Sunday, April 30, 2006
THE REVELATION
Vv. 25-27. At that time Jesus answered and said, "I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes. 26. "Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight. 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.
We now find a striking contrast to the woes that Jesus pronounced on the apostate cities. We might say that Jesus has been a combination of indignant and exasperated at the indifference of the people to whom He was to be King.
At that time Jesus answered and said, in the form of a doxology, as a prayer to God His Father. The Semitic terminology: “Answered and said”, was an idiom meaning that He spoke out openly. We find Jesus openly and publicly carrying on this inter-Trinitarian prayer of thanksgiving for His Father’s sovereign will in the physical realm as he gives praise to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth. Jesus leaves no doubt as to whom He is addressing before the multitude of people. In this also it is a claim to His personal deity.
The doxology now changes from the physical realm to the spiritual. God sees no boundaries between the two realms and they hold no effect on His sovereign will. God the Father is Lord of heaven and earth and Lord over the spiritual realm as well. Speaking of those who repent as well as those who reject His gospel, He says, “Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes.” Salvation is what is in view in this passage; those who respond with repentance are saved, and those who find a better option are lost. The wise and intelligent is not referring to mental capacity but to a proud spiritual attitude of independence. The babes are those who recognize their dependence and have a humble spiritual attitude. The humble spiritual attitude is not necessarily hindered by an intelligent mental capacity. Jim Elliot said, “It is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep for that which he cannot loose!”
We now find a striking contrast to the woes that Jesus pronounced on the apostate cities. We might say that Jesus has been a combination of indignant and exasperated at the indifference of the people to whom He was to be King.
At that time Jesus answered and said, in the form of a doxology, as a prayer to God His Father. The Semitic terminology: “Answered and said”, was an idiom meaning that He spoke out openly. We find Jesus openly and publicly carrying on this inter-Trinitarian prayer of thanksgiving for His Father’s sovereign will in the physical realm as he gives praise to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth. Jesus leaves no doubt as to whom He is addressing before the multitude of people. In this also it is a claim to His personal deity.
The doxology now changes from the physical realm to the spiritual. God sees no boundaries between the two realms and they hold no effect on His sovereign will. God the Father is Lord of heaven and earth and Lord over the spiritual realm as well. Speaking of those who repent as well as those who reject His gospel, He says, “Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes.” Salvation is what is in view in this passage; those who respond with repentance are saved, and those who find a better option are lost. The wise and intelligent is not referring to mental capacity but to a proud spiritual attitude of independence. The babes are those who recognize their dependence and have a humble spiritual attitude. The humble spiritual attitude is not necessarily hindered by an intelligent mental capacity. Jim Elliot said, “It is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep for that which he cannot loose!”
# posted by Castusfumus : 2:32 PM
