Two views of the meaning of the yoke of Jesus:
The yoke is an image of servitude: bowing down before him as the one to whom the Father has entrusted all authority. This image is not meant as a contrast to the rabbis’ yoke upon the people. When you have learnt to take up Yahweh’s yoke under the law, you may come to Jesus to wear his yoke too. The unity of the Father and the Son is so close that Yahweh’s yoke is always Jesus’ yoke. If you stood in the service of Israel’s God, you now stand under Jesus’ service, and he invites you to acknowledge that. The Father gives his servants to his Son, and everything has been handed over to him, including Israel, so Jesus can command us to "take my yoke upon you.” If Israel honours Jesus, this means continuing to serve Yahweh, and for the Gentiles it means that they may still, via the Son, come under the yoke of Israel’s God.
When Jesus speaks of his
yoke,
he means the yoke that he lays upon others, not a yoke that he bears himself. He has no need of a yoke. A yoke makes a burden lighter by sharing it. In Judaism this image was often used in reference to the Torah, andtaking up the yoke
meant becoming the disciple of a rabbi, so when Jesus commands us to take his yoke upon us, this is like sayinglearn from me.
Interpretation 1:
The yoke mentioned in Matthew 11:29 is an image of servitude. Coming to Jesus means bowing down before him as the one to whom the Father has entrusted all authority. It is not possible to interpret this image as an antithesis to the rabbis who laid their yoke upon the people. When you have learnt to take up Yahweh’s yoke under the law, you are now free to come to Jesus to wear his yoke too. The unity of the Father and the Son is so close that Yahweh’s yoke is always Jesus’ yoke. If you stood in the service of Israel’s God, you now stand under Jesus’ service, and he invites you to acknowledge that. The Father gives his servants to his Son, and everything has been handed over to him, including Israel. As such Jesus can now command us to "take my yoke upon you.” For Israel, by honouring Jesus, this implies continuity in the service of Yahweh, and for the Gentiles it means that they may still, via the Son, come under the yoke of Israel’s God.1
Interpretation 2:
When Jesus speaks of his yoke,
he is referring to the yoke that Jesus lays upon others, not a yoke that he bears himself. He has no need of a yoke. A yoke serves to make a burden lighter by sharing it. In Judaism this image was commonly used in reference to the Torah, and taking up the yoke
meant enrolling as a disciple with a rabbi. When Jesus therefore commands us to take his yoke upon us, this is the same as saying learn from me.
2
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.