The Narrow Door: Luke 13:22-30
“22) And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. 23) And someone said to Him, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” And He said to them, 24) “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Luke 13:22-24
Jesus was enroute to Jerusalem. His travels covered a broad region in Israel. He traveled broadly throughout Judea, Samaria and Galilee. He was faithful to His call to bring the gospel to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.
On this occasion, He was asked the question; “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” His response was to “enter by the narrow door, for many, I tell you will seek to enter and will not be able.”
Let me make a few observations about this conversation and the meaning of the narrow door.
First, it resembles His teaching given in the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew 7:13-23. Jesus was consistent in His teaching.
Second, His audience was Jewish. This is reminiscent of what John said in John 1:9-13. The text says, “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” He was rejected by the majority of His own people. Relatively few Jewish people received Him by faith as the Messiah.
Finally, Jesus Himself represented a very narrow door for the Jewish people. Jesus clearly taught this in John 10:1-13. Jesus said He was the door and all must enter through Him. That seemed preposterously narrow to the Jewish mindset. Why?
The Jewish people also had Abraham as their forefather, Moses as their prophet, the Law as their moral Cade and the temple sacrificial system to atone for their sin. These combined represented a very broad doorway. Why would any devoutly Jewish person exchange that very broad religious system for the narrow door of Jesus Christ?
Of course, the answer is that Abraham was justified by faith (Romans 4), Moses and the Law pointed to the Messiah, and Jesus was the Lamb of God who was about to take away the sins of the world. (John 1:29-36) He was the fulfillment of the whole Old Testament. It pointed to Him!
The unfolding tragedy was that the Jewish majority rejected Jesus as the narrow door to God. Instead, they chose the broadway of traditional Judaism.
Later in the context of this dialogue, Jesus refered to the many who would come from east and west, north and south to recline at table in the Kingdom of God. (See Luke 13:29). This was a reference to the spread of the gospel to the rest of the world and the conversion of the Gentiles. The mystery of the church age was about to be birthed.
When this whole context is examined and understood, the words of Jesus take on penetrating meaning. You must enter by the narrow doorway to be saved.
Jesus is the only name under heaven given among men by which people must be saved. (Acts 4:12) He is the narrow door for both the Jews and the Gentiles.
Other religions do not lead to God! That thought is as preposterous to many Gentiles as Jesus being the Messiah and only way to God was for the Jewish people.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
“22) And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. 23) And someone said to Him, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” And He said to them, 24) “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Luke 13:22-24
Jesus was enroute to Jerusalem. His travels covered a broad region in Israel. He traveled broadly throughout Judea, Samaria and Galilee. He was faithful to His call to bring the gospel to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.
On this occasion, He was asked the question; “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” His response was to “enter by the narrow door, for many, I tell you will seek to enter and will not be able.”
Let me make a few observations about this conversation and the meaning of the narrow door.
First, it resembles His teaching given in the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew 7:13-23. Jesus was consistent in His teaching.
Second, His audience was Jewish. This is reminiscent of what John said in John 1:9-13. The text says, “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” He was rejected by the majority of His own people. Relatively few Jewish people received Him by faith as the Messiah.
Finally, Jesus Himself represented a very narrow door for the Jewish people. Jesus clearly taught this in John 10:1-13. Jesus said He was the door and all must enter through Him. That seemed preposterously narrow to the Jewish mindset. Why?
The Jewish people also had Abraham as their forefather, Moses as their prophet, the Law as their moral Cade and the temple sacrificial system to atone for their sin. These combined represented a very broad doorway. Why would any devoutly Jewish person exchange that very broad religious system for the narrow door of Jesus Christ?
Of course, the answer is that Abraham was justified by faith (Romans 4), Moses and the Law pointed to the Messiah, and Jesus was the Lamb of God who was about to take away the sins of the world. (John 1:29-36) He was the fulfillment of the whole Old Testament. It pointed to Him!
The unfolding tragedy was that the Jewish majority rejected Jesus as the narrow door to God. Instead, they chose the broadway of traditional Judaism.
Later in the context of this dialogue, Jesus refered to the many who would come from east and west, north and south to recline at table in the Kingdom of God. (See Luke 13:29). This was a reference to the spread of the gospel to the rest of the world and the conversion of the Gentiles. The mystery of the church age was about to be birthed.
When this whole context is examined and understood, the words of Jesus take on penetrating meaning. You must enter by the narrow doorway to be saved.
Jesus is the only name under heaven given among men by which people must be saved. (Acts 4:12) He is the narrow door for both the Jews and the Gentiles.
Other religions do not lead to God! That thought is as preposterous to many Gentiles as Jesus being the Messiah and only way to God was for the Jewish people.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
