Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture Reading

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:

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.

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...

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…

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)

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....

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.”