Well, this morning we are continuing our way through the story of Jesus as told by Luke.
! We're at the part in the story right now where Jesus is on his final journey to Jerusalem before
! He's crucified. And some of you may have noticed that the closer and closer we get
to Jerusalem, the more opposition Jesus faces. And you might have also noticed as well, that
the closer he gets to Jerusalem, the more serious and sobering the tone of Jesus' teachings and
warnings. And there is this theme of urgency in much of what Jesus has been saying. We heard it in the
parable of the rich fool. We heard it in the parable of the servant whose master had gone but would
later return. Keep watch and be ready. We heard this tone of urgency in Jesus' call to repent or else
perish. And it gets even stronger in our passage today. Responding to Jesus is an urgent matter
because none of us knows how much time we have left. And eventually there will come a day when our time
to respond is up and it will be too late. Let's hear this though from Jesus himself.
Our passage this morning comes from the gospel of Luke chapter 13 starting in verse 22.
Then Jesus went through the towns and villages teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him, Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?
Jesus said to them, make every effort to enter through the narrow door.
Because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.
Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading,
saying, Sir, open the door for us. But he will answer, I don't know you or where you come from.
Then you will say, we ate and drank with you and you taught in our streets.
But he will reply, I don't know you or where you come from.
Away from me, all you evildoers.
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.
People will come from east and west and north and south
and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
Indeed, there are those who are last who will be first.
And first who will be last.
So as Jesus is traveling through the towns and villages on his way to Jerusalem,
somewhere along the way, someone asks this question.
Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?
The opposition to Jesus is growing stronger.
Many are obviously rejecting him or ignoring him.
We notice the way that Jesus addressed his followers back in chapter 12, verse 32.
He said, do not be afraid, little flock.
There may be large crowds of thousands around Jesus a lot of the time.
But those truly committed to following Jesus are a little flock among them.
And so it's not surprising that someone finally asks Jesus point blank,
Lord, are only a few going to be saved?
It's becoming apparent to Jesus' followers that many in Israel are not accepting Jesus as their Messiah.
Now, this guy who asked the question, we know very little about him.
He calls Jesus Lord.
He uses that language of being saved, which we also use.
So at the least, he's been listening to Jesus.
Because Jesus has been talking about salvation a lot.
And the need for it.
Many of the Jews, especially the rabbis and the teachers,
they just didn't talk like this about needing to be saved.
So at the least, this guy's been listening to Jesus.
Of course, the people, they didn't talk like that because they kind of, many of them assumed,
well, we're all saved.
We're all the chosen people of God.
We're all descended from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.
So we kind of, we inherit this kingdom by default.
But no, Jesus has been saying, there is still a need for you to repent.
We heard that earlier in the chapter, the first nine verses.
And unless you repent, you will perish, he said.
You'll get what you deserve from God for your sins.
And so we have need to be saved from that.
And this man's question is specifically about how many will be saved.
Because it's not looking like the majority at the moment will embrace Jesus.
And so are only a few people going to be saved?
And Jesus' response here is thought-provoking.
He kind of answers the question in a roundabout or indirect sort of way.
But then in another sense, it's almost as if he just changes the question.
Let's look at his answer again in verse 24.
Jesus replies with this.
He says, make every effort to enter through the narrow door.
Because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.
So Jesus doesn't give a number.
He doesn't say, yes, it's going to be just a few or no.
Instead, he looks them in the eye and he urges them directly and personally.
You do what you need to do in order to be saved.
Make every effort to enter through the narrow door.
We notice Jesus slip into sort of metaphorical language.
The language of analogy.
He likens being saved to going through a door.
And then as Jesus goes on, this analogy of a door sort of expands into a miniature parable.
In verse 25, he says,
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.
So we've got a little story here.
And what's sort of ominous about this story is that it's a true story
of what Jesus says will happen to you
if you do not enter through the narrow door before it closes.
It's sort of a parable,
a prophetic parable of warning.
Jesus is basically announcing to the people,
this will be your fate someday,
unless right now you make every effort to enter through the narrow door.
And so being saved is likened to entering the door of a house.
And there's coming a day when the homeowner will get up and close the door.
One other helpful thing to notice in this passage,
before we get into some of the details,
did you notice how by the end of the passage,
we're talking about entering the kingdom of God?
What we notice is that being saved
and entering the kingdom of God
are two different ways of describing the same thing.
The question was,
are only a few going to be saved?
The answer was,
make every effort to enter through the narrow door.
And by the time we get down to verse 28,
we read about those who are shut out of the house.
And Jesus says about them,
that 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 cast out.
And so being saved and getting into the kingdom of God,
it's really two different ways of describing the same thing.
And it helps us understand this
as we work through some of the details.
Let's look at some of these details.
The first detail that really grabs me
is the language Jesus uses in his very first words
to answer the question.
Are only a few going to be saved?
The first thing he says is,
make every effort
to enter
through the narrow door.
Make
every effort.
Does that sound like Jesus is serious?
These words,
make every effort,
they trace back to a single
Greek word,
agonizomai,
from which we get our English word,
agonize.
And so really,
this translation is actually a little bit flat.
It doesn't fully capture the intensity.
This is the same word
that's used elsewhere in the New Testament
to describe fighting.
The word was often used
to describe the struggle
or the fight
or the wrestle
in athletic competition.
Jesus will later say to Pilate,
if my kingdom were of this world,
my servants would fight
to prevent my arrest.
It's the same word here.
Paul in his letter to Timothy
will later urge Timothy,
fight the good fight.
It's the same word here.
Make every effort,
fight,
struggle,
strain with all your might
to enter
through the narrow door.
does it surprise you
to hear Jesus talk this way
about being saved?
About what you need to do
to be saved?
I mean,
think of what Jesus
could have said
instead of this.
Or,
maybe,
what do we expect him
in our sort of
North American Christianity
to say
in this moment?
You know,
hey,
if you want to be saved,
it's really easy.
All you need to do
is come up to the front
and pray a prayer.
And yet,
what Jesus says here
is the total opposite.
He says,
fight
to enter
through the narrow door.
It's not an easy thing.
It's not an automatic thing.
Being saved
requires that we struggle,
that we strain
with all our might
to enter
through this narrow door.
Now,
what does that even mean?
We've got to translate
the metaphor here.
Jesus is not saying
that we need to make
every effort
and do a whole bunch
of good works
in order to be saved.
That's not the kind of fight
he's talking about.
It's not a physical fight
to do all the good
that we can.
It's a spiritual fight.
It's a fight
to find
and get through
the narrow door
into the house
of the homeowner.
And we kind of have to take
the whole analogy
into account here.
In the parable,
the house is,
it represents God,
God's house,
His kingdom.
He's the homeowner.
His door of salvation
is open.
And He has sent His Son
out to call people
to come in,
to enter through the door,
to be saved,
to come and enter
into the kingdom of God.
And what do we need to do?
Well, He says,
we need to fight.
We need to struggle.
We need to make every effort
to enter through that door,
which means
to make every effort
to understand
the things that Jesus
has been saying
about how to be saved.
It means fighting
to draw near
and take to heart
all the things
that Jesus has been
explaining.
It means struggling
with our hearts
and our desires
to do something
we maybe don't want to do
and go through
this door
that Jesus has laid
before us.
Why is it a struggle?
Why is it a fight?
Well, there's this sickness
of sin inside of us
and it keeps telling us
we don't need God.
It keeps telling us
just ignore Him.
He'll be content
with sort of
the bare minimum
from you.
You don't need
to do too much.
Maybe just show up
to church once in a while,
believe in your heart
and pray once in a while.
He'll be okay with that.
There's this sickness
in all of us
that makes us
just by nature
want to ignore God
and go our own way.
That's what we must
fight against.
That's what we must
struggle against
in order to enter
through the narrow door.
what holds us back
from entering in
is our own
warped
desires
and hearts
and minds.
What holds us back
is our love
of comfort
and pleasure
and ease.
But following Jesus
runs against
those things.
We heard Jesus say
back in chapter 9,
whoever wants to be
my disciple
must deny himself
and take up
his cross
daily
and follow me.
And it's a fight
to do that.
It's a battle
inside of us.
I mean,
we might have
some external
voices of people
we know
whether friends
or family
fighting against us
because maybe
they don't approve
of us following Jesus.
But ultimately
the battle
takes place
within us.
let's think back
over what Jesus
just recently said
about what we must
do to be saved.
Just earlier in this
chapter,
the first nine
verses,
he told the people
they must repent
or else they too
would perish.
But to repent
means that we have
to humble ourselves
before God.
It means that we
have to admit to him
the wrong things
that we've done.
it means that he's
going to get to be
the boss
and in charge
of our lives
and not me
anymore.
And so that's why
it's a fight
because those are
all things we
don't want to do
because we're proud
and we don't want
to admit
that we've done wrong.
We don't want to
let somebody else
be in charge
of our lives.
No, I want to
call the shots
in my life.
I want to be the boss.
And so that's
the fight.
It's a spiritual
fight or struggle
to be saved,
to do what Jesus
says we need to do
in order to be saved.
We can't help
but notice
how Jesus describes
the door
of salvation.
He says,
make every effort
to enter
through the narrow
door.
In other words,
it's not easy
to get through.
of the doors
available out there
to go through
in life,
many others
are bigger
and easier,
much easier
to go through.
But this one
is hard to get
through.
It's going to cost
us.
There's going to be
some things that
we may need to
give up
or that we may
need to lose,
let go of
to go through
this door.
door.
The door is
narrow.
As I mentioned
at the beginning,
do you hear the
sense of urgency
in Jesus'
words?
Make every effort
to enter through
the narrow door
because many,
I tell you,
will try to enter
and will not
be able to.
There's a sense
of urgency here.
this is where
Jesus' analogy
turns into this
prophetic parable
of warning
to us.
You know,
if we just stop
right here at this
verse and just
leave it right there,
we might come to
some wrong ideas.
We might come to
the idea that there
are many earnest
and humble people
trying to be saved.
They're trying to get
through the door,
but the size is just
so small of this door
that many perish
while making an
earnest attempt
to get through.
This is completely
wrong.
We might even get
the idea in our
heads that many
will perish and
it's God's fault
for making the door
so small to get
into his kingdom.
This too is
completely wrong.
Why will many
try to enter
and not be able
to?
Well,
Jesus answers
that question
with the parable.
Let's listen
to what he says
in verse 25
and on.
He says,
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.
Then you will
say,
We ate and
drank with you
and you taught
in our streets.
But he will
reply,
I don't know
you or where
you come from.
Away from me,
all you
evildoers.
So many will
try to enter
the narrow door
but will not
be able to.
Why?
Because the door
has been shut
and it's now
too late.
Jesus gives
this chilling
conversation
between the
homeowner
and the
people outside
the door
and they're
pleading to
get inside.
Sir,
open the
door for
us.
And the
words of the
homeowner,
they're just
chilling,
I don't
know you
or where
you are
from.
And what
do they say
in response?
Well,
what do you
mean you
don't know
us?
We ate
and drank
with you,
Jesus.
Jesus,
you taught
in our
streets.
they're
trying to
convince
Jesus,
you know,
you know
us and
we know
you,
let us
in.
And what
do they
point back
to?
Like,
Jesus,
we ate
meals
with you.
Remember?
I mean,
Jesus has
been in
almost every
town or
village in
Israel and
many of
them have
come to
see him
all over
the place.
They've
been part
of the
crowds.
Jesus has
accepted
dinner
invitations
and he
has sat
down
face to
face with
people in
their
homes and
said all
these same
sorts of
things.
They sat
with him
and they
ate with
him at
the feeding
of the
5,000,
the whole
crowd of
them.
So,
they're
right.
They did
eat with
Jesus.
But what
they really
mean by
this is,
Jesus,
we had an
intimate
relationship
with you.
Remember
that time
when we
broke bread
together?
I mean,
it's like we
were eating
at the
same table.
We know
you.
You know
us.
You came
to our
town and
taught us.
But these
words are
very revealing.
if they
were this
close to
Jesus and
heard him
teach in
their
streets,
then why
didn't they
listen to
what Jesus
said and
enter through
the narrow
door while
it was
open?
Why didn't
they repent
when Jesus
called them
to repent?
Jesus,
who is
the
homeowner
or becomes
the homeowner
in this
parable,
he gives
the truth
about their
relationship.
He says,
I don't
know you.
In other
words,
we never
had a
real
relationship.
And there's
at least one
evidence that
Jesus gives.
Look at what
Jesus says
to them,
he says,
away from
me,
all you
evildoers.
Quite
literally,
you workers
of unrighteousness.
So did
they repent
of their
sins?
Or did
they just
keep on
doing them?
Did they
turn back
to God
or did
they just
keep on
ignoring
him?
They never
repented.
They
never
responded
to
Jesus.
They
ignored
him.
They
rejected
the
invitation
to come
through
the
door
while it
was
open.
And it's
only now
that the
door has
been shut
that the
danger of
God's
punishment
is imminent
that they're
trying to get
through the
door.
And these
words are
devastating.
They are
locked,
shut out
of the
kingdom of
God.
The voice
on the
other side
says,
I don't
know you.
Away from
me,
all you
workers of
unrighteousness.
And Jesus
goes right
into this
explanation
of what
all this
means with
the shocking
statements.
Verse 28,
he says,
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.
This is the
same language
Jesus uses on
other occasions
to describe
the agony
of hell.
Weeping.
It's a place
of sorrow,
deep sorrow
and sadness.
It's a place
of gnashing
of teeth.
That word
gnashing means
grinding or
gritting
together of
the teeth.
It's a
physical
description of
what happens
in our
jaws when
we experience
intense pain
and anguish.
Jesus says,
that's what
you will
experience.
as you
see
Abraham,
Isaac,
and Jacob
and all
the prophets
in the
kingdom of
God.
But you
yourselves
cast out,
shut out,
wishing and
longing that
you could get
in.
We have to
know this
would have
deeply shocked
the people
in Jesus'
day.
God
the Jews
considered
themselves,
as I
mentioned
earlier,
to be
the children
of Abraham,
inheritors
of the
kingdom by
default,
automatic
recipients of
all the good
promises that
God has
made about
the kingdom
through the
prophets over
the centuries.
And now
Jesus comes
and he says,
unless you
repent,
you will
perish.
this is
what will
happen to
you.
You will
find
yourselves
cast out
in agony,
in anguish,
while those
of true
faith are
inside.
Jesus
intensifies it
one notch
more in the
next verse,
29.
He says,
people will
come from
east and
west and
north and
south and
will take
their places
at the
feast.
in the
kingdom of
God.
Part of
the shock,
part of
the grief
and the
anguish
will be
this deeply
humbling
reality that
people from
all over
the world,
not just
Jews,
but people
from the
north and
south and
east and
west,
all over
the place,
are inside
this kingdom.
They
responded to
Jesus in
faith.
They accepted
him as
their Messiah.
They're in
the house,
at the
table,
feasting
in the
kingdom of
God.
And yet
they,
the flesh
and blood
descendants,
are cast
out,
shut out
of the
banquet.
What a
sobering
warning and
teaching.
Now there's a
couple different
responses this
might provoke
in us today
as we
listen to
this.
First,
of course,
there's going
to be some
who will
accuse God
of being
heartless and
evil.
How come
he wouldn't
change his
mind and
let them
in at
the last
when they
finally said,
okay,
we want to
come in.
But we
must remember
that God
is just.
He is
exceedingly
patient and
compassionate.
I mean,
think about
in your own
life.
How long
has God
kept the
door open
for you?
How many
opportunities
have you
had to
respond to
the words
of Jesus?
How long
must God
wait till
he gives
us what
we're due?
he is
exceedingly
patient and
compassionate.
But he
is also
just.
And evil
must eventually
be purged.
Sin must
eventually be
punished.
And if we
won't accept
Christ on
his terms,
then we
won't have
his forgiveness.
And we
will find
ourselves
cast out,
looking in,
from the
outside,
in anguish.
It's only
through
relationship
with Jesus
that we
can enter
through
the narrow
door.
An
authentic,
living,
real
relationship
with Jesus.
God is
not
heartless.
He's not
lacking
compassion.
I mean,
look at what
he's done
to save
us.
He has
sent
his son
down to
earth
to rescue
us.
And as
the people
made clear,
Jesus
taught in
their
streets.
They
heard his
words,
and yet
they ignored
it.
they
rejected
him while
the door
was open.
They
refused to
go through
the door
that Jesus
was putting
right before
them.
And so
those who
perish in
hell will
get what
we all
deserve.
And it
will be
right for
God to
see that
come about.
but at
the same
time it
is truly
cause for
weeping.
It is
sad
that many
because they
reject Jesus
will find
themselves in
that place.
For those
of us who
have entered
through the
narrow door,
this should
motivate us
to continue
pleading with
the people
around us
who have
not yet
entered.
We need
to keep
telling people,
look to
Jesus,
listen to
him,
make every
effort to
come to
him and
be saved.
It doesn't
matter whether
that message
is unpopular,
it's the
truth.
I mentioned
earlier that
Jesus sort of
changes the
question.
the question
was,
are only
a few
people
going to
be
saved?
But
Jesus
essentially
in the way
he answers
it says,
don't worry
about the
number.
The question
is,
are you
saved?
Have you
entered
through the
narrow door?
Will you
be one of
those who
come from
all over
and take
your seat
at the
feast
in the
kingdom
of God?
And if
you have
any doubt
about that,
don't take
time,
don't delay
on this,
fight to
get through
that door
before it's
closed.
Because one
day the
door will
be shut
and it
will be
too late.
we're
going to
take some
time now
to partake
of the
Lord's
table.
And if
you have
entered
through
that
door,
this
table is
for you.
This is
what we
do
together
to remind
ourselves
of what
Christ
Jesus did
for us
so that
we could
get
through.
He
suffered.
He
died.
He
made
atonement
for our
sins
by his
blood
so that
we could
be saved.
That's
what the
bread
and the
cup
point to.
And if
you've
entered
through the
narrow
door,
I want
to just
invite you
to join
with us,
eat and
drink with
us as
we remember
what Jesus
has done
for us.
These are
moments to
give thanks
to God
and to
praise
him for
his
gift,
for the
grace of
salvation.
But maybe
you're here
and you
know that
you haven't
entered
through this
door yet.
Right now
is another
opportunity
to do
so.
In these
next moments
of quiet,
I want to
urge you
to pray,
to talk
to God,
to confess
your sins
to him,
to humble
yourself before
him and
repent.
Ask for
his
forgiveness
and put
your trust
in him.
And if
that's
something that
you do
in these
next minutes,
then you're
welcome to
partake of
this table.
We're going
to have a few
minutes of
quiet prayer
now,
and then
the elements
will be
served.
Just encourage
you to hang
on to them
until everybody
who wishes
to partake
has received,
and then
we'll give
thanks and
we'll eat
and drink
together.
Let's pray.
Lord Jesus,
it's amazing
that you
would come
down from
heaven to
this earth
and walk
among us,
walk through
our streets,
and then
give up
your life
and die
for us,
suffer and
die for us,
taking the
punishment we
deserve,
even though
you had
done nothing
wrong.
We want
to say
thank you.
Thank you
for your
forgiveness,
that we
don't have
to live
with the
guilt of
all the
things that
we have
done wrong
in the
past,
whether
in our
minds
big or
small,
even for
the things
we think
are little
and insignificant,
the angry
outburst at
someone,
Lord Jesus,
you have
died to
atone for
that too.
And so we
just praise
you.
We're so
grateful for
you.
We eat
and we
drink in
remembrance
of you.
Amen.