From the Pastor – September 2024
“[Jesus said,] ‘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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’” Matthew 11:28-30
The Third Commandment tells us to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. But what we must remember is that the Sabbath was made for us, we were not made for the Sabbath. God instituted the Sabbath in order to relieve our suffering and to take away our burden of sin. The Sabbath means rest, and rest means forgiveness. Forgiveness of sins is a lighter burden by far, in fact, it is no burden at all. … And in Jesus we find our Sabbath rest. That is what He is telling us right here in our text. Jesus is our rest because He is the one who replaces the yoke of the Law with the yoke of the Gospel. He is the one who takes away the burden of sin and death and eternal damnation and replaces it with forgiveness and resurrection and life eternal.
The Third Commandment tells us to remember the Sabbath so that we might not despise preaching or God’s Word, but that we would hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it. And we do this because God’s Word is the only way in which we can be relieved from our hard yoke and difficult burden. In God’s Word we are given the yoke of the Law which crushes us to the point of despair and drives us to the only place that we can receive reprieve and comfort. In God’s Word we are given the Gospel of Jesus, Him crucified for you; His body broken, His blood shed, and it is all for you. In short, in God’s Word we receive Jesus.
A yoke ties you to something. Think of a farmer in the field and two oxen yoked together to plow the dirt. They are tied to each other and can do nothing that the other doesn’t do. This is what Jesus is talking about when He uses this word “yoke” in our text for today. Initially we are tied to the yoke of the Law which demands perfection. And if we are tied to a yoke that demands perfection then we are tied to the consequences of our imperfection; we are tied to sin and must go where sin leads us, and sin leads us to death.
But in Jesus there is life. In the Gospel of the cross and Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins there is a burden so light it is really no burden at all. And that is because we are, you are, yoked to Jesus. … You have been baptized into Christ, and therefore you have been yoked to Him, tied to Him, made to be one with Him. In your baptism, Jesus has taken the yoke of the Law from you, the demand for your perfection and He has replaced it with His perfect righteousness. Around your neck no longer hangs the heavy burden of your sin, but the light and burdenless burden of the forgiveness of sins.
That is the easy yoke of Jesus. Not that everything in life would be peachy and perfect; not that if you only had more faith your life would be easier; not that if you only believed more and prayed harder you would have everything that your heart desired; but instead that you are forgiven. The cross means forgiveness of sins. Jesus means forgiveness of sins and life and salvation. And you are yoked to Christ, tied together with Him. What is His is yours and what was once yours He has taken upon Himself and nailed to the cross. You are one with Him and He is one with you. And because you are yoked with Christ, you know the Father and (better yet) are known by the Father. He gives you everything that is the Son’s and all things have been handed over to the Son (victory over sin, death, and the devil). And because they are His, they are yours. They are yours in your baptism, they are yours in Christ, they are yours forever. … Sins forgiven, eternal life, and salvation: What easier yoke, what lighter burden, could there ever be? … In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Rev. Elisha Lietzau
