The Burden Rolls Away

“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” — from Matthew 11

This is the best part of the whole story.

Christian came to a place where there stood a Cross, and a little way down from it, an open tomb. Remember that heavy burden he had carried all this way — the one he could never get off, no matter how hard he tried?

The very moment Christian came up to the Cross, his burden came loose from his shoulders. It rolled off his back, and it tumbled down, down, down the hill — right into the open tomb — and it was gone. Gone! He never saw it again.

Christian was so happy he hardly knew what to do. Tears of joy ran down his face, and he said, “He has given me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death.” Then he gave three great leaps for joy!

And three Shining Ones came to him. The first said, “Your sins are forgiven.” The second took away his old ragged clothes and dressed him in beautiful new ones. And the third put a mark on his forehead and gave him a rolled-up letter to read on the way and to hand in at the gate of the great City.

That heavy burden was sin, and only Jesus, who died on the Cross, could take it away. You cannot lift your own load of wrongdoing off your back — but Jesus can, and he does. That’s the best news there is.

Dear Jesus, thank you for taking away the heavy load of my sin at the Cross. Thank you for giving me rest. Amen.