The Son Makes the Father Known

Matthew 11:27 (ESV)

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

What shapes the way we think about God? Sometimes it is an old disappointment, another person’s harshness, or an anxious guess about what he must be like.

Before inviting the weary to come to him, Jesus speaks about his unique relationship with the Father. His invitation rests on who he is. The Son knows the Father and makes him known.

We do not have to build our understanding of God from impressions alone. We can listen to Jesus. His words and actions call us to take both God’s holiness and his mercy seriously. We must not select only the qualities that make us comfortable and ignore the rest of his teaching.

An open window lets light into a room we could not brighten by staring harder at the walls. That is only an illustration, but it reminds us that knowing God involves receiving his revelation. Jesus is more than someone who offers a helpful opinion about the Father.

Today, notice one assumption about God that has been shaping your prayers. Hold it alongside Jesus’ words here. Ask whether it comes from what he reveals or from a fear you have treated as a fact.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, make the Father known to me. Correct my assumptions and teach me to trust what you reveal. Amen.