22 And
He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward
Jerusalem. 23 Then
one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the
narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the Master of the
house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock
at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to
you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ 26 then you will begin to say, ‘We
ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ 27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I
do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of
iniquity.’ 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham
and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves
thrust out. 29 They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the
south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And indeed there are last who
will be first, and there are first who will be last.”
Commentary
Vs. 22-24 22 And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
The Lord Jesus having warned us by way of His previous two parables how evil will seek to influence and pervade the Kingdom of God, now while on His journey to Jerusalem, while He was teaching in all of the cities and villages as He journeyed is asked by someone “if few are saved” (vs. 23). Now in answering the persons question Jesus personalizes it by saying to them; and by default, us all: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Consider then Jesus statement for in it there is the exhortation to strive, not work for salvation, but to strive to enter i.e. follow Him. Now in this consider Phil. 3:7-11 where the Apostle having abandoned all of his own righteousness and whatever else he once thought would merit him God’s favor, counting them all as rubbish, now in trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ Crucified and Risen from the dead for His salvation is not an idle worker, or living an indifferent or godless life because he believed and received the grace of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. No now he strives not for salvation, but rather to be well pleasing to the One who both saved him, and has now enlisted him as His own “soldier” in the good fight for the Kingdom of God’s sake (2 Cor. 5:9; 2 Tim. 2:4). Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ’s exhortation to strive to enter the Kingdom of God needs to be heeded by us all. For praying a prayer to receive the Lord Jesus Christ is one thing, but following Him in discipleship requires a concerted and ongoing effort, which will require us to forsake all to follow Him. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ says to us all, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Vs. 24
For there is now an open door whereby anyone can enter a local church or assembly and hear a few Christmas or Easter messages, and having heard go out and feel like they have “done their part,” and thus they go out and carry on living their lives the same way they always have. Similarly, there are those who go to church for years on Sunday (maybe their parents brought them to Sunday school) but now their lives are only spent doing and pursuing their own goals and desires. And so, in time they begin to look and speak and act no different than the unbelieving world. Therefore, Jesus is warning about this sort of complacency, where one’s person and life though they maybe even in a church fellowship, yet they are not in a right fellowship with Him! For again by saying as much to us all the Lord Jesus Christ is warning us all to not to be complacent, or self-assured, or self deceived! But rather to: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Vs. 24
Vs. 25-27 25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ 26 then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ 27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’
Here then using some allegory language to describe His return and His setting up His everlasting Kingdom whereby He will welcome and receive all the true citizens of it (that is all who truly believe in Him, and thus have been born-again by His Holy Spirit) and so we will enter into it. However at that time there will also be many seeking to enter into it, saying to Him, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us’ vs. 25 However as the Lord Jesus Christ makes clear it will be too late at that time to repent and believe as Jesus says, for the door of salvation will then be shut, and so He will answer them by saying, “I do not know you, where you are from.” For it is one thing to say that one knows the Lord, (maybe associating this with Christian church attendance or service, or having been baptized etc. but it is quite another to love Him, and thus to be known by Him (consider 1 Cor. 8:3). For truly only those who love God, truly belong to Him, and in this no one can love God until they have received His love for themselves through His own Son Jesus Christ. Therefore, until one repents and believes and receives the Lord Jesus Christ for themselves, they are not saved. However, when they do, He by His Spirit transforms them into new creations In Christ, giving us new hearts with new righteous and Godly desires, for having cleansed us from our old sins, He now ushers in the new (2 Cor. 5:17; Heb. 1:3). Now in this it is individually our own responsibility to grow in Him, and then live Him out, which is our life long journey and purpose down here, to become more and more like Christ. For that is the striving the Lord Jesus is talking about that we all do and pursue (see 2 Peter 1:5-11). However, as Jesus makes clear there will be those who though they ate and drank in His Presence and heard Him teach in the streets; that is they had Christian fellowship in their lives, and they heard and were taught His Word (Vs. 26), and yet it did not affect their persons and lives, and so they never came to the place of repentance and faith, of truly coming to grips with their own sins, and thus their own need for Him. And so, they never came to know Him, because they did not see their own need for Him. Therefore, though they were in Christian fellowship they only continued on dead in their sins and transgressions, living as they have always lived, and so here Jesus plainly says He does not know them, for having not known them in this life, because they never came to believe in Him, He now says to them: …‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’
The only question then is, does the Lord know you? Does He know you as His own, as a child of God, born again by the Spirit of God through faith in His Person Crucified and Risen from the dead. For that is how one becomes known by Him by repenting of one’s sins, or selfishness, or arrogance, or dead works by which one has been trying to save oneself and simply believing in the Lord Jesus Crucified and Risen from the dead (Rom. 10:9-10, 13). And thus, believing in Him and receiving Him unconditionally one enters His Rest. Therefore, do not delay be reconciled to God today!
Vs. 28-30 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. 29 They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”
In these verses the Lord Jesus Christ is rebuking the Jews for their obstinance and unbelief towards Him telling that there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when they see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and themselves thrust out (vs. 28). Thrust out because they themselves were trusting in the fact that they were the descendants of all of these Godly men, and yet these very men were the ones who believed the revelation God had given them, and so they longed for and desired to see the Lord Jesus Christ as they could now see, hear, and believe in their lifetimes, Therefore, the Lord Jesus also goes on and says that, “They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.” Vs. 29
Thus, not only will they be cast out for their unbelief, but the very Gentile peoples and nations whom they so frequently scorned and hated will be ones who will take their places, because when they heard about the Lord Jesus Christ they believed! Therefore, the Lord Jesus also says that there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last (vs. 30). Thus many in this lifetime who enjoyed the privileges of being first; who always made sure they were first; will find themselves being last in the Kingdom of God, while those who were relegated to being last in this lifetime, who were considered of little significance to them, but were of great significance to God, will find themselves being first!
Commentary
Vs. 22-24 22 And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
The Lord Jesus having warned us by way of His previous two parables how evil will seek to influence and pervade the Kingdom of God, now while on His journey to Jerusalem, while He was teaching in all of the cities and villages as He journeyed is asked by someone “if few are saved” (vs. 23). Now in answering the persons question Jesus personalizes it by saying to them; and by default, us all: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Consider then Jesus statement for in it there is the exhortation to strive, not work for salvation, but to strive to enter i.e. follow Him. Now in this consider Phil. 3:7-11 where the Apostle having abandoned all of his own righteousness and whatever else he once thought would merit him God’s favor, counting them all as rubbish, now in trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ Crucified and Risen from the dead for His salvation is not an idle worker, or living an indifferent or godless life because he believed and received the grace of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. No now he strives not for salvation, but rather to be well pleasing to the One who both saved him, and has now enlisted him as His own “soldier” in the good fight for the Kingdom of God’s sake (2 Cor. 5:9; 2 Tim. 2:4). Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ’s exhortation to strive to enter the Kingdom of God needs to be heeded by us all. For praying a prayer to receive the Lord Jesus Christ is one thing, but following Him in discipleship requires a concerted and ongoing effort, which will require us to forsake all to follow Him. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ says to us all, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Vs. 24
For there is now an open door whereby anyone can enter a local church or assembly and hear a few Christmas or Easter messages, and having heard go out and feel like they have “done their part,” and thus they go out and carry on living their lives the same way they always have. Similarly, there are those who go to church for years on Sunday (maybe their parents brought them to Sunday school) but now their lives are only spent doing and pursuing their own goals and desires. And so, in time they begin to look and speak and act no different than the unbelieving world. Therefore, Jesus is warning about this sort of complacency, where one’s person and life though they maybe even in a church fellowship, yet they are not in a right fellowship with Him! For again by saying as much to us all the Lord Jesus Christ is warning us all to not to be complacent, or self-assured, or self deceived! But rather to: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Vs. 24
Vs. 25-27 25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ 26 then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ 27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’
Here then using some allegory language to describe His return and His setting up His everlasting Kingdom whereby He will welcome and receive all the true citizens of it (that is all who truly believe in Him, and thus have been born-again by His Holy Spirit) and so we will enter into it. However at that time there will also be many seeking to enter into it, saying to Him, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us’ vs. 25 However as the Lord Jesus Christ makes clear it will be too late at that time to repent and believe as Jesus says, for the door of salvation will then be shut, and so He will answer them by saying, “I do not know you, where you are from.” For it is one thing to say that one knows the Lord, (maybe associating this with Christian church attendance or service, or having been baptized etc. but it is quite another to love Him, and thus to be known by Him (consider 1 Cor. 8:3). For truly only those who love God, truly belong to Him, and in this no one can love God until they have received His love for themselves through His own Son Jesus Christ. Therefore, until one repents and believes and receives the Lord Jesus Christ for themselves, they are not saved. However, when they do, He by His Spirit transforms them into new creations In Christ, giving us new hearts with new righteous and Godly desires, for having cleansed us from our old sins, He now ushers in the new (2 Cor. 5:17; Heb. 1:3). Now in this it is individually our own responsibility to grow in Him, and then live Him out, which is our life long journey and purpose down here, to become more and more like Christ. For that is the striving the Lord Jesus is talking about that we all do and pursue (see 2 Peter 1:5-11). However, as Jesus makes clear there will be those who though they ate and drank in His Presence and heard Him teach in the streets; that is they had Christian fellowship in their lives, and they heard and were taught His Word (Vs. 26), and yet it did not affect their persons and lives, and so they never came to the place of repentance and faith, of truly coming to grips with their own sins, and thus their own need for Him. And so, they never came to know Him, because they did not see their own need for Him. Therefore, though they were in Christian fellowship they only continued on dead in their sins and transgressions, living as they have always lived, and so here Jesus plainly says He does not know them, for having not known them in this life, because they never came to believe in Him, He now says to them: …‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’
The only question then is, does the Lord know you? Does He know you as His own, as a child of God, born again by the Spirit of God through faith in His Person Crucified and Risen from the dead. For that is how one becomes known by Him by repenting of one’s sins, or selfishness, or arrogance, or dead works by which one has been trying to save oneself and simply believing in the Lord Jesus Crucified and Risen from the dead (Rom. 10:9-10, 13). And thus, believing in Him and receiving Him unconditionally one enters His Rest. Therefore, do not delay be reconciled to God today!
Vs. 28-30 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. 29 They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”
In these verses the Lord Jesus Christ is rebuking the Jews for their obstinance and unbelief towards Him telling that there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when they see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and themselves thrust out (vs. 28). Thrust out because they themselves were trusting in the fact that they were the descendants of all of these Godly men, and yet these very men were the ones who believed the revelation God had given them, and so they longed for and desired to see the Lord Jesus Christ as they could now see, hear, and believe in their lifetimes, Therefore, the Lord Jesus also goes on and says that, “They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.” Vs. 29
Thus, not only will they be cast out for their unbelief, but the very Gentile peoples and nations whom they so frequently scorned and hated will be ones who will take their places, because when they heard about the Lord Jesus Christ they believed! Therefore, the Lord Jesus also says that there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last (vs. 30). Thus many in this lifetime who enjoyed the privileges of being first; who always made sure they were first; will find themselves being last in the Kingdom of God, while those who were relegated to being last in this lifetime, who were considered of little significance to them, but were of great significance to God, will find themselves being first!
Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson
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