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JESUS THE NARROW WAY (II)
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30
Luke 13:22-30

Galatians 3:6-14

 

“…behold,
there are last which shall be first,

and there are first which shall be last.”

 

JESUS THE NARROW WAY (II)
 
Not only is the way narrow because it is hard, it is also narrow because there is only one. There is only one way to get to heaven: Jesus is the only way. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). In another place, He said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matt 7:13-14).
 
Will only Jews be saved? Definitely not! Jesus said that those who enter the kingdom of God will come from all over the world, and not just from Israel. Many of the Jews in Jesus’ day wrongly thought that God favoured only the Jews with salvation; Gentiles were only fit as fuel for the fires of hell. But Jesus told them that “there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.” The Jews were first in terms of privilege and opportunity. God related to them in a special way through His covenants and His Scriptures. But if they reject Christ, they will be last because the Lord will cast them into a place where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, a picture of eternal torment in hell. They might have called Him Lord, dined with Him, and heard Him preach in the streets of Jerusalem, but Jesus would say to them on that day, “I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.” For sure, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are in heaven right now. The sons of Israel shall see their fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) in God’s kingdom, and yet they themselves shall be cast out because they have not followed after their fathers’ steps of faith (cf. Matt 8:10-12).
 
THOUGHT: The Church today owes Israel a Gospel debt.
PRAYER: Father, grant me an opportunity to preach the Gospel to the Jews.

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