Enter Through The Narrow Door!

“How do you get into heaven?” A Sunday school teacher asked that question of her 2nd grade class. It seemed like a simple question for a group of little Lutherans. But no hands went up. Silence. Crickets. The teacher was confident that the students knew the answer, so she waited patiently. Finally, one little boy raised his hand hesitantly to offer an answer. He told the teacher his plan to get into heaven. “I will go to the front door of heaven. I’ll go in the door and out and out of the door, and in the door and out of the door, until God says what my parents say, ‘Hey, are you coming in or are you staying out?’ Then I will stay in.”

Although we might laugh at the little boy’s plan it seems that many people have an equally naïve plan for entering heaven. A survey done by the Pew Research Center in 2021 found that while most U.S. adults believe there is a heaven, there is disagreement about how a person can get there. I guess that doesn’t surprise us. About three-in-ten of U.S. Christians (31%) said that their religion is the one true faith leading to eternal life in heaven. Of course, that echoes what Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Unfortunately, nearly twice as many U.S. Christians (58%) say that there are multiple religions that can lead to heaven. This is contrary to what the Bible teaches but it’s a popular thought today.

Now if I were to ask all of you gathered here today the same question, I imagine that most of you would give the answer that God’s Word offers. The only way to get into heaven is through by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, as revealed in Scripture alone. Being good isn’t going to get us there. No, only clothed in the perfection that Jesus’ gives us will we be welcomed into heaven. I praise God that he has revealed that truth to us in his Word and enabled us to believe it.

But the challenge we face on a daily basis is not letting that gift of faith slip away from us. Again and again, we need reminders and encouragements to cling to Christ as the only way of salvation. In the Gospel Lesson for this Sunday, we heard our Savior speak words of warning and encouragement. Jesus said that there is only one way to enter heaven. He said that we should make every effort to:

“ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW DOOR”

I. On God’s terms

II. In God’s time

They have been called “teachable moments.” They are those times when an event, or a question, or a comment, presents an opportunity for teaching. Educators say that good teachers will seize those types of opportunities. When we read about Jesus’ life and ministry in the Gospels it becomes obvious that he was a master at using “teachable moments.” Something would happen, someone would ask a question, his enemies would make a comment, and Jesus would strike with the hot iron of his teaching.

In our Gospel Lesson for today Luke tells us what set the stage for this teachable moment about the way to enter heaven. “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?’” We can imagine that a hush suddenly came over the crowd. Heads turned and eyes focused on the Rabbi from Nazareth. “Well, Jesus, tell us. Are only a few people going to be saved?” But did you notice that Jesus didn’t really answer the question? Instead, he turned the question into a lesson about entering heaven. Jesus took the opportunity to encourage everyone to enter through the narrow door. He is that narrow door. And he reminded his listeners to enter through the narrow door on God’s terms and in God’s time.

I.

Before we can enter the narrow door to heaven, we must have a clear understanding of what that door is. In many places the Bible tells us that Jesus is the narrow door to heaven. Remember what Jesus said in John 10:9, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” A gate is a lot like a door. But in the case of a sheep pen, which is what Jesus was referring to at that time, there was only one gate. And sheep were unable to get in any other way! We also have Peter’s clear words in Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Yes, Jesus is the narrow door, and the only door, to heaven!