Luke 18:18-34

Lk. 18:22 - We would rather have treasure on earth than treasure in heaven. We would rather follow ourselves than follow Jesus.

But its one or the other and we must make our choice. Will it be treasure in heaven or treasure on earth? Will we follow Him or will we follow ourselves?

Lk. 18:24-25 - Why is this so hard? Because the tangible treasures of earth must be exchanged for the spiritual treasures of heaven. This is hard because it is the exercise of faith. It is investing in the unseen.

Jesus said this was impossible for a rich person. More impossible than a camel going through the eye of a needle.

Lk. 18:26-27 - Then who can be saved? Did they understand riches as a sign of God’s blessing? If so, in their thinking the rich should have found it very easy to enter the Kingdom of God. But if it was more than impossible for them, then who could be saved?

Jesus said that only with God was it possible for a rich man to be saved.

Only with God is it possible for anyone to be saved.

Lk. 18:28-30 - Peter asks, “What about us?” Jesus said there is no one who has left it all ‘for the sake of the Kingdom of God’ who will not be rewarded both in this age and in the age to come.

Some, however, leave it all for a story to tell or to fell good about themselves or for some other reason. But only one reason will get you rewarded and that is to leave it all behind ‘for the sake of the Kingdom of God.’

At this time, rewarded with many times as much.

In the age to come, rewarded with eternal life.

At this time refers to the age in which we live—the church age. All who leave it all to follow Jesus find that they gain the family of God and all its resources.

The age to come refers to the eternal state or Heaven, where we will we will spend eternity in blissful existence with Jesus.

Lk. 18:31-34 - Consider Him who has left it all behind for you.

What was written through the prophets about the Son of Man? Psalm 22; Isaiah 53

Just as those passages in the prophets point out, Jesus—the Son of Man—would be betrayed, abused, and murdered.In short, Jesus would be crucified, but on the third day He would rise.

What did the crucifixion of Jesus mean?

The crucifixion of Jesus meant reconciliation between God and every sinner who repents and trusts in Jesus alone for salvation.

God is holy. He is the supreme authority. And we answer to Him.

We are sinners. We have turned away from God by breaking His commandments.

We have lusted after others and so we have committed adultery in our hearts.

We have been sinfully angry and so we have committed murder in our hearts.

We have stolen.

We have lied.

We have dishonored our parents at one time or another.

We have put idols of one type or another before God.

We are all sinners and the price for those sins is death.

Jesus came to die our death so that through faith in Him we would be saved from God’s wrath and live to God’s glory.

This means that if we will turn away from our sins and trust in Jesus we will be saved; we will enter the Kingdom of God; we will have eternal life!

What did the resurrection of Jesus mean?

The resurrection is proof positive that Jesus was who He said He was and that He did what He set out to do.

He was indeed the Son of the living God, the Christ, the Anointed One promised in the Law and the Prophets and delivered in Jesus of Nazareth.

And in obedience to the Father He did indeed lay His life down as the perfect sacrifice for our sin, saying, “It is finished!”

And then having paid for our sins and having no sins of His own, He rose from the dead.

All sin leads to death and our sin lead to the death of Jesus, but having no sins of His own, once our sins had been paid for, Jesus rose from the dead.

Luke 18:34 - The disciples didn’t understand because they didn’t have the full counsel of God’s Word being delivered to them through the counsel of the Holy Spirit.