Commentary - Matthew 11:25-30

Bird's-eye view

In this remarkable passage, Jesus pivots from pronouncing woes upon the unrepentant cities of Galilee to a sublime prayer of praise to His Father. This is not a change of subject, but rather the root of the subject. Why did Chorazin and Bethsaida reject Him? Because the Father, in His sovereign good pleasure, had hidden the truth from those who were wise in their own eyes. This section reveals the foundational doctrines of our faith: the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation, the unique mediatorial role of the Son, and the tender, personal invitation of the gospel that flows from that divine authority. It moves from the high doctrines of election and divine prerogative to one of the most intimate and comforting invitations in all of Scripture. The logic is seamless: because God is sovereign and Christ is the only way, He is therefore the only one who can offer true rest.

Outline

Verse-by-Verse Commentary

v. 25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.

The phrase "At that time" links this prayer directly to the preceding context of judgment. Jesus has just denounced the cities that saw His mighty works and yet refused to repent. A human response would be frustration or despair, but Jesus' response is worship. He praises His Father. He begins by addressing God with two titles that hold the whole teaching in tension: "Father," a term of intimate relationship, and "Lord of heaven and earth," a title of absolute sovereignty. This is the God who is both intimately personal and cosmically powerful.

The reason for His praise is, to the natural mind, shocking. He thanks the Father for hiding "these things", the truths of the kingdom and of Christ's identity, from the "wise and intelligent." This does not refer to genuine wisdom, but to the self-proclaimed, credentialed wisdom of the world. He is speaking of the scribes, the Pharisees, the theologians with tenure, the sort of men who think they have God in a box. God actively resists the proud. He has sovereignly determined to conceal the gospel from those who believe they are too smart to need it.

In contrast, He has "revealed them to infants." The word is nepiois, meaning babes, little ones. This refers to the humble, the uncredentialed, the fishermen, the tax collectors, the sinners who know they are spiritually bankrupt. They have no wisdom of their own to stand on, so they are ready to receive wisdom as a pure gift. This is the fundamental posture of a believer: utter dependence, like that of a nursing child.

v. 26 Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.

Jesus affirms this divine arrangement with a hearty "Yes, Father." He is in perfect agreement with the Father's will. And what is the ultimate basis for this divine method of hiding and revealing? It is not based on any foreseen merit in the "infants" or demerit in the "wise." The ultimate reason is simply that it was "well-pleasing" in the Father's sight. The Greek word is eudokia, meaning good pleasure, delight, or kind intention. The bedrock of reality, the ultimate explanation for why anything is the way it is, is the good pleasure of a good and sovereign God. This is not the arbitrary whim of a tyrant, but the wise and holy decree of the Lord of heaven and earth.

v. 27 All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

This verse is one of the most profound Christological statements in the Synoptic Gospels. Flowing from the Father's sovereign pleasure is the Son's sovereign authority. "All things have been handed over to Me" is a declaration of Christ's universal lordship. All authority, all judgment, all of creation, all of the plan of salvation, has been delegated to the Son. He is the Father's authorized agent in all things.

What follows is the basis for that authority: a unique, mutual, and exclusive knowledge within the Godhead. "No one knows the Son except the Father." The divine nature of Jesus Christ is inscrutable to the created mind. Only God the Father fully comprehends the eternal Son. And the reverse is also true: "nor does anyone know the Father except the Son." This demolishes any notion that one can approach God the Father through another religion, another philosophy, or through one's own good intentions. Jesus Christ is the one and only mediator, the sole exegete of the Father.

And how does one come to this knowledge? It is not through striving or intellectual pursuit. One comes to know the Father when the Son "wills to reveal Him." Here we see the sovereignty of the Son in salvation. The Father elects according to His good pleasure, and the Son reveals according to His sovereign will. This is a Trinitarian work from start to finish. The Son chooses to reveal the Father to the "infants" mentioned in verse 25.

v. 28 Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

It is precisely because Jesus has this absolute authority (v. 27) that He can issue this universal invitation. If He were just another teacher, this would be arrogance. But because He is the sovereign Son, it is pure grace. The call is "Come to Me." Not to a system, not to a list of rules, not to a religious institution, but to a Person. All of Christianity is contained in that phrase.

The invitation is extended to a specific group: "all who are weary and heavy-laden." This refers to those exhausted by the toil of sin. It refers to those burdened by the crushing weight of trying to earn God's favor through the law, a burden made heavier by the traditions of the Pharisees. It is the spiritual exhaustion that comes from carrying a load you were never meant to carry: the load of your own righteousness.

The promise is simple and profound: "I will give you rest." Notice, He does not say, "I will tell you how to find rest." Rest is not an achievement; it is a gift. This is the rest of justification, the settling of our account with God. It is the peace that comes from having our sins forgiven and being declared righteous in Christ.

v. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.

The gift of rest leads to a new kind of work. To "take a yoke" is to submit to a master and to labor for him. Jesus is calling us to exchange one yoke for another. We throw off the galling yoke of sin and self-righteousness and take up the yoke of discipleship to Him. This is a call to submission, obedience, and service. It is a call to "learn from Me." A disciple is a learner, an apprentice to the Master.

And what kind of master is He? He is not like the Pharisees, who lay heavy burdens on others. He is "gentle and humble in heart." The word for gentle is praus, often translated as meek. This is not weakness, but rather power under perfect control. His humility is not a groveling posture, but the true humility of the eternal Son who condescended to become a man for our sake. He is an approachable and kind master.

By taking this yoke and learning from this Master, we "will find rest for your souls." This is a second kind of rest. If the first rest (v. 28) is the rest of justification that is given, this is the rest of sanctification that is found. It is the deep, settled peace that comes from walking in obedience to a good and gentle Lord, living out the life for which we were created.

v. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Jesus concludes with this glorious assurance. His yoke is "easy." The Greek word is chrestos, which means not just easy, but also well-fitting, suitable, useful, and kind. A good yoke is custom-made to fit the ox, so it does not chafe. Christ's yoke is perfectly fitted to us by the one who made us. His commands are not arbitrary; they are designed for our good.

And His burden is "light." Compared to the crushing, impossible weight of our sin, the burden of obedience to Christ is feather-light. This does not mean the Christian life is free from difficulty or suffering. It means that in Christ, we are yoked with Him, and He bears the heavy end of the load. His grace is sufficient for every task He assigns.

Application

This passage presents us with a fundamental choice that every person must face. On the one hand, you can be among the "wise and intelligent." You can rely on your own understanding, your own resume, your own efforts to make yourself right with God. This path leads to being spiritually blinded by a sovereign God, and it leaves you weary and heavy-laden with a burden you cannot carry. The end of that road is judgment.

On the other hand, you can become an "infant." You can confess your spiritual bankruptcy. You can abandon all pretense of self-sufficiency and simply come to Christ. He is the only one with the authority to save, and He is the only one who can reveal the Father. The invitation is for all who are tired of the charade. Come to Him. He will give you the rest of justification freely. And then, He invites you to take up His yoke. This is not a return to bondage, but the beginning of true freedom. His yoke is the structure of discipleship, learning from a master who is gentle and humble. In that submission, you will find the ongoing rest of sanctification, the deep peace of a soul that is finally living in harmony with its Creator. His yoke fits perfectly, and His burden is wonderfully light.