The Bible is full of what appear to be paradoxes. A few examples are: "Lose your life and you will find it" and "He that humbles himself shall be exalted." One of the greatest paradoxes is knowing God. Jesus said, "...no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him" (Matthew 11:27). At first, this sounds like a contradiction or an endless circle. Only the Father knows the Son, and you can't know the Father unless the Son reveals the Father.
Jesus goes on to say that, if we take His yoke upon us, we will learn about Him (Matthew 11:29). It is when we place ourselves in the service of Jesus that we truly start to learn about who Jesus is. I believe that what Jesus was saying was when you truly know who I am, then you will know who the Father is. Jesus was also saying that the only way to get to know Him is to work with Him. Even though Jesus is the Good Shepherd, Jesus wants us to work with Him. Jesus doesn't want to throw a yoke around our neck and then drive us. I believe that Jesus has a double yoke with one side for us and one side for Him. He wants us to work right alongside Him.
It is in the working with Jesus, when we are trying to accomplish His will, that we start to find out the mercy, love, patient, and compassion of our Lord. Soon we start to understand that Jesus really does love us. Eventually, if we stay with the Lord, He will reveal the deep secrets of His heart, and we will know who the Father is. We will understand that Jesus is the Father manifest in the flesh, the Good Shepherd.
