Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional as we continue in our Luke, Exploring Who Jesus is series. Today we reflect on the vital importance of a personal response to enter The Kingdom through Jesus and how we need to help others to choose Jesus - the narrow way.
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‘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?” He 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, ‘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.”’ (Luke 13:22-30)
Juliane Koepcke was the sole survivor of LANSA Flight 508, which crashed in the Amazon rainforest on December 24, 1971. Struck by lightning, the plane broke apart in mid-air, and Juliane, still strapped to her seat, fell from about 10,000 feet! All 91 other passengers died, including her mother, however, miraculously, she survived with only minor injuries. Alone in the dense jungle, she used survival skills her parents taught her, walking for 10 days until she was found by local loggers.
I share this story because many, as in this account, wonder how many will actually be saved and enter the Kingdom; like this person, they ask: “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” Jesus does not answer as we might expect, choosing, rather, to challenge the questioner to make a personal response rather than worry about how many others might enter the Kingdom. It’s common to get involved in religious discussions whilst failing to repent and follow Christ.
Jesus describes becoming a Christian as entering through the narrow door. What does this mean? Jesus is the narrow door. The gospel is the only way to be saved; only by receiving Christ can one escape judgement and the ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’ that will be experienced by all who don’t receive salvation in Christ.
In the context of this passage, Jesus has the Jews and religious leaders to whom He is speaking as the target. Jesus wants them to see that being God’s chosen people does not mean they can reject Jesus. Jews and all religious people need to receive Christ.
The way into the Kingdom is narrow and the good news - as exemplified in the Parables of The Mustard Seed, and The Parable Spreading Yeast (which are just prior to this) we are promised that many will be saved - ‘”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.”’
Let’s pray together
“Lord Jesus, you are my narrow door of salvation. I enter through you by faith. You promise that ‘“Those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”’ - you bring surprising people into your Kingdom . Please work through me to help others to see and enter the Kingdom through You. Amen.”
Community Group Notes
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
Please ensure that you and your group are aware and have the details for our week of prayer next week.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
This week is ’SIV Week’ (Serve, Invest and inVite) and so we will give most of our time to thinking and praying about helping to bring our community to Jesus.
Our message on Sunday, as we restarted our Luke, Exploring Who Jesus Is series, was from Luke 13:10-35. This section, although seemingly separate parts, is joined together by the idea that although many reject Jesus (Luke 13:10-17), nevertheless, the Kingdom is growing (Luke 13:18-21) and, although this is true, it’s not automatic and we need to tell and call people to respond to the gospel (Luke 13:22-30), being fuelled by loving compassion that overcomes fear and rejection (Luke 13:31-35). In summary, we could put it:
Jesus’ Kingdom is growing and we must play our part, fuelled by compassion.
Please read Luke 13:10-35 and discuss:
Did God speak to you about anything from Sunday’s message?
What promises does this text make about the success of the gospel and how are we to respond to this?
What does this text teach Christians about their role in the spreading Kingdom?
SIV - Do we have any stories of how we have ‘Served, Invested, and inVited’ recently?
SIV - Spend some time together talking and praying about who and how you are seeking to bring your community to Jesus.
Let’s pray together: Pray for the Spirit to fill us and move us to be like Christ who mourned over Jerusalem’s current rejection of Him.
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