11:25 At that time Jesus declared, "I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes;
The sovereign good pleasure of the Creator of Heaven and Earth is a topic mostly avoided today. Even in conservative churches.
Yet here the verse is before us.
We can only stand in wonder and awe at a truly Independent Being--a Being whose will and good pleasure ("seemed good", v.26) is not dependent upon this creation or in anything outside of Himself. A truly comforting doctrine to those who see their own frailty, weakness and spiritual impotance (v.28).
And it is His decision to hide truth from the self-assured "wise and understanding"--here most likely the self-important leaders, the Pharisees. And certainly more broadly, those who rely upon their own self-efforts, those without Spirit-induced humility. For those who run after the Law of God and realize that they cannot fulfill the law and save themselves--whose burdens become real and heavy--are those who are foolish to the world--babes.
And Jesus the Son thanks God the Father for hiding truth from men.
But there is more. Such a sovereign decision not to manifest truth to one group of humans in distinction to another group is a prerogative given to the Son! "All things are delivered unto Me..neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him" (v.27).
Jesus gets to decide to whom He will reveal the Father. Just as the Father decides to whom truth will be revealed.
All this is to say, in practical terms of today, that when a minister preaches or a mother teaches or a neighbor witnesses to the lost, those listening may or may not fully understand, know or comprehend unless the Father and the Son are pleased to reveal truth to them.
Dear reader: do you believe that? Or are you running in circles trying to save men instead of realizing that salvation--even the elementary and starting point of understanding simple Biblical truths--depends upon the good pleasure of God?
Rest in Christ and His decisions. If you see your wretched state before God's tribunal and feel the burden of sin, flee to Christ in faith, trusting in His good pleasure, thanking Him for revealing truth to babes such as you.