Matthew 11:25 - Meaning and Application

In these verses, Christ looks up to heaven and thanks his Father for the certainty and safety of the covenant of redemption, God’s saving plan to rescue sinners through Christ. He also looks out over the world and offers to all people the privileges and blessings of the covenant of grace, God’s promise to save and help his people through Christ.

Here, Jesus thanks God for showing the mysteries of the gospel to little ones, or humble believers, rather than to the wise in their own eyes (Matthew 11:25, Matthew 11:26). The words, “Jesus answered and said,” are used even though no other words are recorded before them, because this thankful prayer answers the sad thoughts that came before it. The ruin of those wicked cities must have been a grief to the Lord Jesus, and he surely wept over them, just as he wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). Yet he comforts himself by remembering that there is still a remnant, though only babes, to whom the gospel is revealed. Though Israel is not gathered, he will still be glorious.

We can draw courage from looking up to God when everything around us seems discouraging. It is painful to see how careless most people are about their own good, but it is comforting to know that the wise and faithful God will still protect the honor of his own glory. Thanksgiving is a fitting answer to dark and troubling thoughts, and it can help quiet them. Praise is a strong medicine for a downcast soul, and it helps heal sadness. When no other answer comes to mind against grief and fear, we may return to this: “I thank you, O Father.” Let us bless God that things are not worse than they are.

In this thanksgiving, Christ first gives God his titles: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth.” When we come to God in praise or in prayer, it is good to remember him as a Father. We should hold onto that relationship not only when we ask for help, but also when we thank him for gifts already received. Blessings are doubly sweet when we receive them as signs of a Father’s love and gifts from a Father’s hand (Colossians 1:12). Children should be grateful, and should say, “Thank you, Father,” as readily as, “Please, Father.”

At the same time, when we come to God as Father, we must also remember that he is Lord of heaven and earth. That should make us reverent, because he is the sovereign Lord of all. It should also make us confident, because he is able to give us everything we truly need or can rightly desire, to protect us from all evil, and to provide all good. Christ had long before blessed God, in the role of Melchizedek, as the Possessor, or Lord, of heaven and earth. So when we thank God for blessings that come through his hand, we must still give him the honor of being the all-sufficient source of them.

Christ then thanks God for this: “You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to babes.” “These things” means the great things of the gospel, the things that belong to our peace (Luke 19:42). He speaks strongly of them because they are what filled his heart, and what should fill ours. All other things are as nothing compared with these.

The great truths of the everlasting gospel have been hidden from many who were wise and prudent in the world’s eyes, especially those with learning and worldly skill. Some of the greatest scholars and statesmen have been complete strangers to gospel truths. The world, by its own wisdom, did not know God (1 Corinthians 1:21). In fact, the gospel is often resisted by a “false knowledge,” a kind of learning that only pretends to be wisdom (1 Timothy 6:20). People who are most skilled in outward, practical things are often the least experienced in spiritual things. A man may study nature deeply, or learn much about government and affairs, and still know little about the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, because he has never felt their power.

While worldly wise people stay in the dark about gospel truth, even humble believers have the saving knowledge of it: “You have revealed them to babes.” The disciples of Christ were such babes, men of low birth and plain education, with no scholarly training, no special arts, and no political skill, yet they were unlearned and ordinary men (Acts 4:13). In this way, the secrets of wisdom, which are deeper than they seem (Job 11:6), are made known to babes and sucklings, so that strength may be established from their mouths and God’s praise made complete (Psalm 8:2). God did not choose the learned leaders of the world to preach the gospel. He chose the foolish things of the world instead (1 Corinthians 2:6, 1 Corinthians 2:8, 1 Corinthians 2:10).

This difference between the prudent and the babes comes from God himself. He is the one who has hidden these things from the wise and prudent. He gave them gifts of mind, learning, and natural understanding above others, and they took pride in those gifts and rested in them. They did not look any further. So God justly withholds the Spirit who gives wisdom and revelation, and then, even when they hear the gospel, it sounds strange to them. God is not the cause of their ignorance and error, but he leaves them to themselves, and their sin becomes their punishment. The Lord is right in doing so (John 12:39-40; Romans 11:7-8; Acts 28:26-27). If they had honored God with the wisdom they had, he would have given them knowledge of better things. But because they used that wisdom to serve their sinful desires, he has hidden true understanding from their hearts.

On the other hand, it is God who reveals these things to babes. What he reveals belongs to his children (Deuteronomy 29:29), and he gives them understanding to receive both the truth and its impact on their hearts. In this way, he opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). This whole way of giving grace must be traced back to God’s own sovereign choice, and Christ himself submits to that: “Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight.” Christ agrees with his Father’s will in this matter. Let God use whatever means he pleases to glorify himself, and let him choose whatever people he pleases to carry on his work. His grace belongs to him, and he may give it or withhold it as he wills. We cannot explain why Peter, a fisherman, was made an apostle, and not Nicodemus, a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews, though Nicodemus also believed in Christ. But it pleased God to do it that way.

Christ said this in front of his disciples to show them that their honor and calling were not based on any goodness in themselves. It all came from God’s good pleasure. He made them to differ. And we too should acknowledge this way of giving divine grace with the same thankfulness shown by our Lord Jesus.

We should thank God, first, that these things are revealed. The mystery hidden for ages is now made known, and it is not meant for only a few. It is to be published to the whole world. We should also thank God that these things are revealed to little children, meaning the meek and humble, who are made beautiful with this salvation. God gives honor to those the world often despises.

This makes his mercy shine even more, because these things are hidden from the wise and prudent. Special favors are the most moving ones. As Job worshiped the name of the Lord both when God gave and when God took away, so we should praise him for hiding these things from the wise and prudent as well as revealing them to babes. This is not because their state is good, but because this way pride is brought low, self is humbled, human wisdom is silenced, and God’s power and wisdom shine more brightly. See (1 Corinthians 1:27), (1 Corinthians 1:31).

Christ then makes a gracious offer of the blessings of the gospel to all, and these are the things revealed to babes (Matthew 11:25). Notice the serious way he begins this invitation. He does this to command our attention and to encourage us to respond. If we want strong comfort in fleeing to this hope, Christ first gives his authority and shows his credentials. We can see that he is fully authorized to make this offer.

He first gives us his commission from the Father: “All things have been entrusted to me by my Father” (Matthew 11:27). Christ, as God, is equal with the Father in power and glory. But as Mediator, meaning the one who stands between God and man to bring them together, he receives his authority and glory from the Father. All judgment has been given to him. He is authorized to establish a new covenant between God and man, and to offer peace and happiness to a fallen world on whatever terms he chooses. He was set apart and appointed as the only one with full authority to arrange and establish this great work.

For this purpose, he has all power in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18), power over all people (John 17:2), and authority to execute judgment (John 5:22, John 5:27). This should encourage us to come to Christ. He is commissioned to receive us and to give us what we need. All things are given to him for that purpose by him who is Lord of all. All power and all treasures are in his hand. The Father has placed everything in the hands of the Lord Jesus. We should place all we have into his hand, and the work is done. God has made him the great referee, the blessed peacemaker, to lay his hand on both sides. Our part is to agree to his judgment, submit to the decision of the Lord Jesus, and accept his settlement of this unhappy dispute.

Christ also gives us his close relationship with the Father: “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Matthew 11:27). This gives even more comfort. Human messengers often carry not only their official commission but also private instructions for their negotiations. Our Lord Jesus had both. He had authority, and he also had full ability for the task. In carrying out the great work of our redemption, the Father and the Son are the main parties involved, and the plan of peace is between them (Zechariah 6:13). So it is a great encouragement to know that they understand one another perfectly in this matter. The Father knew the Son, and the Son knew the Father, fully and without mistake. Among people, misunderstandings often ruin agreements and break plans. But there was no such risk here.

The Son had been in the Father’s embrace from eternity. He was part of the inner circle, as it were (John 1:18). He was with the Father, as one brought up alongside him (Proverbs 8:30). So no one knows the Father except the Son, and the Son can reveal him to whom he chooses. The happiness of people lies in knowing God. That is eternal life, and it is the highest good of thinking beings. If we want to know God, we must go to Jesus Christ, because the light of God’s glory shines in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). Since Adam sinned, we owe Christ for every true revelation we have of the Father’s will and love. There can be no peaceful fellowship between a holy God and sinful man except through a Mediator (John 14:6).

Then comes the offer itself, along with the invitation to accept it. After such a serious introduction, we should expect something very great, and so it is. This is a trustworthy saying and worth full acceptance, words that can save us. We are invited to Christ as our Priest, our King, and our Prophet, to be saved and, for that reason, to be ruled and taught by him.

We must come to Jesus Christ as our rest and find our peace in him: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden” (Matthew 11:28). Notice who is invited: all who labor and are burdened. This is a timely word for the weary (Isaiah 50:4). Some were worn down by the burden of the ceremonial law, which was a heavy yoke and had been made even heavier by the traditions of the elders (Luke 11:46). Let them come to Christ, and they will find relief. He came to free his church from that yoke, to remove those outward rules, and to bring in a purer and more spiritual form of worship. Still, this is mainly about the burden of sin, both its guilt and its power.

Only those who feel sin as a burden are invited to rest in Christ. They groan under it. They are not merely aware that sin is evil, or aware of their own sin, but are sorry for it in their hearts. They are truly tired of their sins, tired of serving the world and the flesh. They see that their condition is sad and dangerous because of sin, and they are troubled by it, like Ephraim (Jeremiah 31:18-20), the prodigal son (Luke 15:17), the tax collector (Luke 18:13), Peter’s hearers (Acts 2:37), Paul (Acts 9:4, Acts 9:6, Acts 9:9), and the jailer (Acts 16:29-30). This is a needed preparation for pardon and peace. The Comforter must first convict (John 16:8). He wounds before he heals.

Then comes the invitation itself: “Come to me.” That bright display of Christ’s greatness as Lord of all might make us afraid to come near him. But here he holds out the golden scepter, so we may touch it and live. It is both our duty and our good to come to Jesus Christ when we are weary and burdened. We must give up everything that stands against him or competes with him, and receive him as our Physician and Advocate. We must hand ourselves over to his care and rule, willing to be saved by him in his own way and on his own terms. Come, and lay that burden on him that weighs you down.

This is the gospel call: The Spirit says, “Come,” and the bride says, “Come.” Let the thirsty come, and whoever wants to come, let him come. The blessing promised to those who do come is this: “I will give you rest.”

Christ is our Noah, whose name means rest, because “this one will give us rest” (Genesis 5:29; Genesis 8:9). Rest is truly good, especially for those who labor and are heavy loaded (Genesis 49:15; Ecclesiastes 5:12). Jesus Christ will give sure rest to weary souls who come to him by a living faith. He gives rest from the fear of sin, through a well-grounded peace of conscience. He gives rest from the power of sin, by bringing the soul into a right order and rule over itself. He also gives a rest in God, a settled delight in his love (Psalm 11:6,7). This is the rest that remains for God’s people (Hebrews 4:9), started in grace and made complete in glory.

We must also come to Jesus Christ as our Ruler and submit ourselves to him (Matthew 11:29). “Take my yoke upon you.” This goes along with the promise of rest, because Christ is raised up to be both Prince and Savior, a priest on his throne. The rest he promises is freedom from the hard service of sin, not freedom from serving God, but a call to the duty we owe him. Christ has a yoke for our necks as well as a crown for our heads, and he expects us to take that yoke and pull under it. To call weary and burdened people to take a yoke sounds like adding trouble to trouble, but the key word is “my.” He is saying, “You are under a yoke that makes you weary, so shake that off and try mine, which will make you comfortable.”

Servants are said to be under a yoke (1 Timothy 6:1), and so are subjects under a king (1 Kings 12:10). To take Christ’s yoke upon us means to place ourselves in the position of servants and subjects to him, and then live that way. It means careful obedience to all his commands and willing submission to all he orders. It is obeying the gospel of Christ, giving ourselves to the Lord. It is Christ’s yoke, the yoke he has appointed. He has already drawn under it before us, because he learned obedience, and by his Spirit he draws in with us, since he helps our weakness (Romans 8:26).

A yoke suggests some hardship, but if an animal must pull, the yoke helps it do the work. Christ’s commands are all for our good. We must take this yoke on us and pull in it. We are yoked to work, so we must be diligent. We are yoked to submit, so we must be humble and patient. We are yoked together with other servants, so we must keep fellowship with the saints. The words of the wise are like goads to those who are thus yoked. This is the hardest part of our lesson, so Christ sweetens it with a promise: “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).

Christ’s yoke of commands is an easy yoke. The word means gracious, kind, and pleasant. There is nothing in it that rubs the neck raw or hurts us. It is, instead, refreshing. It is a yoke lined with love. His commands are reasonable, good for us, and gathered into one sweet command, love. His help is so strong, his encouragements so suitable, and his comforts so rich, that we can truly call it a pleasant yoke. It is easy to the new nature, and very easy to one who understands (Proverbs 14:6). It may feel hard at first, but it becomes easy afterward. The love of God and the hope of heaven make it easier.

The burden of Christ’s cross is also light, very light. This includes troubles that come from Christ as we live in this world, and especially troubles we suffer for Christ as Christians. In itself, suffering is not pleasant, but painful. Yet because it is Christ’s burden, it is light. Paul knew as much about it as anyone, and he called it a light affliction (2 Corinthians 4:17). God’s presence (Isaiah 43:2), Christ’s sympathy (Isaiah 53:9, Daniel 3:25), and especially the Spirit’s help and comfort (2 Corinthians 1:5), make suffering for Christ light and manageable. As troubles grow and last longer, comfort also grows and lasts. Let this steady us in the hard parts of obedience and in the hard parts of suffering. Though we may lose for Christ, we will not lose by him.

We must also come to Jesus Christ as our Teacher and set ourselves to learn from him (Matthew 11:29). Christ has set up a great school and invited us to be his students. We must enroll ourselves, join with his fellow learners, and keep attending to the teaching he gives by his word and Spirit. We must spend much time with what he has said and keep it ready for use in every situation. We must also shape our lives by what he did and follow his steps (1 Peter 2:21).

Some take the words “for I am meek and lowly in heart” as the main lesson we are to learn from Christ’s example. We must learn meekness and humility from him and put to death the pride and anger that make us unlike him. We must learn from Christ in such a way that we truly learn Christ (Ephesians 4:20), because he is both Teacher and Lesson, Guide and Way, All in All.

Two reasons are given for why we must learn from Christ. First, he is meek and lowly in heart, and so he is fit to teach us. He is meek and can have compassion on people who do not know much, even when others lose patience with them. Many skilled teachers are hot-tempered and quick, which discourages those who are slow to learn. Christ knows how to bear with such people and open their minds. His treatment of his twelve disciples showed this. He was gentle with them and made the best of them. Though they were careless and forgetful, he was not harsh in judging their faults.

Second, he is lowly in heart. He comes down to teach poor students and beginners. He chose his disciples, not from the court or the schools, but from the seashore. He teaches the first lessons, the milk meant for babies. He stoops to the weakest understanding. He taught Ephraim to walk (Hosea 11:3). Who teaches like him? It is an encouragement to put ourselves under such a Teacher. His humility and meekness fit him to teach, and they also fit us to be taught, because “he leads the humble in what is right” (Psalm 25:9).

“[You] will find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16). Christ borrowed this promise from the prophets, showing the harmony between the Old and New Testaments. Rest for the soul is the most desirable rest, the kind that lets the soul live at ease. The only sure way to find that rest is to sit at Christ’s feet and hear his word. The way of duty is the way of rest. The mind finds rest in knowing God and Jesus Christ. There it is fully satisfied, finding in the gospel the wisdom it had looked for in vain throughout all creation (Job 28:12).

The truths Christ teaches are safe for us to trust our souls to. When we rest in the love of God and Jesus Christ, our hearts find what fully satisfies them, quietness and lasting security. That rest will be made complete and permanent in heaven, where we will see God directly, see him as he truly is, and enjoy him as the God who is ours.

This rest is given through Christ to all who learn from him. In these few words, we have the heart of the gospel call and offer. Here the Lord Jesus tells us plainly what he asks of us, and it matches what God said about him more than once: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear him.”