← Back to sermon library

Please turn with me in your Bibles 
to Matthew chapter 11. Matthew chapter 11, as we continue 
our exposition of Matthew's gospel, I'll begin reading in verse 1. Now, it came to pass when Jesus 
finished commanding his 12 disciples that he departed from there to 
teach and to preach in their cities. And when John had heard 
in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 
and said to him, are you the coming one or do we look for 
another? Jesus answered and said to them, 
go and tell John the things which you hear and see. The blind see 
and the lame walk. The lepers are cleansed and the 
deaf hear. The dead are raised up and the 
poor have the gospel preached to them. and blessed is he who 
is not offended because of me.' As they departed, Jesus began 
to say to the multitudes concerning John, What did you go out into 
the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But 
what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? 
Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what 
did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, 
and more than a prophet, for this is he of whom it is written, 
behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your 
way before you. Assuredly, I say to you. Among 
those born of women, there has not risen one greater than John 
the Baptist. But he who is least in the kingdom 
of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the 
Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and 
the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the 
law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive 
it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let 
him hear. But to what shall I liken this 
generation? It is like children sitting in 
the marketplaces and calling to their companions and saying, 
we played the flute for you, and you did not dance. We mourned 
to you, and you did not lament. For John came neither eating 
nor drinking, and they say, he has a demon. The son of man came 
eating and drinking, and they say, look, a glutton and a winebibber, 
a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Wisdom is justified 
by her children. Then he began to rebuke the cities 
in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they did 
not repent. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to 
you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which 
were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would 
have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, 
it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of 
judgment than for you. and you, Capernaum, who are exalted 
to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works 
which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have 
remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall 
be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment 
than for you." At that time, Jesus answered and said, I thank 
you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these 
things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 
Even so, father, for so it seemed good in your sight. All things 
have been delivered to me by my father, and no one knows the 
son except the father. Nor does anyone know the father 
except the son and the one to whom the son wills to reveal 
him. Come to me. all you who labor and are heavy 
laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn 
from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will 
find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden 
is light. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father in heaven, we come before you now and we come to a passage 
of scripture that in many respects is very, very holy ground. to hear our Lord Jesus Christ 
in prayer, to hear the things that he prays concerning. God, 
I pray that we'd handle these topics, these doctrines with 
great care and with prudence. We ask that you would just help 
us, Father, to think your thoughts after you. Help us to get rid 
of any prejudice or anything in our hearts or minds that would 
reject divine sovereignty. Help us to embrace these things 
and may it affect the way that we live the way that we pray, 
the way that we worship, the way that we preach the gospel. 
We ask that you would forgive us now for all of our sins and 
our unrighteousness. We confess our lack of submission 
to your holy rule. We confess that our conduct has 
not always been worthy of your gospel. We plead the merit, we 
plead the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you that you 
have promised that if we confess our sins, You are faithful and 
just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 
We as well pray for those who have not come to Christ, those 
who have not believed the gospel. We pray that today would be the 
happy day of salvation, that today there would be rejoicing 
in heaven over sinners who repent, that today there would be those 
who confess the good faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that you 
would call sinners out of darkness into marvelous light. And we 
pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. We come now to 
a very important passage of Scripture. All Scripture, obviously, is 
important, but as we look in verses 25 to 30, we see some 
doctrine there, we see some things there that unfortunately have 
been the source or have been the rallying place for a lot 
of controversy in the life of the Church. Obviously, what is 
going on in the passage, just a bare reading, tells us that 
Jesus Christ is praising His Father for the doctrines of reprobation 
and the doctrines of election. So certainly we need to, as the 
confession of faith says, handle this with prudence and with great 
care. Now contextually what we have 
is in chapter 11 there is rising opposition against the Lord Jesus 
Christ. But in chapters 11 and 12, along 
the way, not only does Matthew highlight the rising opposition, 
but he also indicates that there are those who do receive. They 
do believe the gospel of the kingdom. They do enter into the 
kingdom of heaven. And here in verse 25 they are 
called babes at the end of chapter 12 in verses 46 to 50. Jesus identifies his true family, 
those who hear his word, those who believe his word, those who 
do what God says in the scripture. So it's not as if this gospel 
always falls on hardened hearts. It's not as if this gospel is 
always rejected by people. in mass, but along the way, God 
has His elect. Along the way, God calls them 
out of darkness into marvelous light for His own glory and for 
the good of His people. Now specifically, verses 25 to 
30 indicate why it is the case that there are those who accept 
this message. Now certainly Jesus praises the 
Father for hiding these things, and we will see what that means 
in context. But there are essentially three 
reasons in verses 25 to 30 as to why men or women or boys or 
girls actually receive the good news of the gospel, and they 
enter in. And that first reason is what 
will occupy us this morning. It is the sovereign will of God 
the Father. That's verses 25 and 26. The 
second reason is the mediatorial office of God the Son, or the 
Lord Jesus Christ. That's verse 27, which we may 
get to this morning. And then verses 28 to 30 is the 
gracious declaration of the gospel. There is a trajectory involved 
in verses 25 to 30. Because the Father has elected, 
and he has sent the Son as mediator and revealer of that truth, it 
is on that basis, it is on that foundation, that this gracious 
declaration of gospel blessing comes when Jesus says, come to 
me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give 
you rest. That declaration comes on the 
heels of a statement concerning sovereign grace. We do not preach 
the gospel to sovereign man. We do not preach the gospel to 
men who are dead in their trespasses and sins. and hope and pray and 
think that they might actually wake themselves up, that they 
might actually respond favorably to the gospel of Jesus Christ. No, we preach the truth as it 
is in Jesus with the full assurance that God the Lord has purpose 
to save a great multitude that no man can number from every 
tribe and every tongue and every people and every nation. God 
does not call upon us to know who those particular men are. 
We are simply to cast out the net and allow God or let God 
be God in the saving of souls. So let's look first of all this 
morning at the sovereign will of the Father in verses 25 and 
26. Again, a very powerful statement. At that time, Jesus answered 
and said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that 
you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and 
have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed 
good in your sight. I want to look at two primary 
observations this morning. First, the context, and secondly, 
the activity. And when we get to the activity, 
we'll break that down into some further consideration. But remember, 
first of all, the context. There is wide-scale rejection 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is wide-scale opposition 
to His message of the Kingdom. Remember that in verses 16 to 
19, He says, "...to what shall I liken this generation?" You 
are like children sitting in the marketplace, stubborn, rebellious, 
and incorrigible. You do not respond to the message 
of grace preached by our Lord Jesus Christ. You do not respond 
to the message of grace preached by John the Baptist. In fact, 
you write John the Baptist off. You say, he's come neither eating 
or drinking. He has a demon. He's a nut. He's 
a madman. He is out there. But then the 
Son of Man comes eating and drinking, He comes playing the pipe for 
you and celebrating the Kingdom of God Most High, the Bridegroom 
is present, and how do you write Him off? You say that He's a 
glutton and a wine-bibber. And in that you're pulling that 
description out of Deuteronomy. You're leveling an accusation 
at the Son of God as if He is the malefactor, He is the criminal, 
and He is the incorrigible one. And at that point, then Jesus 
denounces the cities of Galilee, Chorazin and Bethsaida. And then 
He goes on to Capernaum. These were cities where He had 
conducted most of His mighty deeds, most of His miracles, 
and they had rejected Him, widespread. They had said no, they did not 
repent. Jesus likens Chorazin, or says 
that Chorazin and Bethsaida, they will fare worse on the day 
of judgment than will Tyre and Sidon, those arch enemies of 
God. and His people Israel. And then 
He likens Capernaum to Babylon. He says that you are like that 
king prophesied of or spoken of in Isaiah 14. You have said 
in your heart, I will ascend up into heaven. Well, you will 
descend down into hell. And then He likens Capernaum 
where He says that Capernaum will fare worse on the day of 
judgment than Sodom. I mean, that city filled with 
perversion. Those men engaged in lawlessness 
and wickedness, if they had seen the mighty deeds, they would 
have repented. So they will fare better on that 
day of judgment. It will be more tolerable for 
Sodom and Gomorrah than it will be for Capernaum. But in Luke's 
gospel, not but, and in addition to, we shed some more light on 
this particular context, on this particular occasion. Jesus had 
dispatched, Jesus had sent out 70 of his disciples. And in Luke's 
corresponding, or Luke's parallel passage, Jesus makes this statement 
on their return. Remember that they rejoiced that 
the spirits were subject to him in his name. They rejoiced because 
they had been able to do these mighty deeds. They had rejoiced 
because they had been given this authority from Christ. And when 
Jesus then makes this statement, don't rejoice that the spirits 
are subject to you in my name, but rather rejoice that your 
names are written in heaven. So that's the parallel context. 
It is at the return of these 70. And so it is at this time 
that Jesus now begins to pray to his Father and express these 
things concerning sovereign grace. I like what Spurgeon says with 
reference to the wholesale rejection of Christ's message. He says, 
sovereign grace is the answer to abounding guilt. Sovereign 
grace is the answer to abounding guilt, and that's what he details 
in verses 25 and 26. Now notice, secondly, the activity. We have four considerations here 
that will occupy our time. I want to look first at his attitude, 
secondly, at the recipient of his prayer, thirdly, the content 
of his prayer, and fourthly, the basis for this prayer. First of all, the attitude. Look 
at verse 25. At that time, Jesus answered 
and said, I thank you, Father. This is important. If we compare 
Luke chapter 10, it says at that time, Jesus, filled with the 
Spirit, rejoiced. What do you think I'm going to 
say? The sovereignty of God is not simply a doctrine for us 
to debate with. with Arminians. The sovereignty 
of God is not simply a doctrine that we may try and use to hide 
behind our responsibility. The sovereignty of God is not 
some evil convention developed by John Calvin. The sovereignty 
of God is matter for and is the content that drives an attitude 
of prayerful thanksgiving to God. In fact, in Matthew 11, 
25, when he says, I thank you, father, the Lord Jesus approaches 
his father in prayer in an attitude of thanksgiving and praise. He doesn't come to apologize. He doesn't come to defend. He's 
not here to try and argue the point. Rather, he sees the doctrine 
of the absolute and comprehensive sovereignty of God as the reason 
for praise, the reason for prayer, the reason for thanksgiving, 
the reason for adoration. Where do you think Paul learned 
this in Ephesians 1? In chapter 1, verse 3, he says, 
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who 
has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places 
in Christ. Well, what are those blessings, 
Paul? Nice cars, nice houses, western civilization, safety, 
security? Just as He chose us in Him before 
the foundation of the world. That we should be holy and without 
blame. He doesn't choose us because 
we were holy and without blame. He chooses us so that we'll become 
holy and without blame. Paul praises the Father. Paul 
adores God. Paul celebrates sovereign grace. Paul does not argue in Ephesians 
1. Paul is opening the door to his 
prayer closet, and he is letting us hear what makes him happy 
at the throne of grace. And that is precisely what we 
have here in Matthew 11 at verse 25. At that time, Jesus answered 
and said, I thank you, Father. He's just condemned the cities 
of Galilee. He doesn't go back to headquarters 
and ask, what am I doing wrong? I'm preaching. I'm teaching. 
I'm ministering. I'm giving these mighty miracles. 
And people are not repenting. People are forsaking. People 
are refusing. People are rejecting me. And 
there's opposition rising. He's not whining. He's not crying. 
He's not groveling. He's not sniveling. But rather, 
he's praising. He's adoring. He's worshiping. He's glorifying. The specific 
issue, the content that we'll see in just a moment are the 
doctrines of reprobation and election. Again, Jesus uses this 
as fuel for praise. He does not argue for God's sovereignty. He does not apologize for God's 
sovereignty. He does not try and prove God's 
sovereignty. He does not engage in polemics 
concerning God's sovereignty. Rather, he thanks and praises 
his Father for this truth. Spurgeon reminds us, here is 
the spirit in which to regard the electing grace of God. That's 
beautiful. Here is the spirit in which to 
regard the electing grace of God. And perhaps it wells up 
in our minds. I met an Arminian one time, and 
he hated this doctrine of sovereign grace. He refused to submit to 
the reality of election and reprobation. His heart was hard. He was intransigent. He fought against these truths. He misused it. He didn't use 
it as a means whereby we can praise and worship. But how many 
times has we as Calvinists who affirm these truths treat proof, 
texts like these as proof texts? We write them down in our Bibles 
and they're almost like a holy slingshot. As soon as we meet 
somebody that begins to oppose us, we're going to be like, Dave, 
we're going to take those five smooth stones, those five points 
of Calvinism right out of the brook, and we're going to put 
them in our sling and we're going to whip them and nail them. Well, 
that's not a context of attitude and praise. I'm not saying we 
shouldn't polemicize. I'm not saying we shouldn't take 
those five points and sling them at the foes of God. Again, this 
is spiritual metaphorical. Don't go out and actually hit 
people with rocks. Pastor Butler said it was okay. No, he didn't. 
He did not say that. But you see, there's an equal 
misuse in the text if we look just to beat people up with it. 
And I speak as a man who has done his fair share of using 
the Bible in this manner. It's not right. It's not godly. I thank you, Father," the Lord 
Christ says. Here is the spirit in which to 
regard the electing grace of God, a disposition of praise, 
an attitude of thanksgiving, a heartfelt expression of worship. We need to learn from Christ 
And we need to learn from his apostle Paul in this very matter. We need to learn from Peter. 
We need to learn from all of the apostolic authors. We need 
to learn from the prophets. You see, when the prophet Isaiah 
declares the absolute sovereignty of God, there is a polemic involved. He is saying this sovereign God 
has no trot with the idols of this age. But it's in the context 
of promoting the glory and the majesty and the excellence and 
the power of this sovereign God. That's his attitude. Notice, 
secondly, the recipient of his prayer. This may seem a bit pedantic, 
but we need to understand, I thank you, Father. Matthew 6, the Lord 
Jesus Christ teaches us to pray. How are we called upon to pray? 
We are to say, Our Father. Jesus doesn't use the modifier 
our here. This indicates the intimacy that 
he has. I think it sets the stage and 
foundation for what will follow in verse 27. This position of 
intimacy that the Son has. No one knows the Father except 
the Son. No one knows the Son except the 
Father. They have this intimate union, 
this intimate relationship. And it is by revelation alone 
that sinners come in. But here he addresses God in 
this filial way. It highlights the personal relationship 
and the intimacy that our Lord Jesus Christ sustains with His 
Father. Father, he says. But he doesn't 
stop there. In a passage where he's going 
to highlight the sovereignty of God, it makes perfect sense 
that he would ascribe to Him, Lord of heaven and earth. The 
Lord of heaven and earth has the absolute prerogative, He 
has the absolute right, He has the absolute sovereign power 
to do as He pleases. You see, when we come to passages 
like these and we deal with election and reprobation, at the very 
heart of our objection is we don't like the godhood of God. 
We don't like Him doing what He sees fit. We don't like Him 
performing according to His good pleasure. We don't like Him to 
conduct Himself in a way that doesn't meet with our approval. 
We need to get rid of that mindset. It'll help when we get to, it 
will hopefully help us when we see what Jesus says in verse 
26. But suffice it for now to say that our Lord Jesus uses 
this term of filial intimacy, Father, and then this statement 
concerning absolute sovereignty, Lord of heaven and earth. Remember 
our studies in the book of Joshua. How does Rahab make this confession 
of the God of Israel? He is the Lord God of heaven 
and earth. When Paul is at the Areopagus 
in a context of idolatry, how does he specify this unique God? He says, God who is in the heavens 
and who has created the earth. You see, we as Christians do 
not have a God for Sunday, a God for Monday, a God for the workplace, 
a God for the farm, a God for the family, a God for the storm, 
a God for the sun. We don't have that. There is 
one, unrivaled, unparalleled, majestic. There is one sovereign 
in the universe, and our Lord Christ addresses him in that 
manner. Father, Lord of heaven and earth. It should teach us something 
about our own prayer life as well. When we come into the presence 
of God, we ought to be mindful of what we're taught in Matthew 
chapter 6. Our Father. We relate to God 
in terms of adoption. We relate to God in terms of 
grace. We relate to God in terms of 
His having benevolently saved us. But He is our Father, which 
art in heaven. He's not some kid on the street. He's not an equal. He's not an 
inferior. We don't run into the presence 
of the Father and say, Lord, just give me, just give me, just 
do. No, take some time. Consider 
who you're in the presence of. If the Lord Christ sets forth 
an attitude of reverence at the throne of grace, then surely 
His people ought to have that attitude of reverence at the 
throne of grace as well. Don't just run into the presence 
of God and say, gimme, gimme, gimme, want, want, want, gotta 
have, gotta have, gotta have. If that is your refrain at the 
throne of grace without first stopping and first contemplating 
this God which art in heaven, this God who is Lord of heaven 
and earth, this One who has created all things, this One who sustains 
all things, this One who disposes of all things according to His 
own holy, wise, and powerful ends, we have not entered into 
the presence of God. We need to follow Christ in this 
area. Notice, thirdly, the content 
of his prayer. We've seen his attitude. We've 
seen the recipient. Now notice the content. At that 
time, Jesus answered and said, I thank you, Father, Lord of 
heaven and earth, that... Here is why he thanks. Here is 
why he praises. Here is why he adores. Here is 
why he worships. Here is why he prays. I thank 
you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that... And the content 
has two aspects. The first is the concealment 
of truth. The concealment of truth. You 
see, when Jesus goes about doing good in the cities of Galilee, 
there are larger reasons for what is going on. There is an 
ultimate end for what transpires. But before we even start to open 
up election and reprobation, realize this, because this is 
what sinners will do. Paul deals with it in Romans 
9. Well, if he is ultimate, if he conceals the truth and he 
reveals the truth, why does he still find fault with us? Why 
does He hold me accountable? Why does He say I'm culpable? Why does He say I'm liable to 
punishment? Why does He save for me the wrath 
and fury of God for having not repented? Has that ever risen 
up in your head? It certainly did in Paul's day, 
Romans 9. You will say to me, why does 
he still find fault with us? You notice what Paul does? Well, 
let's have a philosophical discussion about this. I understand your 
conundrum. I understand your enigma. I understand 
your difficulty. I understand how it might appear. 
That's not what Paul does. You know what Paul says? He says, 
shut your mouths. Shut. your mouths." That's it. I mean, he says a little more 
than that. He says, shall the pot ask the 
potter, why did you make me thus? No, absolutely not. But it is important for us to 
understand that this truth of God's absolute sovereignty, His 
comprehensive sovereignty, does not diminish the guilt of Chorazin, 
Bethsaida, and Capernaum. Jesus upbraids these cities because 
they saw His mighty deeds, they heard His powerful preaching, 
and they did not repent. Those are the two truths that 
we need to deal with. God is absolutely sovereign. Man is absolutely responsible. Jesus has no problem condemning 
on the one hand and praising on the other. We need to follow 
Jesus in this pattern. So many times we get tripped 
up by people who say, well, I don't understand that. And we try to 
go beyond scripture, and we make it convoluted, and we make it 
more difficult. Do you realize there are things 
in the being, in the wisdom, in the mind, in the power, and 
in the glory of God that you and I will never penetrate? I'm 
not saying it's paradox. I'm not saying that it's contradiction. I am saying that in the person 
and the being of God most high, puny worms like us may never 
penetrate some of these sacred mysteries. We believe them. God is absolutely sovereign. 
Man is responsible. Jesus preached it. Jesus taught 
it. Jesus dealt with it. And Jesus 
trafficked in it. This is what we need to be about. 
So notice, back in 1125, you have hidden these things from 
the wise and prudent. I take the these things to be 
gospel truth. I take the these things to be 
that which Jesus has upbraided the cities of Galilee for. They 
saw His mighty deeds, they heard His powerful preaching, they 
saw these things, they heard these things, but they did not 
repent. And yes, man is responsible, 
and yes, man is a moral agent, and yes, man will be held liable 
and accountable and culpable for that, but we live in a world 
governed by a sovereign God. There is nothing that transpires, 
there is nothing that takes place, there is nothing that happens 
in our lives apart from the mind and the decree of God. You can't 
miss that when you come to your Bible. You see, at times I do 
not believe men don't understand. I think it's that they understand 
all too well and they hate it. They despise it. They reject 
it and disdain it because they're not happy with it. Well, he says 
that God the Lord has hidden these things from the wise and 
the prudent. I take the wise and the prudent 
here as those who are such in their own eyes. Those who do 
not need God, those who do not need grace, those who do not 
subscribe to sovereignty, those who do not want the gospel. I 
take it in the same vein as 913, when Jesus says, I didn't come 
to call the righteous. Is he saying that there's an 
island out there somewhere where the righteous live? I didn't 
come to call them, but I came to call the sinners to repentance. 
No. Those who see themselves as righteous. 
Those who see themselves as wise and prudent. Those who see themselves 
as having arrived. Those who are dependent upon 
no other save themselves. They are the humanists. They 
are the Pelagian. They are those who reject the 
supernatural enablement. of God's Spirit. They are those 
who reject the power of the Gospel. I think there's Old Testament 
background here in a statement given by the prophet Isaiah. 
Isaiah 29.14, Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work 
among this people, a marvelous work and wonder. For the wisdom 
of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their 
prudent men shall be hidden. I think there's a parallel to 
Paul's discussion in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verses 18 and following, 
where he contrasts the foolishness of God with the wisdom of man. 
The concepts, the constructs, the context is the self-same 
thing that Christ is here dealing with. Paul quotes the prophet 
Isaiah chapter 29, 14 in that discussion. And then notice as 
well the justice of this. Again, maybe not here, but in 
some context. If we said that the Lord Jesus 
praises His Father for hiding gospel truth, there might be 
one among us that would murmur out, or grumble out, or complain 
out, or vomit out. Well, that's not fair. First of all, who do we think 
we are to define what is fair and what isn't? We drink iniquity 
like it's water. We reject every commandment of 
our high and holy God. We resist Him at every step of 
the way. There is none righteous, no, 
not one. There is none who seeks after 
God. There is no fear of God before 
their eyes. And we're going to have the wherewithal, 
we're going to have the chutzpah, as the Jews would say, to say, 
this isn't fair. Who is God dealing with? sinners. I'll read Spurgeon and Carson 
because I think they express what I'm trying to convey here. 
The truths of the heavenly kingdom are hid by a judicial act of 
God. This is Spurgeon. The truths 
of the heavenly kingdom are hid by a judicial act of God. He's not dealing with people 
in Chorazin, people in Bethsaida, and people in Capernaum that 
are blank slates. He's not dealing with innocent 
little victims. He is not dealing with people 
that obey the law perfectly. that obey the law perpetually, 
that obey the law exactly, that obey the law entirely. He is 
not dealing with such people. For God the Lord to hide gospel 
truth is a judicial act. It means it's judgment. Spurgeon 
says, the truths of the heavenly kingdom are hid by a judicial 
act of God from men who in their own esteem are wise and prudent. You ever met these people? You 
try to share the gospel with them? You try to declare the 
truth to them? You try to tell them that you're a sinner and 
that God is holy and that he has made provision in the doing 
and the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ and all those who believe 
on him will be saved and they just kind of blow it off like 
it's a fairy tale? Have you met those people? Because 
they're out there. Lots of them write big books. 
Philosophical defenses of atheism. They show their folly on every 
page. You know, it really isn't hard. 
God made this world upright. Man sought out many devices. As a result, God is angry with 
the wicked every day, but He, in His grace, and in His kindness, 
and in His mercy, and in His goodness, provided a remedy in 
the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. All those who believe 
will have everlasting life. Doesn't sound outlandish, doesn't 
sound like unicorns, doesn't sound like a trip to Never Never 
Land. It sounds just like what we find 
in our Bible and what meets with experience. And yet people just 
say, are you kidding me? They say that sounds like a fairy 
tale. You know what's the fairy tale 
is evolution. Fairy tale is a world without 
God. A fairy tale is this never-never land of the God-hater's creation. This is not wrong. This is not unfair for God in 
justice to hide from the wise and prudent gospel truth. Carson 
says it this way. God is dealing with a race of 
sinners whom he owes nothing. Thus, to conceal these things 
is not an act of injustice, but of judgment." And he goes on 
to say, interestingly enough, the very type of judgment John 
the Baptist was looking for. Remember, wasn't that John the 
Baptist's problem in chapter 11, verses 2 to 6? Are you the 
coming one or do we wait for another? He doesn't reject the 
concept that Jesus is Messiah. He just knows that when Messiah 
comes, there will be overwhelming judgment. Vis a vis, I thank 
you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hid these 
things from the wise and the prudent. Note that this truth, 
as well, does not relieve unbelievers of their sin and rebellion. Carson again says, Jesus' balance 
mirrored the balance of scripture. He could simultaneously denounce 
the cities that did not repent and praise the God who does not 
reveal. For God's sovereignty in election 
is not mitigated by man's stubbornness and sin. While man's responsibility 
is in no way diminished by God's good pleasure that sovereignly 
reveals and conceals. In other words, Jesus spoke the 
truth. And those who follow Jesus ought 
to speak the truth. God is comprehensively sovereign. God does hide, God does conceal, 
but God does reveal as well. And He does this according to 
His good pleasure, but you are absolutely responsible, you are 
absolutely culpable, you are absolutely liable to just punishment 
under a wrathful God for your sin and refusal. No inconsistency 
to parent Jesus. So Jesus praises the Father that 
He concealed the truth. Notice, He praises the Father 
that He reveals the truth. The wise and prudent would answer 
to those childish people in the marketplace that Jesus has already 
spoken of. to what shall I like in this 
generation? They are like children sitting 
in the marketplace that are incorrigible, that are stubborn, that won't 
throw the ball back when it's thrown to them, that won't dance 
when the piper pipes, that won't lament or mourn when the lamenting 
goes. They're like stubborn little 
brats. But notice that Jesus says that 
gospel truth is revealed to the childlike, not the childish. But the childlike, verse 25, 
you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and 
have revealed them to babes. This is going to come up in other 
places in Matthew's gospel. For such is the kingdom of heaven. Now, there's a misconception 
that I have found in some of the commentaries. I'm sure that 
if somebody ever takes my notes, not that I think they would in 
10 or 20 or 30 years, and they comb through them, they will 
see inconsistencies. I know that's the case. I just 
have the benefit of having a few commentaries that I get to comb 
through, and I see their inconsistencies. And one dear brother who shall 
not be named says this. Those to whom the gospel is revealed 
are generally humble, simple-minded, and willing to learn." Those to whom the gospel is revealed 
are generally humble, simple-minded, and willing to learn. Now, I 
would want to qualify that statement about 100% because it almost 
envisages this group of people out there that are humble, that 
are willing to learn, and that are simple, and that as soon 
as they hear this message of the kingdom, they raise their 
hand for Jesus. That island doesn't exist either. God makes babes. It's not as if this gospel comes 
to those who in their own disposition, in their own makeup, in their 
own chemistry, have a predilection to receive gospel truth. No, 
they are the same wise and prudent wretches that make up the rest 
of the world with us. It is God's grace that breaks 
in. It is God's grace that causes 
the new birth. And when that one is born again 
as a babe, the first expression of that act of grace and regeneration 
is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Newton gets it right 
when he wrote, "'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear.'" I 
don't know if you paid attention to the second hymn. I did. I tried to. And I learned this. 
Top lady new theology. Augustus could bring the doctrine. Later on, if you have some moments, 
look at that hymn again. It's not as if there's the wise 
and the prudent class or mass of humanity, and then there's 
these babes with this predilection to believe the gospel. It's grace 
that taught our hearts to fear. The new birth comes by the power 
of the Holy Spirit. It precedes saving faith. It's not as if we believe the 
gospel and as a result we're regenerated or born again. That 
is wrong. God the Lord regenerates, God 
the Lord affectually calls, God the Lord changes the heart, God 
takes the stony heart out, He throws it wherever He throws 
it, and He puts the fleshly heart in. The first breathings of that 
regenerate heart is to pant after, by faith, the Lord Jesus Christ. The babes are the symbol of Psalms 
19.7 and Psalm 119.130. Your word makes the symbol wiser 
and the prudent of our day. And Paul uses this same conception, 
this same context in 1 Corinthians when he describes those who out 
of the Corinthian mass had come, not mass like the Romanist church, 
the Mass of Corinthians, Paul says, those who have come are 
not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many 
noble. And he says further there, by 
Him you are in Christ Jesus. It's not because of your babish 
mentality. It's not because of you having 
ability in yourself. It's because sovereign grace 
taught your hearts to fear. So we need to understand that. 
The Lord Christ praises the Father for reprobation. That is, hide 
these things from the wise and brooded. And He praises the Father 
for election. But you didn't reveal them unto 
babes. Here, Ryle says the beginning 
of the way to heaven is to feel that we are in the way to hell 
and to be willing to be taught of the spirit and that by God's 
grace alone. That's excellent. God's grace 
brings us to that place. God's grace humbles us. God's 
grace exchanges the heart of stone for the heart of flesh. 
So do not think from this passage, I just have to be more like a 
babe. I just have to be more simple. 
You see, Jesus isn't condemning learning. Jesus isn't condemning 
intellect. Jesus isn't saying it's best 
to be just a dummy for Jesus. That's not the point. There's 
spiritual categories. The man who is dependent upon 
no one save himself, who's wise and prudent, who thinks he's 
got it all figured out, who thinks he doesn't need Jesus. It could 
be some in this very room right now. They've heard the Gospel 
every Lord's Day. They hear the Gospel every time 
they look at their Bibles. The Gospel jumps out from their 
pages of Scripture. They click on sermon audio. They 
read good Christian literature. The Gospel's there, and for whatever 
reason, they say, I don't need that. That's the wise and the 
prudent. The babe, by God's grace, says, 
I need that. The babe, by God's grace, says, 
I'm destitute apart from help. I am destitute apart from Him. 
I need God, the Lord, to save me in and through His Son, the 
Lord Jesus Christ." That's the contrast here. Now, notice, fourthly, 
and finally, in terms of the prayer here, notice the basis. 
Yeah, we'll just stop here this morning, and God willing, we'll 
pick up the rest of the verses next week. Notice what Jesus 
says in verse 26. Even so, Father, for so it seemed 
good in your sight." That's the showstopper of sovereign grace. I personally don't like the New 
King James rendition here. I don't think it really encapsulates 
the thought. I think when it adds the word 
seemed, in my mind, it seems to take some of the guts out 
of the statement. I don't like that. Jesus isn't 
saying that in the world of conventional thought, in all of these possible 
contingencies, you pick the one that seemed best for you. The 
word seemed isn't in the Greek text. I like the way some of 
the other translations capture the sentiment. The ESV says it 
this way, yes, father, for such was your gracious will. That's good. For such, father, 
was your gracious will. The margin says, for so it pleased 
you well. The NIV captures it this way. Yes, Father, for this is what 
you were pleased to do. Remember, I praise you, Father, 
Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things 
from the wise and the prudent, and you have revealed them unto 
babes. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 
The NASB has it this way. Yes, Father, for this way was 
well-pleasing in your sight. That's my favorite. Yes, Father, 
for this way, reprobation and election was well-pleasing in 
your sight. You see, election and reprobation 
is not built on foreseen conditions. Election and reprobation are 
not dependent upon God looking down the tunnel of time and seeing 
that sinner decide for Jesus. And as a result, God said, well, 
I'm going to elect him unto eternal life. You see, there's a version 
of election out there that goes like that. You see, some people 
can't escape the reality that election's taught in the Bible. 
Some people say, there's no election in the Bible. That's really hard 
to maintain. That's, like, very, very hard 
to maintain, because the words election are used. I mean, you 
just can't escape it. So those who do not like what 
they term extreme Calvinism or high Calvinism say things like, 
well, yeah, election's taught, but here's how it goes. God created 
this world and every man in it. And as God knows the end from 
the beginning and looks down that tunnel of time, it's like 
a train, if you will. And he sees who's going to jump 
on that train. And it's those he elects unto 
eternal life. But that's not what the text 
says, is it? He doesn't say, for thus, Father, it was right 
because of conditions that prevailed among the wise and the prudent 
or among the babes. Yes, Father, for it was fair 
in the world of men and ideas for you to purpose to conduct 
things in this way. That's not it. Jesus says it's 
the good pleasure of God. It's His will. It's sovereignty. That's what verse 26 is all about. Yes, Father, for this way was 
well-pleasing in your sight. See, that's a showstopper for 
the Christian. It's true. It is consistent. It is righteous because God decreed 
it that way. We're happy with that. There's 
a hymn, number 94 in our book. Whatever my God ordains is right. You see, some people say, well, 
this is like fatalism. If you believe this, it reduces 
man to the level of puppet. No, it puts him at the level 
of pot. But it's like fatalism. What's 
fatalism? Blind, impersonal fate. That's not predestination according 
to the scripture. We have a good God, a holy God, 
a righteous God, a just God. A merciful God who works all 
things according to the counsel of His will. What does Paul say? I've already alluded to it. He 
says, just as He, God, chose us, sinners, in Him, Christ, 
before the foundation of the world. When was this choice made? When did God set His affection 
upon the elect? Was it because he looked down 
that train tunnel of time and saw that you or I in our misery 
and in our deadness and in our rejection and our rebellion and 
our disgusting nature would choose for Jesus? Tis not that I did choose thee, 
for Lord, that could not be. chose us in Him before the foundation 
of the world. That, here's the purpose, we 
should be holy and without blame. Again, He doesn't look down that 
tunnel of time and say, you know, that wretch is pretty holy and 
pretty blameless, so I'm going to choose him and place him on 
the good train salvation. That's not what happens. He chose 
us to become holy and without blame. When does that happen? 
We are justified freely by His grace, entering into the life 
of sanctification, pursuing those things which are pleasing to 
God the Lord. That's what we find in terms of 28 to 30. Come 
to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give 
you rest. That's justification. That is 
pardon from sin. That is the imputation of righteousness. And then take my yoke. and learn 
from me." That's Christian discipleship. That's sanctification. That's 
living the way we've been called to live because we've been brought 
out of darkness into marvelous light. There is progression and 
trajectory and logic and consistency that the Lord Christ speaks of 
in these passages that we do harm if we don't understand. So Paul goes on to say, that 
we should be holy and without blame before Him in love having 
predestined us." I love that. The in love, my translation puts 
it at the end of verse 4. I think it arguably could go 
with verse 5. In love, having predestined. 
What happens when people hear this concept of predestination? 
Ooh, that's harsh. Ooh, that's mechanistic. Ooh, 
that's brutal. Ooh, that's fatal. Ooh, that's 
vicious. Ooh, that's this. Ooh, that's 
that. Ooh, that reduces God to a monster. In love, having predestined. In love, having predestined. He goes on to say, us to adoption 
as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself according, same word that Christ 
uses in Matthew 11, according to the good pleasure of His will, 
to the praise of the glory of His grace by which He made us 
accepted in the Beloved. In Ephesians 1.11, he says, "...in 
him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined 
according to the purpose of him who works all things according 
to the counsel of his will." It's the will of God that is 
primary. It is the will of God that is 
ultimate. It is the will of God that is 
determinative. And Christ, far from hiding that 
truth, far from trying to debate that truth, praises his father 
for that truth. If you want, later you can go 
to Romans chapter 9 and there see that it's not conditioned. God's election, according to 
grace, stands because he determined, Jacob I loved and Esau I hated 
before the twins were born. It's not like Jacob just had 
this predilection to gospel truth. Jacob just used to sit in his 
playpen and praise God. Esau jumped out of his playpen 
and he went and killed people, and he went and stole, and he 
smoked crack cocaine. It says, before the twins were 
born, that the purpose of election by grace may stand. So that Jacob 
could never stand and say, you know, I was a pretty good little 
fellow and that's why I'm in heaven. No, it's because God 
is a gracious and merciful Father and that's why I'm in heaven. 
That's the point. Calvin says, there is nothing, 
there is nothing which we yield to God with greater difficulty 
than that His will shall be regarded by us as the highest reason and 
justice. Get that? There is nothing which 
we yield to God with greater difficulty than that His will 
shall be regarded by us as the highest reason and justice. Men 
struggle with this truth. I'm thankful that everybody's 
sitting here and they're not throwing things. Have you ever 
talked to people about this? You get people mad. People get 
angry. People yell. People scream. People go bananas when you start 
to talk about the Godhood of God. See, we want God to make 
this world and make it pretty. We want God to put steaks on 
our plate. We want God to keep that water running. But as soon 
as God asserts His prerogatives in terms of the concealment of 
truth and the revealment of truth, well, that's not fair. Who are 
we to question God? Kelvin goes on to say, God frequently 
repeats that His judgments are a deep abyss, but we plunge with 
headlong violence into that depth, and if there is anything that 
does not please us, we gnash our teeth or murmur against Him, 
and many even break out into open blasphemies. That does happen. You ever had anybody say, that 
sounds like a monster? That sounds bad. That sounds 
harsh. That sounds mean. That sounds 
ill. No, it sounds like the Godhood 
of God. That's where our problem lies. 
So that's Jesus' prayer. When we enter this place, we 
ought to take our sandals off because we approach holy ground 
where our Lord addresses His Father with that intimacy of 
Father. where he addresses his father with that statement of 
sovereignty, Lord of heaven and earth. And then he goes on to 
praise his father for the doctrines of reprobation and election. We learn in this passage the 
absolute sovereignty of God seen in election and reprobation. The truthfulness, both are clearly 
taught in scripture. The truth of sovereignty does 
not diminish responsibility. The truth of responsibility does 
not diminish sovereignty. I think it was Rabbi Duncan, 
he says, Hyper-Calvinism is all house and no door. Arminianism 
is all door and no house. I think that's a great way to 
sort of see the imbalance there. The truth is house and door, 
God's sovereign, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The graciousness 
of God is seen in election, right? He owes no man salvation. That he reveals these things 
on debate ought to make us praise, worship, and adore. The justice 
of God is seen in reprobation because he owes no man salvation. He doesn't owe the sinner, he 
doesn't owe the rebel, he doesn't owe the incorrigible. Salvation 
for him to hide these truths is consistent with a God of justice 
and judgment who will indeed carry out his wrath. I submit 
that the response to the truths of sovereignty and election and 
reprobation on the part of the believer ought to be thanksgiving 
and praise. It ought to be worship and adoration. It ought to be delight in the 
reality that God the Lord, in His mercy and grace, set His 
affection upon us. For the unbeliever, I submit 
that this doctrine, these doctrines, election and reprobation, ought 
to promote fear. You see, you're not dealing with 
a water fountain. You are not dealing with a piano. You don't just turn God on. You don't just tap a few keys 
to make him jump. God is sovereign. That ought 
to promote fear. But additionally, it ought to 
promote hope. You see, he not only does hide 
from the wise and the prudent, but God does reveal. God is gracious. God is merciful. God has purpose 
to save a great multitude that no man can number. Secondly, 
I've mentioned this, the ultimacy of the will of God for the believer. There is a world of hope in this 
passage. You realize in the final analysis, 
God is in control. Isn't that good news? Do you 
ever freak out? Do you ever fret? Do you ever 
get riddled with anxiety? Do you ever panic? Praise God 
that he's in control. Isn't that great? Praise God 
that he orchestrates this earth. John Murray in a sermon, I think 
to seminary students, says, if the only begotten Son, the Lord 
of glory, drew consolation, that means help, encouragement, If 
he drew consolation from the sovereign good pleasure of God 
the Father and made it the occasion for such thanksgiving, so let 
it be with you also. Parents, catechize. Parents, 
engage in family worship. Parents, teach and preach the 
gospel to your children. But realize, in the final analysis, 
God is in control. God is sovereign. God is in charge. God is absolute and ultimate. What better place for the Christian 
to hitch his carriage than to that? God is ultimate. And then finally, notice what 
Jesus declares in verses 25 and 26 does not inhibit him from 
declaring verses 28 to 30. He thanks the Father for reprobation. He thanks the Father for election. 
And in verse 28, he says, come. Come to me. He doesn't say, I 
know it's inconsistent. I know I shouldn't be able to 
do this. No, the declaration of God's absolute sovereignty, 
the mediatorial office of the Son, is the foundation upon which 
the come to me comes to us. It is only because we have a 
sovereign God that we freely preach the gospel to every creature. We do not appeal to the good-heartedness 
of men. We do not appeal to their wisdom. 
We do not appeal to their goodness. We appeal to them to believe 
on the Lord Jesus Christ and to be saved. That's it. Ryle 
says, Jesus bears the keys. We must go, or to him we must 
go for admission into heaven. He is the door, through Him we 
must enter. He is the shepherd, we must hear 
His voice and follow Him, if we would not perish in the wilderness. 
He is the physician, we must apply to Him, if we would be 
healed of the plague of sin. He is the bread of life, we must 
feed on Him, if we would have our souls satisfied. He is the 
light, we must walk after Him, if we would not wander in darkness. 
He is the fountain. We must wash in His blood if 
we would be cleansed and made ready for the great day of account." 
Beautiful, beautiful words. Come to me, Jesus says. And that simply means to believe 
the gospel. Believe what the Bible says concerning 
God, you, and Christ. Believe that He alone is the 
one who can save you from your sins. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father in heaven, we thank you for your word and we thank you 
for your grace and mercy and truly we come to this passage 
and there are high and holy and lofty things in such a statement. 
I pray that we would think righteously concerning these things, that 
we would handle them with prudence and special care, that we would 
indeed see you as the one who works all things according to 
the counsel of his will. We do pray that wherever the 
gospel is preached today, you'd open hearts, you would cause 
men, women, boys, and girls to be born again. And we pray, like 
babes, they would come to the Lord Jesus Christ and be taught 
of Him. We ask this in His most blessed 
name. Amen.