Articles - Bulletin
Learning From Jesus
Learning From Jesus
By Jamey Hinds
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and loaded down
with burdens, and I will give you rest. Place my yoke on you
and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble,
and you will find rest for your souls, because my yoke
is pleasant, and my burden is light.”
—[ Matthew 11:28–30 ISV ]—
Jesus did not say to learn about him, but to learn from him. The difference is personal, and the difference may well be eternal. It’s not that there’s nothing to learn about Jesus, but the more effective way to learn is from him—benefiting us and those in our circles of influence at home, work, and all around us. “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who diligently search for him” (Hebrews 11:6).
The point is that Jesus is seeking a relationship with each one of us as members of a family. “For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said: ‘I will live and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.’ Therefore, ‘Get away from them and separate yourselves from them,’ declares the Lord, ‘and don’t touch anything unclean. Then I will welcome you. I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters,’ declares the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:16–18; see Hebrews 2:10–18).
Learning about Jesus may be what we do initially, but as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior (2 Peter 3:18) we learn from him:
This is, in fact, what you were called to do, because: The Christ also suffered for you and left an example for you to follow in his steps. “He never sinned, and he never told a lie.” When he was insulted, he did not retaliate. When he suffered, he did not threaten. It was his habit to commit the matter to the one who judges fairly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the tree, so that we might die to those sins and live righteously. “By his wounds you have been healed.” You were “like sheep that kept going astray,” but now you have returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls (1 Peter 2:21–25).
God’s thoughts and ways are higher than our thoughts and ways (Isaiah 55:8–9). The more time we put into reading and thinking about God’s thoughts and ways, we will learn from him and become more like him; truly like him.
This means we will serve others: “… whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to everyone, because even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people” (Mark 10:43–45; also read Matthew 5:43–48).
“The person who says, ‘I have come to know him,’ but does not continually keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth has no place in that person. But whoever continually keeps his commandments is the kind of person in whom God’s love has truly been perfected. This is how we can be sure that we are in union with God: The one who says that he abides in him must live the same way he himself lived” (1 John 2:4–6).
The difference between heaven and hell is the difference between hearing and doing, and just hearing (Matthew 7:24, 26; Luke 8:12). Learning from Jesus’ humility: “… not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42; Philippians 2:5–11). This will change everything for us in our relationship with God the Father (Isaiah 57:15; 66:2).
