Matthew 7:13-20

Introduction

English Standard Version Chapter 7

13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

A Tree and Its Fruit

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

One of the hallmarks of Jesus’ teaching is found here in this particular text. Which is his teaching on exclusivity, that there is only one way to heaven, that there is only one way to God. When most think of the Sermon on the Mount they think strictly of Jesus’ good moral teachings, but here in chapter 7 Jesus makes it very clear that there is only one way to heaven, that there is only one way to God.

Jesus is only way to God

And, of course, this is only one sampling of Jesus’ many words on the subject. He says in ,

English Standard Version Chapter 10

“Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers,

English Standard Version Chapter 10

7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers,

and in ,

or in ,

English Standard Version Chapter 10

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

and in ,

English Standard Version Chapter 14

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

English Standard Version Chapter 14

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

and later Peter would echo this same teaching in when speaking before the religious council and saying,

and Peter would later echo Jesus’ teaching in speaking before the religious council and saying,

English Standard Version Chapter 4

there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

In fact, the first followers of Jesus were even called the “people of the Way” (), which directly relates to Jesus’ metaphors concerning the Christian life. (R.C. Sproul, Matthew Commentary) The idea that Jesus is the gate, the door, or the way that leads to eternal life is central to his earthly message.

Pluralism is arrogance

I was reading an account of a student and his interaction with a university professor recently, and the professor knew that this student was a Christian and so she took the opportunity one morning to ask him to come down to the front of the classroom, and she asked him, “Do you believe that Jesus is the only way to God?” The student was noticeably uncomfortable, but eventually responded by saying, “Yes, I believe that Jesus is the only way to God.” Having set the student up, she said, “Young man, that is the most arrogant thing I’ve every heard a student say.”

Having set the student up, she said, “Young man, that is the most arrogant thing I’ve every heard a student say.” The professor’s hostility toward Christianity was readily apparent to everyone.

However, “when the class was dismissed, [the student] approached the teacher and said to her, ‘I know you don’t believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but I do. I want you to understand that if I were to believe that Jesus is the only way to God simply because He is my way, that would be, without a doubt, the most arrogant thing a man could say.’” (R.C. Sproul, Matthew Commentary)

Relativism & pluralism

This is obviously incredibly offensive to our unbelieving culture here in the western world. Here relativism is the ruling paradigm along with its twin, pluralism. The idea that there are many ways to God is what our society values. It’s seen as offensive and even bigoted to think any other way. Jesus’ teaching here in his Sermon on the Mount is seen as narrow-minded by the world.

However, the story of this student didn’t end with humiliation. “When the class was dismissed, [the student] approached the teacher and said to her, “I know you don’t believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but I do. I want you to understand that if I were to believe that Jesus is the only way to God simply because He is my way, that would be, without a doubt, the most arrogant thing a man could say.” (R.C. Sproul, Matthew Commentary)

You see, when we demand our own way, it’s not Jesus who’s arrogant, it’s us. Who are we to make such demands of God? You see, the good news of the Gospel is that God, in his mercy, was kind enough to make a way for us at all! When we deserved punishment in Hell, God made a way for us, through his Son. Who do we think we are to demand our own way like a child throwing a tantrum!

Pluralism is not virtuous, it’s the result of arrogance. And because of the world’s swelling pride Jesus’ claim of exclusivity becomes massively offensive. The idea that there are many ways to God is what our society demands, it’s seen as offensive to think otherwise, so Jesus’ teaching here in his Sermon on the Mount is seen as narrow-minded, and even bigoted, by the unbelieving world. And it isn’t just that our pride wants another way to God, it demands it’s own way.

Jesus claim of exclusivity is massively offensive to our unbelieving culture, especially here in our western world. Here relativism is the ruling paradigm along with its twin, pluralism. The idea that there are many ways to God is what our society values. It’s seen as offensive to think any other way, so Jesus’ teaching here in his Sermon on the Mount is seen as narrow-minded, and even bigoted, by the unbelieving world.

Two paths

So Jesus tells his disciples to enter by the narrow gate, the gate where few will enter in, the gate that leads to eternal life. He’s drawing a stark contrast between the two gates, one that is narrow and one that is broad. There are no other paths to take, it’s either one or the other. And there are only either those who are saved or those who are lost, believers or unbelievers.

And we’ll see as we reach the end of chapter 7 that Jesus is progressively pressing closer to home for the disciples. At first the contrast is between believers and unbelievers (the narrow gate versus the wide gate), the second contrast is between believers and imposters, or those to pretend to be believers (sheep versus wolves in sheep’s clothing), the third is being contrast between believers and those who think they are believers, they’ve deceived themselves (those who do God’s will versus those who do not), and finally the fourth contrast is between believers who obey Jesus’ words and those who hear but do not obey his words.

So Jesus’ point on the outset of these four blocks of teaching is for his disciples to enter by the narrow gate. Whereas everyone else who goes their own way unwittingly enters the wide gate which leads to destruction.

There is a way that seems right

When I hear the words of Jesus here I’m immediately reminded of ,

English Standard Version Chapter 16

25  There is a way that seems right to a man,

but its end is the way to death.

The vast majority of the people around us have a way that seems right to them, but in the end it leads to death. It’s a path that leads to destruction, and Jesus here in Matthew describes this way as the broad gate, where those who enter by it are many. Jesus “taught that most people do not go to heaven,” that “those numbered among the redeemed are few.” (R.C. Sproul, Matthew Commentary) This teaching, again, runs contrary to the teaching of our world.

Assertions that everyone will go to heaven

It’s often asserted that everyone is going to heaven, one way or another. Many of us can even think of books like Love Wins by Rob Bell which ultimately argue against the destruction of the wicked, that in the end everyone will eventually be won over by God, but this isn’t what Jesus teaches. Jesus teaches his disciples that the gate is narrow and that the way is hard that leads to eternal life.

False prophets, wolves in sheep’s clothing

Jesus then identifies in verses 15-20 one of the things that will make the way of the narrow gate hard, namely false prophets. We read again starting in verse 15,

English Standard Version Chapter 7

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

False prophets the biggest danger to Isreal

During the OT the greatest threat to the nation of Israel wasn’t the Amalekites, or the Philistines, or even nations like Babylon. The greatest danger to the people of Isreal were false prophets.

The OT prophets that we read in our Bibles today were speaking on behalf of God and were either treated as outcasts or were in danger for their lives simply because the messages they carried were unpopular, and threatened the idolatrous behaviors of the Jewish people. And because their message was so often unpopular they were constantly under attack.

Wolves in sheep’s clothing

These false prophets were, of course, not seen as false by the people of Isreal, and they therefore led the people astray, into sinful practices, not warning them of the judgment that would come as a result of their behavior. So Jesus here warns his disciples of such false prophets, and he says that not only will these prophets be false, but they will “come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly [will be] ravenous wolves.” They will appear gentle and kind, but inwardly they will seek to devour the sheep.

These false teachers will claim to be Christians, they will claim to be followers of Christ, but inwardly they will be ravenous wolves seeking to devour God’s people by their teachings. Peter describes them like this in ,

English Standard Version Chapter 2

2 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words.

Exercising discernment

Exercising discernment

This is an important lesson for us as Christians because such false teachers are equally as prevalent in our day, and Jesus’ admonish to us is that we be able to discern between those who are true and those who are false. The litmus test he gives us is that “you will recognize them by their fruits.” We will recognize false teachers by the consequences of their teaching.

Consequences of 19th century liberalism

I was recently speaking with Katie and Cassie concerning their trip to Europe this month, and I asked them if they had visited any churches while there. Katie responded by saying that she isn’t impressed by beautiful church buildings that are sadly found to be void of life inside. I echo her sentiments and indeed it is a sad thing to enter a beautiful cathedral only to realize that it’s only a relic of a congregation now dead.

There are church buildings both in Europe and the United States like this, and the reason is often rooted in the false teachers of the 19th century, infiltrating the church. This movement known as 19th century liberalism taught and promoted a very liberal view of the Scriptures. They argued against biblical inerrancy, that the Bible wasn’t necessarily without error. Many within the church at this time didn’t see the damaging nature of such teaching until generations later.

Many in the church didn’t see that the inerrancy of Scripture was essential to Christianity, that if the Bible were to be wrong, or included errors, then its power and authority would eventually be drained from it. If one couldn’t trust certain teachings within it then why should they trust any of it. The fruit of such teaching was incredibly damaging to the church, particularly in Europe, and so we see, largely only, relics of the church from centuries past. The church is by no means dead in Europe but visible damage has been suffered. So as Christians we’re to be vigilant in our efforts to recognize false teachers. We’re exhorted by our Lord to beware, and to sharpen our powers of discernment.

So as Christians we’re to be vigilant in our efforts to recognize false teachers. We’re exhorted by our Lord to beware, and to sharpen our powers of discernment.

Grapes not gathered from thornbushes

Jesus continues by giving us an analogy in verses 16,

So as Christians we’re to be vigilant in our efforts to recognize false teachers. We are exhorted by our Lord to beware, to sharpen our powers of discernment.

English Standard Version Chapter 7

Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

He points out to his disciples, again, that these people are imposters, that grapes cannot come from thornbushes, that figs cannot come from thistles. If these are wolves in sheep’s clothing then the fruit that is borne of their teaching will give evidence that they are not who they say they are.

Jesus continues in verse 17,

English Standard Version Chapter 7

17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

He, again, drives home the same point, that you will recognize them by the fruits, or the consequences of their teaching. It’s important for us to remember that ideas do have consequences, and unbiblical ideas and doctrines will bear potentially damning consequences.

And finally Jesus ends with this in verse 19-20,

English Standard Version Chapter 7

19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

We saw similar language earlier in Matthew’s gospel, specifically in chapter 3 by John the Baptist in his interaction with the religious leaders at the river Jordan. He told them,

English Standard Version Chapter 3

10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Conclusion

The consequence reserved for false teachers, and potentially those who follow them, is destruction. They have no concern for the sheep, and as Jesus once put it, they’re thieves and robbers. This is strong language coming from the lips of our Lord, but for good reason. He has no interest in pleasing men, he has no intention of painting a rosy picture of the narrow way, he means to seek and save the lost. And this means guarding the sheep. This means warning us of wide gate that leads to destruction that has the appeal of being easy, the appeal of going our own way. This means warning us of false prophets who seek to lead God’s people astray.

John Calvin once said, “The pastor ought to have two voices: one, for gathering the sheep and another for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves.” And this exactly how Jesus was, one moment calling his sheep to follow, and at another warding off and driving away wolves and thieves.

So may we enter in through the narrow gate and beware of false teachers.

Prayer