“Gentle and Humble” 9-12-21
Overview
The Heart of Jesus: Gentle and Humble
Across all 89 chapters of the four Gospels, there is only one place where Jesus directly tells us about His own heart. Halfway through Matthew 11:29, He says, "I am gentle and humble in heart." In Scripture, the heart is far more than the seat of feelings—it is the controlling center of a person, encompassing thoughts, motives, attitudes, and actions. So when Jesus describes His heart this way, He is revealing what truly animates Him. Consider who is speaking: the One to whom the Father has handed over all things Matthew 11:27, the One through whom all things were created John 1, the One before whom every knee will bow Philippians 2, whose eyes are like a flame of fire and whose face shines like the sun in full strength Revelation 1. The sovereign Ruler of the universe, when describing Himself, chooses these two words: gentle and humble.
Come and Rest
"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" Matthew 11:28. The weariness Jesus speaks of is a particular kind—the exhaustion of trying to please God by our own efforts, of trying to earn our way into His favor. The Judaizers taught that salvation came by grace through faith plus perfect adherence to the law. Peter rebuked this in Acts 15, calling it a yoke neither they nor their ancestors could bear. The law was never given as a vehicle to salvation. Jesus gives rest by taking our sin upon Himself at the cross and crediting His perfect life to our account—the great exchange. Like God resting on the seventh day not from fatigue but because the work was finished, we rest because there is nothing left to add. As Ephesians 2 reminds us, salvation is by grace through faith, "and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."
Take His Yoke and Learn
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me." An ancient Jewish saying urged disciples, "Put your neck under the yoke and let your soul receive instruction"—submitting oneself to a teacher. Jesus invites us to submit to His teaching, and the reason He gives is His heart: "for I am gentle and humble in heart." His yoke is easy and His burden light precisely because what we discover under it is Him—His gentleness, His mercy, His faithfulness. There is no one more understanding, more comforting, more accessible, more forgiving, more consistent, or more dependable than the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no one more welcoming to sinners, no one who can change a heart like He can.
Pastoral Application
Listen, as a doctor listens with a stethoscope, to the heart of Jesus. It beats with love. It circulates concern for you. It calls with steady rhythm: come, rest, learn. If you are weary from trying to impress God or earn His favor, lay that burden down. Then take up the joyful yoke of learning Christ—through Scripture, through worship, through the ongoing study of His Word in every season of life and at every age. The more we learn of Him, the more we find rest for our souls.
Transcript
Would you open your Bibles please with me to the 11th chapter of the gospel of Matthew? 2s
If you're using a few additional this morning, you're going to find that on page 10 for our 8s
study today. 13s
Matthew the 11th chapter. 15s
The heart, the heart. 19s
So often when we refer to the heart, we're talking not just of the muscle here that the 23s
Lord has given us, not just that organ, but so often it's used to communicate emotion 29s
feeling. 36s
You ever heard the phrase or used the phrase, it just broke my heart. 39s
That's a communication of feeling and emotion, isn't it? 46s
But interestingly, when you look at how scripture defines heart, it is so much more 51s
encompassing than what we typically use that term for. 57s
With regard to scriptures understanding of heart, is there the feeling and the emotional 64s
aspect to it, of course? 69s
But there's also the sense of that which animates us, that which drives us. 73s
It can be described as the controlling center of us that involves our thoughts, our motives, 81s
our attitudes, our actions, our feelings. 90s
It's much, much more encompassing. 94s
I think for example of Jesus when recorded in Matthew 9, he says, why do you think evil 98s
in your hearts? 106s
Notice the connection there? 109s
There's the connection between ones thoughts and the heart. 111s
There are 89 chapters in the four gospels, 89. 120s
There is one verse, and specifically just a small part of one verse, where Jesus directly 127s
talks about his heart. 142s
One verse. 148s
Look at it with me, please. 151s
Verse 29, Matthew 11, halfway through. 153s
Jesus says, I am gentle and humble in heart. 159s
And ponder that from moment with me. 173s
What you? 175s
This is the sovereign ruler of all. 177s
Jump up into verse 27 of Matthew 11. 181s
There it says, all things have been handed over to me by my father, and no one knows the 185s
Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the 192s
Son chooses to reveal him. 198s
Jesus says that the Father has handed everything over to Him. 201s
In John 1, chapter it tells us that everything that is has been created through the second 205s
number of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet the sovereign ruler of the universe 211s
describes His heart. 220s
It's gentle and it's humble. 225s
I think of Philippians, the second chapter. 234s
Therefore God has highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name so 240s
that the name of Jesus every knee should bend in heaven and on earth and under the earth. 246s
This is the sovereign ruler of all. 253s
This is the one to whom every knee is to bend and when describing His heart, he says, 257s
this is who I am. 266s
I'm gentle and I'm humble. 268s
It's my heart. 274s
Jesus described in Revelation 1 chapter. 279s
His eyes were like a flame of fire. 283s
His voice was like the sound of many waters. 286s
His face was like the sun shining with full force. 289s
And Jesus' descriptors of Himself coming down to just a few words amongst the 89 chapters 296s
of the Gospels. 306s
Here's my heart. 309s
I'm gentle and I'm humble. 313s
Gentle can be translated. 320s
Humble. 324s
Humble can be translated. 325s
The image is of the second member of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ, stupid to us in service. 327s
Amazing picture. 345s
Like a doctor with a stethoscope, listen to the heart of Jesus. 350s
Listen to his heart. 359s
Look at our text Matthew chapter 11, picking up verse 28. 361s
Jesus says, come to me all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens. 368s
This is a special type of exhaustion that Jesus is talking about here. 379s
Jesus isn't specifically referring to times where you say, you know I'm just beat. 384s
Or I'm just going to, I'm just kind of worn down or I'm really tired. 390s
Now this is a specific application, a specific rearingness here that he's referred to. 394s
This is carrying of heavy burdens. 401s
And what is the rearingness? 404s
What are the heavy burdens here that Jesus is talking about? 407s
But Jesus is talking about trying to please God by our own efforts. 411s
That's the exhaustion that he's talking about. 419s
Trying to earn our way into God's good graces, trying to earn our way into a relationship where he says, 423s
now you are worthy to be redeemed. 434s
That's the exhaustion that Jesus is talking about. 437s
I think of the Judaizers talked about in Holy Scripture. 443s
The Judaizers was a group that believed that you are saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 446s
Plus following all the law and adhering to it and fulfilling it. 456s
That's salvation by grace through faith. 462s
Plus works. 465s
Now there's a whole sermon series on how that's expressed today, right? 468s
But the Judaizers believe that the law of God plus your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ 471s
mix it in a bowl altogether and as long as you are obedient enough, then you will be saved. 480s
Peter addresses that Acts 15. He says, now therefore, why are you putting God to the test? 490s
By placing on the neck of the disciples, A.E. Yoke that neither are ancestors nor we have been able to bear. 495s
The law of God was never given by God to be a vehicle unto salvation. 507s
When was the law of God codified? That which he had written on and writes on the heart of every individual, 513s
was not codified. It was not written down until after the fall into sin. 519s
The law was never ever given as a vehicle to where God says, if you fulfill this good enough, 525s
you can earn your way into heaven itself and earn your way into relationship with me. 534s
It was never given to do that. How exhausting to try and earn your way into relationship with 542s
God by fulfilling all of the law. And what does Jesus say? Come to me. All you that are weary and 555s
carrying heavy burdens. All you that are just exhausted from trying to impress God, 573s
all of you that are carrying the burden of trying to earn your own salvation. 588s
Jesus has come to me. Come to me. His heart beats with love. 598s
Like a doctor with a stethoscope, listen to the heart of God and how it circulates 614s
concern for us. Right after Jesus calls us to come to him. All that are burdened down with 626s
trying to earn their own salvation. Right after that, he says, in the second part of verse 28, 635s
and I will give you rest. Give your rest. What's rest? It's stopping motion. It's stopping 640s
initiative. It's stopping action. It's stopping all of that. And resting. How did Jesus give rest 657s
by taking our sins upon him at the cross? By paying our sin dead. By taking all of the things 673s
that we have done and giving us what he has done, living the perfect life, crediting it 682s
to our account. The great exchange that Luther talks about. Jesus taking our sin and giving to us 691s
his perfection. To where there is nothing for us to do to earn our way into God's good 698s
races. God claims us. God decides about us. God gives us faith. It's the image of the seventh day 709s
of creation. What did God do on the seventh day of creation? But God rested. Why? Because God was 718s
just worn out from creating everything? No. He rested. Why? Because there was nothing left to do. 724s
That's the image that we can keep in mind in terms of our own relationship with God. 733s
We contribute nothing to our salvation. We bring nothing to the table. 743s
Ephesians the second chapter. We have been saved by grace through faith. And then it says, 752s
and this is not your own doing. It is a gift from God. It's not our own doing. We bring nothing 760s
to the table. Jesus says, you weary. You weary with trying to impress me. We're being with that. 773s
Trying to earn your salvation? Come to me. Come to me. I've got rest for you. 785s
Like a doctor with a stethoscope, listen to the beat of the heart of Jesus. It beats with love. 801s
Like a doctor with a stethoscope, listen to the heart of Jesus. It circulates with his concern for us. 810s
And like a doctor with a stethoscope, listen to the heart of Jesus. Listen to the rhythm of it. 827s
The consistent, steady call to learn. To learn. 838s
It's our reflect on my life on teachers that I have been blessed with. 854s
I think of Mrs. Cameron, fifth grade, 10 o'clock every Friday morning, a one minute memorized speech 861s
in the auditorium. Everyone that had her every year did that. That's formative. It's formative. 869s
I think of my seventh grade tutor, I would go up to church before the Wednesday night activities 882s
would start for an hour earlier than everybody else. And I would sit in my father's office with Mr. 887s
Berg and he would tutor me in geometry every single Wednesday night. And it was unspoken. 895s
But we all both had the realization that God did not put me on this earth to be an architect. 904s
It's the seminary professor that when you're a newbie, only the first year people sit in the front row. 913s
Because when he gets a go and talking about the grace of God and what God is like, 921s
he leans in and puts his grill right into the face of those that are in the front row. 927s
He leans down on the table and outcomes his sanctified spittle right into your face. 935s
And it's the upper classman that laugh at the naivete of the newbies that have an experience to yet. 943s
It's the seminary professor that I hadn't talked to for 30 years who calls me one day and says, 955s
well David, I'm just calling all my students one by one. No reason. 972s
Just want to you to know I'm praying for you. So how has ministry been for you? How are you? 980s
It was an ancient Jewish saying and the saying said this, put your neck under the yoke and let your soul receive instruction. 992s
Put your neck under the yoke and let your soul receive instruction. That was putting yourself under one's teaching. 1005s
Under and submitting to the teaching. 1017s
Notice here the image that Jesus uses in our text. This is exactly what he's referring to here. 1024s
Go back into verse 28. Come to me all your weary caring heavy burdens. 1032s
I'll give you rest. Then he says take my yoke upon you and another thing he says and learn from me. 1039s
You see what he's referring to here is that ancient Jewish saying. It is submit yourself. He says to my teaching. 1048s
And why he says, because I'm gentle and humble in heart as we submit ourselves to the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1056s
we discover who he is. The essence of taking the yoke that Jesus calls us to take. 1065s
The essence of it is simply what he refers to here. It is learning more about who he is like. 1077s
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. I'm gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 1089s
What a glorious yoke that is. 1107s
Learning more about who Jesus is. 1111s
What an easy burden that is. How light that is because what is it that we discover when we study about him. 1114s
We discover his heart. We discover the manifestation of his gentleness and his humility. 1123s
We discover and get to know him all the more. Jesus says, now there's a joyous light yoke 1134s
to have on. That's easy. And there's rest associated with that. 1142s
Because we continually find out what he is done and who he is and there's rest for us. 1152s
The essence of the yoke born out of the heart of love that beats with love for us. 1164s
That circulates with concern for us. The steady rhythm of his call for us to learn. 1172s
And we learn about him that there is no one. 1181s
More understanding, more comforting, more accessible than the Lord Jesus Christ. 1187s
We learn about him that there is no one more forgiving, no one more consistent, and no one more 1195s
dependable than the Lord Jesus Christ. We learn about him that there is no one more welcoming to sinners 1203s
and a source of joy than the Lord Jesus Christ. We learn about him that there is no one who can 1214s
change the heart more than the Lord Jesus Christ. We learn about him that there is no one that is more 1223s
gentle and more humble than the Lord Jesus Christ. No one. Come to me. All you that are weary 1235s
and caring, heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. 1257s
For I'm gentle and humble and heart and you will find rest for your souls. 1271s
On this day in which we rally a new around God's word. On this day when we begin Sunday school 1284s
a new for age three through a day. On this day, may we take by God's grace that yoke 1293s
and learn about him. Learn about him. Learn about his heart. 1308s