The Father Has Enlightened His True People And Has Delivered all Things To Jesus Who Alone Truly Knows His Father, Who Has Received all Things From His Father, And Who Alone Can Reveal His Father To Others (11:25-27).
This passage is connected to the previous one by ‘at that time (or season)'. The two passages are thus intended to be seen together. It explains from the divine side why the towns of Galilee have failed to respond to His mighty works. It is because, although they may think that they will be exalted to Heaven (Matthew 11:23) they have in fact not been enlightened by the Father. Thus they have not recognised the Son. Without that their hopes of such exaltation are nil. The passage also explains why John himself had not understood the full truth about Jesus (Matthew 11:3-5). It was not possible until Jesus had made it known to him, and thereby revealed to him the Father (‘A blessed one (of Me and My Father) is he who does not stumble because of Me' - Matthew 11:6). For in the end all who would come to God are dependent on God's revelation of Himself through His Son and through His Spirit. The ‘wise' yell out petulantly in the street like children, but it is God's ‘babes' who receive their milk directly from Him.
Having thus pointed out how this passage fits into the whole pattern of chapter 11, which begins with the one to whom Jesus makes known His truth (Matthew 11:5-6), and ends here with those to whom Jesus makes known His truth, with sandwiched in the middle two sets of examples of those who were not willing to receive His truth, we should now pause to consider the truth that is being revealed. Up to this point God has been ‘your Father' or the equivalent when speaking of Jesus' disciples (Matthew 5:16; Matthew 5:45; Matthew 5:48; Matthew 6:1; Matthew 6:4; Matthew 6:6; Matthew 6:8-9; Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 6:18; Matthew 6:26; Matthew 6:32; Matthew 7:11; Matthew 10:20; Matthew 10:29). This is the relationship which has become theirs through participation in the Kingly Rule of Heaven. They have in a sense become ‘sons of God' (Matthew 5:9; Matthew 5:45). This is continually so except when His Fatherhood is related to Jesus' position as the Judge of all men, or as the One Who must confess them to the Father (Matthew 7:21; Matthew 10:32-33).
But from now on God will be revealed almost solely as the Father of Jesus (Matthew 12:50; Matthew 15:13; Matthew 16:17; Matthew 16:27; Matthew 18:10; Matthew 18:19; Matthew 18:35; Matthew 20:23; Matthew 24:36; Matthew 25:34; Matthew 26:29; Matthew 26:39; Matthew 26:42; Matthew 26:53; Matthew 28:19). And this will go along with the revelation of Jesus as ‘the Son of God' in the deepest sense of the term. He is God's ‘beloved One' (Matthew 12:18); it is by doing the will of His Father (Matthew 12:50, compare Matthew 7:21) that they will become His very real spiritual family; through His manifestation of mastery over the sea they recognise Him in awe and worship as ‘the Son of God' (Matthew 14:33), and then by gradual realisation as ‘the Son of the living God' (Matthew 16:16); and God Himself declares of Him in His glory, ‘this is My beloved Son' (Matthew 17:5). As God's Son He has the right not to pay the Temple tax (Matthew 17:25-26). And this position is confirmed in the parable of the wicked tenants (Matthew 21:37-38), ‘they will reverence My Son'. And it is all summed up in His declared co-equality with the Father in Matthew 28:20 when all are baptised into God's Name as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Thus from this point on the relationship of Father and Son is specific and unique Jesus is seen to be ‘on the divine side of reality'.
There are three possible exception to this change. The first is in Matthew 13:43 when the disciples learn that one day, as the righteous, they are to shine forth as the sun in the Kingly Rule of their Father. But that may in fact be seen as capping off the references in the Sermon on the Mount, thus describing their reward as a result of their having sought His Kingly Rule and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33), preparatory to the second part of the Gospel. The second is in Matthew 18:14 where in fact B, Theta and f 13 have ‘My Father in Heaven'. But if ‘your Father in Heaven' is correct that is because He is specifically dealing there with their responsibility as ‘sons of God' for young believers. (In Matthew 18:10 He uses ‘My Father' because He is referring to Him as in Heaven, compare also Matthew 18:19). The third Isaiah 23:9 where He is simply demonstrating that they should call no man ‘father' on earth. Thus the intention of a change in emphasis can be seen to be pretty solid.
We are thus being prepared here for Matthew 12:17-21. Among men has come the chosen and beloved one of God in Whom is the Spirit of God, Who will reveal God's truth to both' was the unique sign of the special relationship of the Jews with God.
In this remarkable passage then we find in fact all the ideas that, were it not for this passage, might be seen as making John's Gospel unique. It has been called ‘the bolt from the Johannine blue'. We have reference to ‘the Father' and ‘the Son' (but compare Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32, and often in John), to the fact that all things have been delivered by His Father to Him as His Son (John 5:20-22; John 5:26; John 16:15), to the fact that no one knows the Son except the Father (John 10:15), and that no one knows the Father except the Son (John 6:46; John 7:29; John 8:19; John 8:55; John 10:15), and those to whom the Son will reveal Him (John 14:7; John 14:17).
The idea of Jesus' sonship from now on goes far beyond just a Messianic title. The idea was first expressed after Jesus had been baptised (Matthew 3:17), and has been emphasised by Jesus' clear distinction between ‘My Father' and ‘Your Father'. It will be repeated at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:5) and in the incident of the Tribute money (Matthew 17:26), and will finally be made very clear in the parable of the wicked tenants (Matthew 21:37), and confirmed in Matthew 24:36, before Jesus is finally placed on a parallel as the Son with the Father and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
But we must pause and notice here another remarkable emphasis. These are not words taught by Jesus to His disciples. They are Jesus' prayer to His Father. In that loving relationship which He has with His Father His heart is lifted up and He feels able to express the fullness of what is in His heart, saying in His prayer what He would not have said directly to His disciples, for they were truths that had to dawn on them. (It was different with the Scribes and Pharisees who thought more in these terms). No doubt His prayer was in the presence of His disciples, for they remembered it, and it may well be that it was in order to help them to understand His severe words to the towns of Israel that He prayed like this. They had probably thought that things were going quite well, and had probably been astounded at His words of judgment. He wanted them to know that they did not apply to them, and why they did not apply to them.
But why does Matthew bring this in here? The answer lies in the emphasis that he is giving to the words. Here is a small conclave of men and women who are within the Kingly Rule of Heaven. Thus when dealing with their understanding of things it is in a conversation between earth and Heaven. This contrasts with His words both to John and the people, neither of whom are within the Kingly Rule of Heaven at this stage. It is bringing out that here there is a colony of Heaven on earth (Philippians 3:20; Colossians 1:12-14). It can be compared with Isaiah 57:15 where those who are truly God's dwell with Him in the high and holy place. Here too He will revive the spirit of the humble, and will revive the heart of the contrite ones by revealing to them the Father and bringing them under His own yoke (Matthew 11:27-30). These who do the will of His Father in Heaven are His brothers, His sisters and His mother (Matthew 12:50). Here indeed is the very gateway to Heaven (Genesis 28:17; compare John 1:51), to the heavenly places where God blesses His people (Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 2:6).
Analysis.
At that time (season) Jesus answered and said, “I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to babes” (Matthew 11:25).
“Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight” (Matthew 11:26).
“All things have been delivered to me of my Father (Matthew 11:27 a).
“And no one knows the Son, except the Father” (Matthew 11:27 b).
“Nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whoever the Son wills to reveal him” (Matthew 11:27 c).
Note that in ‘a' the Father reveals ‘these things' to babes, and in the parallel the Son reveals Him to those who come to know Him. In ‘b' it was well pleasing to the Father to reveal ‘these things', and in the parallel He is the only One Who can do so because He is the only One Who knows the Son. Central to all is the fact that all has been delivered to Jesus by His Father.