Today, we will be looking at the aspect of God’s heart for people which we will see in verses 28-30. First, we will take a little journey through the preceding verses starting at Matthew 9:35 to get a contextual understanding before we come to the point where we see God’s heart.
In the preceding verses Jesus sees the people without a shepherd. He sends the disciples to the Jews but prophesies that the Gentiles will also hear the gospel. He says that one must make a decision to follow Him. Jesus is The Shepherd of those who follow Him. John the Baptist asks if Jesus is The Expected One (The awaited Messiah). Jesus responds that the miracles He has preformed are His witnesses. They clearly point to Him being The Expected One. Jesus tells the people that John the Baptist prepared the way for The Messiah. Jesus was The One that came after John preparing the way indicating all that He is The Messiah. He rebukes the cities that He preformed miracles and proclaimed the gospel but was rejected. He is The Judge of all mankind. Only God can judge the hearts of people which brings us to our verses for today. Here He speaks about The Father not disclosing the truth to the proud, His close relationship with The Father, and His heart for mankind. Leading up to this point, Jesus wants the reader or listener to understand that He is The Messiah and He is God.
NAU Matthew 11:25-26 At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. “Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.
At this point Jesus directs the conversation to The Father. He begins by praising The Father for the way that He decided to reveal the truth of salvation to others. The verbs “have hidden” and “have revealed” are both in the Indicative Aorist, Active 2nd person singular form. They tell us that it is a real event and the subject did the action sometime in the past with the time not of significance. The Father is the subject in this sentence. He is The One Who hid and revealed the truth to people. In this case we see that He hid it from the proud in heart and revealed it to the humble in heart. God dislikes, hates, and is opposed to the proud in heart, but is open and welcoming of the humble. Jesus is speaking in figurative language when talking about the wise, intelligent, and infants. The “wise and intelligent” here are not merely just smart people, but people who have learned the philosophies of the world. Such people have their world views convinced in their minds as right even if they are wrong. They are not open to the truth when they actually come across it, because they are proud in mind and heart, are not open to it. The “babes” that is referred to here are not merely infants but people who are not tainted in thinking by the worlds philosophies so are still open to hear the truth and receive it when they presented it.
NAU Matthew 11:27 “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
Jesus was talking to The Father but turns the focus of the conversation to the people at this point. The verb “have been handed” is in the Indicative Aorist Passive 3rd singular form. This tells us that it is a real event and the subject received the action of the verb that was done in the past with the time not of significance. He states that God The Father has given Him all things. Jesus is making a statement that is eye opening and profound. He is equating Himself to be God and equal in authority by this statement. We will see the authority that He has in the following verses.
The verb “knows” or ” epiginosko” in the Greek means to know thoroughly or accurately. It is in the Indicative Present Active 3rd person singular form. Telling us that it is factual, happening now, the subject is doing the action. The word “except” follows the verbs in both cases the word is used in this verse. Jesus is stating that absolutely no one knows The Father and The Son as intimately as they do. He is speaking of the extremely close relationship that they have together. To know God this way would have been unheard of and impossible in the minds of the people. By saying that He knows God The Father this way is a claim that He came from heaven, from where The Father is, and that He is from The Father. By being His Son makes Him Deity as well.
Jesus continues to say that He has the authority to reveal or disclose The Father to others because all things have been handed over to Him. The Son has the authority and power to reveal The Father to another and this by His will or desire. We see this in the use of the Subjunctive verb “wills or desires” and the Infinitive verb “to reveal”. Words in the Subjunctive mood do not describe reality but possibility or probability. It is in the Aorist aspect indicating undefined action which means that the verb happens at some point but not in a continuous state. Also, many times verbs in the Infinitive mood complete important ideas that are being stated.
In this verse the use of this combination relays the idea to know God The Father rests in Jesus’ desire or decision to reveal Him. However, the reality is that to those He reveals Him will know Him intimately. Jesus has the power and authority to reveal The Father to others. It is only by Him that anyone can know The Father. Apart from Jesus no one can know The Father. In the following verse, is the continuation of this idea in which defines to whom He desire to reveal The Father.
NAU Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
In this verse, He displays His authority to reveal The Father, that was given to Him by The Father, and shows His heart for mankind. We see this in the verb “Come”. It is used as an Imperative in this case demonstrating a command or exhortation. It is, also, in the Aorist Active 2nd person plural form. This indicates that it is a non-continuous action and the subject is doing the action. The subject is “you” understood and it is plural. Jesus is not quietly saying something to the people, but He is calling out them to actually come to Him.
He, also, puts a contingency on the calling. This relates back to the previous verse as to why He used the Subjunctive mood showing the probability or possibility of the revealing. Firstly, He uses the word “all”. This shows us that He is calling not only the Jews but to every Gentile. Secondly, He narrows calling everyone to those who receive His calling through means of knowing they have a need for Him. They are humbled in spirit and choose to come to Him for their rest. The verb “will give . . . rest” is in the Indicative Future Active 1st person singular form. It is preceded by “kago,” which is a conjunction that is combined with the pronoun “I,” and adds emphasis that He will personally be The One giving them rest. This rest will be given after a person heeds His calling to come to Him. Not everyone will desire or want Him, but those who do will receive the rest He offers.
Jesus tells anyone who considers themselves weary (physically - to become tired, emotionally - to become discouraged or give up) or heavy-laden (being weighed down with troubles or difficult circumstances) that they are to come to Him. Then He gives the reason why in the form of a promise. He says that, “I will give you rest.” He is speaking figuratively here not just of physical weariness but of spiritual weariness of trying to work or attain righteousness by trying to perform religious rituals to make themselves received by God but continually failing to meet those requirements. This is the aspect of the humble in heart. Those who realize that they need His help will come to Him. The proud in heart will continue to try to continue to live in right standing before God on their own strength and continue to struggle in unholiness before Holy God.
NAU Matthew 11:29-30 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Now, Jesus is sharing what the people need to do. He tells them to “Take” and “learn”. Both words are in the Imperative Aorist Active 2nd person plural. This demonstrates that a command or exhortation has been made to the people. The people are the subject in this sentence that are doing the action of the verb. He is placing the responsibility in the hands of those who come to Him to take His yoke, which is different from the yoke of man. In the New Testament the word “yoke” is also used to denote servitude (Easton Bible Dictionary). People are always serving something. Ultimately, they either serve God or something other than Him.
Also, Jesus says that they will learn from Him. He will personally be The One that will be teaching them about Himself. What they will learn is that He is gentle and humble in heart. They will be learning about the character of God personally. He desires for people to know Him and know that He is loving and compassionate with those who turn to Him. He, also, promises that they will find rest when they turn to Him. The reason is because His yoke and burden are freeing from what they were carrying.
What a wonderful passage that we can look to for assurance about His love and desire for all mankind to come to Him. He desires for all to come to Him and learn from Him. He wants us to know Him deeply and intimately. He doesn’t want to keep Himself hidden from us but to lead us in a personal relationship with Himself and The Father. Jesus did not come to give us regulations to live by to earn favor with Him. He came to free us from the bondage of sin and death. He came to show us that He is loving and forgiving. He is desirous for us to know Him intimately. He desires for all who will listen to come to Him and learn that He is gracious and compassionate. He desires intimacy with His creation that is for all who are willing to receive His offer. Praise God!!! This truth makes my heart sing. May your heart being singing with mine.
love,
Daniel
Posted on June 22nd, 2007 by Daniel
Filed under: Truth To Live By