Come to Me, all 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.’” Matthew 11:28-29, TLV

Rest in Him.  Oh my. The context of these verses is not what you might think. These verses of comfort and love appear at the end of a series of statements from Jesus about John the Immerser, about towns that turned their backs on truth and therefore GOD, and His pronouncements of judgment on these towns. Then He pauses and turns to His Father — in frustration? In sadness? Surely sadness, because He knows John’s fate. Frustration because these towns’ foolishness means a horrible judgment.

At that time Yeshua said in response, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and discerning and revealed them to infants.” (vs. 25, TLV)

Yeshua turns to His Father and marvels at His wisdom in using the humble to be the vessels of truth — now and in the future. A future of wonder and pain, salvation and persecution, revelation and disappointment.

Then Jesus makes clear His authority:

“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” (vs. 27, TLV)

But those the Son chooses will see difficulty as well as miracles. It will be exhausting work with as much sorrow as joy. It is within this context that He turns to His followers and says, “Learn from me. Your rest can be found in Me no matter what is before you.”

It’s no different today. We may be burdened and weary from our efforts for Him, but when we turn to Him, learn from Him, walk next to Him, we will find rest. Even for the long road ahead, we can find rest.