Teachings of Jesus on Salvation and the Kingdom of God
Welcome Prayer Song Silence
Okay folks, we left off last week with Jesus sharing some messages about the end times and the destruction that was going to come upon them/then if they did not repent. Then he brought us through a few parables regarding the Kingdom of God and what he could liken it to. And this point we have Luke report on another teaching Jesus provides due to a question. So let's read beginning at verse 23:
Luke 13:23-end
Meat January 26th 2020
Jesus' Response to Questions on Salvation
Luke 13:23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, 24 xStrive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.
31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. 32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. 33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! 35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
The Importance of Striving for Salvation
Alright, jump back with me to verse 23:
Luke 13:23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Who this one was is not mentioned but his identity is important to our understanding what Jesus says to him – as we have seen in the past.
If he was an apostle or a disciple or a pharisee it matters – if he came in faith or ill-will, it matters. Because we do not know his intentions it is really hard to interpret the purpose and meaning of Jesus reply to him.
Because his identity is missing, I am going to interpret Jesus reply as universally true, without any contextual variation because there is nothing more we can do than simply accept His words as valid.
When we think about it, this question is sort of futile where each individual is concerned though. What does it matter if few or many are saved? This has nothing to do whether the individual asking is saved or not, right?
I suppose to say many will be saved is more comforting to Him saying few will be saved, but in the end, the ultimate question was have you, the individual, been saved.
So what does the Lord say? He tells him or her:
24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. That is a reverse answer. The person asked are there few that would be saved, and Jesus replied, "for MANY will seek to enter in and shall not be able." He’s really good at that isn’t he?
Agonizing to Enter the Kingdom
The word strive here is not a happy one, as in strive to enter in at the gate,” because it means literally, “agonize to enter in the gate of the Kingdom of Heaven.” It’s
The Narrow Way
A word taken from the Grecian Games and as we see in athletic competitions, there is a great deal of wrestling and agonizing that goes on for people to try and win. Using this imagery Jesus tells him or her that we should “agonize” to enter in. Be diligent, earnestly pursue it, wrestle with obtaining the victory.
When Jesus says, strive to enter the strait gate, we note that strait is spelled differently than our straight. That’s because it is a completely different word (stenos) and it means narrow and small and obscured by obstacles. To enter it requires agonizing and striving and wrestling as it is not a broad open highway.
In his book, The Land and the Book, vol. i. p. 32 a writer named Thomson says:
"I have seen these strait gates and narrow ways, 'with here and there a traveller.' They are in retired corners, and must be sought for, and are opened only to those who knock; and when the sun goes down and the night comes on, they are shut and locked. It is then too late."
Salvation in Context
Jesus seems to be using these obscured narrow entrances to describe what’s required to be saved. Now, last week I think I pointed out that saved in scripture means different things to different people. To be saved then for them meant being saved to the Kingdom of Heaven AND to also be saved from the coming apocalypse. Vice versa, if someone was saved from the coming apocalypse they would have also been saved to the Kingdom of Heaven.
I have to tell you – the idea of believe and do what you want was not part of this picture. To be saved then – to them – it required wrestling, agonizing – and this is lost on the modern Evangelical. Why was it so difficult? And why is so much easier today (relatively speaking?) For a number of reasons.
First of all, Jesus came to His own – who were of the house of Israel. We are reading about Him speaking to them/then. This sets the stage for everything that He says.
Secondly, and as a result of this, they were, as the chosen covenant people to turn from all that their culture was about – their family, their jobs, their community, and to walk as a disciple of Christ.
Thirdly, as the bride of Christ is described in scripture in no uncertain terms as holy and pure and without wrinkle or spot, this is what they were to be. I mean the 144,000 are described as never having defiled themselves with women – whatever that means.
Finally, they had a number of supports that enable them to walk more circumspectly: they had the culture who were under the Law, they had the witness of people who saw, knew and could confirm Jesus miracles, they had an abundance of power by the Holy Spirit and they had living miracle doing apostles who knew and testified that Jesus had risen from the grave. Add in to all of that they also had an established deadline (a generation) with signs accompanying, that clearly told them – the end is near – hang on, endure, and if you do you will be saved.
These were the very direct clear words Jesus said to the seven churches. And let me tell you – most of these demands are not upon believers today – just faith and love – as Jesus has had the victory over sin and death once and for all.
Obstacles to Entry
So, getting back to them/then, and their circumstances at hand, Jesus says “many will seek to enter in and will not be able.” The reasons for this might include the heart of the individual involved – where they may seek to enter in they really have to devotion to it, their procrastination, like the people in the days of Noah, or their unwillingness to conform their will to His. Perhaps the greatest reason many will not gain access is because, as the parable of the sheepgate describes, is they sought to enter in through some other way than the door (who is Christ) but instead tried to enter in by and through their own righteousness, the law, whatever.
This was why the stringency of entering was there for them – and why so many would fail to enter in. Strait is the gate and narrow the way and few be there that find it but broad is the way that leads to destruction. The principle certainly applies today to each.
The Closed Door Parable
After saying that many will attempt entrance but will not be able, Jesus explains further, saying at verse 25 and 28:
25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.
Illustration of the Householder
Pretty graphic and frightening description. Let’s work through it. The imagery Jesus uses is that of a householder who apparently has his door open to friends all during the day. He’s inviting them in and welcoming their presence. When we enter into somebody’s home for a visit we walk through the front door and not climb in through a window or even walk through the back or side door. The front door being opened by the homeowner is the way. To climb in some other way is the ways of a thief. The point of this illustration is there comes a time when the householder will close the door for the night. At that point guests are not allowed access. The opportunity to freely enter is over. The invitation closed – like the door.
Likewise, Jesus is telling them that there is a proper time to seek an entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven and it was then. To wait till death would be too late for them – they would go to hell and have to wait for the great white throne judgement to get out, and to wait too long on earth would mean the door would shut on them and a certain demise was inevitable.
Jesus continues to describe what will happen once the opportunity for them passes and he says something that could only be said of them/then:
26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
To me these words describe the good old boy network approach that people will take – “Hey! Jesus! Remember me?” But when we consider the price Jesus will pay, and the demands on them to conform, this approach is insulting. So insulting that Jesus says
27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
The Bleak Reality
And in this we discover the bleak reality of said believers and true disciples – the first never knew Jesus nor cared to take the time to know him and the second not only knew Him but worked righteousness. The result that Jesus lays out for them? (Verse 28)
28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.
Note a few things about this description – the weeping and gnashing of teeth will be the result of them SEEING “Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets IN THE KINGDOM of God and they themselves are thrust out!” This perfectly meshes with the description of the New Jerusalem (which houses the Kingdom of God) as being a city with walls and gates and citizens (sons and daughters of God) inside and the rest out.
I am of the opinion that Jesus just described for them/then all that they were going to have to face if they did not repent. Jesus has been describing these things for a few weeks now.
Applying the Description
But I do not believe we can take this description and apply it to ourselves exactly – similarly – but not exactly. Because there was a much different demand and expectation for them/then, and much of what they were under has been fulfilled, I am of the opinion that in many ways, those who enter the Kingdom established then NOW, will enter expectedly, and those who are outside of it are pretty much getting what they want.
The Kingdom of God and Access to It
Of us, the rest of the world it seems that Jesus now describes, saying:
29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.
In other words, while these are outside of the Kingdom, Jesus describes others (pagans – gentiles) coming in from all parts of the earth and sitting down in the Kingdom of God. What a slap in the face! The phrase "from the east and from the west," in the Scripture, is used to denote the whole world, (as we see in Isaiah 45:6; 59:19). The sitting down reference speaks of dining and relaxation and comfort which is in contradistinction to weeping and gnashing of teeth.
And then Jesus adds, referencing the Gentiles coming in and enjoying that Kingdom
30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.
In other words, “there are last gentiles who had no access to the Kingdom that will be first, and there are Jews who were given everything necessary to enter, who will be last in line to enter. Note something though – Jesus say therefore the last shall be first (to enter the Kingdom of Heaven) and then he adds, and the first SHALL BE LAST (again, to enter the kingdom). Note that he didn’t say that the last will be the only nor that the first will never. I suggest that there is something to how and why he says this.
Herod's Intentions and the Pharisees
31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
Rarely were the Pharisees ever out to help Jesus and so in all probability this was an attempt to appear friendly, as if they had secretly learned that Herod intended to kill him. When we think about it there was probably truth to their suggestion. Herod had put John the Baptist to death and Jesus was gathering many disciples too so why not. History tells us he was evil and so we can’t put this past him. There is also the possibility that Herod himself sent these Pharisees to Jesus to discern his heart toward him for killing John. This is what Jesus appears to believe, at least in part, because of what he says next in verse 32
32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
Jesus' Response to Herod's Threat
This is the only time in scripture where Jesus uses a personal pejorative term to describe another individual. Yes, he uses hypocrite and other descriptions relating to people characters, but this is the only time he takes a word that has no literal actual meaning for sure. Hypocrite is certain. Fox is not. Was he calling him furry with a long tail, or pointy faced, or was he suggesting that Herod was sly and cunning and smart like a fox – which is probably the case. I’m fascinated that Jesus, who created all things including the fox, would assign this to the man. It’s really intriguing to me because Jesus would understand the make-up and ways of the fox better than anyone. We note that he didn’t call him a snake or a kangaroo – but a fox, an emblem of mischief, slyness, and trickery. And while Herod was a notably wicked man Jesus does not speak of his vices (he could have called him a pervert or something else) but instead alludes to his sly personal cunning.
By sending these Pharisees to warn him that Jesus was in danger it seems that he sought to get Jesus to abandon his ministry in favor for safety. Jesus response, after calling him a fox, was to tell him exactly how he was going to respond to the threat.
“Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
In other words, I am going to continue to do what I was called to do here. And what is that? Behold I am going to continue to work miracles in this area, – today and tomorrow (meaning now and in the future) and I am going to continue to cast out devils and do cures for a little while – so don’t
Jesus and His Mission Towards Jerusalem
worry, I’m not causing uproars or difficulty nor am I violating any laws. When Jesus will ultimately be taken to Herod during his passion, Herod was delighted to see him and wanted him to perform a miracle for him to see and it could be due in part to what Jesus says to him here through these Pharisees. So, in other words I have work to do for a while and then “the third day,” which was another way of saying after that little while of time, or perhaps he meant literally that he would depart after three days from Herod’s vicinity and into Jerusalem – can’t be sure.
on that day for Jerusalem; that for two or three days more he would remain in the villages of Galilee, and then go on his way to Jerusalem and he adds: “And I shall be perfected.” The word perfected here best means “finished or complete” and so instead of speaking of his death and resurrection (which this sounds like he is speaking about) he is telling them to tell Herod that his work will be finished, that He finished his work in that area.
Dual Meanings in Jesus' Words
(Beat) However, the OTHER way that Jesus could have meant this – and like many good scriptures there could have been a double meaning to his words – is that there would be a short time where he would continue to work – a couple of days – and then after that time he would face his cross, die and be resurrected (or perfected). Many scholars reject this view because they say that Jesus was already perfect. And while I think that the primary way Jesus meant these words is what we have already covered, He was not perfected until He faced His passion, embraced it, died and rose again – where he could not die anymore.
33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out (or outside of) of Jerusalem. Meaning, “Herod, I am going to – I must remain today, and tomorrow and the following day because I have work to do here, and I am not afraid of you or your threats because: If cannot be that a prophet would “perish (die) out or outside of Jerusalem.” That is the place where they are put to death and that is the place where I will be put to death. “So run along little fox. You can’t touch me.”
I am convinced that as sons and daughters of God every one of us have the right to have the same attitude toward threats. We are all safe in the in the hands of God, and that wicked people cannot harm us and the call on our lives without His consent – and when he consents, it’s the right time anyway, right? Therefore we all press forward in doing what we are called to do – fearlessly – obeying God and not fearing the face of man.
Balance in Life and Faith
But this does not mean with throw all caution to the wind. Jesus taught his disciples to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, and He too saw reason to dodge some people who were out to hurt him, so it’s certainly a balance of His part and ours. And then Luke has Jesus say here, instead of in the setting Matthew provides us, saying:
34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! 35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
It appears that having mentioned Jerusalem, if Luke’s chronology can be trusted, Jesus had the subject of Jerusalem come to mind, and even though He was still in Galilee and in the jurisdiction of Herod, Luke has him speak of Jerusalem itself. Later in chapter 19 of this Gospel Luke with have Jesus weeping over the city of Jerusalem and this is where Matthew adds these verses. He had great compassion for Jerusalem in his life because He knew what
The Lament Over Jerusalem
He was headed his way – utter destruction. As he entered the city in that place, he passed over the Mount of Olives and from that place, he could see a full and magnificent view of the city. He knew intimately of her history, of the promises made to her over the course of one thousand, five hundred years, and he knew of her crimes. The nation, though repeatedly invited to repent and come to their God in humility, stoned the prophets and were going to eventually put Him to death too. And so he cried:
34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
A Cry From the Heart
I do not find any mistake that King David, when bemoaning the decisions and actions of his own son Absalom is described in 2nd Samuel 19:4:
“O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
These were the cries from the heart for the wayward rebellious ways of both son and city, the first by King David, and the second the real King over the city of David.
34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
A passage that clearly supports the fact that there is free will in the economy of the living God, an economy that demands justice for the actions and ways people choose to go, despite the heart of God toward us. The door was closing. The hour was growing late and in time all that she was, all that she was promised, all of her potential and all the love God had for her was going to stop. He was going to write her a bill of divorce, and their marriage was going to end.
Understanding Desolation
For this reason, Jesus adds:
35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate:
There are a couple of ways to understand this phrase. The first is to understand it as the temple – with the meaning being that God has left the building and you are left alone – which is another word to describe desolate. I think that there is some support for this interpretation because for God to abandon them by virtue of abandoning the temple was a sure indication that the whole system of religion was over. Add in that the temple was going to be leveled, we have further evidence that God was out of there, the divorce was final – as final as a husband and wife divorcing, and the husband not only moving out of the home they once shared but he tears the house down and sets it on fire proving that there is nothing left of their former lives together.
In this light, we can see why Jesus is so devastated. The situation was dire, the end results were going to be ruinous, and Jesus, understanding this, cried out over her. This was all foretold anciently by the prophets like in
Micah 3:12 where it says:
Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.
But that didn’t matter. And then he adds:
and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
I like the way the RSV puts this because it is clear and makes it all make sense where Jesus says:
Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'
Meaning, your chance for repentance is going to end, and when it does, you will experience extreme desolation. You COULD have received me as Messiah, but you wouldn’t. The door will shut and all here will be lost. And then he adds a line that makes sense from a God who is forgiving and loving (and therefore longsuffering) saying:
And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, 'Blessed.
The Requirement of Humility
'Is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'"
Meaning until your knee bows and your tongue confesses me as the one who came in the name of the LORD, you will not see me. I will not be available to you. You must humble yourselves, admit me, and only then will I appear to you.
Comments and Questions
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