(Matthew) ch.11:25-12:30 — Zac Poonen

Judgment on Privileged Cities and the Greater Accountability of Christians

Let's turn today to Matthew chapter 11 and verse 25. We were considering in our last study How Jesus reproached the cities in which most of his miracles were done as we read in verse 20. Those cities were Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum mentioned in verses 21 and 23 and He compared the privileges that they had With the privileges of people in Tyre Sidon and Sodom in the Old Testament.

Who he said if they had seen the miracles in their cities in their time. They would have repented in sackcloth and ashes and Sodom would not have been destroyed. But he said that those cities would have a more lenient judgment in the day of judgment than The Israeli cities of Bethsaida, Chorazin and Capernaum that teaches us that God's going to judge the heathen by a more lenient standard than the Christians.

That's the fundamental message we get from verses 20 and to 24. The heathen have not repented and of course they deserve judgment for that but when Christians Commit the same sin that the heathen do their punishment is going to be many times more much more.

Revelation Given to Spiritual Babes

And Then Jesus said these words at that time. Jesus answered and said verse 25. I Praise thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligence and It's revealed them to babes.

What things is he talking about? He's speaking about repentance. They did not repent. We read in verse 20. This message of the kingdom of heaven that he had spoken of in verses 11 and 12 of this chapter.

Which has to be possessed by violence this message of a new covenant. Which only few verse 14 care to accept? Which only few verse 15 have years to hear is? Hidden from the clever and the intelligent people of the earth.

It's revealed to babes. This is the most amazing thing that we read in verse 25. Is there a single book on any subject anywhere in the world? Concerning which we can say. Only babes can understand that clever and intelligent people cannot.

There is no book on any subject anywhere in the world written like that for it is impossible to write a book like that. Yet God has written something like that in his word. God's Word cannot be understood with human cleverness and intelligence.

It doesn't mean that God's Word is against reason. But our reason has been polluted by sin. It's incomplete. It's small and Not able to grasp all of God's wisdom. Our reason and intelligence we can say is like a little cup.

Whereas God's wisdom is like an ocean and the ocean can never fit into a little cup. And so if we approach God's Word and the wisdom of God with human intelligence, we are bound to go wrong. Our interpretations will be wrong.

Even if we take a concordance and compare this verse with the other verse in scripture. The question is not intelligence. The question is not effort. The question is one of the spirit with which we come if it is the spirit of a helpless babe.

Then we can understand these truths for the father has hidden these things. From the wise and the intelligent. And then Jesus used the word there in verse 25 revealed revealing means Something that is that brings enlightenment revelation.

Which is not something that we get in our mind, but in our spirit and the spirit is a deeper part of man than his mind. One Thessalonians 5 23 says that man is a Trinity just like God is a Trinity. Body soul and spirit.

The soul is deeper than the body and the spirit is deeper even than body and soul. The body and soul are not the same and the soul and spirit are not the same in the body. We have five senses in The soul we have our intellect our mind which can be clever and intelligent the things spoken off here in verse 25.

But it's the condition of our spirit that determines whether we get revelation not the condition of our soul or our mind. In our spirit if we are like babes. Then it does not matter whether our soul is intelligent or not intelligent.

It doesn't mean that if you're intelligent, you can't get revelation. The meaning is that you can't get revelation by your intelligence. The condition of your Mind is not the important matter in understanding God's Word.

I mean just like saying that your physical height Makes no difference in understanding God's Word. I mean, we know whether a man's five feet tall or six feet tall that's got nothing to do with understanding God's Word.

Neither does the color of his skin have anything to do with understanding God's Word. A man's Color can be black or white it makes no difference in exactly the same way with intelligence his intelligence may be little or much it makes no difference in understanding God's Word because it's a matter of the spirit and Just like our physical condition our physical height, etc.

Doesn't make any difference in understanding God's Word neither does our Intelligence quotient what people call IQ makes no difference in understanding God's Word. It's a question of coming like a little babe.

This is one of the most important verses. That we need to understand if we want to understand God's Word, right? What is the spirit of a babe? We're not talking about two-year-old children. Now. We're talking about little babes carried in their mother's arms less than a year old.

Little babes who are helpless. It's one of the first things that strikes you about little babe. It's utterly helpless. Dependent on its parents for everything. It's a attitude of helpless dependence on God.

Which is the meaning of faith? Faith is a helpless dependence upon God to take care of us that attitude of humility and faith. That confesses one's spiritual helplessness. Another thing we can say about a babe is that it's so ignorant about the things in the world.

What is a six-month-old baby know about anything that's happening in the world? What does it know about maths or physics or English or anything? It knows nothing it's it's so ignorant it's so helpless and it's so ignorant and Here are two things at least that are true of babes and if we can come to God with that spiritual sense of helplessness however clever or not clever we may be and with that sense of Ignorance concerning spiritual things if we can say Lord I may be quite clever in worldly matters and very shrewd in business perhaps, but when it comes to God's Word I'm an absolute idiot.

I just don't know a thing. I don't know anything about spiritual matters. I need revelation in my spirit which my clever mind and my sharp brain cannot grasp. If we come with that humility Then we can understand the Word of God.

Very important. There's no book in the world like the Bible Which is written for those who are babes in their spirits and the level of their intellect has got nothing to do with their understanding the truth of God and Jesus didn't just take this as a fact.

He said more than that. He said in verse 25. I praise thee Matthew 11 25. I praise thee O father Lord of heaven and earth. That you have done it like this verse 26. Yes father for thus it was well pleasing in thy sight.

Why has God done it like this so that man might be humbled in the presence of God. There is a verse in 1 Corinthians 1 towards the end of that chapter, which says that no flesh should boast in God's presence.

That is how God works. He works in such a way that no flesh. No, man can boast before God. 1 Corinthians 1 29. In the world a person who is clever or intelligent has got prominence and acceptance someone who's smart this personality clever is accepted and God has written his word and given revelation to babes so that all those who are proud of their intellect and their human capabilities can be humbled and We shall discover it.

That's a sad thing that Christendom hasn't discovered it sufficiently yet, but we shall discover it in the day of judgment. That the greatest men of God were not the cleverest people on earth. They were the people who had the humblest spirit and the ones who had the greatest faith and faith meaning a helpless dependence upon God.

They're the ones To whom God gave revelation. Particularly concerning Jesus Jesus said in verse 27. All things have been handed over to be my my father. The father has given all authority to Jesus. He said that later on Matthew 28 18 all authority in heaven and earth is given to me.

The father has given everything to the son and No one knows the son except the father. You can't know Jesus Unless the father reveals to you remember later on Jesus said to Simon Peter. Blessed are you because flesh and blood did not give you a revelation concerning who I am my father in heaven.

We can't know that Jesus is the Son of God we can't know that he came in flesh like us Apart from revelation. It is impossible to know it by study. Nor does anyone know the father except the son. It's impossible to know God as father Unless the son it says anyone to whom the son wills to reveal him.

Jesus knows the father perfectly. That's why his life was so secure In the security of the love of his father. He says Jesus says here that he is willing to give that revelation to us the son wills to reveal him but to whom is it revealed verse 25 to babes if I can come in that helplessness an Acknowledgement of my own ignorance and spiritual things in humility and brokenness.

Jesus can reveal the father to me and make my life so secure. The father can reveal Jesus to me so that I can be a true disciple of his apart from such revelation We shall only have a form of godliness without its power.

Knowing God as Father and Entering His Rest

Let's turn today to Matthew chapter 11 and verse 27 Jesus says 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 and The knowledge spoken of here in verse 27 is a perfect knowledge an intimate knowledge, which is more than theoretical knowledge a practical experiential knowledge of Jesus and of the father that way we can never know Jesus unless the father reveals him to us through the Holy Spirit and We can never know the father Except through the Lord Jesus Christ, that's very clear in verse 27.

No one can know God as father Except through the Lord Jesus Christ. We can look at creation The wonders of the universe and know something about God. But we can't know him as father apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no other way when we come to Jesus Christ and Humble ourselves like little babes as it says in verse 25.

Then we can get a revelation of God as father and that is what we need. That's what many Christians need To stabilize their life and it's in this context that he says in the next verse 28 Come to me All who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest now.

What did Jesus say in verse 27 that he could do? He could give revelation Concerning God as father and it's in this context that he says come to me. Let me paraphrase verse 27 and 28 and you read it like this.

The last part of verse 27. No one can know God as father intimately as father. Unless I the son reveals The father to such a person and If you come as babes verse 25, I'll give that revelation. But come to me those who are insecure Tossed about with so many insecurities and complexes.

Inferiority complexes feeling inferior to others and And Inferiority complexes which are disguised in a superiority complex acting bigger than others. Whenever a person acts Superior you can be pretty sure he has a feeling of inferiority and insecurity deep within that's why he has to assert his superiority.

Or there is no such thing as a superiority complex. Really. It's basically either an Inferiority complex or a disguised inferiority complex and this is what causes so much insecurity and unrest in so many people.

They are not Secure. Why are they not secure. Because they don't know God is a father. Theoretically all Christians will say yes, we pray our father who art in heaven, but in a time of trial. They don't believe that God will take care of them.

There's so much tension in their lives so much stress. They are weary and heavy-laden. Because they don't know God his father. They know him as God. Perhaps the great and terrible God as people in the Old Testament knew him.

But they don't know him as a father. Who feeds the sparrows who cares for the birds feeds them clothes the flowers? Takes care of them who knows number the hairs on our head as we studied in Matthew chapter 10.

They don't know him like that and So Jesus has come to me there's only one way by which you can get rid of your insecurity and your complexes and your weariness and Burden and that is by knowing the father you need revelation.

And I'll give it to you, and then you'll find that you come to rest in other words. You'll come to a security in The love of your father and the perfect love that the father has for you. The care the intensity of care.

That your heavenly father has for you provided. You're one of those who do violence as we read in verse 12 to enter into the new covenant. Violence because you're desperate to give up this old covenant way of life.

And you want to enter into the full privileges of the new covenant. You come like a babe. You don't need any other qualifications. Longing for God's best and a humble attitude. Acknowledging your ignorance and your helplessness who cannot have that all men are equal and we can come any one of us on that basis and Receive revelation.

I'll give you rest. I'll make you secure. Your life will no longer be full of tension and anxiety and stress. There will be pressures no doubt in the world you shall have tribulation Jesus said. But you don't have to have unrest in the midst of that tribulation.

Or in the same verse in John 16 33 he said in the world you shall have tribulation, but in me you'll have rest. You'll have peace in the midst of tribulation. Security in the love of a heavenly father in the midst of all the stresses of life around us.

And there are so many stresses in life around us we have to acknowledge. But in the midst of that Jesus invites us to come to him so that we can enter into rest. This is what the Old Testament Sabbath was all about.

In fact we read in Hebrews in chapter 4. That there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Hebrews 4 verse 9. That rest is the rest that Jesus spoke of here in Matthew 11 28. This is the real meaning of the Sabbath.

It's not just a question of not working on Saturdays. What is the Sabbath day for the Christian. Is it Saturday, or is it Sunday? It's all seven days of the week. It's neither Saturday nor Sunday for the Jews.

It was the seventh day of the week. It was Saturday. What did Jesus do. Did he change it to Sunday? No, he changed it to seven days of the week that we can be at rest in that inner spiritual Sabbath rest.

Seven days of the week. This is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Sabbath just like Jesus dying on the cross is the fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrifices of the lambs. If we don't understand this then we shall be thinking of making much either of Saturday or Sunday depending on What our convictions are.

But when we understand this rest we discover it's not a question of a day of the week. It's a question of an inner attitude that we have seven days the week. But this rest doesn't come if I don't Respond to the call of Jesus he says come to me, and I'll give you rest.

Taking Christ’s Yoke and Denying Our Own Will

And then he goes on to say in verse 29 how you'll get that rest. You've got to take my yoke upon you. And the yoke was a familiar picture for these Simple people. And for those of us who've seen village situations in India.

It's very familiar. We've seen two Bullocks under one yoke the plowing a furrow through in the fields. And a senior Bullock experienced one Can say to a younger Bullock inexperienced one take my yoke upon you.

And I will treat you teach you to plow a straight furrow however inexperienced. You may be if you will submit to my yoke if my yoke is upon you you can't wander away in any direction you like you've got to submit to my authority and Come in the direction that I'm going.

In other words give up your will and that's the point here the Lord says I've got one end of the yoke upon my neck and you take the other end upon yours and This is possible because Jesus came in our flesh and was tempted in all points like we are by the same lust that dwell in our flesh and He overcame them And plowed a straight furrow without sinning at any time in thought word deed attitude or motive or any other way in those 33 years tempted with the entire range of temptations that man could be tempted by and Became an overcomer and thus he is now the leader of our faith.

He says now fix our eyes on Jesus or to use another illustration take his yoke upon us and Walk in the way he walked that is deny our will and do his. Just like a bullet puts its left foot forward than the right one left right left right in the same way Jesus walked.

Not my will but I will. Not my will but I will and we are to walk in the same way father. I deny my will to do yours. Because he said he was gentle and humble in heart. Learn from me. Learn from my example take my yoke upon you and learn from my example.

For I'm gentle and humble in heart. Jesus was humble humble enough To deny his own will and do the will of his father humble enough to set aside his own plans to do the father's plan. Are we humble enough for that to give up our own ambitions for the future and to say Lord.

I want your ambition. I Want to give up my plans for the future. I want your plan in every area in a job marriage housing everything. I want your plan and in everything my desires are to be set aside your desires the desires of my body.

Know the desires of God. Yes. When I'm willing to do this and the Holy Spirit will help us in this. You shall find rest for your souls, then you will come into that security. So we see we need to know God as father and we need to walk in the footsteps of Jesus taking his yoke upon us denying our own will and The strength of our will is primarily found in the lusts that dwell in our flesh.

What are lusts. Strong desires to satisfy ourselves and our bodily? Longings and To deny those will deny those desires to deny our will and those desires where they contradict the will of God will lead us into rest if we take the yoke of Jesus and say Lord, I want to do your will and His yoke is easy.

Verse 30 his Lord is light. Why are we weary and heavy laden because we don't have his yoke we either have our own fulfilling our lusts which lead us to be weary and heavy laden and insecure or a Legalistic attitude towards obedience to the commandments like the Old Testament people then of course it's weariness and heavy but when we come into the spirit of the new covenant we find obedience is a joy and If obedience has not become a joy for us We can be sure we haven't entered into the spirit of the new covenant if we receive this word from Jesus.

We can enter the new covenant in the kingdom of God. Let's turn today to Matthew's gospel and chapter 12. At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath Through the grain fields and his disciples became became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat.

The Sabbath as a Sign of the Old Covenant

But when the Pharisees saw it they said to him Behold your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath and later on we read in verses 9 to 14 about another incident that occurred on the same Sabbath day where Jesus healed a man with a withered hand in the synagogue.

And both these instances in the first part of Matthew chapter 12 Appeared to be a violation of the Old Testament Sabbath law in the eyes of the Pharisees and it's very interesting to see that these incidents occurred immediately after Jesus spoke in Matthew 11 28 about Giving rest to those who came to him.

He spoke about rest in verse 28 and In verse 29 and as we considered in our last study the rest that he Jesus spoke about in Matthew 11 28 and 29 was a fulfillment of that Old Testament Sabbath that Moses gave according to God's commandment.

Which was fulfilled in that inner rest that Jesus has come to give us Under the New Covenant, and if we don't understand this rest that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 11 28 and 29. Then we shall think much again even today about the External Sabbath keeping that was commanded under the Old Testament people may say but Keeping the Sabbath was one of the commandments Among the Ten Commandments, how can we cancel out?

One of those Ten Commandments and say that that doesn't apply to us when we keep the other nine. The reason is that after giving the Ten Commandments God gave a commandment to the Israelites saying in Exodus chapter 31 and verses 12 to 17 is a very interesting and Important passage if we are to understand that commandment which spoke about keeping the Sabbath.

In fact, it is because people have not understood this passage in Exodus 31 nor Hebrews chapter 4 That they make much of the Sabbath today. The Lord spoke to Moses Exodus 31 12 saying as for you speak to the sons of Israel.

This is to the Jewish people who had come out of Egypt. You shall surely observe my Sabbath. For this is a sign between me and you Israelites. It's not between me and all the people of the world. That's why we Christians don't keep the Sabbath because we're not Jews.

We're not Israelites. It was a sign between God and the Israeli people throughout their generations. That they may know that he was the Lord who sanctified them. Therefore you Israelites Exodus 31 14 are to observe the Sabbath and the one who does not observe it must be put to death.

There's no other punishment. If you don't observe the Sabbath you have to be put to death. For six days work may be done, but seven days the Sabbath of complete rest and it spoke about physical rest. Holy to the Lord and again a repetition of that punishment if anyone does work on the Sabbath day.

It's not just that he's got to be put out of the church or the synagogue. He's got to be put to death. If you're a Jew, you're an Israelite, that's the only thing to do. So again a repetition. Not the sons of men or the sons of Adam, but the sons of Israel Exodus 31 16 shall observe the Sabbath.

It does not apply To people who are not the sons of Israel to celebrate the Sabbath throughout their generations as a covenant between God and them we're not in that covenant and Again a repetition it is a sign between God Exodus 31 17 between me and the sons of Israel alone the sons of Israel forever for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth seven days cease from labor and was refreshed and although the creation of applies to all humanity.

And God has made a seven-day week yet. The Sabbath covenant. It's very clear. Based on that original seventh day when God rested is only between God and the Israeli people. It's a sign. That's the reason why that one commandment is different.

That's why in the entire episodes of the New Covenant. You never find a single word Telling us to keep the Sabbath on the contrary. We read in Colossians and chapter 2. Let no one judge you it says in Colossians 2 16.

Concerning the Sabbath day, which is a mere shadow verse 17. Colossians 2 16 and 17 says the Sabbath day was a shadow and don't let anybody judge you today Concerning keeping that or not keeping it because the body belongs to Christ.

You've come into the New Covenant now. And Jesus was inaugurating the New Covenant and the Pharisees of course did not have years to hear this message. They were not men of violence who were willing to do violence to traditions contrary to God's Word.

And so when Jesus disciples were picking the heads of grain and eating as we read in Matthew 12 verse 1. The Pharisees were upset they were offended. They told Jesus your disciples are disobeying God's commandment.

They're not keeping the Sabbath and Jesus defends his disciples and says to the Pharisees in Matthew 12 verse 3. Have you not read what David did when he was hungry? He and his companions he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread.

Which was kept on the table of showbread. Which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone. Was it God's will that David should die of hunger? No One can keep the letter of the law and not understand its spirit and become a Pharisee.

In fact, this is the way the Pharisees became Pharisees. By keeping the letter of the law not understanding its spirit. Verse 5. What about the law itself. Jesus said on the Sabbath the priests in the temple Break the Sabbath by working on the Sabbath day in the temple, but they're innocent.

He quotes two examples from their old covenant itself and says would you say that the priest or David broke? The Sabbath or Did something wrong? No, I say to you he says in verse 6 something greater than the temple is here.

Jesus was greater than that old covenant. The new covenant is greater than the old covenant. Something greater than that Old Testament temple and that old covenant law is here now but he said. You can understand this only if you know the meaning of what?

God said in Hosea 6 verse 6. I desire compassion and not a sacrifice. If you had understood the meaning of that You would not have condemned the innocent. In other words Jesus was saying that disciples were innocent in Picking the grain fields, of course picking it from a field was permitted under the old covenant law.

What was left over after the harvest? Had been gleaned what it was left over the bits here and there. God said leave it for the poor to come and take. The question in the Pharisees mind was only whether it was right to pick it on the Sabbath day and Jesus says that his disciples were innocent because he said the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath you see in another context.

He said the Sabbath Was made for man. Man was not made for the Sabbath. The question is Was man made? Because God wanted someone to keep his commandments all were the commandments made. Because he wanted man to inherit a glory.

It's very clear the commandments were made for man not man for the commandments. The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath and The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. He is the Lord who appointed the Sabbath and He explains to us here the real meaning the spirit behind the Sabbath.

What he had said earlier in Matthew 11 28 and 29 as well that inner rest that he wants to give us. Then he went into the synagogue and they questioned him again. Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? All right, you say that it's a lawful to pick grain From the fields on the Sabbath.

What about healing on the Sabbath? They wanted to accuse him and He said if someone of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath. Will you lift it out or let it die there? You people haven't understood the meaning of God desires compassion more than sacrifice of how much more value than is a man than a sheep.

If a man's fallen into a pit on a Sabbath day, will you lift him out? Definitely? Then it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. Not to do work doesn't mean that you don't do good to anyone. And he said to the man stretch out your hand and he stretched it out and was restored to normal like the other.

True Righteousness, Goodness, and Prophetic Faithfulness

Mark chapter 3 tells us of the similar incident that Jesus was angry mark 3 verses 1 to 6. The parallel passage he was angry with the Pharisees for having this attitude this legalistic attitude. That they wouldn't even do good.

Apparently to keep the commandment there can be a righteousness which is apart from goodness and that righteousness is a counterfeit. If our righteousness is the righteousness that does not have goodness in it.

It's a counterfeit. The Pharisees was so angry with Jesus for doing this and for exposing their hypocrisy and their form of godliness without Power that it says in Matthew 12 14 that the Pharisees went out and counseled together against him as to how they might destroy him.

Notice the Pharisees were upset with Jesus not because he preached purity. But because he exposed them as hypocrites because he destroyed their unscriptural traditions. It's when we stand against unscriptural traditions that even today the Pharisees can be upset but Jesus was willing in order to establish the new covenant to expose the hypocrisy of religious leaders and To point out the hollowness of their traditions.

Let's turn today to Matthews gospel chapter 12 and verse 14. But the Pharisees went out and counseled together against Jesus as to how they might destroy him. As we considered in our last study. We can ask ourselves.

Why did the Pharisees want to kill Jesus and the word used here is destroy Annihilate him. Get rid of his memory altogether. They were so furious. They were furious because he helped to heal a poor man with a withered hand and There you can see the evil that there was in there these Pharisees despite all their religion.

That when a poor helpless man was healed of his withered hand. Just because that went against their religious traditions. They were furious. We can see that the righteousness of the Pharisees was a righteousness which had no element of goodness in it.

It was a legalistic keeping of the external commandments of the law for the honor of men and When righteousness does not have the element of goodness in it when our righteousness is not saturated with goodness.

We can be absolutely sure That that righteousness is a counterfeit. The true righteousness of God is a righteousness, which is saturated with goodness and The easiest way to become a Pharisee today is to pursue after righteousness without pursuing after goodness.

Pursue after goodness first otherwise your righteousness can make you into a Pharisee and So we see here That when Jesus asked this man to stretch out his hand verse 13 and he stretched it out was healed.

It exposed the Pharisees as having a religion that was powerless. They had never been able to heal this man though this man had sat in their synagogue for many years and their powerlessness was exposed.

Their hypocrisy was exposed. All their teaching on the Sabbath was exposed as being with a wrong spirit and they were Humiliated in the eyes of others in the synagogue, and it was that humiliation that made them furious.

Jesus would never have been crucified if he had only preached love and humility and Being good, etc. It's when he exposed hollow empty traditions of Religious leaders and exposed the hypocrisy of those religious leaders that they crucified him.

The servant is not greater than his master and the disciples not above his Lord. If we are true disciples of Jesus we will find that Religious leaders can be upset when their hypocrisy is exposed and when the hollowness of their traditions which are contrary to the Word of God are also revealed and This is where we find the diplomat and the compromiser is different from the Prophet.

The diplomat and the compromiser will not say anything. That will offend or expose the hollowness or emptiness of religious traditions that are contrary to God's Word but the Prophet will do that and So the diplomatic preacher who is the equivalent of the false prophet of the Old Testament will never be crucified.