Mistaken Identity

Matthew 11:27

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.

...............

This appears to be a rather cryptic statement in the middle of Jesus' public ministry. No person knows the Son unless the Son chooses to reveal himself to them? How can that be? There were plenty of people who could see Jesus in the flesh, who witnessed His miracles and acts of mercy, and even those closest to Him heard His teaching about Himself in very intimate encounters. Surely, somebody knew Him. This "knowing" must refer to some deeper kind of knowledge, right? The "knowing" of a Father-Son relationship, perhaps? Yes, I think that is part of what Jesus is saying -- this is the intimate knowing that is equivalent to being reconciled with God and being "chosen" by Jesus to have eternal life. I completely agree with the Calvinistic/Reformed usage of this verse in that regard.

But, I think this "knowing" is also referring to a more basic kind of knowledge -- identity.

I get that idea from the rest of the chapter, which can be seen as a kind of case study in mistaken identity. The fallen world of common man appears in this chapter to be completely at a loss when it comes to identifying spiritual realities. These people really were "dwelling in darkness" (Mt 4:16). Here are some examples of mistaken identity from Matthew 11.

(1) "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" (Verse 3). If anybody should know that Jesus was the Messiah, it was John the Baptist. Not to say that John was living in total darkness. He understood more than most about who Jesus was and what kind of ministry he came to carry out. However, when he was locked up in prison, John could not escape the nagging doubts that Jesus might not be who he thought he was. John needed some confirmation. So, he sent messengers to ask and he received in response a description straight from the Old Testament -- a description of a healer, a preacher, and a leader who could be none other than the Messiah himself (Isa. 61:1-12; see also Luke's account of Jesus describing himself with these very words, Lk. 4:18-19).

(2) "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds" (Verses 18-19). The second case of mistaken identity in this chapter concerns both John and Jesus. The crowds are likened to children who are not satisfied with mirth or tears, joy or solemnity. They are essentially always looking for an excuse to ignore the teachings of these men. So, they accuse John of having a demon, and they accuse Jesus of being a drunkard. Nothing is good enough for these people, no matter how many types of prophets God sends to them. They are stubborn-hearted and set in their ways. But wisdom will be justified by her deeds; that is, the rightness of their teaching will eventually be justified by the fruit it bears and the victory it attains.

(3) "Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent" (Verse 20). Finally, the fact that these cities refused to turn from their ways in the face of such astonishing miracles is further proof that they just didn't get it. They knew that Jesus was an amazing person, perhaps even a prophet. But the kind of knowledge that is necessary for repentance and faith was sorely lacking. It will be more bearable for Sodom on the last day, than for these unrepentant cities.

In case you are feeling a bit pessimistic about this fallen world and its perpetual darkness, remember there is a sign of hope after all this. In true prophetic fashion, Jesus concludes this segment of righteous indignation and warning with a message of genuine hope and invitation (verses 28-30). May we consider the sad reality of this dark world and be motivated to turn back to Christ, whose arms remain open to welcome us to a true knowledge of himself:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.