City Life Starter

Written by Stefan Johnsson

The Word

²¹ In that same hour He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure. ²² All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son desires to reveal Him.”

²³ Then turning to His disciples He said privately, “The eyes that see the things you see are blessed! ²⁴ For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you see yet didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn’t hear them.”

Luke 10:21-24 (HCSB)

Reflection

There are four significant themes in these verses that can be addressed in today’s devotional.

You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and have revealed them to infants.

There is something special about infants. They are innocent and unaware to the sin that changes us as we get older. We become wise to the worldly sin and find that we become less trusting and more careful to put our faith fully into someone or something else. The end result is we become emotionally scarred. This is why Jesus compares the wise and learned to the innocence of an infant. We have to let go of our hurt and pain based on previous experiences with broken people and trust God like an infant trusts their mom or dad. It is a leap of vulnerability, but God won’t let us down, and will instead reveal to us the things which are hidden to those who are unsaved.

No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son.

God revealed Himself to the Israelites in the desert through a thunderous cloud on Mount Sinai, but they did not want to climb up the mountain when given the chance. It was only Moses who went fully into God’s presence. But God had a plan. He spoke through Moses and the prophets that He would reveal Himself to everyone through His Son Jesus. And it is through Jesus’ humanity that we get to see God’s character, love, and kindness. Jesus was the full embodiment of grace and truth. This is why we are to study Jesus and His character every day by reading the gospels. The more we understand Him, the more we understand God’s character.

and anyone to whom the Son desires to reveal Him

This verse is highly debated and used by those who argue for limited atonement – which means that Jesus’ death was only meant for the elect. On the other hand, we can say that this verse shows how when someone is ready to accept Jesus, that He reveals Himself to that person at that point. Though, no matter how you look at this verse, what we all have to agree on is that salvation cannot be had without someone coming to the understanding that Jesus is God and that He died for their sins and rose on the 3rd day. Everyone that professes faith has had a moment of clarity in order to realize their sin, their need for repentance and a savior, and believing in Jesus’ deity and sacrifice. Ultimately, no one is saved without the Holy Spirit’s influence; be it by prayer of the saints or God drawing His elect to Himself.

For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you see yet didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn’t hear them.

This verse by Jesus gives us clarity that salvation was also for those who believed in Jesus before He came. Moses and the prophets spoke of Jesus, but died before they could see His coming and fulfillment of the prophecies and the law. We will see those Jews in heaven who truly lived and believed in God’s promises of a Messiah, but we are blessed in that we have seen the full revelation and experienced the spread of Christianity around the world.

Application

The biggest takeaway that I have for you today is to study God’s Word. We are saved because we believe Jesus and have made Him our Lord. God has revealed Himself to you and that means you are His for eternity. Live in this mindset and study God’s Word each day to better understand His character. This will allow you to live it out and to be a light in this fallen world.

Prayer

Father in heaven, You are mighty. I am thankful for living in an age where we get to have the full revelation of who You are through the scriptures. Give me a desire to get to know You more and to reveal Yourself to me. Help me to keep the faith in You like an infant. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.