The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the message of Good News of life, love, hope, and peace in Christ. Jesus came into this world to provide God’s salvation for a world that was hopelessly lost and bound by sin. Contrary to what would have been expected, Jesus was rejected by many of the people and cities to which He did most of His mighty works. It is noteworthy that He healed their sick, cast out demons and in addition had sent seventy of His disciples as an extension of His ministry to destroy the powers of evil. Although these people and cities had rejected Him, the Lord was not willing to surrender the purpose for which He came. In Matthew 11, the Lord clearly said those who rejected Him lost the benefit of His coming. Then Jesus spoke these words of invitation to anyone who would hear Him.
Matthew 11:28–29 NKJV Come to Me, all you 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.
This invitation to “come” includes the possibility to “learn from Him.”
Look at these words “Learn from Me.” What does the Lord want us to do? This is an amazing invitation for anyone to “come and learn from the Lord.” He wants us to learn and do what He says. Jesus is assuming His rightful position as our Rabbi, Teacher, and Priest; however, He expects more than a teacher-student relationship. The Lord wants us to spend enough time with Him that we know His words and we experience His person and power. He is calling us to come into His fellowship and enjoy intimate and personal tutoring and relationship with God the Son. Come and sit at His feet. When we respond, we begin learning not only His words, but His heart.
The invitation is to those who labor and are heavy laden.
Are you familiar with “labor”? Some translations use the words “weary and burdened.” That is the result of labor. The word “labor or weary” — means those who are tired from hard toil, they feel fatigue from work, labor, or effort. The word “heavy laden” — means to be heavy burdened or loaded down. The image the Lord is painting is of those who are weary with the comings and goings of life. They cannot find relief from the burdens of sin or their struggles of life.
It is important to look at what Jesus has been saying to get true understanding.
Matthew 11:27 NKJV 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.
Jesus is talking about truly knowing God.
Learning God and His ways had become a heavy load. Many oppressive codes and religious regulations had been laid upon them that were hard and difficult to maintain. Jesus was presenting a new covenant and better access to God. The Lord came for this reason. He wants to take and bear away from us the burden and weariness.
The key to this is for us to come and “Learn of Me” or “Learn from Me.”
Jesus is giving an open invitation into the school of Jesus Christ.
We must learn Jesus Christ. In the school of the prophets, the students were schooled in hearing and recognizing the true voice of God and how to minister that word with grace and wisdom. Samuel was the founder of the School of the Prophets. You remember that Samuel had been raised in the house of Eli the Priest of God. One night, Samuel heard someone call, “Samuel, my son!” Samuel did not know the voice of God at that time, but he quickly ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” That happened three times before Eli perceived that the Lord was calling for Samuel. Ultimately, Samuel heard the voice of God in the house of Eli and said, “Speak, for Your servant hears.” From that time on, Samuel was open to hear the voice of God.
Jesus is opening a door of fellowship so that we may come in and hear His voice and learn of Him.
Ephesians 4:20–21 NKJV But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
Jesus said, “Come… and learn from Me.”
Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul made a great distinction when he left out the word “from or of” when he said “you have… learned Christ.” Our goal is not just to hear what Jesus says as a teacher, but to learn the Teacher. Many people have learned what Jesus said, but they have not learned Christ. We have been called into the fellowship of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, and now, we must learn Him.
Look at Matthew 11:28-29 again.
After Jesus said, “COME AND LEARN,” His next statement was, “I AM.”
That is why we are entering the School of Christ. We need to learn from Him. He is the LESSON and the TEACHER. Our focus is turned on Him.
What is Jesus like?
What can we learn from being in His presence and from careful observation of Him? We need to hear what He says for He is the great “I AM.” There is a wealth of knowledge, grace, mercy and power in His presence. We need to learn from Who He is and from what He does. Listen to what Jesus says and see how He handles life. We want to learn and know His character and behavior.
Right now, you are in the school of Christ.
The Holy Spirit is bringing you into the presence of Jesus. Every experience you have in life is an opportunity to know more about Christ.
Do you remember how Elisha came under the ministry of Elijah?
Elisha was busy with the business of his farm life. His life’s work was tilling the soil and caring for cattle. Then Elijah came by and dropped his mantle on his shoulders. From that moment, Elisha was in pursuit of the Spirit and power that was upon Elijah. As soon as the old prophet’s mantle fell on his shoulders, Elisha realized something powerful had happened. He would not be satisfied until a double portion of the Spirit that was on Elijah fell on him. All during the time he followed the man of God, he was constantly learning at the feet of Elijah. He was learning. When the Spirit came upon him, he went out in power and did the works of Elijah.
Learning Christ is our goal.
The Apostle Paul gives us some clarity about this.
Galatians 1:15–16 NKJV But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,
He said: Galatians 1:15-16 AMP “…set me apart [even] before I was born and had called me by His grace” God “saw fit and was pleased to reveal (unveil, disclose) His Son within me…”
Pay close attention to those words that “God was pleased to reveal His Son within me.”
Then in 2 Corinthians 12:2–4 NLT I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.
Then he said: Philippians 3:10 NLT I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.”
Let’s try to understand what he is saying.
The Apostle Paul had an experience with God that was so fantastic and astounding that he was caught up into paradise and heard and saw things that could not be expressed in words. His exposure to Christ was deep and powerful, and yet he said, “I want to know Christ.” That is our goal. We want to be exposed to more and more of Jesus Christ. My soul, mind, and whole being wants to know more and more of Jesus. I want to know the power of His resurrection. I want to know Him and live in Him. I want the same Spirit that rested upon Christ to rest upon me. I want the same life, victory and resurrection.
Learning Christ cannot be achieved without the active work of the Holy Spirit.
We may attempt to learn Christ by many methods and means. We may learn of the various aspects of His character, nature, and teaching. We can study about His works, miracles, and sufferings. We can know His historical and earthly life.
Only the Holy Spirit can properly reveal Christ to us.
We desperately need the Holy Spirit’s anointing and help.
John 16:13 NASB95 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
John 16:14–15 NASB95 He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.
We must know more about our Lord. We know of His love, joy, peace, kindness, mercy, grace, faith, righteousness, holiness, goodness.
We need the Holy Spirit to make Christ real and alive in us.
When we started learning Christ, our problem was the weakness of the flesh.
We were like His disciples who walked with Him and were taught by Christ. He has shown us His miracles and we have been blessed by His provision. We have listened to His words, have been healed by His power and have been delivered through His authority.
We need the Holy Spirit to come and show us Christ.
Revelation 1:10 NKJV I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet…”
Revelation 1:17–18 NKJV And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.”
By the power of the Spirit, John saw Jesus Christ as he had never seen Him. God is not wanting you to just see the lowly Christ on the cross or the miracle working Christ. We need to come to know the Resurrection and the Life.
Matthew 11:28-29 Jesus is telling His disciples: “Learn from Me… and you will find rest for your souls.”
We need the vibrant, vigorous, and animated work of the Holy Spirit, if we are going to learn Christ. We are not searching to learn about Christ’s love, grace, mercy, power, peace, joy, kindness, faith. We know much about that.
We need to learn Christ.
