Matthew 11
When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask Him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of Me.” Matthew 11:2-6 NIV
As John sat in prison, he began to have doubts about whether Jesus really was the Messiah. John had seen Jesus, baptized Him, and had told others that this was undoubtedly the Messiah. His faith was wavering because he was expecting Jesus to “clear His threshing floor” (see Matthew 3:1-12). He was expecting the Messiah to pronounce judgment on the people, not to offer them grace and healing. He did not understand that the message of grace would come first, and that the judgment would come later. To reassure John, Jesus sent his disciples to tell him of all the miracles He had been performing, which fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah that were written over 700 years earlier. (See Isaiah 35:5-6). If you sometimes doubt God’s existence, your salvation, the forgiveness of your sins, or God’s work in your life, look at the evidence in scripture and the changes in your life. It is no surprise to God that we will all have doubts. In fact, we should expect our spiritual enemy (AKA Satan) to create doubt in our hearts from time to time. When this happens, respond with your own counterattack by going back to Christ’s credentials and the integrity of God’s Word. Turn your doubts into questions. Turn your questions into prayers. God will reveal Himself and strengthen your faith.
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
In this passage, Jesus is saying that following Him will lead to relief from the burdens of life, compared to the difficulties of the strenuous rules and regulations of the Pharisees. Rules can be difficult to follow, and you can easily get overburdened if you do not know how to do everything that is expected of you. But Jesus does not require us to follow a list of rules and regulations. His requirements for entering the kingdom of God are easy: believe in Him, obey His commands, and God will help you make it through life’s difficulties. If you take Jesus’ yoke on your shoulders, you are participating in life’s responsibilities with a great Partner, and you can rely on Him to help you through difficult tasks, situations, and troubling times. Jesus wants to lighten the load you have been trying to carry all by yourself and give you rest.