Sermons on Matthew 11:25-27
The various sermons below converge on the central theme that Matthew 11:25-27 reveals the profound mystery of divine revelation, emphasizing that true knowledge of God is not attained through human intellect but is graciously disclosed by the Father to those who come with humility and childlike dependence. They collectively underscore the interplay between hiddenness and revelation, portraying God’s self-disclosure as an act of grace that levels the spiritual playing field, making divine truth accessible to the humble rather than the proud or intellectually elite. A recurring nuance is the Trinitarian dimension: the unique relationship between Father and Son is highlighted as the foundation for believers’ access to God, with Jesus’ exclusive right to call God “my Father” serving as the gateway for believers to enter into that intimate relationship. Additionally, the sermons stress the ongoing nature of revelation, not as a one-time event but as a continual dependence on God’s guidance, likening the believer’s posture to that of an infant who instinctively cries out for help amid spiritual vulnerability.
Despite these shared emphases, the sermons diverge in their theological and pastoral focus. Some center on the metaphysical mystery of the Trinity, using vivid imagery like mist-covered mountains to illustrate the limits of human understanding and the gracious nature of divine self-disclosure. Others emphasize the epistemological and moral incapacity of the “natural man” to grasp spiritual truths without divine intervention, framing the gospel as a humbling antidote to human pride and intellectual arrogance. Another approach highlights the dynamic and unified agency of the Father and Son in the revelation process, portraying their actions as inseparable and sovereignly coordinated, with the Son’s authority to reveal rooted in the Father’s will. Meanwhile, a distinct strand focuses on the believer’s ongoing spiritual vulnerability and the necessity of maintaining a posture of utter dependence to resist deception, portraying spiritual wisdom as the continual, instinctive cry for divine help rather than reliance on human reasoning. This last perspective uniquely connects the passage to the spiritual battle against deception, emphasizing the practical outworking of revelation in the Christian life.
Matthew 11:25-27 Interpretation:
Embracing the Mystery of the Trinity (Open the Bible) offers a distinctive interpretation of Matthew 11:25-27 by focusing on the three key words in the passage: "hidden," "revealed," and "Father." The sermon uses the metaphor of a Scottish mountain shrouded in mist to illustrate the mystery of the Trinity and the limits of human understanding—emphasizing that while the core of God's nature remains hidden (like the mist covering the town), what is outside the boundaries (false teachings or misunderstandings) is made clear by revelation. The preacher highlights that knowledge of God is not a matter of intellect or analysis but is graciously revealed by the Father to those who approach with humility, like "little children." The sermon also draws attention to Jesus' unique use of "my Father" and "your Father," noting the linguistic distinction in the Greek text and its theological implications: Jesus alone has the right to call God "my Father," and only through him can believers enter into that relationship. This is further applied pastorally to those with difficult or absent earthly fathers, emphasizing that the experience of God's fatherhood is not a projection of human experience but a participation in the relationship between Jesus and the Father.
Dependence on God: Overcoming the Devil's Deception (SermonIndex.net) interprets Matthew 11:25-27 through the lens of spiritual vulnerability and the necessity of childlike dependence on God. The sermon uses the analogy of infants trying to protect a room from a supremely intelligent enemy to illustrate the futility of relying on human logic or intelligence in spiritual matters. The preacher argues that the "wise and intelligent" are those who trust in their own reasoning, making them susceptible to deception, while "infants" are those who instinctively cry out for help, recognizing their helplessness. This interpretation emphasizes that revelation from God is not a one-time event but a continuous need, and that the posture of an infant—utter dependence and a constant cry for help—is the only way to receive ongoing divine guidance and protection from spiritual deception.
Matthew 11:25-27 Theological Themes:
Embracing the Mystery of the Trinity (Open the Bible) introduces the theme that the hiddenness and revelation of God are acts of divine grace designed to level the playing field—if knowledge of God depended on intellect, only the brilliant would have hope, but by making revelation accessible to the humble, God ensures that all may come. The sermon also develops the idea that the love within the Trinity is the source of all love in creation, and that believers are invited into the very relationship of love that exists between the Father and the Son. This is not a generic "God is love" platitude, but a specific claim that the intra-Trinitarian love is the origin and model for all true love, and that the experience of God's fatherhood is a participation in Jesus' own relationship with the Father.
Understanding the Gospel: Divine Revelation and Humility (MLJTrust) adds a new facet by arguing that the very structure of the gospel is designed to humble human pride and prevent boasting. The preacher asserts that if salvation were attainable by intellect, it would be a "gospel for VIPs"—the elite and educated—whereas God's wisdom is to make it accessible only to those who become "babes" in humility. The sermon also explores the idea that the inability to understand the gospel is not merely an intellectual limitation but a spiritual and moral one: the "natural man" is blinded by sin, prejudice, and enmity against God, and only the Spirit can overcome this. This is a nuanced expansion of the theme of revelation, emphasizing both the grace and the humbling intent behind God's method.
Hiding and Revealing: The Divine Relationship of Father and Son (Desiring God) presents the distinctive theological theme of the inseparable unity and mutual agency of the Father and the Son in the work of revelation and salvation. The sermon explores the idea that the Son’s authority to reveal the Father is not independent but is the direct result of the Father’s sovereign will and pleasure, with "all things" (including the right to reveal or hide) being handed over to the Son. This theme is deepened by the assertion that the actions of the Father and the Son are so unified that when the Son acts, the Father is acting through him, highlighting a Trinitarian understanding of divine action.
Dependence on God: Overcoming the Devil's Deception (SermonIndex.net) introduces the theme of spiritual epistemology: the limits of human logic and the necessity of divine revelation. The sermon adds a fresh angle by connecting the passage to the ongoing spiritual battle against deception, arguing that even the most religious or educated can be blinded unless they adopt the posture of an infant—one of perpetual need and dependence. The preacher uniquely applies the passage to the Christian life by insisting that the instinctive cry for help, not just in crisis but in all circumstances, is the mark of true spiritual wisdom and the means by which God’s revelation is continually received.
Matthew 11:25-27 Historical and Contextual Insights:
Embracing the Mystery of the Trinity (Open the Bible) provides historical context by noting that the terms "person" and "Trinity" are not found in the Bible but were developed by the early church to articulate the scriptural witness to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The sermon also references the cultural context of Jesus' time, particularly the religious leaders' confidence in their knowledge of God, and how Jesus' statement in Matthew 11:25-27 would have been a direct challenge to their assumptions.
Understanding the Gospel: Divine Revelation and Humility (MLJTrust) offers historical insight by situating the Ethiopian eunuch as a highly educated, influential figure in the ancient world, yet still unable to grasp the gospel without divine revelation. The preacher also references the broader context of first-century Judaism and Greco-Roman philosophy, noting that both the religious and the philosophical elites were confounded by the gospel's mystery, as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians.
Hiding and Revealing: The Divine Relationship of Father and Son (Desiring God) provides historical context by referencing the immediate setting of Jesus’ words: the unrepentant cities that witnessed his miracles yet did not repent. The sermon explains that in the cultural and religious context of first-century Judaism, repentance was expected as a response to divine acts, but Jesus’ withholding of miracles in certain places was an act of divine judgment and concealment, rooted in the Father’s sovereign will. The preacher also notes the unusual language Jesus uses, which is more characteristic of the Gospel of John, suggesting a unique self-revelation of Jesus’ identity and authority that would have stood out to his original Jewish audience.
Matthew 11:25-27 Cross-References in the Bible:
Embracing the Mystery of the Trinity (Open the Bible) references several passages to expand on Matthew 11:25-27: John 1:18 ("No one has ever seen God"), John 17:25 ("the world does not know you"), John 14 ("in my Father's house..."), John 17:24-26 (the love between Father and Son), and Mark 14 (Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane, "Abba, Father"). Each reference is used to reinforce the unique relationship between Jesus and the Father, the exclusivity of revelation through the Son, and the invitation for believers to share in that relationship and love. Romans 8 is also alluded to in discussing the Spirit's role in bringing believers into the experience of God's love.
Understanding the Gospel: Divine Revelation and Humility (MLJTrust) draws on a wide array of cross-references: Matthew 13 (parables and the hiddenness of truth), Peter's confession in Matthew 16, Luke 24 (the road to Emmaus), 1 Corinthians 1-3 (the natural man and the wisdom of God), 2 Corinthians 3 (the veil over the hearts of the Jews), Romans 8 (the carnal mind is enmity against God), and John 3 (Nicodemus and the new birth). Each passage is used to support the claim that divine truth is inaccessible to unaided human reason and must be revealed by God, and to illustrate the consistent biblical theme of revelation versus human wisdom.
Hiding and Revealing: The Divine Relationship of Father and Son (Desiring God) draws extensively on the Gospel of John to illuminate Matthew 11:25-27, citing John 3:35 ("The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand"), John 5:19 ("the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing"), and John 17:1-2 (the Father giving the Son authority over all flesh to give eternal life). These references are used to support the claim that the mutual knowledge and agency between Father and Son in Matthew is echoed and expanded in John, reinforcing the idea that the Son’s authority and actions are a direct extension of the Father’s will. The sermon also briefly mentions Matthew 16:17, where the Father reveals Jesus’ identity to Peter, as a parallel to the theme of divine revelation.
Dependence on God: Overcoming the Devil's Deception (SermonIndex.net) references several passages to expand on Matthew 11:25-27: Ezekiel 28:3 (the devil’s wisdom surpassing even Daniel’s), Romans 8:7-8 (the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God), 2 Corinthians 11:3 (the serpent deceived Eve by craftiness), and 1 Peter 5:8 (the devil as a prowling, devouring adversary). These passages are used to illustrate the overwhelming intelligence and deceptive power of the devil, the internal struggle with the flesh, and the need for vigilance and humility. The sermon also references the story of Peter’s confession and subsequent rebuke (Matthew 16:16-23), using it as a case study of how divine revelation and human logic can alternate rapidly in the believer’s experience.
Matthew 11:25-27 Christian References outside the Bible:
Embracing the Mystery of the Trinity (Open the Bible) explicitly references Bishop J.C. Ryle, quoting him to support the idea that the gospel is hidden from the self-assured and revealed to the humble. The sermon also alludes to the writings of C.S. Lewis and other unnamed theologians in discussing analogies for the Trinity, though it critiques such analogies as ultimately unhelpful.
Understanding the Gospel: Divine Revelation and Humility (MLJTrust) explicitly references Blaise Pascal, quoting his statement that "the supreme achievement of reason is to bring us to see that there are limits to reason," and also cites Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley, quoting their hymns to illustrate the mystery and humility required in approaching divine truth. The preacher also references Rudolf Bultmann and the "demythologizing" movement in modern theology, critiquing their attempts to make the gospel palatable to modern reason.
Matthew 11:25-27 Illustrations from Secular Sources:
Embracing the Mystery of the Trinity (Open the Bible) uses the detailed secular illustration of climbing Ben Vrackie, a mountain in Scotland, and encountering a mist that obscures the town below while everything else is clear from above. This serves as a metaphor for the mystery of the Trinity and the limits of human understanding: the core truth is shrouded in mystery, but the boundaries of error are made clear by revelation. The sermon also briefly references the question of the origin of love from a secularist perspective, contrasting evolutionary explanations with the biblical account of love originating in the Trinity.
Understanding the Gospel: Divine Revelation and Humility (MLJTrust) references the achievements of modern science and technology (splitting the atom, space travel, advances in medicine) as examples of human intellectual pride, arguing that such accomplishments foster the illusion that all truth is accessible to reason, whereas the gospel remains a mystery beyond human grasp. The preacher also uses the analogy of language translation and modern idioms, critiquing the idea that updating biblical language will make the gospel more understandable, and likens the attempt to understand the Trinity to a "pygmy mind" trying to grasp infinity.
Dependence on God: Overcoming the Devil's Deception (SermonIndex.net) uses a detailed secular analogy to illustrate Matthew 11:25-27: the preacher imagines a scenario where a group of people, from the youngest to the oldest, are tasked with securing a room against an enemy who is "a million times smarter" than all of them combined. Despite their best efforts, their intelligence and teamwork are rendered futile by the overwhelming cunning of the adversary. The analogy is then extended to infants—specifically, three-month-olds—who have no capacity to defend the room and whose only response is to cry out for help. This vivid metaphor is used to parallel the spiritual reality that human logic and effort are insufficient against the devil’s deception, and only the instinctive, humble cry for divine help (like that of an infant) opens the way for God’s revelation and protection.