Kingdom Rest

Matthew 11: Taking the Kingdom by Force (7)

Pray Psalm 110.3, 4.
Your people shall be volunteers
In the day of Your power;
In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning,
You have the dew of Your youth.
The LORD has sworn
And will not relent,
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.”

Sing Psalm 110.3, 4.
Aurelia: The Church’s One Foundation
Your people in Your power, arrayed in holiness,
like dew of morning’s hour shall serve like youth refreshed.
The LORD has sworn and never will He His promise check:
“You are a priest forever after Melchizedek.”

Read Matthew 11.1-30; meditate on verse 28.
What kind of “rest” does Jesus offer? To whom?

Prepare.
1. What do we learn in this chapter about the Kingdom of God?

2. Where can we find rest for our souls? 

Meditate.
This chapter begins with violence—the hint of it in John’s imprisonment (v. 2) and the spiritual violence involved in entering the Kingdom of God (v. 12)—and ends in rest and peace (vv. 28-30). These are not opposing ideas where the Kingdom of God is concerned.

We must always bear in mind that spiritual forces of wickedness in high places are loath to yield ground to the advancing Kingdom of God. They will put up a fight at every turn to keep us from realizing more of the righteousness, peace, and joy of the Spirit that Christ has called us to in His Kingdom. We need to deal violently with them, recognizing their wiles, resisting their schemes and distractions, wielding all the weapons of our warfare (Eph. 6.10-20), and pressing on in the yoke with Jesus to plow new furrows for the Kingdom in our Personal Mission Field.

There will be resistance. People are reluctant to admit and repent from their sins, and they may not find our message or our lifestyle to their liking (vv. 16-24). But we don’t look to the approval of others or agreeable circumstances and conditions for the rest our soul desires. We look to Jesus. Walking with Him, sharing in His reconciling and restoring work, and basking in the sweet, clear light of His revelation, we find all the rest we need, rest that not even the devil and his minions nor the enemies of God in this world can keep us from enjoying.

Let us then in meekness and humility look to Jesus as the Coming One, Whose not-of-this-world Kingdom is bringing a new order of the ages to us and our world. And let us, like John, point others to Him, that they might know the Truth that can set them free.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Come to Me, Jesus says to:
you who labor and are heavy-laden workers,
you who are burdened with circumstances and sins.
I will give you rest from:
yourself, your sin, your self-rule, 
your hopelessness, and your fears.
I AM He Who offers you new life.

“The LORD GOD has given Me the tongue of the learned,
that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary” (Is. 50.4).

“I AM the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 
that you should not be their slaves; 
I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright” (Lev. 26.13).

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
I AM the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (Jn. 10.10, 11).

“These things I have spoken to you, 
that in Me you may have peace. 
In the world you will have tribulation; 
but be of good cheer, 
I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16.33).

“Return to your rest, O my soul, 
for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you” (Ps. 116.7).

“For freedom Christ has made us free; stand fast therefore.
And do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5.1).

“Thus says the LORD: 
‘Stand in the ways and see, and 
ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and 
walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls’” (Jer. 6.16).

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, Calling for you and for me;
See on the portals He’s waiting and watching, Watching for you and for me.

O for the wonderful love He has promised, Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon, Pardon for you and for me.

Come home, come home, Ye who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, Calling, O sinner, come home!
(Will L. Thompson, 1880)Your Rest in Me is Kingdom rest, where your abounding work for Me, is never in vain (1 Cor. 15.58).
“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt. 11.30). Come Home.

Reflect.
1. How do you experience the rest we have in Jesus?

2. When you are experiencing the rest of Jesus, what are you doing?

3. How can we as believers help one another know more the rest of Jesus?

Christ invites all to come to Him for rest to their souls. He alone gives this invitation; men come to Him, when, feeling their guilt and misery, and believing His love and power to help, they seek Him in fervent prayer. Thus it is the duty and interest of weary and heavy-laden sinners, to come to Jesus Christ. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Matthew 11.25-30

Pray Psalm 110.1-3, 5-7.
Pray that the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ will come more fully in your life, and through you, to all the people of your Personal Mission Field.

Sing Psalm 110.1-3, 5-7.
Aurelia: The Church’s One Foundation
“Sit by Me at My right hand,” the LORD says to my Lord, 
“until I make Your foot stand on all who hate Your Word.” 
The LORD sends strength from Zion: “Rule all Your enemies.” 
While those who Him rely on go forth the LORD to please.

The Lord is at Your right hand to execute His wrath, 
and judge all kings and all lands—doomed sinners in His path. 
Then, all His foes defeated, He takes His hard-won rest, 
in glorious triumph seated with us, redeemed and blessed.

T. M. and Susie Moore

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

We invite you to join us in ReThinking Church. We explain further at our ReThinking Church page, here.

Other columns of interest: This week: The Read Moore podcast continues readings from our book, The Kingdom Turn. Our Crosfigell teaching letter presses ahead in a series on the state of the Church in Europe at the time of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column begins to examine the hope for the church, especially struggling churches. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.