The Only Way into the Kingdom
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Scripture Reading
Scripture Reading
22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”
Introduction
Introduction
New section in Luke’s Gospel.
And a question will be posed to Jesus in terms of being saved. Particularly, how many are going to be saved!
We will see - Christ doesn’t answer this directly.
However, he does significant teaching in terms of those who will be saved, and those who will not.
And this is a passage that has great significance for us as Christians today.
All that Jesus said to the crowds that were following him in that day has exceedingly important application to us in our own day.
There is both strong warning.... and great encouragement!!
Listen well...
Context:
22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.
We see immediately that Jesus is still on his way to Jerusalem. You will recall from back in Chapter 9 that this was the goal of Jesus…to go to Jerusalem in order to face what he knew would be his certain death.
51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
Jesus was resolute in setting his face towards his final goal of coming into the world.
Going up to be crucified...
Much has passed since we read those words. Christ has continued to teach and to urge the people around Him to accept the message that he was proclaiming.
He has continued to demonstrate His authority, both through His teaching and through the works that He was doing.
But all of this was headed in a particular direction. It was headed towards a culminating point that would take place in the city of Jerusalem, the very place where God had his presence among His people Israel, the point at which he would give up his very life for the sake of a chosen people.
His resolute commitment has not changed!
Notice: As he’s headed there, he continues to teach.
He is walking on foot… going through various towns and villages…
As he does so he’s teaching and engaging with the people.
And this leads to a question being raised…
Luke 13:23 (NIV84)
23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
Luke does not give us the details of the person that asked this question. It’s more likely that this was a regular person from the crowd, rather than a religious leader of sorts. But the question is a pertinent one.
There was some measure of difference in opinion among the JEws (and Jewish leaders) i.t.o. who would be saved… how many would be saved.
There were those who believed that all who were true ethnic Jews would be saved.
This is recorded for example in the Mishnah...
The Mishnah Sanhedrin
10:1 A All Israelites have a share in the world to come,
B as it is said, Your people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land forever; the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified (Is. 60:21).
However, we must also keep in mind that they believed that Jews would be saved… not the unclean Gentiles.
But as Jesus had been teaching… it had become evident that their thinking needed adjustment…
25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”
9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”
Could also consider various other examples in Luke’s Gospel...
The Beatitudes… Luke 6:20-38...
Parable of Foundations… Luke 6:46-49...
Parable of the Sower.... Luke 8:4-15
Sign of Jonah… Luke 11:29-52...
All along, Jesus had been teaching in such a manner that he was warning the present generation, including the religious leaders...
Now, the question on the mind of this man, and on the minds of the Jewish people would have been, will all of the Jews be saved, or would only a small number of them be saved?
Just one final point… what was the “salvation” in the Jewish mind? Usually, political deliverance.
We consider 4 main points in Jesus’ response…
1. The Way is Narrow (vv.23b-24)
1. The Way is Narrow (vv.23b-24)
Christ responds then to the man’s question, which we see at the end of v.23 and into v.24…
Luke 13:23–24 (NIV84)
He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.
In one sense, Christ does not answer the man’s question directly.
He doesn’t give a simple yes / no answer.
He doesn’t even begin to speak to the fact that only a small number of people will be saved (or otherwise).
Through a series of comments, he will certainly address the man’s question…
But in a sense, he indicates to this man that it’s not so much a matter of how many will be saved, but the manner in which they are saved…
Here is the pertinent question...
How are we to be saved? What is needed in order to lead to salvation?
Firstly, he says to the man, and to the crowds...
“...make every effort to enter through the narrow door…”
2 things to be considered...
The first thing that I would like to point out from that statement is the fact that there is a “narrow door.”
In other words, the way to salvation (salvation from sin / wrath of God) is not a broad road, but a narrow one....
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
We need to see the significance of this statement...
The most obvious thing that we need to recognise is that not all religions lead to God.
In fact, according to Jesus, only one religion does lead to God.
The world is trying to convince everyone that the highest good is love… God is love… we need to love one another… and then we become acceptable in God’s eyes.
In other words, whatever you believe in terms of reaching God, the most important is love.
That’s not the teaching of Jesus.
There is only one narrow way to the Father… There is a narrow door.
Go across to John 10....
Verse 1...
Verse 7-10....
Elaborate...
In this sense, there is a slight answer to the man’s question.
Only a few? In one sense yes… because only those who go through the narrow door are saved.
Those on the broad road (which is the road of many) go to destruction.
The reality is that that the way to salvation, the way to enter into the kingdom of God (Christ) is through a narrow way.
This necessarily implies an exclusion of certain people from entering into this kingdom. We need to see this and be reminded that there truly is only one way to the Father.
Christ is the only way…
Have you seen this? Do you believe this?
Second thing from this statement…
“make every effort” to enter through this narrow door.
The word in Gk. is one from which we derive our English word “Agonize...”
Must understand properly...
He is not saying here that we are to work in order to earn salvation.
It is not a works-based righteousness that is needed.
Rom 4… consider verses 1-4...
It is most assuredly not by works that we are saved.
Refers to repentance and faith.
Live a life of repentance.
Main concern in that day… refused to repent of sin.
Continued to try to live a good life… morally upright.
The driving force was a “good life.” A “better life than others.”
Their view of themselves was… “I’m a descendant of Abraham...”
Luke Comments
The reason some are not able to enter does not have to do with being good enough but with the willingness to repent (cf. 13:3, 5), which they refuse to do.
Look back at Luke 13:1-5
2. The Time is Limited (v.25)
2. The Time is Limited (v.25)
25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
Owner gets up…closes door...
There will come a time when the door will be closed.
We see here the control of the owner of the house… He has sovereign control.
Recall Luke 13:6-9… the fig tree in the vineyard.
Who is the owner? Jesus! (see v.26)...
Notice the cry that will happen...
...stand outside.... pleading… sir, open the door for us.
Immdiately we must recognise the sense of panic...
Pleading… but will be too late.
22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’
There is a judgment day coming… time will have run out… there will be those who are unprepared, not ready..
This calls for urgent action...
Notice the response of the master...
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
While they remain outside, crying out… fearful because of they perceive their own destruction… He says, I don’t know you!!!
Note: God knows everyone perfectly well… but these are those who have not come in by the narrow way… they are thus rejected.
Christ anticipates a particular response…
3. The Requirement is Genuine Submission (vv.26-27)
3. The Requirement is Genuine Submission (vv.26-27)
26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
This will be their argument.
Jesus… you lived among us.
Jesus… we walked along the streets with you, listening to your teaching.
We followed you around.
We entered into the hosue of the various people where you ate… we had meals with you.
27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
Jesus’ response is clear… being around him doesn’t mean belonging to him.
The words are a quote of Psalm 6:8...
Turn to Psalm...
In context here, Christ says that those that have rejected him will be rejected by Him.
Irrespective of their arguments to know him.... be around him… will lead to rejection.
More practical to us in our day.... participating in the Christian community doesn’t make you a Christian.
Go to Hebrews 6…vv.4-6....even 7-8...
Many people sit in curch..
They hear the Gospel.
They may sit in prayer meetings and bible studies.
What is required...
Repentance from dead works...
A life of faith...
A life bearing fruit of faith… see Hebrews 11.. James 2...
4. Rejection will lead to Judgment (v.28)
4. Rejection will lead to Judgment (v.28)
28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.
Weeping / gnashing of teeth...
This is a phrase that is always designed to convey the utter horrendousness of rejecting the Saviour.
Weeping.. a place of Sadness… pain.... suffering.
Gnashing of teeth.... they will be angered… bitterness… jealousy.
Note… they see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.. and all prophets… seems to indicate awareness of what is happening.
But clearly there is a sense that they had rejected the way, and now they suffered in torment, knowing full well that there was no hope of participating in the joys of Christ’s kingdom.
Further to this...
Note that they see those who are the fathers… those who are of the faith…
Jesus is addressing subjects of kingdom.
Go across to Matthew 8:10-12....
Faith of the Centurion… sons of the kingdom cast out...
5. Embracing will lead to Celebration (vv.29-30)
5. Embracing will lead to Celebration (vv.29-30)
29 “And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God.
Clear reflection of God’s desire to save all nations..
Those rejecting him would not be welcomed into the kingdom.
Only those who accepted God’s chosen Messiah.
Note: In a sense… the Israelites would have viewed this as God’s faithfulness to gather the Israelites themselves from captivity...
3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.
9 but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.’
47 Save us, O Lord our God,
And gather us from among the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy name
And glory in Your praise.
3 And gathered from the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south.
But we see that Christ teaches here not this gathering of ethnic Jews from the east and west and north and south…
THey would certainly be included if accepting the Messiah of God...
But in reality the Gospel is for all nations… this is what the New Testament makes clear.
30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”
In this context (see also Mat.19:30, 20:16; Mark 10:31)… Jesus was referring primarily to Jewish outcasts… Tax collectors, sinners, poor, prostitutes, the lame and blind… excluded religious leaders.
However, in the context of Luke, it’s clear that the Gentiles are included...
Those who were first were the Jewish people - chosen by God.
Those who were last were the Gentiles…
This is evident when the Gospel goes out to all nations… according to the great commission.
It is clear through the book of acts...
46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
6 But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
28 “Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen.”
But note also the reward of all of these...
They will recline at the table in the Kingdom of God...
c.f. Matthew 22:2-4… king gave a wedding feast for his son.
Application / Conclusion
Application / Conclusion
Christ is answering the question of a man… will only a few be saved.
A very important answer is given… but the answer extended well beyond the thoughts in the man’s mind…
Jesus essentially says, the way to be saved is narrow.
There is only one way of salvation… there is only one way to be saved.
That way is through repentance from sin… repentance of dead works of righteousness… and a life lived by faith.
Have you repented?
Have you come to the point where you recognise Jesus as your only hope?
Is your life a life of faith?
Example of and Passion and Patience…??
10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.