Threading the Needle

Holy God, I tremble before your word, pleading and begging that you would help me.

You would help me to bring honor to your name and to love this church, to love this people.

Father, would you anoint my lips? I am a man of unclean lips.

Just like Moses, I complain that I don't know how to speak, but Lord, you are the creator of our mouths.

You are in control of all things, and I know you've sovereignly created this opportunity.

What a good opportunity it is to preach and teach your word.

Thank you for this blessing. You are such a good God.

We pray that our hearts would be stirred and that you alone would be the one thing that we seek in all that we do.

God, help us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Let's stand all together for the reading of God's word.

Again, we're going to be reading from Luke 18, verses 18 to 34.

Luke 18:18–34

Luke 18, verses 18 to 34.

Luke 18:18–34

And a ruler asked him,

Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

And Jesus said to him,

Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

You know the commandments.

Do not commit adultery.

Do not murder.

Do not steal.

Do not bear false witness.

Honor your father and mother.

And he said,

All these I have kept for my youth.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him,

One thing you still lack.

Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor.

And you will have treasure in heaven.

And come, follow me.

But when he heard these things, he became very sad.

For he was extremely rich.

Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said,

How difficult it is to those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God.

For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle

than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.

Those who heard it said,

Then who can be saved?

And, but he said,

What is impossible with man is possible with God.

And Peter said,

See, we have left our homes and followed you.

And he said to them,

Truly I say to you,

There is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children

for the sake of the kingdom of God

who will not receive many times more in this time

and in the age to come eternal life.

And taking the twelve,

he said to them,

See, we are going up to Jerusalem

and everything that is written about the Son of Man

by the prophets will be accomplished.

For we will be delivered over to the Gentiles

and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon.

And after flogging him,

they will kill him.

And on the third day,

he will rise.

But they understood none of these things.

This saying was hidden from them

and they did not grasp what was said.

This is God,

God's holy and authoritative word.

Please be seated.

We have all experienced various forms of and varying degrees of privilege.

In our world,

privilege opens doors.

It gives you access to places and people that others might not have access to.

It tips public perception in your favor.

It confers power on those who possess it.

But in our passage for today,

we learn that the kingdom of God is unlike the kingdoms of this world.

It is an upside down kingdom

that even the rich cannot enter.

In fact, it is impossible to enter the kingdom of God

except through faith in Christ the King,

which is our main point of the sermon today.

So first, we're going to be exploring how the text

speaks about the upside down kingdom in verses 18 to 30,

then talks about an unlikely king in verses 31 to 34.

A ruler asks Jesus a question in verse 18.

Luke usually specifies what kind of ruler this person is.

For example, in Luke 8, 41,

he calls Jairus a ruler of the synagogue.

And in Luke 14, 1, mentions a ruler of the Pharisees.

When he doesn't specify it,

he is referring to the members of the Sanhedrin,

which was the highest Jewish ruling council

on religious, political, and legal matters.

This would explain why Jesus assumed

that this ruler knows the commandments in verse 20.

This ruler is a VIP by all measures.

He had religious standing,

political standing,

social standing,

and as we find out in verse 23,

economic standing,

since he was extremely rich.

He has all the privilege that you could imagine.

And he asked Jesus,

good teacher,

what must I do to inherit eternal life?

And to hear someone like this

address him as good teacher

and seek his spiritual direction

must have been flattering to Jesus.

But Jesus responds with a correction

in verse 18.

Why?

Why do you call me good?

No one is good except God alone.

In the original Greek,

the personal pronoun me

is fronted for emphasis.

It's why me do you call good?

So we should read it as

why do you call me good?

No one is good except God alone.

Jesus is not denying that he is in fact good.

He is good because he is the son of God,

the second person of the triune God

who alone is good.

But Jesus is here challenging

the rich ruler's shallow understanding

of moral goodness.

He is confronting what Sean calls

the PGP delusion,

the pretty good person delusion.

Many people in this world

think of themselves as

pretty good people.

I'm sure you can think of some of them.

And this ruler likewise

believed that some human beings,

especially esteemed religious teachers

like Jesus,

were quote-unquote good people.

But he really should have known better.

Psalm 53, 1-3 says,

The fool says in his heart,

there is no God.

They are corrupt,

doing abominable iniquity.

There is none who does good.

God looks down from heaven

on the children of man

to see if there are any

who understand,

who seek after God.

They have all fallen away.

Together they have become corrupt.

There is none who does good,

not even one.

There is not one man in this world

that is good in an absolute sense.

Only God is good.

This ruler thinks that

he can attain eternal life

by doing.

By doing good.

He thinks that he can make the cut.

And Jesus reminds him

no human being can be called good

in an absolute unqualified sense.

No one is good

by God's perfect,

unattainable standards.

That's precisely why

Jesus had to come to save us.

As Jesus said in the preceding passage,

it's not those who trust

in their own righteousness,

but those who humbly entrust themselves

to Christ with Christ-like faith

that will be saved.

We are not good people,

but the good God

sent his son

to be the good teacher

to instruct us

in the way of salvation.

So this ruler is unwittingly

acknowledging something profound.

Jesus really is good

because he is the son of God,

the chosen one of God,

the messianic king.

If this ruler really understood this,

he would have left everything behind

to follow Jesus

as Jesus invites him to do

in verse 22.

But as we will see,

this ruler did not have that faith.

This ruler's question

is exactly the same

as the question

that a Jewish leaguer scholar

asked Jesus earlier

in Luke 10, 25.

And in the same way,

he answered the question before.

Jesus now points the ruler

to God's law

in verse 20.

You know the commandments.

Do not commit adultery.

Do not murder.

Do not steal.

Do not bear false witness.

Honor your father and mother.

Father.

These commands come

from the second half

of the Ten Commandments,

which we've been learning all about,

which is a summary

of the entire Old Testament law.

The first four

of the Ten Commandments

deal with our love for God.

And the latter six

deal with our love for our neighbor.

That's why the command

to love God

with our whole selves

and our neighbors

as ourselves

is the greatest commandment

that sums up

the entire law of God.

Jesus only lists

the second half

of the Ten Commandments

that deal with

our love for our neighbors.

And that's not because

loving God

is less important

than loving our neighbors.

But it's because,

as Jesus taught in Luke 10,

our love for God

finds concrete expression

in our love for our neighbor.

1 John 4, 20 to 21

puts it this way.

If anyone says,

I love God

and hates his brother,

he is a liar.

For he who does not love

his brother whom he has seen

cannot love God

whom he has not seen.

And this commandment

we have from him,

whoever loves God

must also love his brother.

Similarly,

our love for God

whom we cannot see

is demonstrated

in our love

for the neighbors

whom we can see.

Curiously,

the Ten Commandment,

which is what we

would have heard today,

which says,

you shall not covet,

is omitted

from Jesus' list,

possibly because

it's the commandment

that Jesus already knows

that this rich young ruler

is failing to keep.

The rich young ruler

replies in verse 21,

and it exposes

his prideful delusion.

All these I have kept

from my youth.

All these I have kept

from my youth.

Jews believe that God

holds children

accountable for their

moral actions

only after they have

become youths.

So when the rich young ruler

says,

all these I have kept

from my youth,

he's saying

that he's never failed

to keep them.

He is saying,

if that's what's required

for eternal life,

then I can rest easy.

because I'm all set.

His self-righteous attitude

is very similar

to that of the Pharisee

in earlier passages

in Luke.

When Jesus heard this,

he says in verse 22,

he said to him,

one thing you still lack.

Sell all that you have

and distribute to the poor

and you will have treasure

in heaven

and come,

follow me.

Jesus contrasts

the one thing

that the rich young ruler

lacks with all that he has.

He seemed to have it all.

Political power,

social clout,

religious standing,

and what's in view

extreme wealth.

But the abundance

of his wealth

was precisely

what caused

his spiritual poverty,

his spiritual lack.

As 1 John 3, 17 says,

if anyone has

the world's goods

and sees his brother

in need,

yet closes his heart

against him,

how does God's love

abide in him?

Similarly,

the rich young rulers,

lack of generosity

towards the poor,

revealed a lack of love

in his heart

for his neighbors.

But does this mean

that all of us

also have to give up

our possessions

in order to

enter the kingdom of God

and have treasure in heaven?

I don't think

that this means

that Christians

can't have

or can't use money.

It does not mean

that in order

to get into heaven

we have to take

a vow of poverty

and to beg

for our livings.

We can see clearly

that in the latter story

of Zacchaeus,

a rich tax collector

who gets saved

through faith

in Jesus.

But there's a reason

why Jesus makes

this criterion

for entry

for the kingdom of God

for this rich ruler.

He says in verse 23,

but when he heard

these things

he became very sad

for he was extremely rich.

Jesus knew

that the love of money

was the one thing

that held this rich ruler

back from wholeheartedly

following God.

Jesus' invitation

to follow him

is a standard word

that indicates

discipleship.

A disciple

is someone

who follows

his teacher

to learn

through instruction

and imitation.

But instead

of responding

with joy

at Jesus' invitation,

the rich ruler

became very sad

because he knew

he could not

follow Christ

because he was

unwilling

to relinquish

his extreme wealth.

Jesus said earlier

in Luke 16, 13,

no servant

can serve

two masters

for either

he will hate

the one

or love

the other

or he will be

devoted to one

and despise

the other.

You cannot

serve God

and money.

This rich ruler

was trying to serve

both God

and money

and Jesus

makes it clear

that you must

choose one

or the other.

Even though

he was otherwise

a law-abiding Jew,

love of money

was the one thing

that he could not

pronounce

or renounce.

This is a choice

that faces

each and every

single one of us.

What is the one thing

that you lack?

What's the one thing

that you're not

willing

to give up

for Jesus?

Who is the one person

that you love

more than you love God?

Is your academic

performance

or career advancements

the first priority

of your life?

Is ensuring

the future success

of your child

making sure

that she outshines

all her peers

the overriding goal

that takes precedence

over your child's

and your family's

wholehearted pursuit

of Christ?

Is appeasing

your boyfriend

or girlfriend

your husband

or wife

your parents

your boss

your professor

or advisor

more important

to you

than pleasing

Christ?

Is earning

and saving

more and more

money

so that you have

financial security

and a deposit

for the future

your most pressing

concern?

All of these things

must be second

to Christ.

Jesus must be first.

If we want to call

Christ our Lord

and King

we must subordinate

all other allegiances

to him.

Notice that Jesus

does not negotiate

the terms of discipleship

as this rich ruler

turns away in sadness.

He is uncompromising.

He doesn't say

hey hey

don't leave so soon.

Okay

alright alright

let me cut you a deal.

Since you're keeping

all these other commandments

I'll turn a blind eye

to you know

this one thing

you could still be

my disciple.

No

he says

one thing

you still lack

sell all

that you have

and distribute

to the poor

and you will have

treasure in heaven

and come

follow me.

You cannot

follow me

until you renounce

your love of money.

You cannot

be my disciple

as long as money

is more important

to you

than me.

That's what Jesus

says.

if your great desire

in life

is for earthly treasure

then you cannot

desire God

as your greatest treasure

and therefore

you cannot

be Christian.

If we live

for the treasures

of earth

we should not

expect

to have treasures

in heaven.

seeing that

the rich

ruler

had

become sad

Jesus

laments

in verse 24

how difficult

it is

for those

who have wealth

to enter

the kingdom

of God.

It's hard

for wealthy

people to enter

the kingdom

of God

and it's

highly unfortunate

that we live

in one of the

richest parts

of the entire

world.

24-7

Wall Street

which publishes

financial news

and opinion pieces

online

reviewed median

household income

data from the

U.S. Census Bureau

from 381

U.S. metro

areas

and concluded

that the

Boston-Cambridge-Newton

metro area

is one of only

five metro areas

where most

households earn

at least

$85,000

a year.

I have no idea

when that's

stated

or when

Sean wrote

this sermon

but that

sounds about

right.

It's one of

the five

richest cities

in the

United States.

It's hard

for our

friends and

neighbors

in Cambridge

and Boston

to enter

the kingdom

of God

because of

their wealth.

Do you

really get

this?

As Christians

we should

know better

than to

dream of

getting rich

and living

large.

If that's

what you

daydream

about

that's

a spiritual

emergency

you're in

grave

trouble.

It is

difficult

for those

who have

wealth

to enter

the kingdom

of God.

Why?

Why in the

world

would you

want to be

rich?

Don't

desire to

be rich.

1 Timothy

6, 9-10

says,

Those who

desire to

be rich

fall into

temptation,

into a

snare,

into many

senseless

and harmful

desires that

plunge people

into ruin

and destruction.

For the

love of

money is

the root

of all

kinds of

evils.

It is

through this

craving that

some have

wandered away

from the

faith and

pierced

themselves

with many

pangs.

Does

falling into

temptation,

into a

snare,

into many

senseless

and harmful

desires that

plunge people

into ruin

and destruction

sound enjoyable

to you?

Does being

pierced with

many pangs

sound pleasurable

to you?

Get back to

your senses,

brothers and

sisters.

Don't

desire to

be rich.

If you

work hard

and steward

your resources

well,

and wealth

is the

incidental

result of

that,

great,

then great.

in that

case,

use your

money

generously

for the

kingdom

of God.

Give

sacrificially

to the

ministry of

the gospel.

Give

liberally

to the

poor,

but don't

ever

desire

to be

rich.

Don't

ever

love

money.

Jesus

continues

his

explanation

in

verse

25,

for it

is easier

for a

camel to

go through

the eye

of a

needle

than

for a

rich

person

to

enter

the

kingdom

of

God.

The

camel

is the

largest

animal

native

to this

part

of the

world.

It can

be about

seven

feet tall,

I had no

idea,

complete

with a

giant hump

or two

in its

back,

and it

makes a

shocking

and silly

image.

Good luck

trying to

fit that

thing in

an eye

of a

needle,

which is

so small

that it's

even hard

to pass

the end

of a

thread

through it.

People

have had

a hard

time

understanding

this

saying

throughout

church

history

because

it is

impossible

for a

camel to

go through

the eye

of a

needle.

So,

is Jesus

saying that

rich people

can't be

saved?

Well,

that can't

possibly be.

So,

Jesus must

be trying

to say

something

else.

In order

to improve

Jesus'

teaching

and make

it more

palatable

to our

sensibilities,

so some

people have

suggested

that at

Jerusalem

there was

a certain

gate

called

the

needle's

eye

through

which

a

camel

could

not

pass

but on

its

bended

knees

and after

its burden

had been

taken off

so the

rich

should not

be able

to pass

along the

narrow way

that leads

to life

till he

had put

off the

burden of

sin

and of

riches

that is

by ceasing

to love

him.

That's

by Thomas

Aquinas.

The only

trouble with

this explanation

is that

there is

no

historical

evidence

whatsoever

of a

gate

called

the

needle's

eye

at

any

point

in

Jerusalem's

history.

It's

merely

a romantic

speculation.

The point

of Jesus'

illustration

is not

that rich

people have

to lay

aside

their wealth

in order

to enter

the kingdom

just as

camels

must lay

aside

their

burdens

before

entering

through

a

low

gate.

The point

of the

illustration

is that

it is

impossible

for rich

people

to enter

the kingdom

of God.

This is

then confirmed

in verses

26 to

27.

Those who

heard it

then said

then who

can be

saved?

But Jesus

said what

is impossible

with man

is possible

with God.

This is

precisely

Jesus'

point.

It is

impossible

for the

rich

to enter

the kingdom

of God.

The allure

of money

is so

strong.

The distractions

that it

creates

are so

numerous.

The temptations

that it

multiplies

are so

enticing

that it's

impossible

for the

rich

to be

saved.

As

biblical

scholar

Daryl

Brock

puts it,

wealth

can shrink

the door

of the

kingdom

down

to an

impassable

people.

The

self-focused

security

of the

wealthy

is a

padlock

against

kingdom

entry.

In fact,

it's

impossible

for any

man to

enter the

kingdom

of God

with his

own

merit

and with

his own

strength.

But

hear,

hear,

brothers and

sisters,

hear his

hope.

What is

impossible

with man

is

possible

with God.

God alone

can wean

the rich

people away

from their

love of

money.

God alone

can wean

us away

from various

idols.

As Jesus

speaks of

salvation as

something that

is humanly

impossible,

Peter seeks

assurances from

him in

verses 28

to 30.

And Peter

said,

see,

we have

left our

homes and

followed you.

And he

said to

them,

truly,

I say to

you,

there is no

one who

has left

house or

wife or

brothers or

parents or

children for

the sake of

the kingdom

of God who

will not

receive many

times more

in this

time and

in the

age to

come.

Eternal

life.

As we

saw earlier

in Luke

5,

11,

28,

Peter,

James,

John,

and Levi

have left

everything they

had and

followed Jesus.

This is what

Peter is

referring to.

And Jesus

commends them

as examples

of discipleship.

Many ancient

Jews were

disowned by

their families

for following

Christ.

Christians in

some other

places in the

world face

similar

ostracism

and persecution.

So to

some

believers

following

Christ

might

literally

mean

having to

leave

house,

wife,

brothers,

parents,

children for

the sake

of kingdom

of God.

But even

if this is

not literally

true for

you,

to be a

Christian

is to be

a person

who has

left house,

wife,

brothers,

sisters,

children for

the sake

of the

kingdom

of God.

In the

sense of

subordinating

all these

responsibilities

and commitments

to following

Christ.

So you

might own

a house,

you might

have a

spouse,

sibling,

parent,

or child,

but none

of them

must be

the controlling

center of

your life.

Your

priorities

and purposes

must be

submitted

to Christ.

Everything

and everyone,

including you,

yourself,

must be

second.

to Christ.

Yes,

this is

costly.

Yes,

this requires

sacrifice,

but oh,

it is worth

it.

Look at

the rewards

that Jesus

holds out

to us

in two parts

in verse 30.

He says,

we will receive

many times

more in

this time.

That's the

first stage

of our reward.

And in the

age to come,

eternal life.

that's the

second stage

of our reward.

These two

stages of

rewards

corresponds

to the

already but

not yet

nature of

the kingdom

of God.

God's

kingdom has

already broken

into our

world through

the life,

death,

resurrection,

and ascension

of Jesus

Christ,

but it has

not yet been

consummated.

It has not

yet been

brought to

full fruition.

salvation.

So we

will be

rewarded

in this

time with

many times

more than

what we

give up

for God,

but we

will also

be rewarded

later in

the age to

come with

eternal life.

Truly,

I say to

you,

Jesus says,

and that

means I

assure you,

I guarantee

it,

there is

no one,

not one,

who has

left house

or wife

or brothers

or parents

or children

for the sake

of the kingdom

of God

who will not

receive many

times more

in this time

and in the

age to come

eternal life.

Those who

give Jesus

the primacy

that he is

doing their

lives become

part of the

kingdom of

God.

As they

share their

lives and

possessions

with each

other,

we're part

of one

family.

We may

lose our

homes as

our exclusive

private property,

but we gain

a hundred times

more in the

homes of our

Christian brothers

and sisters.

We may lose

our spouses,

siblings,

parents,

and children,

but we gain

hundreds more

within the

family of God.

Some of you

have found in

the church the

family that you

have never had

in your birth

homes.

that's what

Jesus is

talking about.

Jesus said

earlier in

Luke 8,

21,

my mother

and my

brothers are

those who

hear the

word of

God and

do it.

We receive

many times

more in

this time

and in

the age

to come

we will

also be

given eternal

life.

And in

short,

whatever we

give up for

God,

no matter

how much

we sacrifice

for the

sake of

the kingdom,

what we

gain from

the Lord

will be

far

greater.

Perhaps

you are not

yet a follower

of Christ.

You are

weighing the

costs of

discipleship.

Perhaps

you are

wrestling with

the one

thing that

you still

lack,

considering

whether or

not you

are willing

to pay

that price

to follow

Christ.

perhaps

you have

already

decided

to follow

Christ,

but you

are being

lured back

by the

treasures

of this

world

and

backsliding.

The

costs of

following

Christ

are high,

but they

are nothing

compared to

the eternal

rewards

that Christ

holds out

to you.

I pray you

understand the

weight of

that word

eternal.

Two summers

ago,

an Amsterdam

art dealer

and historian

named Jan

Six purchased

a painting

at Christie's,

a famous

British auction

house.

The painting

is a

portrait of

a young

gentleman,

and the

artist behind

the painting

was reputedly

one of the

disciples of

Dutch master

Rembrandt.

The pre-sale

estimate of

its value

was about

$20,000

to $27,000,

but Jan

Six paid

$172,000,

about seven

times more

than the

estimate.

So you

might say

he was

ripped off,

but the

art dealer

was onto

something.

The young

gentleman in

the portrait

is wearing

a velvet

coat with

an ornate

white lace

collar,

and Jan

Six observed

that the way

the lace

collar curls

at the

edges,

almost like

you could

put your

finger

underneath

it,

was a

clear

giveaway.

He believed

that the

painting was

both a

bit too

early and

a bit too

good to

be the

work of

Rembrandt's

disciple,

and concluded

that it must

be the work

of the

Dutch master

himself.

So he

shelled out

$172,000

to buy it

at the

auction,

and his

hunch has

paid off

because the

portrait is

being hailed

by art

historians as

the first

previously

unknown

painting by

Rembrandt

to surface

in nearly

half a

century.

And guess

how much

the last

Rembrandt

painting was

auctioned off

for at

Christie's?

Over

$33

million

in 2009.

The art

dealer paid

a very high

price for

that portrait,

but what he

gained was

far greater.

He was

willing to

pay the

price because

he knew what

it was really

worth.

Likewise,

only those

who see

God truly

as the

infinite

priceless

treasure that

he is will

forsake earthly

treasures to

follow Jesus

and enter the

kingdom of

God.

Truly,

I say to

you,

there is no

one who

has left

house or

wife or

brothers or

parents or

children for

the sake of

kingdom of

God who

will not

receive many

times more

in this

time and

in the

age to

come eternal

life.

God's

kingdom is

an upside

down kingdom

and it is

impossible to

enter it

except through

faith in

Jesus Christ.

Those who

cling to their

earthly riches

will be

turned away

and follow

Christ,

they alone

can enter

in.

But how

does God

change us?

How does

that reorientation

take place?

Taking his

twelve disciples

aside,

Jesus instructs

them in

verses 31 to

33 which

comes to the

second portion

of our

sermon today.

See, we are

going up to

Jerusalem and

everything that

is written about

the Son of

Man by the

prophets will be

accomplished.

For he will be

delivered over to

the Gentiles and

will be mocked and

shamefully treated and

spit upon.

But after flogging

him, they will

kill him and on

the third day he

will rise.

Son of

Man is a term

that Jesus

frequently uses to

refer to himself

indirectly.

It highlights the

fact that he is

not only the

Son of God as

he is described

in other places

throughout the

gospel, but also

the Son of

Man, the God

who took

humanity so

that he can

identify with

us, take on

our sins in

death, and

represent us to

God the Father.

This is now the

fourth time that

Jesus predicts his

imminent suffering,

and it's a

reference to his

death on the

cross.

A few chapters

later, these

predictions will be

fulfilled, and

Jesus will be

delivered over to

the Gentiles, mocked,

shamefully treated,

and killed on the

cross.

But on the third

day, he will rise

after his death.

death.

Interestingly, each

of the four

predictions of

suffering align

responsibility to

different human

parties.

In chapter 9,

verse 22, the

Jewish elders and

chief priests and

scribes are to

blame, and in

914, the hands of

men are to blame,

and in 1725, this

generation is to

blame, and here in

1832, the Gentiles

are to blame.

These four

predictions then

implicate Jews,

Gentiles, this

generation, and all

of humanity in

general.

People throughout

history have tried

to single out

Jews or Gentiles or

people of Jesus'

generation for his

death, but that's

only partially true.

they were all

guilty, and we

are all guilty

because it's for

our sins that

Jesus had to die

on the cross.

Yet in the

ultimate sense, it

is God who is

bringing all this

about.

That's what we see

in verse 31.

Jesus says that

everything that is

written about the

Son of Man by the

prophets will be

accomplished.

That's passive.

That's passive

language.

It will be

accomplished.

By who then?

This is what

grammarians call

the divine

passive.

The implied

subject of the

verb is God.

God is

accomplishing all

this.

And why?

Because it is

through the death

of his only Son

that God restores

sinners to the

kingdom of God.

Remember what

Jesus said

earlier.

No one is good

except God

alone.

We all lack

something.

We do not

deserve to be

entered, admitted

into the kingdom

of God.

God in his

perfection and

his holiness

does not tolerate

sin or evil.

And the question

begs who then

can be saved?

Jesus answers in

verse 27.

What is

impossible with

man is possible

with God.

It's to atone for

the sins of his

people that Jesus

died on the cross.

It's to give us

eternal resurrection

life that Jesus

raised us from the

dead.

God.

Psalm 130,

3-8,

comments on this

dilemma.

If you, O Lord,

should mark

iniquities,

who, O Lord,

could stand?

But with you

there is

forgiveness.

Thank you, God.

That you may be

feared.

I wait for the

Lord.

My soul

waits.

And in his

soul I hope.

My soul waits

for the Lord

more than

watchmen for

the morning.

More than

watchmen for

the morning.

O Israel,

hope in the

Lord.

For with the

Lord there is

steadfast love.

And with him

is plentiful

redemption.

And he will

redeem Israel

from all his

iniquities.

The psalmist

prophesied that

though all of

us are guilty

and none of

us are able

to stand before

God, that God

himself would

come to

redeem his

people from

their iniquities.

That's what he

did when he

sent his one

and only son,

Jesus Christ,

as his

representative,

the messianic

king.

Jesus is the

ransom price

to buy us

back from our

slavery to sin

and death.

Jesus is the

unlikely king

who rescues

his people