33. Who is Jesus?
April 17th, 2010
Getting In
After doing some traveling and teaching in the region of Judea Jesus returns to Jerusalem for the Feast of Dedication. While He is teaching in Jerusalem He gets into a little bit of trouble over the issue of His deity. Once again Jesus claims to be God which the Jews didn’t like and so for the second time in His ministry an angry crowd tries to stone Jesus. Jesus escapes to Perea on the east side of the Jordan where the Jews in Jerusalem would not be able to arrest Him because He was in Herod’s territory.
So Jesus travels around the region of Perea teaching about the kingdom of God. He will travel around and teach for about three months before He makes His way back to Jerusalem for Passover. This will be Jesus final trip to Jerusalem. By the time this Passover is done Jesus will be arrested, convicted, and nailed to a cross. Let’s look at Luke 13:22.
Man was created without sin. We lived in a garden paradise made for us to enjoy. Life was wonderful as we were part of the kingdom of God. God is a good and gracious king and in His perfect kingdom there was only one rule. Don’t disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit. As citizens of the kingdom of God, Adam and Eve lived in community with God. They got to spend time with Him, talk with Him, and have a relationship with Him. Adam and Eve enjoyed the perfect world God had made. One day they decided to put themselves before God. They thought, certainly it must be fun to be king, God does it well, so we would like to try for ourselves. They disobeyed God and chose to do what they wanted instead of what God commanded. They tried to replace God as king so that they could rule themselves. In so doing they created a new kingdom. This was not the kingdom of God and in this kingdom man could not live in harmony or community with God. This was a world that we made for ourselves.
Everyone of us was born in this new kingdom, outside of the kingdom of God. What we discovered is God is a much better king than we could ever be. As our sin and failures cause constant pain and suffering in our lives we start long for something else, to go back to the world that existed before. We want salvation from the choices we have made. Jesus comes along to offer us hope. He comes to make a way back, so though we rejected God, though we ran out of His kingdom to live in one of our own making, Jesus came to show us the way back. So if we would follow Him, if we would come to Him we might be able to enter in to the kingdom of God once again.
Lk 13:22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Lk 13:23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, Lk 13:24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.
While Jesus is preaching in Perea someone asks Him about salvation, specifically how many people are going to be saved? What is heaven’s max capacity? This guy is looking to get Jesus opinion on a controversial issue. Jesus turns it around. Don’t worry about how many, worry about who. Jesus has no interest in theoretical ideas. Jesus encourages us to make every effort to enter in through the narrow door.
We spend a lot of time talking about who the ‘in crowd’ consists of. Which religion, which denomination, which churches are close enough to the truth to get saved. Jesus focus is on personal responsibility. Don’t worry about how full heaven is going to be, make sure you have made your reservation.
Don’t worry about how many, worry about who will be saved? With all the religions claiming their door leads to life, that their way is the right one how do we know who is right? Some people say all you need is to be a good person. Treat other people well, pay your taxes, don’t murder anyone and you are in. Some say you just need to believe something, doesn’t matter what so long as you believe it. Others say, it makes no difference at all when you die we all go to a better place. A lot of people hold on to the ideas of pluralism and universalism. That all roads lead to God, that heaven is a party that is open to the public, where anyone of any belief can enter in.
So it doesn’t matter if you are Hindu, Buddist, Jehovah’s witness, Muslim, atheist, or any other religion. They all claim to have life, they all promise salvation from our current condition. This is all garbage. It is a great big lie. Most people who die do not go to a better place; like it or not the door to life is narrow and only a few find it.
This is not just true of other religions but of all religion. Jesus is talking to the religious people who are attempting to earn their salvation by observation of the law. They have the right God. They just don’t deal with Him correctly. There are lots of people who think they are good enough, because they are good people. They have moral standards and values. There are people who try to earn their salvation by good works.
Following rules, rituals, and traditions, adhering to religious systems is really just an attempt to get salvation for ourselves. Do you really trust yourself that much? You know that you make mistakes, that you fail, so do you really want to trust in yourself for salvation? Knowing eternity is at stake do you want to bet everything on your ability to not mess it up?
When man sinned not only did we establish our own kingdom outside of the kingdom of God but our sin built a huge wall between us and the kingdom of God. On God’s side of the wall is life, hope, joy, peace and salvation. On our side there is only death and despair. No one of their own will or power can get back to God’s kingdom.
We are separated from God by a great wall. In that wall there is a door, a way for us to enter in. The purpose of a door is to let in those who you want in, and to keep out those that you want out. A door is like a wall that you can choose to open. That is the great thing about God. Our sin made an impenetrable wall between us and God. There was no way back. So God sent His Son to make a door, so that we could enter in to His kingdom again.
The door is narrow because the door is Jesus. The door is not about Jesus. The door is not for Jesus. The door is Jesus. He is the only door that leads to life. There are lots of religions and beliefs in the world, each one has its own door, but only one door will get us back to the kingdom of God. Doing good things doesn’t earn your ticket. Believing in Jesus doesn’t grant your entrance. The only way to enter through the door is to come to Jesus; to build a relationship with Him and to follow Him with your life.
Jesus is the narrow door. What religion does is makes Jesus smaller. Religion says: it is our doctrine, our ideas, our way, our truth that you must accept to get in. The door is narrow enough, we don’t need to add rules to make it smaller. The door isn’t narrow because only those who have their theology exactly right on every level can get in, the road is narrow because Jesus is the only door.
Because of this people say we are narrow minded and intolerant because we say Jesus is the only way. Some people think heaven is something we deserve. We don’t. We are not good. We made ourselves enemies of God, we set our kingdom up to stand against His. Yet God goes out of His way to make a path, a door available for us to come back. God is not narrow minded because He only made one way, He is opened minded because He made a way after what we did to Him. If someone murdered your child would you invite them into your home for a nice dinner?
Religion is exclusive. Jesus is inclusive. He is always inviting people to be a part of what He is doing. But in this way, Christianity is exclusive: Jesus is the only door. There is no other truth, no other way, no other hope, no other life, no other name by which we can be saved. Jesus is the only hope for sinners. What makes Jesus different is that Jesus welcomes all who come to Him; social class, age, gender, race, personality are not important. All are welcome to come to Jesus all that is required is that they come.
All who come to Him and only those who come to Jesus will be saved. You don’t have to be a good person. Religion is all about good works. Do this, follow these rules, be perfect and you can be saved. Christianity is the only faith where you don’t have to be a good person. You just have to come to Jesus.
We make our lives about a lot of things. We have lots of priorities and interests that get in the way of Jesus. We focus on a lot when only one thing matters: Jesus. It is all about Jesus because Jesus is the only way. He is the only life. He is the only one who can get us back to the kingdom of God.
Lk 13:25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Lk 13:26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ Lk 13:27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
The door is narrow and the door is closing. Once the door has closed there is no more time. While we are alive we have an opportunity to change, to repent, and to enter in to the kingdom of God. When we die that door has closed. Imagine you were poisoned with a deadly poison. Now there is an antidote to that poison which can save your life. If you wait to take the antidote until after you die will it save you? No, you’re dead. The antidote may cure the poison but it wont save you after you die. It is the same with Jesus.
Those who stand outside the door will realize their mistake. They enjoyed their lives, living as if they were God and ignoring God’s calling. Jesus calls them evildoers. Most of these people we would say are good people. So what evil did they do? They rejected Jesus. Life apart from Jesus is sinful. Sin is not about morality, it is about living connected or apart from God. If the only thing you ever do wrong is ignore Jesus, you have committed the greatest offense in the eyes of God. Those who are outside the door ignored His message, they rejected His sacrifice, and they turned away from Him.
The crowds gather at the door and say we ate with you, you taught in our streets. We know who you are so let us in. Jesus says no: I don’t know you. You may know who I am but you don’t know me because you didn’t take the time to get to know me. You had so many important things to do, you were so busy, so lazy, so self-centered that when I offered to have a relationship with you, you couldn’t make time for me.
They thought they had enough to get in. These guys are saying: Jesus, buddy, you know me, we go way back, remember that time I went to church…once. Home-slice let me in. Jesus says: sorry this is party is family only, and you are not a part of the family. Jesus offers Himself to everyone. The only way to not have Jesus is to reject Him. Those who reject God’s Son are not welcome in His house. These people don’t understand that knowing about Jesus is not the same thing as knowing Him. They studied Jesus, liked Jesus, were fans of Jesus but never got around to actually following Him in their lives. They found the door, they just never walked through it.
Lk 13:28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. Lk 13:29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Lk 13:30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”
This narrow door is the door that separates heaven from hell. Those who spend eternity there will be able to see into heaven. In suffering they will be able to see the blessing they ignored, the life the missed, the opportunity that passed them by.
In the end God strips us of all our deeds, titles, rules, and appearances. We will either left standing alone with Jesus, or left standing alone outside the door. If you don’t follow Jesus, if you don’t accept Him you will die, you will go to hell. That is the hard truth of this world. Jesus is not sending you to hell, He is inviting you to heaven. The only people who go to hell are the people who ignored Jesus invitation in this life. Jesus is the only way. Without Him you have nothing. Jesus is everything, that is why everything is all about Jesus.
In the end many people will say to Jesus: here I am, I am yours. Jesus will say, no you’re not. You knew about me, talked about me, spent some time with me, but you never really got to know me. Your life wasn’t about me, you didn’t live for me, you weren’t dedicated to me. You may know my name, but you don’t know who I am.
They say: Jesus I was baptized, I believe in you, I followed the rules. That is great, but do you really know Jesus? Do you turn to Him in times of need? Do you follow Him even when it isn’t easy? Do you stand up for Him at work or with your friends? Do you really love Jesus? Is He really your God and King? Salvation is not about knowing Jesus name or playing religious games, it is about entering through the narrow door. The only way to enter through it, is to come to Jesus, lay yourself down at His feet, and follow Him. You have to choose between popularity and Jesus, pick Jesus. When you are torn between family and following Jesus you pick Jesus. When your work is conflict with Jesus you pick Jesus. It means that Jesus is your way of life. He is the one you turn to. He is the one you follow. He is the one who trust and worship.
Where are you at with Jesus? Do you have a relationship with Him? Jesus is the only way to life. He is the narrow door. The great thing about Jesus is that He opens the door to all who come to Him. You are invited in. Doesn’t matter what you have done in the past. Doesn’t matter what mistakes you have made. Jesus doesn’t close the door to unsavory people. He doesn’t close it to imperfect people. If you were a former drug addict, Jesus invites you in. If you lived in a sinful relationship with your boyfriend or girlfriend, Jesus invites you in, to change but in. If you have been through divorce religion might abuse and mistreat you, but Jesus invites you in. Your background, your history don’t turn Jesus away. All are invited. If you will repent from your sin, stop trying to live as if you are God and recognize Jesus is God, and you will come to Him, He will welcome you to the feast He has prepared for you. Jesus is the door that leads to life, He invites us all to enter through that door, so we can share in the life that He gives.
Do you see how much God loves you? God became a man, He went to a cross, He suffered and died, though He was without sin He became sin for you. So that through His death He could open the door to the kingdom of God so you could enter. Guys the most important decision you can possibly make in this life: is what are you going to do with Jesus. He has given you the invitation, now it is time to give Him your response. Come to Jesus, follow Jesus, love Jesus, live for Jesus and enter in through the narrow door.
