The Lord Jesus pointed out that there were two types of people in the world. The first were those who considered themselves wise and understanding. They exalted themselves. They graded themselves in the things of God and said, “We are wise and we have understanding.” They possibly had human understanding. They possibly had flesh and blood understanding, but they mistook this for revelation that comes specifically from God. From this group of people God hides His revelation, because they have shown by their attitude that they do not need it.
The second group is babes. By babes the Lord is not thinking about the newly born, but of people who are childlike at heart. Those who are childlike are open and they are humble. They are prepared to acknowledge the fact that they do not know, and thus are open to being taught by the Lord. Because they are open to being taught by the Lord, the Lord gives them His knowledge – revelational knowledge, spiritual knowledge.
God has willed that the proud and arrogant of heart will go unrewarded. God has ordained that those who are humble of heart will receive further revelation about Himself. So, God gives an initial revelation of Himself on no merit except the willingness to receive it. After the initial revelation, He gives further revelation to those who, having received the initial revelation, are humble of heart.
The Son knows the Father. No one else can know the Father unless the Son reveals the Father to him. We repeat that outside of the Lord Jesus revealing the Father to anyone, no one can know Him. Of course, people can have some ideas about God that are deduced from the Bible and the like. They may deduce some ideas about God from God’s mighty acts on their behalf. However, for a knowledge of God that leads to eternal life, the Father must be revealed by the Son. The Lord Jesus said,
“And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).
Since eternal life is knowing the Father and the Son; and since no one can know the Father except the Son reveals the Father, no one can have eternal life outside of the Lord Jesus.
The Father is known by the Son. The Father is also known by anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. So, outside of the Son and outside of those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him, no one knows the Father.
Knowledge is Through Revelation
Before God, real knowledge is spiritual knowledge and real knowledge is through revelation. So, for anyone to have knowledge he has to humble himself before God and say to God, “God, I have no knowledge. Lord, only You can give me knowledge.
You give knowledge through revelation. Lord, give me revelation.” To such a person, the Lord will grant revelation and he will know! What will he know? He will know what God knows; he will know that part of God’s personal knowledge that He, God, has decided to let him know, and He will let him know it through revelation.
The proud of heart will not humble themselves before God to ask for revelation. They may attempt to try to find God and know Him on their own. Of course, they seek in vain, for they can never find Him until they repent of their pride, humble themselves before the Lord Jesus and ask Him to reveal the Father to them!
We conclude that the Father has ordained that no one should know Him unless the Lord Jesus reveals Him. All that is known about God outside of the revelation that Jesus gives is of little consequence. All who want to know God must humbly go to Jesus and plead with Him that He should reveal the Father to them.
The Lord Jesus chooses those to whom He will reveal the Father. He chooses to reveal the Father to those who are meek and lowly of heart. He reveals the Father to those who are humble. The proud of heart are sent away to languish in their pride.
The proud of heart say, “I can find God on my own.” The humble of heart say, “I cannot find God on my own. I need help. Lord Jesus, help me. Reveal God to me.” To such humble ones, the Father is revealed. Unfortunately, how few in number the humble are!