The Lord Jesus pointed out that there were two types of people in the world.
The Bible says, “At that time Jesus declared, ‘l thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will. All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him’ ” (Matthew 11:25-27).
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.
