Our Yoke

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” ~Matthew 11:29-30 (NIV)

Jesus has given us a yoke.

A yoke has been a sign of submission since the Babylonian captivity of the Israelites.

Early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord:

This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yoke out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. Then send word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. Give them a message for their masters and say, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. Now I will hand all your countries over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. ~Jeremiah 27:1-6 (NIV)

God told Jeremiah to put on a yoke to let Nebuchadnezzar know that Israel would now be in submission to the Babylonians.

In the same way, the symbolic yoke in Matthew means we are now in submission to Christ. He’s holding the reins.

We’re wearing the yoke!