Matthew 11: I Will Give You Rest

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” -Matthew 11:28

Matthew 11 was, for me, a time of rest in my handwriting through the Bible. After Jesus has picked on the Pharisees and confronted his disciples for their lack of faith, he turns to the issue of rest. This rest interestingly involves the same calling as Christ’s call to discipleship. He simply shares, “Come to me.” Just as Jesus called his disciples to serve, he calls them to rest.

These words also remind me of Psalm 23, where the emphasis is on rest in the arms of the Great Shepherd. Except here the attention is not God the Father, but God the Son. Again, the ongoing idea in Matthew is that Jesus is not only God’s Son, but God in human form. The Gospel of John further develops this concept, but Matthew makes clear Jesus is the Messiah, God’s Son, and, of course, God.

Today is my birthday, so I find great comfort in the rest Jesus offers. Let me not only give my life to serve Christ, but also to find rest in him.

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Dillon Burroughs has written, co-written, or edited over 60 books, including the upcoming devotional work Thirst No More (October 2011). He served as an associate editor for The Apologetics Study Bible for Students and is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary. Find out more at DillonBurroughs.org.