Finding True Rest in Jesus' Meekness and Love

 

Summary

In today's reflection, we explored the profound question: "What is Jesus really like?" This inquiry is not merely about theological categories or personal interpretations but about understanding Jesus through His own self-revelation. In John 14, Jesus challenges Philip, and by extension us, to truly know Him beyond superficial acquaintance. This challenge is echoed in Matthew 11, where Jesus offers a unique self-description, inviting us to see Him as He is—meek and lowly in heart.

Jesus' invitation to "come to me" is extended to those who labor and are heavy-laden, revealing His heart for the weary and burdened. This invitation is not just a call to physical rest but a deeper, spiritual rest that addresses the core of human restlessness. The burdens of life, whether societal, personal, or spiritual, find their resolution in Jesus, who promises rest for our souls. This rest is not merely the absence of labor but the presence of peace and fulfillment found in Him.

The promise of rest is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative, tracing back to creation where God established rest as a fundamental aspect of life. Jesus fulfills this promise by entering into the depths of human restlessness, particularly through His suffering and sacrifice. In the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross, Jesus bore the weight of our sin and restlessness, offering us peace through His chastisement.

Moreover, Jesus' meekness and lowliness are not signs of weakness but of strength under control, humility, and a willingness to serve. This is exemplified in His washing of the disciples' feet, including those who would deny and betray Him. His humility invites us to approach Him without fear, knowing that He understands our struggles and offers grace and rest.

Ultimately, Jesus' invitation is to enter into a relationship with the Father, where we can call God "Abba, Father," finding our true rest in His presence. This relationship transforms our burdens into a yoke that is easy and light, as we are yoked with Christ who carries the weight with us.

Key Takeaways:

- Knowing Jesus Beyond Theology: Understanding Jesus requires moving beyond theological categories to a personal relationship where we truly know Him as He is—meek and lowly in heart. This knowledge transforms our perception and relationship with Him. [02:44]

- Invitation to the Weary: Jesus' invitation to those who labor and are heavy-laden reveals His heart for the burdened. He offers rest not just from physical toil but from the deep spiritual restlessness that plagues humanity. [09:34]

- Rest as a Biblical Promise: The concept of rest is woven throughout the biblical narrative, from creation to the promise of a redeemer. Jesus fulfills this promise, offering rest through His sacrifice and victory over sin. [21:15]

- Meekness as Strength: Jesus' meekness is not weakness but a profound strength that comes from humility and service. His willingness to wash the feet of His betrayer and denier exemplifies His lowly heart and invites us to approach Him with confidence. [32:33]

- Relationship with the Father: Through Jesus, we are invited into a relationship with the Father, where we can call Him "Abba." This relationship offers true rest and transforms our burdens into a yoke that is easy and light. [35:20]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:21] - Knowing the Famous
- [01:33] - The Upper Room Question
- [02:44] - What is Jesus Really Like?
- [04:10] - Jesus' Self-Description
- [05:42] - Invitation to the Weary
- [07:24] - Who Jesus Invites
- [09:34] - The Burdened and Heavy-Laden
- [11:28] - Restlessness and Sin
- [13:29] - Jesus as the Light of the World
- [16:41] - The Promise of Rest
- [18:08] - Understanding Biblical Rest
- [21:15] - Rest in the Biblical Narrative
- [25:15] - Jesus' Sacrifice and Rest
- [31:03] - Meek and Lowly in Heart
- [35:20] - Relationship with the Father

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- John 14:6-9
- Matthew 11:28-30
- Genesis 3:15

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Observation Questions:

1. In John 14, how does Jesus respond to Philip's request to show them the Father, and what does this reveal about knowing Jesus? [01:55]

2. According to Matthew 11:28-30, who does Jesus invite to come to Him, and what does He promise to those who accept His invitation? [07:44]

3. How does the sermon describe the concept of rest as it is woven throughout the biblical narrative, starting from creation? [18:30]

4. What examples from the sermon illustrate Jesus' meekness and lowliness, and how do these traits reflect His strength? [32:33]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. What does it mean to know Jesus beyond theological categories, and how can this deeper understanding transform one's relationship with Him? [02:22]

2. How does Jesus' invitation to the weary and burdened challenge societal views on strength and rest? [09:34]

3. In what ways does the biblical promise of rest, as fulfilled by Jesus, address the core of human restlessness? [21:15]

4. How does Jesus' act of washing the disciples' feet, including those who would deny and betray Him, exemplify His meekness and humility? [33:34]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your personal relationship with Jesus. How can you move beyond theological knowledge to truly know Him as He is—meek and lowly in heart? [02:44]

2. Jesus invites those who are weary and burdened to find rest in Him. What burdens are you currently carrying, and how can you bring them to Jesus for rest? [09:34]

3. The sermon highlights rest as a biblical promise fulfilled in Jesus. How can you incorporate a rhythm of rest into your life that reflects this promise? [21:15]

4. Consider a situation where you might need to demonstrate meekness and humility. How can you draw strength from Jesus' example to approach this situation? [32:33]

5. Jesus invites us into a relationship with the Father, where we can call Him "Abba." How does this intimate relationship with God change the way you view your burdens? [35:20]

6. Identify a specific area in your life where you feel restless. What steps can you take to seek the peace and fulfillment that Jesus offers? [16:41]

7. Reflect on a time when you felt overwhelmed by life's challenges. How can the promise of rest in Jesus provide comfort and hope in similar situations in the future? [17:02]

Devotional

Day 1: Knowing Jesus Beyond Theology
Understanding Jesus requires moving beyond theological categories to a personal relationship where we truly know Him as He is—meek and lowly in heart. This knowledge transforms our perception and relationship with Him. Jesus challenges us to see Him not just through the lens of doctrine but through His own self-revelation. In John 14, He invites us to know Him deeply, beyond superficial acquaintance. This invitation is a call to experience His character and heart, which are marked by humility and gentleness. By knowing Jesus in this way, we are invited into a transformative relationship that reshapes how we live and interact with the world. [02:44]

John 14:8-9 (ESV): "Philip said to him, 'Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.' Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?'"

Reflection: Consider how you currently perceive Jesus. What steps can you take today to deepen your understanding of Him beyond theological knowledge and into a personal relationship?


Day 2: Invitation to the Weary
Jesus' invitation to those who labor and are heavy-laden reveals His heart for the burdened. He offers rest not just from physical toil but from the deep spiritual restlessness that plagues humanity. This invitation is a profound call to find solace in Him, addressing the core of human restlessness. Jesus understands the weight of societal, personal, and spiritual burdens and extends His hand to offer peace and fulfillment. His promise of rest is not merely the absence of work but the presence of His peace, which transcends our circumstances. [09:34]

Matthew 11:28-29 (ESV): "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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."

Reflection: Identify a specific burden you are carrying today. How can you bring this burden to Jesus and accept His invitation to find rest in Him?


Day 3: Rest as a Biblical Promise
The concept of rest is woven throughout the biblical narrative, from creation to the promise of a redeemer. Jesus fulfills this promise, offering rest through His sacrifice and victory over sin. From the beginning, God established rest as a fundamental aspect of life, and Jesus embodies this promise by entering into our restlessness. Through His suffering and sacrifice, He provides a way for us to experience true peace. This rest is not just a cessation of activity but a deep, spiritual fulfillment found in Him. [21:15]

Hebrews 4:9-10 (ESV): "So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his."

Reflection: Reflect on your understanding of rest. How can you incorporate the biblical promise of rest into your daily life, especially in times of stress and anxiety?


Day 4: Meekness as Strength
Jesus' meekness is not weakness but a profound strength that comes from humility and service. His willingness to wash the feet of His betrayer and denier exemplifies His lowly heart and invites us to approach Him with confidence. This strength under control is a model for us to follow, demonstrating that true power lies in humility and service to others. Jesus' actions challenge us to reconsider our understanding of strength and to embrace a life of meekness, which is characterized by grace and compassion. [32:33]

Philippians 2:5-7 (ESV): "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."

Reflection: Think of a situation where you can demonstrate meekness and humility. How can you serve others today in a way that reflects Jesus' strength through humility?


Day 5: Relationship with the Father
Through Jesus, we are invited into a relationship with the Father, where we can call Him "Abba." This relationship offers true rest and transforms our burdens into a yoke that is easy and light. Jesus' invitation is not just to know Him but to enter into a familial relationship with God, where we find our identity and rest. This relationship is transformative, turning our burdens into shared experiences with Christ, who walks alongside us. By embracing this relationship, we find peace and fulfillment in the presence of our loving Father. [35:20]

Romans 8:15-16 (ESV): "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."

Reflection: How does viewing God as "Abba, Father" change your perspective on your relationship with Him? What steps can you take today to deepen this relationship and experience His rest?

Quotes



Think about those questions and connection with our Lord Jesus Christ how long have you known him, probably for many of us relatively easy to answer but the second question is a little more testing isn't it tell me what he is really like tell me what he is really like. [00:00:59]

The real question is what is Jesus really like not just how do you like to think about Jesus but what is Jesus really like and these verses at the end of Matthew chapter 11 stand out in Matthew's Gospel in a sense they stand out in the synoptic Gospels as a place in which in a very singular striking way the Lord Jesus himself tells us what he is like. [00:03:36]

We know what Jesus is like first of all by the invitation that he offers us the invitation is come to me but what's interesting about the invitation is those to whom the invitation is extended at times in my life teaching and theological seminaries I've had inquisitive students coming up to me and saying if you were able to have a dinner party at the end of the week then which for theologians from the history of the church would you invite. [00:07:38]

Jesus guests those to whom the invitation doors come he says to me you who labor and are heavy-laden you who are we, you who are pertinent those are not the people you want a certain I guess because Louis people are enormously hard work those people are enormous ly difficult to love, most people are enormous ly difficult to draw how to unpick to untangle the complexities that make them weary and heavy-laden and burdened and sore Jesus says that's the people he wants to invite. [00:08:39]

And it's interesting just to think about this for a moment because the language he uses is deliberately general we're not able to tell from this text exactly what was it that buttoned these people what was it that oppress them and made them feel they were heavy made and made them feel that they were somehow or another yoked to something that was uncomfortable and irritating and caused friction and distress. [00:09:41]

But as you remember the Apostle Paul points out on more than one occasion when he's writing to Gentiles who do not have the law of God his basic response to them is you may not have the written law of God but you cannot escape having been created as the image of God and so long as you're the image of God created to function according to the law of God then there will manifest itself in your life the same kind of weariness the same kind of burden because of what the Scriptures call your sin and your iniquity your transgression your rebellion or what you may experience as your failure. [00:10:57]

Here is our Lord Jesus Christ one day he will remove all these burdens one day we will no longer be weary even the oldest person in the room will no longer be weary but even now he says if you're burdened heavy laden come to me and I will give you rest and that of course is the second thing to notice that he says there's the invitation that he offers us and then there's the promise that he makes to us I will give you rest I will give you rest. [00:16:31]

Rest was how God created the world indeed he created the world with so much rest but on the seventh day he was able to rest wasn't he, what a wonder if you ever thought about it like this the day of rest which was the seventh day was Adam's first day isn't that right he was created on the sixth day he apparently went to sleep twice one occasion this beautiful woman appears the other occasion the seventh day appears and he begins his life resting. [00:18:20]

The whole of the rest of the Bible narrative is a story of the restlessness of our sinful condition with the promise that one would come who would bring rest it would be it would be a rest but would be bought at a bloody price genesis 3:15 and you remember a couple of chapters later on when Noah's parents of their baby boy you remember why they called him Noah the name Noah sounds very like the Hebrew verb for rest and remember what they said about him perhaps this is the one who will bring wrath. [00:21:11]

And when Jesus says come to me you who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest, he's saying the hopes and the fears of all the centuries the fulfillment of all the promises I am the one in whom the promises of God are yes and our men and this promise that God gave in genesis 3:15 his oldest promise and scripture his most difficult to keep promise in scripture his longest lasting promise in scripture is being fulfilled in me I am that rest to which all those shadows pointed. [00:24:15]

Our Lord Jesus bring rest well there are there are two aspects to the way in which he doesn't antler he does it first of all by entering into the deepest darkness of our restlessness and the the Gospel writers especially mark bring this out in very powerful terms as they as as mark sees Jesus going into the Garden of Gethsemane and describes Jesus experience in the Garden of Gethsemane he uses violently emotional language about what Jesus was going through his soul was sorrowful troubled and mark says that that Jesus began to be filled with sorrow. [00:25:15]

And he invites us to come because he is the way to the Father and as we come with him I am meek and lowly in heart he says come with me I'm inviting you you labor your heavy laden and I will give you rest you notice the words that precede all this not the uncomfortable words but the words that identify him as to who he is I thank you Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and you've revealed them to babes. [00:34:59]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?