Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

SIN IS HEAVY: REST IS LIGHT

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Matthew 11

John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus

Matthew 11:¹ Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.

Matthew 11:² And when John (the baptizer) had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples

Matthew 11:³ and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

Matthew 11:⁴ Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:

Matthew 11:⁵ The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Matthew 11:⁶ And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

Matthew 11:⁷ As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

Matthew 11:⁸ But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.

Matthew 11:⁹ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.

Matthew 11:¹⁰ For this is he of whom it is written:

‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’

Matthew 11:¹¹ “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Matthew 11:¹² And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Matthew 11:¹³ For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

Matthew 11:¹⁴ And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.

Matthew 11:¹⁵ He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Matthew 11:¹⁶ “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions,

Matthew 11:¹⁷ and saying:

‘We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not lament (Lit. beat your breast).’

Matthew 11:¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’

• God will do anything to draw men to Himself.
• He uses each believer to draw nonbelievers differently: whether in music or in silence, in tears or in joy, in confrontation or in kindness, in groups or singular; God wants to bring every lost soul to Himself.

Matthew 11:¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber (wine drinker), a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children (works).”

Woe to the Impenitent Cities

Matthew 11:²⁰ Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:

Matthew 11:²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Matthew 11:²² But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.

Matthew 11:²³ And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, (will you be exalted to heaven? No, you) will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

Matthew 11:²⁴ But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”

Jesus Gives True Rest

Matthew 11:²⁵ At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.

Matthew 11:²⁶ Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

Matthew 11:²⁷ All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

Matthew 11:²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

• Sin is heavy. Rest is light.
• Rabbi David: “Scales must always be balanced. Sin is heavy. Someone innocent has to pay for sin in order to balance the scales.”
• God told Belshazzar, King of Babylon, that he had been weighed in the balances and found wanting; Daniel 5:27
• Luke 21:34  “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.

Matthew 11:²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle (meek) and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:³⁰ For My yoke () is easy and My burden () is light.”

• Jesus is revealing Himself as “El”, the Hebrew word for God. The Hebrew letter “L” is a yoke. The Hebrew letter “E” is an Ox Head, where the thinking is that God yokes Himself to men in order to carry their burdens.

The Hebrew name for God in Genesis 1:1 is “EL”
(the Aleph/ox head and Lamed/yoke)

NOTE: Each Hebrew letter originated as a hieroglyphic meaning. There are two Hebrew letters used to spell “EL” (the name for God). “EL” is spelled with the ancient letters of Aleph and Lamed. The ancient thinking is that God, who is a burden bearer, yokes Himself to man in order to carry man’s burdens; therefore; “EL”

Aleph is the head of an ox (a burden bearer) and Lamed is a yoke.

When Jesus said his burden is light, he identifies himself as a burden bearer, the ox head, and when He is yoked to another, He is making reference to his identity as being “EL” the creator of Genesis 1:1.

Back up verses: Reference
John 1:¹ In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word (Jesus) was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was God (El). ² He was in the beginning with God (together They are Elohim). ³ All things were made through Him (Jesus), and without Him (Jesus) nothing was made that was made.
John 1:¹⁴ And the Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Genesis 1:¹ In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth.