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 NIV)
As Jesus walked around preaching, somebody noticed a problem. A tension. Everywhere Jesus went, he was followed by large crowds. Lots of people wanted to hear Jesus, touch Jesus, be near Jesus. But here was the problem: It didn’t seem like many people actually believed in Jesus. It seemed like people came to Jesus for what they could get from him, not for who he is. That troubled a certain man. So he asked Jesus, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
How would people answer that question today? “Are only a few people going to be saved?” I think most people would say, “Of course not! God’s going to let everybody in! Because in the end, there are a lot of different roads to the same god. It doesn’t matter what you believe, just as long as you believe in something. Our loving God would never send anyone to hell!” How often haven’t you heard things like that? It sounds good! “Are only a few people going to be saved?” “Of course not! Don’t worry about it. There are a lot of different paths to heaven.” Right?
No. Here’s what Jesus 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.” Jesus knows that just about everybody thinks they are going to heaven, but he says that “many will try to enter and will not be able to.” Isn’t that a shocking thing to hear? This is a difficult saying from Jesus! It’s not difficult to understand. But it’s difficult for our sinful human natures to accept. Every building has doors. So does heaven. It has just one door—one narrow door. Do you know what the door to heaven is? Jesus! He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Many people who expect to enter heaven will be very disappointed.
That doesn’t sound right, does it? Does Jesus really mean that many people think they will be in heaven, but they really won’t? Yes! He said, “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.’” Isn’t that scary? There will be some people—many people—who will find heaven’s door shut. Thinking there’s got to be another way in, they’ll knock on the door, and Jesus will say, “I don’t know you.” Isn’t that terrifying? Maybe we’re tempted to think, “That’s going to happen to all the bad people!” Except, Jesus wasn’t talking to the “bad” people. He was talking to the people who were following him.
Because here’s what he said next, “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’” Many of the people in Jesus’ day had literally eaten with Jesus. They knew his family. They walked around with him. “Jesus, we ate and drank with you!” And we’d expect Jesus to say, “Okay. It’s not a big deal. Come on in!” “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’” A lot of people are going to be surprised when they die. An outward connection to God doesn’t result in salvation. You might try saying to Jesus, “But I went to church sometimes. I sent my kids to catechism class. I even served on the church council.” And Jesus will say, “I don’t know you or where you come from.”
This is serious! The real question isn’t, “Are only a few people going to be saved.” The real question is, “Am I going to be saved?” I hope you realize that’s the most important question in your life. What door are you counting on to get to heaven? Is it the door of good works—“I’m a good person”? Is it the door of family connections—“My grandma’s faith will save me”? Is it the door of excuses—“It’s okay that I’ve sinned”? Is it the door of human accomplishments—“Look what I’ve done”? Is it the door of church membership—“I’ve been part of this church my whole life!”? None of those doors end up in heaven. Heaven has just one narrow door— faith in Jesus!
Can you imagine the disappointment of realizing too late that you focused your life on all the wrong things? This past Tuesday, our family decided to go bowling to celebrate the last day before school. We got ready and drove to the bowling alley all excited to bowl, until we got there and realized it was closed on Tuesday evenings. Dad hadn’t thought ahead. I’d like to say that’s the only time that’s happened in our family. Except it isn’t. Once in Minnesota, we drove 45 minutes to watch the horse races at the race track, only to get there and realize there were no horse races that day. Ahh! It’s so disappointing to not get to do what you’re excited to do!
So can you imagine the disappointment of missing out on heaven? Jesus wants you to imagine that, so that it never happens to you. 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.” Where? In hell. But Jesus won’t send anyone to hell, right? What a lie! Jesus talks about hell more than anyone else in the Bible. Do you know that? Jesus says there will be many people in hell, regretting forever a life lived without him. Imagine being in hell, and looking and seeing people in heaven? Could it get any worse? I don’t think so! That’s why there’s so much gnashing of teeth in hell. A painful, terrible feeling of frustration and guilt and sadness—forever. I don’t want that! I don’t want to go there. We need help. This is a big deal!
That’s why Jesus 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.” I want to teach you what the Greek word for “make every effort” actually says. It sounds like one of our English words. Listen closely. The word is agonizesthe. Can you hear the English word? “Agonize.” Or “Agony.” Make the face you make when your agonizing about something. That’s the determination, the focus, that Jesus tells you to have about heaven. Like a soldier in Ukraine agonizes for his country’s freedom. Like a high school football player agonizes in the Oklahoma heat to make the football team. “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door.” Do you do that? Do you agonize over your salvation?
What does that mean? Note this: Jesus is not telling you to work harder. He’s not telling you to earn heaven, because you can’t! He’s telling you to make every effort so that you and those you love believe in Jesus. Remember Jesus’ promise? “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Jesus and only Jesus opened the way to heaven by dying on the cross for all of our sins. He’s the door—the narrow door! Heaven is open to everyone who believes in Jesus our Savior.
So here’s what the Bible says: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household” (Acts 16:31). “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Our lives are not about how good we are. Our lives are not about how many connections we’ve made. Our lives are a daily cycle of confessing our sins and trusting in Jesus as our Savior. Because Jesus is the narrow door. The door to forgiveness. The door to peace. The door to heaven.
Because of Jesus, there are going to be people in heaven! 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.” Isn’t that great? There will be Germans and Irish and Americans and Mexicans and Chinese and Indians and people from all over the world in heaven through faith in Jesus. When John looked into heaven, he said, “There … was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9).
The Gospel message about Jesus is at the same time both the most inclusive and the most exclusive message in the world. It’s the most inclusive message because it’s meant for everyone. Jesus died for all. Man and woman. Rich and poor. Black and white. Young and old. Heaven is open to all. God wants all people to be saved. But the Gospel message is also the most exclusive message because that salvation is found through only one door—faith in Jesus Christ. Not Allah, not Buddha, not money, not success, not me, not you. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is the narrow door to heaven!
Can you see how much this matters? If you can’t today, one day you will. Because you and I are going to face death—over and over again. The deaths of people whom we love and our own deaths. “Are only a few people going to be saved?” I hope you see how much this matters! On the news this week there were more car accidents and shootings. Heaven matters! There are constant reports of wars and fears that they might spread. Heaven matters! Every day there’s another cancer diagnosis. Another surprise illness. Heaven matters! “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door.” Everybody needs to know the door to heaven. What is it? Jesus!
If that’s true—and it is!—than what in your life matters more than Jesus? Don’t let your family get distracted. This is why Jesus tells us to “make every effort to enter through the narrow door.” Don’t worship your job. It’s temporary. Don’t worship sports. It’s just a game! Don’t worship your car or your house. Focus your family on Jesus. All that really matters is Jesus! Jesus says, “Make every effort!” Life is like fighting a battle. The Bible says: “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called” (1 Timothy 6:12). Life is every day repenting of our sins and trusting in Jesus. Not in me! Looking for strength in Jesus. Not in me! Don’t let any opportunity slip away. There’s too much at stake. Enter through the narrow door.
The oldest Christian church in the world is in Bethlehem in Israel over the place where Jesus is thought to have been born. It’s an enormous stone church, but it has just one little front door, no more than four feet high. To get inside, everyone must stoop down, almost to their knees, to enter it. The real reason they made the door so small is so that people wouldn’t ride in on horses and steal stuff, but there’s something special about bowing through this narrow door to enter God’s presence. The narrow door. Heaven is not about you doing more. Not about you trying harder. Not about you being stronger. It’s about you bowing to Jesus, trusting in him, and relying on him for your salvation. “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door.” Amen!
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