The Invitation Of The Gospel

In Matthew 11:28-30, our Lord Jesus extends this invitation: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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."

As with any invitation, this one is addressed to particular people; it is not addressed to everyone. To whom is it addressed? This invitation is to all who are weary and burdened. That is, it is addressed to those who have, because of the new birth, been made to see their helpless and hopeless condition before a Holy God. Their sins have caused them to mourn as they grieve over these sins which have separated them from God.

This is clearly demonstrated by the context of the invitation. In the verses immediately preceding this invitation, Jesus severely rebukes his generation for their hypocrisy and their tolerance for sins worse than those committed in Sodom and Gomorrah.

After the rebuke, Jesus thanks His Father for revealing spiritual truths to some and hiding them from others; and then He declared that no one can know the Father except those to whom the Son sovereignly reveals Him.

Now, after all this, Jesus issues the invitation, for He knows that only those to whom it is addressed will rejoice to receive it and willingly and lovingly respond to it.

The great question for you, dear reader, is, did Jesus address this invitation to me? The good news of the gospel is, if you are weary of sin and burdened down by its gruesome effects in your life, this invitation is to you! Come to Christ and receive from Him this promised rest for your soul.