Dive Deeper: Isaiah 53, Mt 11:25-30, 1 Pe 2:23-25
It was a dreary, rainy day as my son and I traversed across a college campus for a tour. The rain was turning to ice on the trees. As the night wore on, ice continued to weigh down the branches of all our trees. What compounded the ice accumulation were the leaves still remaining on the trees. The combination was devastation waiting to happen as the rain and cold pursued. Slowly, the drooping sagging branches could no longer carry the burden of all the weight, causing both small and large branches to snap, thundering to the ground.
One particular small tree in our front yard especially intrigued me. When the limbs were heavy with ice, they almost touched the ground. The branches actually formed an umbrella; the tips of the branches tickling the ground from the weight of the ice. What was even more fascinating to me was, as the weather warmed and the ice melted, each branch began to return to its normal position. The tree was lifted up, its branches now reaching for the sun. The burden had been lifted.
Our heavy-burdened souls act the same way. Life occurrences along with sin can anchor our hearts to where we become paralyzed. When the burden is too much to carry; we are like the bough of a ship crashing into unforeseen rocks. Similar to the ice-ladened trees, we can not sustain the burden of our transgressions without snapping.
Jesus offers us a solution, to carry our burdens for us. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Mt 11:28)” Jesus specifically came to give us hope through his death on the cross. He bore the sins of many so our souls could be relieved from the heaviness of sins weighing us down. Jesus came to be our Burden-Bearer.
Like the trees whose leaves are stripped every fall and lay dormant for several months until new growth appears, the same happens to our souls when we confess our sin to Jesus. As we empty our transgressions, God begins to water our soul to make way for new growth, our steps feel lighter, and our branches can now reach for the sun. By his wounds, you have been healed (1Pe 3:24). Our hope is in Jesus who will carry our yoke, allow us to rest; He is our Burden-Bearer.
