In my Matthew class, I was given the following assignment: In Matthew 11:25-27 Jesus uses language that is undeniably predestinarian. But in 11:20-24; 28-30 the language of free will is unquestionably in view. Does Matthew (and Scripture in general) suggest a balance between the two positions or an exclusivity of one or the other? Can the two work together? If so, how? This should spark some good discussion!
In order to answer the questions posed for this discussion board, I must first address the framing of the questions. Craig Blomberg has it wrong. It’s undeniably NOT predestinarian. At least, not if he means that Jesus is saying that some people are predestined to heaven, and some to hell. We need to look at the context.
In verses 20-24, Jesus is obviously angry with those who rejected Him and were unwilling to repent. He is talking to the crowd who murmured about John the Baptist (11:7) after seeing John’s disciples come to Him asking if He was “the one who was to come.” He is addressing, “this generation”—the Jews who rejected Him as Messiah.
It is important to note that His anger is directed at their unwillingness to repent. Tyre and Sidon did not repent either (11:22), and He was saying they were in deeper trouble than those two cities! Why? Because they saw God in the flesh, performing miracles to confirm His word, yet they still refused to repent! He even said that Sodom’s judgment would be more bearable than theirs (11:24).
Now, if the doctrines of limited atonement, irresistible grace and unconditional election were true, why was Jesus so angry? If He predestined them to reject Christ, then He has no reason to be angry.
Jesus is not talking about Calvinistic predestination in this passage. In verse 25, Jesus said that the Father has hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. In other words, He has hidden these things from the proud, and revealed them to the humble. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6). In verse 27, Jesus is simply saying that he reveals the Father to the humble; not the proud. He is the predestined way to the Father (John 14:6), and only the repentant—the humble—can come that way.
Verses 28-29 make this even clearer. Who is it that Jesus is calling? All who are weary and burdened—those who are broken.
This theme is not only found in Matthew, but it is echoed throughout Scripture. Can predestination and free will work together? Absolutely! They always work together. But a proper definition of predestination would be that God always predestines the way—He never predestines the person. The way of salvation has been set in stone (John 14:6). It cannot change. It is predestined that those who repent and trust Christ, will be saved.
Context is crucial. When you see the big picture of what Jesus was doing in chapters 11-12, it is clear that He is dealing with a wicked generation of people who rejected Him and refused to repent. This cup of rejection reached its tipping point in 12:24 and Jesus nailed them. They had constantly rejected the work of the Holy Spirit, which is to bring conviction (Jn. 16:8) and point to Christ (Jn. 15:26). Now they verbalized it. Anyone who rejects the Holy Spirit—and refuses to confess and repent—cannot be saved. They were a lost cause. That is why Jesus went to parables in chapter 13.
