When Jesus said, “My yoke is easy…”
When Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30), He wasn’t promising that following Him would be effortless. After all, He was crucified, and He told His followers to take up their cross (Luke 9:23). Some of us will suffer for His name—perhaps not by literal crucifixion, but certainly in ways that require dying to ourselves.
So what did Jesus mean? He was contrasting His yoke with the crushing weight of the Law of Moses.
In Deuteronomy 28:48, God warned Israel that if they failed to keep the Law, He would “put a yoke of iron on [their] neck.” The Law was good, but no one could bear its weight perfectly (Acts 15:10, Galatians 3:10).
Jesus’ yoke is easy because He carried the heavy load for us. He perfectly fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17) and bore its curse on our behalf (Galatians 3:13). When we come to Him, we are freed from the burden of trying to earn righteousness through the Law. Instead, we receive His righteousness by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).
This matters for at least two reasons:
1. If you’re already living for Jesus, take a moment and praise Him! The yoke of iron has been removed, and you are free in Christ (Romans 8:1-2).
2. If you’re not living for Jesus, turn to Him now. Surrender your life to Him. Get off the throne of your heart and invite Jesus to take His rightful place. Pray with sincerity, “Not my will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
Jesus’ yoke is easy—not because following Him is without cost, but because He carried the weight we never could. Come to Him and find rest for your soul.
