The increasing rejection of the Lord Jesus as King of Israel only had the effect of bringing out His higher glories as the Son of God from all eternity. He was the Revealer of the Father, full of grace and truth. How great the grace that had been shown to Israel, but now it was to have its widest and fullest expression. It would flow out to Gentiles as well as Jews, to man wherever he may be found. And here it is that we have the blessed invitation in the Lord’s words, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
“They come from Him who knew the depth of woe,
And felt for sinners as none here below.”
All are invited — the sin-burdened, the weary, the sad, none can be too wretched — “Come . . . and I will give you rest.” The Lord does not say here how these burdens will be removed, but we know it could only be by the way of the cross.
“Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” The Lord had spoken of a rest that He gives to needy souls that come. Now He tells of a rest that they would find who having put their trust in Him, submit themselves to His yoke and seek grace to walk with Him. We experience this rest of soul through being in subjection to His Word in the daily circumstances of life. Those who do so prove the truth of the Lord’s words, “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
The True King in Rejection
In chapter 12 the Lord Jesus no longer is presented to His people as their Messiah. Now He comes into conflict with the leaders over their traditions as to the Sabbath, and He takes the position that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. Upon their rejecting Him as the Messiah, He shows that God’s covenant relationship with them as a nation is set aside.
It was on the Sabbath day and Jesus went through the cornfields with His disciples. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the ears of corn and to eat them. When the Pharisees saw it they found fault saying that it was not lawful to do so on the Sabbath. In reply the Lord cites the case of David. David, when rejected, went into the house of God with his followers and ate the showbread, which ordinarily was only lawful for the priests to eat. Things were in a sad state in Israel when their anointed king was persecuted and in rejection and had to eat the showbread. It was the same now, only One greater than David was there. The true King was in rejection and His followers were hungry. Therefore, what the Pharisees contended for was but empty formality. The Lord lets them know that the One who was greater than the Sabbath had power to change it. They had been attempting to carry out that which had been instituted by God in a carnal and intellectual way. They had not discerned the spirit in which these things should have been kept. They had not learned what was meant by the prophet of old when it was said, “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.” So they were unable to understand that the Son of Man had come who also had authority over the Sabbath.
Further Meditation
1. How do we get rest for our souls?
2. What did God’s covenant relationship with Israel depend on?
3. For more on the subject of the Sabbath you might find The Sabbath, the Law and Christian Ministry by C. H. Mackintosh to be very enlightening.