Monday, May 01, 2006
WHO GETS THE GLORY?
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.
The scribes and Pharisees were prime examples of wise and intelligent in which these things were hidden. The religion of Christianity is not head knowledge but heart knowledge. The babes are those who have no confidence in themselves and place their utter dependence on their crucified Savior’s love for them.
V26. "Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight.
The goal of all Creation is to bring glory to God. This is exactly what the gospel does. When men respond in repentance to the message that Jesus brings, God is glorified. On the other hand, when men reject the gospel they seek to glorify themselves. The fact remains that God is glorified even when He justly condemns these who reject His offer of mercy and grace.
Calvin aptly says, “All unbelievers swell with a wicked confidence in themselves… [They have] diabolical pride, [which] cannot endure to hear Christ speaking to them from above. God reprobates those who have a higher opinion of themselves than they ought to have.” When he speaks of the babes he says, “[In this case] human wisdom is justly thrown down, that it may not obscure the praise of divine grace.”
The scribes and Pharisees were prime examples of wise and intelligent in which these things were hidden. The religion of Christianity is not head knowledge but heart knowledge. The babes are those who have no confidence in themselves and place their utter dependence on their crucified Savior’s love for them.
V26. "Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight.
The goal of all Creation is to bring glory to God. This is exactly what the gospel does. When men respond in repentance to the message that Jesus brings, God is glorified. On the other hand, when men reject the gospel they seek to glorify themselves. The fact remains that God is glorified even when He justly condemns these who reject His offer of mercy and grace.
Calvin aptly says, “All unbelievers swell with a wicked confidence in themselves… [They have] diabolical pride, [which] cannot endure to hear Christ speaking to them from above. God reprobates those who have a higher opinion of themselves than they ought to have.” When he speaks of the babes he says, “[In this case] human wisdom is justly thrown down, that it may not obscure the praise of divine grace.”
# posted by Castusfumus : 3:19 PM
