THE GOD-MAN LIVING

MESSAGE TWELVE

THE FIRST GOD-MAN’S LIVING
A MAN OF PRAYER

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Scripture Reading: Matt. 9:36—10:4; 11:25-30

OUTLINE

2. The divine facts in the mystical human life of the first God-man in the record of the synoptic Gospels concerning the first God-man as the King-Savior in the kingdom of the heavens, the Slave-Savior in God’s gospel service, and the Man-Savior in God’s salvation:
   3. He taught His disciples to pray concerning the harassed and cast-away sheep of God—Matt. 9:36—10:4:
      1. The first God-man as the Shepherd of God’s elect, seeing that God’s elect were harassed and cast away like sheep not having a shepherd and being moved with compassion, charged His disciples to beseech the Lord of the harvest that He would thrust out workers into His harvest—9:36-38.
      2. Then He sent His twelve disciples, who were appointed by Him as the twelve apostles, and gave them authority to cast out unclean spirits and heal all kinds of diseases—10:1-4.
      3. In Luke’s parallel record of this case, we are told that the Lord Himself “went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.” The next day He established the twelve apostles to visit and take care of the people who were troubled by unclean spirits and heal them—Luke 6:12-18.
   4. The first God-man, after reproaching the surrounding cities for not being willing to receive His teaching and repent (Matt. 11:20-24), prayed to the Father, and based upon His prayer, He gave a wonderful teaching to His disciples—Matt. 11:25-30:
      1. His surpassing prayer to the Father: “I extol You, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for thus it has been well-pleasing in Your sight”—vv. 25-26:
         1. While the first God-man was rebuking the cities, He fellowshipped with the Father, answering the Father by His prayer.
         2. He extolled the Father, acknowledging the Father as Lord of heaven and of earth.
         3. He praised the Father that He has hidden all the things mentioned in verse 27 from the wise and intelligent and has revealed them to infants.
         4. He acknowledged that this has been well- pleasing in the Father’s sight and submitted Himself to it.
      2. His unveiling teaching to the disciples—vv. 27-30:
         1. All things have been delivered to Him by the Father.
         2. No one fully knows Him except the Father; neither does anyone fully know the Father except Him and him to whom He wills to reveal Him—v. 27.
         3. He calls all who toil and are burdened to come to Him, and He will give them rest—v. 28.
         4. He charges them to take His yoke upon them and learn from Him, for He is meek and lowly in heart, and they will find rest for their souls—v. 29.
         5. He assures them that His yoke is easy and His burden is light—v. 30.