‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’ (Matthew 11:28 NIV)

Jesus saw as highlighted that humanity was stressed and powerless (see Matthew 9:36 NIV). The sheep of his pasture were thirsty for living water (see John 4:10 NIV). He himself promised to lead us beside still waters for stillness and peaceful rest. In this simple verse, there are some incredible truths that we need to get hold of if we are to experience this true rest; so let’s go through this statement of Jesus word by word as it is so relevant to us today, and let’s try to understand what it means for so many now experiencing post-COVID trauma.

1. ‘COME’ – this word could be an invitation, a command, or a call depending on what you are going through. Well, whatever this word is for you, remember that it is Jesus who is speaking and His desire is not to harm you but to lead you out of stress, disappointment, or overload and to give you rest. It is a verb, therefore it demands action, so do not hesitate to respond positively to Jesus and discover true rest.

2. ‘TO’ – points to someone, it is a directional word – specific, pointing to someone intentionally and that person is Jesus the Son of God.

3. ‘ME’ – reveals who He wants you to come to; that is why I would take it as an invitation and the invitation to come is from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the highest authority you could ever receive such an invitation from.

4. ‘ALL’ – speaks of no exclusion, no discrimination. Whoever you are, whatever background you come from, this invitation includes you!

5. ‘YOU’ – it’s not any kind of invitation but a personal one, addressed not to anyone else but specifically to you.

6. ‘WHO’ – this has a similar implication to ‘all’; it means ‘anybody’. Irrespective of who you are or how you may feel, you are invited.

7. ‘WEARY’ – you may be tired physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Well, why not answer the invitation now?

8. ‘BURDENED’ – weighed down, feeling crushed? That doesn’t disqualify you in any way, in fact it qualifies you!

9. ‘I’ – no one else but Jesus, your Saviour, your Redeemer, your Healer and so much more.

10. ‘WILL’ – this speaks of certainty, affirmation, without doubt.

11. ‘GIVE’ – tells us there is no cost attached, you don’t need to earn it; it’s free, it’s a Gift. 

12. ‘YOU’ – personal, specific and unique to you.

13. ‘REST’ – means peace of mind; refreshing, renewing, replenishing and only Christ can provide that inner rest.

So today:

A) ‘Come to Jesus’ – He is calling out to you to ‘come and follow’ Him (Matthew 4:19 NIV), ‘come and be his disciple.’ He wants to journey with you. The invitation is for you and you only can decide to answer and follow him. His invitation is also a request to surrender your life to Him and experience total renewal.

B) ‘all you who are weary and burdened’ – Jesus invites you to lay down your heavy load, for His ‘yoke is easy, and [his] burden is light’ (Matthew 11:30 NIV). Some carry the yoke of religion, seeking to please God by their good deeds. Well, Scripture tells us we cannot earn our salvation; it is a free gift. Others carry the heavy burden of seeking justification through some kind of achievement, for recognition. Others are simply worn out by the trials of life in a broken world. So let me encourage you; Jesus is the only answer to all of these. So don’t miss it!

C) ‘and Jesus will give you rest.’ – Rest is our divine promise. Today, many are seeking for peace, stillness, and restoration, so while the invitation is open do not delay – come to Jesus and say, ‘Yes’ to His invitation and experience total release from weariness and burden. FOR HIS YOKE IS EASY AND HIS BURDEN IS LIGHT.

Lastly, remember it is a personal invitation; you can either take it or leave it. The choice is yours to continue to carry your burdens or discover this amazing rest that only Jesus can offer.