Money Isn't Everything: A Wealthy Young Guy Meets Jesus Face To Face Series

He says no one, not one person, who has left behind a great deal, family, friends, property, and all that, for the gospel, will fail to receive a hundred times as much now, in this present time, not after death, but in this life.

And I’ll tell you that’s true. I left my home town to go after Jesus and the gospel, and I’ve found so much, so many people I consider family, in town here, mothers, brothers, sisters, children, all of it, through my church family, and people in town here who I consider friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ.

But Jesus also adds in there “along with persecutions.” Meaning there will also be difficulties, persecutions, people who are against us, financial problems, and so on.

And of course, most importantly, in the age to come, eternal life, paradise. I will dwell in the house of the Lord, forever.

But, Jesus adds, many who seem to be first in this life, will be last in the kingdom to come, and many who appear to be poppers, poor, miserable, will be first in the kingdom to come. Good reminder as well, of how God’s kingdom system works.

Lastly, in verses 32-34 it says this:

32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. 33 “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

The disciples are just shocked and amazed by what God has shared with them. The crowds are afraid. And Jesus now tells his disciples for the third time, the plan going forward.

The plan is Jesus Christ is going to Jerusalem to speak the truth in the capital city. Then, he would be captured, turned over to the romans, executed, he would die, then, three days later, he would suddenly be raised from the dead, and would be alive again. And that this mysterious event would secure salvation, the salvation that appeared to be impossible. God, would make it possible through providing a way through the brutal death of Jesus. Jesus would die for our sins, to pay our way to paradise.

So in conclusion today, it may seem impossible, a camel cannot go through the eye of a needle. But, with God, he can make a way where there seems to be no way. Jesus leads the way. And we follow. Perhaps you feel afraid, like the crowds. Perhaps you feel concerned. You should. You really should, if you don’t know Christ as your savior, you should be concerned. Because you’re in danger. But, there is a way. You can be saved, through the sacrifice of Jesus. We can’t be good enough. We can’t cover our own sins. But, if we give our lives to Christ, he will forgive us, and if we follow him, he’ll lead us home to paradise.

Will you follow Jesus through that path? It’s a tough one. It leads like psalm 23 says, through the valley of the shadow of death. It goes through the gate of physical death itself. But, Jesus promises to carry us through to the other side if we really rely on him, not ourselves, not our money, but on Him, then we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever, like the psalmist wrote: