I Am: The Door

Luke 13:22 NLT

Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem.

Luke 13:23 NLT

Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He replied,

This is a question that puzzles me “like Lord are there few who will be saved”, how many people in the world are self proclaimed muslims or buddist, or have there own synchronistic religion ( just picking and choosing what they want to believe.) Or how many are atheist. The numbers are staggering and overwhelming.

Like who is saved because it seems to be very few.

The disciples thought that the message of the Kingdom would be sweeping the nations. And that Jesus grace would be irresistible.

People would be falling out when they seen Christ. But yet that wasn’t the case Jesus met a great deal of resistance.

So he ask the question “Lord only a few people will be saved” ?

We ask questions like this because we want to know the odds.

So Lord out of thirty people one will be saved.

Like what are the odds I would be raised in American

what are the odds that I’ve couldn’t been chinese.

We even look at sin this way. Like what are the odds that I will over come this sin.

Or what are the odds that I will overcome this trail.

“Well statistically speaking people with 12 toes are more likely to succeeded in quantom physics.”

The NFL draft just happen we can say what are the odds of one getting drafted.

But Jesus maybe would say the odds are slimmer then you think.

This is mans way to try to calculate Gods plan.

But salvation isn’t based on human odds.

Its based on divine initiative and divine grace.

God doesn’t want us to be occupied with the odds but He wants us to be occupied with Himself.

Luke 13:24 NLT

“Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail.

Work hard - is the greek word agonisomai - where we get our english word for agony. It generally means to fight to wrestle.

mean to endure pain, to wrestle as to win an award or contest, straining every nerve to the uttermost towards the goal . To contend for victory

Why do we have to contend, why do we have to “work hard”. I thought salvation is a gift.

We “work hard” not because people are difficult.

Not because what God requires of us which is to believe is difficult. We just receive the free gift.

We work hard because I am difficult.

Life isn’t difficult because of my neighbor or because of Politics.

Not because of your church or your Pastor. or a fellow body member.

But its difficult because of me.

I’m ground zero.

Jesus made sure the questioner was fully aware about this.

Jesus made it clear

Matthew 5:20 NLT

“But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

Jesus completely eliminates the spiritual giants of the day. Morally they where more superior, they are more intelligent, well put together. And you mean they won’t enter into the kingdom of Heaven

The Kingdom of Heaven is where ever Christ is ruling and if Christ isn’t ruling. You’re not under that Kingdom.

The wide door of Pharisaism made provisions for so many people who tried to carry out the tradition’s laws.

See the wide door paid little attention to the attitude of the heart only on rituals and actions and deeds

The wide door is I do what I want when no ones looking but as soon as someones looking I act religious.

The wide door is broadly religious but lacks intimacy with Jesus Christ Himself.

The wide door lives a life of hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy in Jesus day wasn’t only claiming to do something and don’t. Like I’m acting like a pious person but thats not my life.

But its me doing whatever that religious act is but with the wrong motives. This is hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy is “no I’m actually do it!” But my motives are wrong.

vs 25 - is referring to when this physical life is over. Many people will say “Lord open the door for us!”

John 10:7–10 (NKJV)

Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

The first five verses in John 10 speaks about how the Shepherds leadership.

- It speaks about the sheep being familiar with the Shepherd voice,

- how the Shepherd knows the sheep by name.

- How the Shepherd leads them out.

The sheep being so intimate with the Shepherd no other shepherd can misguide them because of the relationship they have with there Shepherd.

Though its easy to be fixated on the beauty and closeness the sheep have with the Shepherd. Its easy overlook the contexts harshness. Jesus is explaining about real life opponents. People who desperately want Jesus life.

Who want to steal, kill, and destroy.

Controversy is raging all throughout these verses.

Jesus is the sole means by which the sheep may enter the safety of the fold.

Jesus being the door reveals that there is

- Only one fount of spiritual nourishment.

- Only One source of knowledge of God.

Only One basis of spiritual security

Only One way one must be saved.

Only One Jesus the Door.

D.A. Carson said it this way,

“The world still seeks humanistic political Saviors, its Hitlers, its Stalins, its Maos, its Pol Pots— and only too late does it learn that they blatantly confiscate personal property (they come ‘only to steal’), ruthlessly trample human life under foot (they come ‘only … to kill’), and contemptuously savage all that is valuable (they come ‘only … to destroy’).” D.A. Carson

‘Jesus is right. It is not the Christian doctrine of heaven that is the myth, but the humanist dream of utopia.” Roy Clements

The idea that life can be perfect if we have this wide door. Wide ideas, wide dreams and ambitions.

But now this is speaking about Christ being the door to the sheepfold.

‌

These verses are emphasizing Christ being our safety and protection.

vs 10 the abundant life means that Jesus goes beyond necessity.

Jesus always does beyond our wildest dreams.

Life to the full suggest fat sheep. Contented, flourishing sheep.

 “The liberal soul shall be made fat: And he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” Proverbs 11:25 KJV

Living in Africa for a man to be fight was a good thing. That meant he was wealthy. He ate good.

But what this very is talking about is a generous soul will be made rich.

If we seek the abundant life rather then the Shepherd we will continue to eat among the weeds and not eat of lush pastures.