Jesus Knew He Would Be Rejected (Luke 13)
As the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth was drawing nearer, large crowds of people followed Him from each town and village. So the question someone raised in Luke 13:23 may seem unusual: “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
Jesus had spent time with the crowds. He had fed them, taught them, and healed them; yet He knew that relatively few would follow Him as true disciples. He knew He would ultimately be rejected by the crowds.
Jesus said that the gate is narrow, and few will find it. Most people will not taste and see that the Lord is good. The simple answer to this probing question is, “Yes, the number of people who will be saved is significantly less than those who will not.” Many people knew about Jesus. They had shared meals with Him and listened to Him, but they did not know Him personally as Lord and Savior.
Jesus was clear that being a Jew by birth or a zealot for the law was not enough to enter God’s kingdom. God’s heart is both for Jews and Gentiles. Jesus’ honest response offers hope to those who will hear. He tells them that no matter the numbers, make every effort to be one who enters that narrow gate. You do not want to be left outside the entrance.
We are surrounded by people who wonder about this very same thing. Who will be saved? Though we are not armed with the eternal knowledge of God, we do have pictures like this in Scripture that remind us to point to the hope of Christ in all things. We don’t know the future—and it’s not for us to know—but we do know where hope is found. The subject line of our message should be as hopeful as the gospel that saved us. The invitation to God’s kingdom is for all to place their trust in Christ, the One who was rejected and killed on a cross—so that we may be justified and fully accepted by His sacrifice on our behalf.
Christ Connection: Everyone is invited into the kingdom of God, but not everyone will enter. People are saved only by trusting in Jesus. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him.
