The Narrow Door

This morning we are looking at an interaction between Jesus and a random person in the crowd as Jesus worked His to way to Jerusalem.

Someone yelled out in a sarcastic tone “will those saved be few”?

This is sarcasm because it was a widely held thought that ALL Jews would enter heaven because it was their birth right.

This is even brought up in the Mishnah:

All Israelites have a share in the world to come, for it is written, Thy people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever; the branch of my planting, the work of my hands that I may be glorified. And these are they that have no share in the world to come: he that says that there is no resurrection of the dead prescribed in the Law, and [he that says] that the Law is not from Heaven, and an Epicurean. (Sanhedrin 10.1)

So when the question rang from the crowd, the hearers expected Jesus to affirm that all Jews would make it through the pearly gates, unless they had committed especially grievous sins like the rebellion of Korah or that of Absalom.

They also thought all Gentiles would be excluded from the kingdom except for a few proselytes who followed the examples of Rahab and Ruth.

The question was a presumptive query meant to solidify Jewish feelings of religious superiority.

Spiritual Exertion ( vv 22-24)

The Narrow door.

It is not narrow on the heaven side but on our side.

Many will want to enter but only few truly will.

We are responsible for the choices that we make and will be held accountable for not repenting and believing in the Savior.

Here in verse 24 we see the word. “Strive” which translates a form of the verb agōnizomai, from which the English word “agonize” derives.

It is used only here in the Synoptic Gospels.

The word means “to fight” “to compete” in an athletic contest, or “to struggle”.

The fight or struggle in view here is one of self-denial that produces real repentance. Luke 9:23

Luke 9:23 ESV

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

The message of the gospel is not self-fulfillment, but self-denial.

Faith in Christ costs the sinner his selfish goals and desires, and may separate him from his family, possessions, even his life.

The door is a tight fit, requiring those who enter through it to strip themselves of their personal baggage.

It is also made hard to find by the many deceptive voices luring the unwary and undiscerning to the broad gate that leads to hell.

Therefore many will seek to enter and will not be able.

(Garage Door)

Temporal Desperation (v 25a)

The door will only be open for a certain time.

Once Christ comes the second time and appears before the world in His glorified state it will be too late.

The door will be shut and the wrath of Christ will be poured out.

Lack of Relation (vv 25b-27)

Why will people be shut out?

They Have no relationship with Christ.

Salvation results in a shared life with Jesus Christ.

The ones being turned away had no relationship with Him, no salvation had ever taken place.

They had no relationship with Him.

They had never repented and been justified by God because they were not covered with the righteousness of Christ through faith in Him.

Eternal Perception (vv 28-30)

Jesus did not focus on His hearers’ purposes, ambitions, desires, health, wealth, or anything else in this life.

Instead He called them to have an eternal perspective and turn their attention to the threat of hell.

The torment of hell will not be limited to the pain of punishment, but will include the remorse, shock, and surprise of those who ended up there despite thinking they were going to heaven.

The more people in hell knew about the gospel, the more profound their remorse will be; their pain will be proportional to their level of rejection.

And since their rejection will be eternal and incurable, so will their sin be and the judgment of that sin.

The lesson to be learned from Christ’s model invitation to salvation is twofold.

First, the true church of Jesus Christ must get the message right; a perverted, corrupted, altered, false, and easy invitation is powerless to save lost sinners.

Second, false evangelism leaves people unconverted and subsequently skeptical of true gospel evangelism and therefore more open to further deception.

The Lord Jesus Christ never watered down His message to avoid offending people; He made them either feel bad enough to repent, or furious enough to reject.

The message to the unredeemed is that God saves no one apart from genuine repentance.

The battle to deny our self and follow Christ is intense, the time is short, eternal destiny is at stake.