah, I saw that. Take his yoke. He is putting that work in us and he's going to continue it, without us working, until the day of christ jesus. So when that yoke comes upon us there, it's not ours, it's his. It's not our work, it's his. It's not not our righteousness, it's his, it's all him.
Speaker 1:Now that, right there, is totally consistent with what Brother Greg was saying and that is exactly the truth, exactly the truth. Sister Lisa, hey, I got a question for you.
Speaker 4:Okay.
Speaker 1:So Jesus says, to take my yoke upon you, right? So, what I may have, I may ask this question. I may not ask it in the most articulate way, but when, but when. But when, man, when a man or woman takes up the yoke of Christ, what is he or she relinquishing in themselves?
Speaker 2:We're relinquishing control.
Speaker 1:Bingo Say that again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're giving all control we're surrendering to him.
Speaker 1:We're surrendering our wills, we are giving up our will to him. Like Brother Greg said, this is all tying together. We are saying you take the realm or the helm, you take the reins, you take control, the helm, you take the reins, you take control, you guide, you take the direction. I want to give up my labor and my burdens and I want to put them on you, and he is asking us to do that. And so and it's also consistent with the fact that once we, once we, once we give our wills to him, our will is no longer ours.
Speaker 3:Amen. We're doing exactly what christ did, father, not my will, but your will be done.
Speaker 1:and brother b Brian just said we become bond servants. Let me take this a step further we become his slaves.