Matthew 11:28-30 - THE GOSPEL CALL - part 1
MAT. 11:28-30; THE GOSPEL CALL - part 1
"COME TO ME,
ALL YOU WHO ARE WEARY AND BURDENED,
AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST.
TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU AND LEARN FROM ME,
FOR I AM GENTLE AND HUMBLE IN HEART,
AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS,
FOR MY YOKE IS EASY AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT."
Mat 11:28-30 (NIV)
INTRODUCTION
"I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are wise and very
beautiful; but I never read in either of them: 'Come unto Me all ye that
labour and are heavy laden.'" St. Augustine [The 365-Day Devotional
Commentary]
Through the ages these verses have been among the most beloved
in the NT. [Ryrie SB]
Only in Matthew is this invitation [Cambridge Annotated SB]
This is the gospel call; whoever will, let him come. [Matthew
Henry Commentary]
This great invitation, extended to all, is threefold: (1) to
come and receive salvation; (2) to learn in discipleship; and (3) to
serve in yoke with the Lord. [Ryrie SB]
COME TO ME
The questions that matter in life are remarkably few, and they
are all answered by the words-- "Come unto Me." Not--'Do this, or
don't do that'; but --"Come unto Me." If I will come to Jesus my actual
life will be brought into accordance with my real desires; I will
actually cease from sin, and actually find the song of the Lord begin.
Have you ever come to Jesus? Watch the stubbornness of your
heart, you will do anything rather than the one simple childlike
thing--"Come unto Me." If you want the actual experience of ceasing from sin,
you must come to Jesus.
Jesus Christ makes Himself the touchstone. Watch how He used the
word 'Come.' At the most unexpected moments there is the whisper of
the Lord--"Come unto Me." and you are drawn immediately. Personal
contact with Jesus alters everything.... Commit yourself to what He says.
The attitude of coming is that the will resolutely lets go of
everything and deliberately commits all to Him. [My Utmost for His Highest
by Oswald Chambers]
Never allow the dividing up of your life in Christ to remain
without facing it. Beware of leakage, of the dividing up of your life by
the influence of friends or of circumstances; beware of anything
that is going to split up your oneness with Him and make you see
yourself separately. Nothing is so important as to keep right
spiritually. The great solution is the simple one--"Come unto Me." [My Utmost
for His Highest by Oswald Chambers]
"Come unto Me and I will give you rest," i.e.,
Christ-consciousness will take the place of
self-consciousness..... It is never God's
will that we should be anything less than absolutely complete in Him.
Anything that disturbs rest in Him must be cured at once, and it is not
cured by being ignored, but by coming to Jesus Christ. If we come to
Him and ask Him to produce Christ-consciousness, He will always do
it until we learn to abide in Him. [My Utmost for His Highest by
Oswald Chambers]
The surrender of all our powers to God greatly simplifies the
problem of life. It weakens and cuts short a thousand struggles with the
passions of the natural heart. MYP30
From the first moment of your spiritual life until you are
ushered into glory, the language of Christ to you will be, "Come, come
unto me." As a mother puts out her finger to her little child and
woos it to walk by saying, "Come," even so does Jesus. He will always
be ahead of you, bidding you follow him as the soldier follows his
captain. He will always go before you to pave your way, and clear your
path, and you shall hear his animating voice calling you after him all
through life; .... This is not only Christ's cry to you, but, if you be a
believer, this is your cry to Christ--"Come! come!" You will be longing for
his second advent; you will be saying, "Come quickly, even so come
Lord Jesus." You will be panting for nearer and closer communion with
him. As his voice to you is "Come," your response to him will be,
"Come, Lord, and abide with me. Come, and occupy alone the throne of my
heart; reign there without a rival, and consecrate me entirely to thy
service." [Morning and Evening by Charles H. Spurgeon]
ALL YOU WHO ARE WEARY AND BURDENED
All mankind bear many heavy burdens, the heaviest of which is
sin. [SDA Commentary]
Sinners, wearied in the ways of iniquity, are also
invited to come to this Christ, and find speedy relief.
Penitents, burdened with the guilt of their crimes, may
come to this Sacrifice, and find instant pardon.
Believers, sorely tempted, and oppressed by the remains
of the carnal mind, may come to this blood, that cleanseth from all
unrighteousness; and, purified from all sin, and powerfully succoured in every
temptation, they shall find uninterrupted rest in this complete Saviour.
All are invited to come, and all are promised rest.
(Adam Clarke Commentary)
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