By Pastor Tedd Mathis

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give rest for your souls. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my load is light. — Matthew 11:27-30

A red flag goes up in my mind any time I hear the word ‘easy.’ Maybe it’s my memories of early teen years and being the scrawny kid with two left feet who was told chewing gum and walking at the same time was easy. Maybe it’s those comments from others when starting a new job and being told a task was easy – and it felt like it was months before I caught on. I get a little suspicious when I hear the word ‘easy.’

But when I come to Jesus’ words about His yoke being easy, first days on the job and 7^th grade awkwardness are not what come to mind. Rest for a burdened and weary soul is a reality I know: Guilt, shame, sorrow, regrets, confusion, betrayal (mine, others), fear, despair. So how can taking on a yoke address those burdens? The picture Jesus uses is one of attaching a device about the necks of two oxen so that together they may pull a cart. How does that ‘fit?’

Before Jesus says anything about an easy yoke, he makes some audacious claims.
+ God the Father has handed over all things to him
+ No one knows the Son (that is Jesus) like the Father… AND, no one knows the Father except the Son
+ It is the Son’s prerogative (since the Father has handed over all things to him) to reveal the Father to whom he – the Son — chooses.

So here’s the picture: I join my life (yoke my life) to Christ, bringing along all my wearisome, heavy burdens. He – who REALLY knows what God is like – He is willing to yoke up with me! So He –united to me – takes all my wearisome burdens on Himself. And in my union with the one who is so infinite in His knowledge, I get rest. Christ in all His perfections carries my load!

Rest, freedom for the soul isn’t found ‘deeper’ within us; rest is in union with Christ. Our soul’s rest is in uniting our life with the One who perfectly, fully knows the God of the universe. Jesus is the only one who truly knows the Father, and He’s the only one who has the capacity or where with all to bring us to the Father. To know the Father is to have eternal life (John 17:3) and it’s only Jesus who can teach us this.

It’s only in union with Christ we can know forgiveness. It’s only in union with Christ where there is direction for our lives. It’s only in union with Christ we find truth (John 14:6). It’s only in union with Christ we have hope (Rom. 8:18-39).  It’s only in union with Christ we have peace that surpasses understanding (Phil. 4:7).

Entirely at his prerogative, Jesus the Son invites anyone who labors and is heavy burden to come to Him. The invitation isn’t slick marketing or made by someone on their own journey of self-discovery. It is rooted in Christ’s God-given authority and His unique capacity to make the eternal Father knowable (11:27. There is no catch, no fine print, no hidden clause — whosoever will may come. However, coming requires yoking oneself with Christ and Christ alone.

So how can taking His yoke be ‘easy’? I think it’s easy in this sense: He alone reveals the Father and knowing the Father through who Jesus is and what He has done is all we need for eternal life. This is what Jesus states in John 17:3 — This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. He in the end carries all the weight! Yoked to Christ does require going wherever He leads (no doubt we will stumble and even have to be dragged along at times). But where Christ is taking those united to Him, in the end, is worth the yoke!