Jesus said, “Come unto Me…” (Part 1 of 4)

In this 4 part lesson we will take a closer look at the open invitation that Christ gives in Matthew 11:28-30. It is evangelistic in nature, but it is also a timely reminder for those of us who are already saved, yet continue to carry heavy burdens. The invitation is a call to repentance and genuine faith. It is also a call to genuine submission to the Will of God for your life.

“Come unto Me”

Scriptures:

Matthew 11:28-30

“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.”

Acts 16:31

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

John 1:12

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name”

John 6:35

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

John 7:37

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”

John 5:24

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

Romans 8:1

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Discussion:

The invitation that Christ gives as recorded in Matthew 11:28-30 is an open invitation to a certain group of people. He starts with the word “Come”. This word “come” means to believe (Acts 16:31), to receive (John 1:12), to eat (John 6:35), to drink (John 7:37), to hear (John 5:24), and to confess (1 John 4:2). Jesus is the object of faith; you are to come to Him. It is not a church, denomination, or even a favorite bible teacher; it is the living Christ Himself. The invitation is to all those who labor and are heavy laden. In order to truly come to Jesus, you must admit within your heart that you are burdened by your sin and in need of salvation. Genuine faith and obedience to Christ and His teachings are always followed by repentance. Once you come to Christ with a repentant heart, Christ promises a gift of rest from your burdens of sin and shame. This gift of “rest” is unearned and unmerited (Ephesians 2:8-9). The “rest” that He gives is twofold: rest in salvation and rest from a guilty conscience. Rest in salvation comes from knowing that Jesus is Lord, and trusting in His promises every day. Rest in conscience comes from believing in His finished work of redemption and reconciliation on the cross. This “rest” of conscience follows the realization that the penalty of your sins has been paid in full and you are no longer required to pay for them (Romans 8:1).

Be Encouraged:

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, the invitation from Jesus to “Come” is not only for the lost that are going down a path that leads to Hell, but for you who have the Holy Spirit within you. Let His invitation be a reminder to you that it is pointless to carry burdens of unconfessed sin that you are not able to carry. Come to Him and Give Him ALL your burdens! He will give you rest from all your labor of trying to cover them up. As mentioned before, this “rest” is a gift of God. Brothers and Sisters, if you have walked with Christ for even a short time you would know how burdensome sin can be. It is like a weight that slowly crushes you into the ground and destroys all that is good. There are many people who live entire life times with such burdens. That is why we too must rebroadcast this invitation to a lost and broken world. “Come to Jesus all of you who are burdened by your sin and He will give you rest!” This is our simple mission Brothers and Sisters, point people to the only Savior, Jesus Christ. Look in the mirror and see your need to come to Him as well. We as believers are not rebroadcasting this invitation from a mountain top as if we already ascended to heaven, but it is on level ground where the rest of the sinners are. Let us be those who memorize Matthew 11:28-30 and be able to recite it at a moment’s notice. The world needs to know where to find rest and you know the directions, point them to Christ’s Words in Matthew 11:28-30.

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