Pay careful attention to this.
These are the words of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and He's thanking
the Father for something that might amaze or might surprise
us. Verse 25, Matthew 11 through
verse 27. At that time, Jesus answered
and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and have
revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in Thy sight. All things are delivered unto
me of my Father, and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father. Neither knoweth any man the Father,
save or except the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal
him." Matthew 11, 25 through verse 27. Now, I've already mentioned that
in a recent study, that is last Lord's Day morning, we focus
our attention on natural revelation, or what some call the light of
nature, using as our principal text Romans chapter 2 verse 14
and verse 15, where Paul speaks there of the Gentiles doing by
nature things that are contained in law. That not having the law,
yet they do by nature things that are contained in the law. Not having the law written on
parchment or on stone, or taught unto them orally, or from without,
but still and yet showing the work of the law written in their
heart. What's more, they had the witness
of conscience whereby they did accuse and excuse bad or good
actions based upon these things. Now we saw that because of these
things, full atheism is indeed a rare thing. While idolatry
is common and is very widespread, that most or some, I'll say most,
believe in some manner of a supreme being or deity that rather than
be without a God, they will devise one by their own hand or create
one in their own imagination, fashion one for themselves. We also saw that this keeps the
world from falling and being more violent than it actually
is already. We made the point that in some
sense this natural revelation or the light of nature is in
a way a forerunner or maybe we use the word foundation of saving
revelation. Though not in the sense that
any ever make the transition from merely natural revelation
under spiritual revelation on their own. or by their own will,
or by their own wit, or by their own inclination or ability. Only every natural revelation
does not lead to spiritual and saving revelation in every member
of the race. Now that was our last study. This morning we come to consider
another great and wonderful revelation. It is a revealing of far greater
magnitude and importance as spoken of by our Lord. As here in the end of verse 25,
reveal them unto babes. Then look again at verse 27. To whomsoever the Son will reveal
Him. That is, to whomsoever the Son
will reveal the Father, that he might know Him. But first,
let's set the context. Let's get, as it were, our contextual
bearing. For you notice that verse 25
begins with, At that time Jesus answered and said. So the questions in our mind
exactly what time or what event is it that Matthew has in his
mind. For what the Lord answered and
said seems not to be directed to any person, but as Gil put
it, an address unto God by way of thanksgiving, glorifying,
and praising His God and Father and our Heavenly Father. It is
a prayer of praise and of thanksgiving from the Son on earth unto the
Father in heaven. Not only so, but notice the special
and the unique sentiments that are expressed that are so contrary
to those, many of those, that are in Christendom today as we
will see in a while. Now we should also note that
Luke, Luke in his gospel also includes an account of this. It is to be found in Luke chapter
10 verse 21 and verse 22. But the thing is that Luke introduces
it in a different way. Luke introduces this in this
way, quote, I thank you. At that time, Jesus rejoiced
in spirit and said, I thank you, unquote. Now, again, there is
this difference between the two Gospels, Matthew and Luke, in
that Matthew puts it right after the Lord's denunciation of the
cities wherein He had done so many of His great, mighty, and
marvelous works. It follows that denunciation
of some cities where our Lord pleasured them and blessed them
with so many of His great and wonderful works. Yet they repented
not, they did not believe, they did not accept the Lord as being
one sent down from God. Now Luke puts it, after the return
of the 70 whom our Lord had sent out, two by two, and given them
power over unclean spirit. And when they came back, they
rejoiced that even the spirits were subject unto them. Now as to the words of our Lord,
in Matthew 11, 25 through verse 27, note that they follow the
strong words of the Lord against, look back in verse 20 if you
will, the cities wherein most of His mighty works were done."
The cities were Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. Then look at three
things that we see there in verse 20. Number one, he upbraided
certain cities. He reproached them. He strongly
rebuked them. He verbally chastised those cities
as he denounced them, criticized them, lay a heavy charge against
them. Secondly, we notice that they
were predominantly Jewish cities that our Lord is rebuking. wherein most of his mighty works
were done." There was a great concentration of the works of
our Lord in this area in the Galilean ministry of our Lord. Gil said this, the most for number
and the greatest in their kind, unquote. They were highly favored,
they were richly blessed, they saw things and they heard things
that others did not. No such favors as these were
shown to the Gentile cities such as Sodom or Tyre or Sidon. In verse 23, the Lord especially
singles out Capernaum for thirty-nine lashes, save one. Capernaum,
He said, quote, which art exalted unto heaven, unquote. For the
Lord both made His residence there. Matthew chapter 4, verse
13. The Lord for a time resided in
this wicked city, and He did some of His mightiest works there. I will name only a few quickly
in passing. It was here that He raised Uriah's
daughter again from the dead. It was here that He cured a palsied
man. It was here in this city that
He cured that woman with the issue of blood who had spent
so much and suffered so much on doctors and medicine. It was
here that He cured two blind men. It was here that our Lord
also cast out devils. But then we notice the third
thing about these cities, and that is in spite of the Lord
being there, in spite of the many works and the wonderful
things, they repented not. They did not believe. They continued
on in their sins. And my brother and sister, this
shows us something that we ought to acknowledge, and that is that
miracles great works and signs, in and of themselves, will not
necessarily make one a believer. It will not necessarily move
one to repentance, just as not everyone will believe and be
converted that hears the gospel, even if the preacher be Christ
or one of the apostles. So how does the Lord respond
to this? What is his reaction to these
cities and the way that he had upgraded them? How does he view
the way that these cities had responded to his teaching and
to favoring them with mighty miracles? Is the Lord sad, downtrodden,
and discouraged? Does He lament the small success
of His ministry among those people where He had labored so diligently,
been so faithful to declare the Word of God, and favor them with
so many miracles? Is the Lord discouraged about
the results out of the city? I would like to answer with the
answer of John Gill, quote, he admires the distinguishing grace
of God, unquote. That's the reaction of our Lord,
saying, Father, I thank you who are Lord of heaven and of earth. Now what we have in our text
is a very strong endorsement from the Lord concerning the
sovereignty of God in dealing with the sons of men. That what
made the difference between these and others is the sovereignty
of God and divine revelation as we will see shortly. But before
we move into our text, let's consider an amazing thing that
is stated by the Lord concerning certain Jewish and Gentile cities
that are mentioned here in this passage of the Scripture. Looking
back at verse 21, which I would like to read for us. Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which
I done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have
repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Then look at verse
23. And thou, Capernaum, which art
exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down unto hell. For if the mighty works which
had been done in thee had been done in Sodom, one of the most
wicked cities in all of the Old Testament, it would have remained
until this day. What an amazing thing for our
Lord to say. And a couple of applications
which the Lord makes. A, in verse 21, works done to
little effect in Chorazin and in Bethsaida would have put Tyre
and Sidon in sackcloth and ashes, saith our Lord. Another one in
verse 23. If works which Capernaum ignored
had been done in Sodom, it would have been spared and would have
continued unto that day. Now, which shall fare worse,
therefore, in the day of judgment? We must catch this, that works
which would have proved effectual were withheld. works which would
have had an effect were nonetheless withheld, while works which were
ineffectual were abundantly showered upon a people and upon city,
and it increased their condemnation. Now consider verse 25, beginning
with, I thank Thee, O Father. Remember Luke 10.21 has it, Jesus
rejoiced in spirit and said, I thank you. Now those knowledgeable
in the Greek say that the word is stronger than thanks or thank
you. even stronger than praise or
thanksgiving. Linsky takes it to mean this,
I openly confess to thy honor, to thy honor I openly confess
and I acknowledge the idea is a full and a friendly consent
of the son with the action and the sovereignty of the father. David Brown takes the word to
be adoring acquiescence and holy satisfaction with the divine
procedure about to be mentioned." Let us not overlook here in this
place the way that it describes or the Lord describes the Father. Lord of heaven and of earth,
the Mighty, the Almighty, the Creator, the Sovereign, the Ruler,
the Providential Guider, the Majestic Sovereign over all things. Not only the Creator, but the
Ruler. Not only heaven, but also upon
the earth. the former his throne, the latter
his footstool. Not a disengaged and a disinterested
bystander is the God of heaven, but the Sovereign over all of
the works of His hand, including the calling and distinction among
the human family, the sovereign over all of His works. And the Son not only acknowledges
that, but He completely agrees with the justice of God in all
of His ways, hiding it from some, revealing it unto other. Now
the question comes, what ways has our Lord in mind? That God hides spiritual things
from some, reveals them unto others. He deliberately hides
spiritual truth and withholds spiritual knowledge from some,
while deliberately, graciously revealing it unto others. Nor is that all, for the order
seems reversed, in that he hides it from the wise and the prudent
in worldly matters. Not only that, but what is hidden
from the wise and the intelligent is, on the other hand, revealed
unto what is called babes, that is, to those not schooled in
learning, who would be reckoned as ignorant by their fellow men,
unlearned by worldly standards and in worldly things. Paul bids
the Corinthians in the same manner to consider their calling in
1 Corinthians chapter 1. He says, brethren, not many wise
are called. And yet, lots of folks have the
idea that God must covet the intelligent and the learned to
become His servants in order that they may be a great asset
unto Him. People say, oh, He's so smart
and intelligent, What a great asset he would be to the Lord,
to the church, and to Christianity if he would only accept the Lord
and believe. Using their education and their
learning to the glory of God is how some folks see it. But
the truth is, God will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring
to nothing the understanding of the prudent and the intelligent."
Isaiah 29, 14 says so and Paul quotes it in 1 Corinthians 1
and verse 19. And here in Matthew 11 and verse
26, notice that the Lord confirms that such is the course of action
that it is in accordance with the good pleasure and the purpose
of God. Notice what he said, even so
it seemed good in thy sight. Check Paul in Ephesians 1 and
verse 5, the good pleasure of his will. Check him again in
Ephesians 1 and verse 9. His good pleasure which he has
purpose in himself. Again, he mentions it in Ephesians
1 and verse 11. The purpose of him who works
all things after the counsel of his own will. So that here
in Matthew 11 and 26, the Lord is but confirming the sovereignty
of God in the different dispensations toward members of the human family. That the differences between
men respecting gospel revelation is not determined by their natural
ability or by their social standing, but by the sovereign good pleasure
of God, God actively hiding and actively revealing. Coming now
to verse 27, and I agree with those who say that these words
are spoken then to the disciples, that our Lord turns and addresses
these words unto the disciples and to those people that were
there present. And the Lord makes two Very astonishing
claims. Yet are they true claims? They
are supported by the body of Scripture and they are confessed
by the children of God in every age. Number one, the Lord said
that he is deputized to act in the behalf and the authority
of God in all matters pertaining to the salvation of man. Listen,
all things are delivered unto me of my Father. All things are
put into my hand into my jurisdiction, into my mediation. Secondly,
he said, he and he alone fully, completely is known by the Father. He alone is completely, only
the Father knows Him completely. In verse 27, no man knows the
Son except the Father. No man knows the Father except
and save the Son. Now these are, do you agree,
most stupendous claims, but true claims that our Lord is making,
which could only be made by the Son of God. None else could ever
make such a claim as we have here in this place. So let's
consider them separately. First of all, look, all things
are delivered unto me of my Father. All things are committed to me.
All things are put into my hands. There are many ways to say it. This is not the only area in
which he has a commission. For in Ephesians 1 and verse
10, 1 Corinthians 15, verse 27 and 28, includes all things that have
been disordered by the entrance of sin and depravity in the world. Listen to John chapter 3 and
verse 35. The Father loves me and has given
all things into my hand. John 5 and 25. He has given him
authority to execute judgment. That is, the Father has given
unto the Son the authority to execute judgment. Ephesians 1.22,
He has put all things under His feet. Matthew 28.18, has given
Him all power in heaven and in earth. John 17 and verse 2, has
given Him authority or power, exousia, over all flesh, that
He may give eternal life to as many as the Father hath given
unto Him. He is given unlimited power as
mediator of the purpose of God and of the everlasting covenant. Secondly, also, in verse 27,
the meat of our subject and our study today is here. The mutual
knowledge which father and son possess of each, reciprocally,
of each other. The knowledge which they possess
of each other. That no one knows the son, but
the father. No one knows the father, but
the son. And this is the same and equivalent,
I guess, to that claim of our Lord In John 10 and verse 30,
I and my Father are one. You have it again in John 17,
11 and 17 and 22. The Son, knowing the Father,
includes, as John Gill wrote, quote, His essence, and glory,
His mind, His will, His purpose, His decrees, His counsel, and
His covenant." This is essential and beneficial upon two accounts
regarding the covenant of grace, because the Son's intimate knowledge
of the Father. Number one, only He can reveal
the Father. Only the Son can reveal the Father. None other can. Only the Son is able to reveal
unto us the Father. Only the Son is able to give
a true representation of God. That because, John 1.14, His
glory is the glory as of the only begotten of the Father. John 1 verse 18, No man has seen
God at any time, but the only begotten Son, which is in the
bosom of the Father, He has declared Him, that is, He has made the
ultimate revelation of the Father. So much so that the Lord could
say unto Philip in John 14 and verse 9, who asked, Lord, show
us the Father, we'll be content. The Lord answers him, He that
has seen Me has seen the Father. Do we really understand the extent
of that? He that has seen Me has seen
the Father. Now secondly, the other benefit
is because of the most intimate knowledge that he has of the
Father, the Son can reveal the Father, quote, to Whomsoever
the Son will reveal Him." To Whomsoever the Son is willing. To Whomsoever the Son desires
to make a revelation of the Father, He will reveal Him. Now the Father
and the Son will do the same thing, for they agree in all
matters. And they cannot be separated
in that Christ is the source of all spiritual, or saving,
revelation. And the one who knows the Son
knows the Father, and vice versa, according to this text. Now remember,
in a former sermon, in that sermon on natural revelation, we made
a point that God can only be known and only be known up to
that point to which he is pleased to make a revelation of himself. God can only be known as he is
pleased to reveal himself and if he does not reveal himself
then he cannot be known. None can find him out. Who can
go to heaven and find him out? None can. Now the same is true
of saving knowledge because salvation is by revelation. Or let me say it this way. Salvation
is a revelation. Salvation is a revelation. And the revelation must be not
an outward or only an oral one, but an internal one. It must
be made to the inward man. It must be made to the heart,
to the mind, and to the soul. Consider what Paul wrote about
himself and about others in Galatians chapter 1 and verse 15 and 16,
how Christ was revealed in him and also through him. how he
became both a Christian and a preacher of the gospel by means of revelation
and unto revelation. Paul says it was according to
God's good pleasure in his case. He, like Jeremiah 1 and 5, was
ordained before he was ever born, ordained from his mother's womb. to be a Christian and a preacher
of the gospel. Now, there's a disagreement among
some good commentators whether Paul means that Christ was revealed
in Paul and by him unto the Gentile. I come down
on the side of those who believe that Christ was first revealed
in or to Paul in order that he might be revealed through Paul
by the preaching of the gospel and the proclamation of Christ,
and that it pleased God. When it was God's good and pleasant
intent, it came to pass. Now, it was revelation. It was
not something learned over a period of time with Paul. It was not
something learned by study or well-reasoned out thought. It was not something that he
learned orally by others. It was not a process of thought
after which he arrived at an intelligent and reasonable conclusion. It came not through education. though Paul was a mighty, educated
man. But it came by revelation from
God. He did not learn it at the feet
of Gamal as he learned Judaism, but by a direct revelation from
God. And Paul is very clear. The sum or the essence of this
revelation was the person of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself. I'd like to share with you a
few thoughts from the Scotsman John Eady's commentary on the
first chapter of Galatians and Paul, particularly verse 16. It gave Paul glorious views,
Eady said, of the person of Christ. It fixed his faith upon the Lord
Jesus Christ. It centered his love in the Lord
Jesus Christ. He said this, divine light was
flashed in unto him, revealing light, so that he saw what he
had not seen before. Those are some thoughts from
John Eady. And there is another effect of
this revelation. When the revelation of Christ
came, Paul, first of course known as Saul, was miraculously and
instantaneously cut loose from his fanatical attachment unto
Judaism, which he had killed for in time past. And he became
wedded to Christianity, which before he had hated, and devoted
himself to its destruction and eradication. When Christ is revealed
to a person, then is brought to pass the saying, Today is
salvation come to thy house. Let's consider another passage
concerning the blessedness of revelation. It's found in Matthew
16 and verse 13 through verse 17. This is where the Lord draws
from his disciples, especially Simon Peter as the mouthpiece,
a confession as to their belief in his person, who he was. He
asked first of all, who do men say that I am? Well, they answered
Jeremiah, John the Baptist, one of the prophets, or so forth.
Then he asked them directly, who do you say that I am? Among the general population,
opinion was divided. But in verse 16, Simon carries
the confession. You are the Christ, the son of
the living God. In other words, he said, you're
the Christ. the Anointed One, the Messiah. This is a confession of the Messiahship
of our Lord, the Son of the Living God. And in verse 17 of that
chapter, the Lord pronounces Simon Peter, blessed, and all
others who share that confession. In that such a conviction, such
a confession, the Lord said, is the result of a heavenly Revelation. Verse 17, look at it. Matthew
16, flesh and blood has not revealed this unto you, but my Father
which is in heaven. Now, flesh and blood so often
in the scripture, particularly in the New Testament, is generally
an expression of human nature, of humanity, of fallible man,
It was not, says the Lord, from human reasoning. It was not passed
in any way from one person down to another. It was not learned
by that kind of communication or by that kind of instruction. This knowledge that Jesus is
the Christ and the Son of the living God cometh not but by
a special heavenly, spiritual, sovereign revelation. And notice,
truly blessed of God, truly, truly blessed of God is the person
who can say, I believe that Christ is the Messiah. I believe that
Christ is the Son of the living God. Blessed is that person who
can say with Simon, and with others, I believe and am sure
that it is so. I believe, I am persuaded that
He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, that He hath
the words of eternal life, and that there is not another to
whom we should go." John 6, 67 through 69. This is a persuasion
that comes not in any manner by flesh and blood, not by human
wisdom, not by education, not by learning, not by philosophy,
and not by reasoning. This comes by a divine revelation. For at once we believed in the
historical Jesus, did we not? But then we believed in Jesus
as the Messiah, as the living Son of the living God come in
flesh. What a blessing to have this
great revelation. I can hear the Lord yet say,
Simon, blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood
did not reveal this unto you, but my Father which is in heaven. So now we conclude. One can only
know the Father One can only know the Son by special revelation,
and this revelation, according to our Lord and Scripture, is
sovereignly given. It cannot be forced upon any,
apart from the sovereign will of our God. You are not powerful
enough in your persuasion, nor am I as a preacher powerful enough
in our persuasion alone to make the revelation of our blessed
Lord. It must be a spiritual, special
revelation. As our text says, to whomsoever
the Son wills to reveal Him. To whomsoever the Son is pleased. To whomsoever it is the pleasure
of the Son to reveal Him. We must take notice that the
Lord's Christ thanks the Father. Yes, thanks the Father for doing
what Arminians deny that God would ever do. Hide truth from
some, especially from the wise, and then sovereignly open the
heart unto Christ. They would deny that no one can
learn Christ unless and until Regeneration is wrought and he
or she is taught of God. Knowing Christ, brother and sister,
is in no way the result of human action or of human ability or
of human learning. It is a special revelation. made at the good pleasure of
God to whomsoever he will. He has hid these things and then
from the more intelligent and revealed them to babes, to the
less learned, to the less schooled, to the less intelligent. The
sovereignty of God in this divine revelation. Thank the Lord for
that wonderful truth of the Scripture, and we've seen it evident in
our life and in the life of others. People we thought would come
to Christ and believe turn away. People we thought never would
believe and come have because of God's great sovereignty.