Jesus Christ: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
If a person expresses such an extensive invitation, one could think he has great means and power to be able to keep such a promise. However, when looking at the context of these verses from the Bible, it does not look like it. The leaders of the people had rejected Jesus, a carpenter’s son from Nazareth, and thought little of him. Was it wise to follow this itinerant preacher? Then one was also likely to be despised.
Such were the people’s perceptions, and they were very superficial because the passage of the above verse starts with Jesus praying to his heavenly father. Indeed! This Jesus is God’s Son and at the same time a true man depending on God. Jesus thanks his father that he had hidden the truth about his Son – Jesus Christ – before the wise and prudent, but instead revealed it to babes. This twofold view exists even today. The wise and prudent are those who think they do not need God and say: “I only believe that which I can see.” However, the other view is God’s promise: the just shall live by his faith (Habakuk 2:4). The babes mentioned have this faith, therefore God has revealed to them the truth about his son – and he continues to do so today.
This is the context of the invitation the Son of God has made by saying: “Come to me!” Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ truly possesses this immeasurable greatness and power to keep his promise: he will give rest to those who come to him with all their troubles and sins. Only he alone can give this rest.
What is meant by rest here is not just rest as we know it today. What it also speaks of is this eternal rest with God. Do you know this rest? Do you have peace with God? Jesus Christ’s offer to come to him is still valid today. If you confess God your sins and personally accept the work of the Son of God at Calvary, then God’s promise will become true in that he will forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9): then you will have rest and peace with God.
Please accept this offer of grace the Lord Jesus makes: come to him!