Truth or Consequences [12-28-25]

December 28, 2025

Luke 13:22-30

“Truth or Consequences”

Let’s get right into Luke 13:22-30:

He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

This is a shocking statement. People who want to enter the kingdom of God won’t. People who want to be saved won’t be. Jesus rattles us when he says, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able to.” Jesus makes entering the kingdom of God sound like a difficult endeavor.

Remember where we’re at. Since chapter nine, this is only the second time Luke has made specific note of Jesus traveling:

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.

Luke 9:51

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. There, he will be betrayed, suffer, and die, according to God’s plan. That is what controls his destiny. In today’s passage, we travel to the place where Jesus warns of the consequences of

rejecting his gospel. Jesus speaks bold truth about consequences.

Throughout this month, a Franklin Graham commercial has run on various cable networks. In it, the core of the commercial is a religious message emphasizing faith and a salvation plan through Jesus Christ. Then, after you pray the sinner’s prayer, they give you a number to call for further guidance. There’s nothing wrong with the commercial. Especially at Christmas, it speaks to where people might be spiritually. It gives direction to questions they might have. It moves in a good direction. It certainly beats anything coming from woke, liberal churches and denominations.

What Jesus does here goes against the grain of much we in the evangelical community have been exposed to. Over the years, the gospel has been presented in ways that make it seem easy to be a saved Christian. Say a prayer. Use these words. Reach out and receive the gift. That’s all it takes. Seems easy enough. Understand that Jesus died for you, say these words, your sins are forgiven, and you’re in.

But here comes Jesus, his face set for Jerusalem. He says, “Strive to

enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able to.” Jesus doesn’t make it sound so easy, does he? We’d like to see these verses in the same light as Matthew 19:23-26:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Can we see Luke 13:22-30 in the context of Matther 19:23-26? Of course we can…but no. We have to grapple with Luke 13 as it stands.

Let’s start first with a correct assumption. It’s not wrong to want people to come to Christ. It’s not wrong to want people to embrace Christ. We all have family and friends who aren’t believers. It breaks our hearts to know they are far away from Jesus and salvation. So we invite people into a relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s what we’re supposed to do. That’s the Great Commission of Matthew 28. That’s what the disciples did. That’s our mandate…to go into all the world, calling people into the kingdom of God.

That’s what we do.

Second, what is this kingdom of God we are calling people into?

Quite simply, we’re talking about heaven. Don’t need to overcomplicate it. Here Jesus is talking about spending eternity in the presence of God. Worshiping Jesus. That’s what it means to be called into the kingdom of God. Amen?

Third, there’s the question itself. “Lord, will those who are saved be few?”

Throughout Jesus’ travels, he’s asked questions. By individuals. By crowds. Some of the questions Jesus himself asks because he knows what’s on people’s hearts. Everywhere Jesus goes…everyplace he passes through… there are crowds and questions. All this is in service of the trajectory of our salvation history. All this is about Jesus fulfilling his destiny to die for our sins. Jesus is moving toward his crucifixion.

And so, there are questions. Questions about what Jesus is doing. About what he is teaching. Questions about why he is. And most of the time, the questioners are nameless. In verse twenty-three, we’re told, “Someone said to him.” A nameless, faceless someone who asks a really important question. Another safe assumption is that Jesus was asked a lot of questions that didn’t make it into recorded history. For us, verse twenty-four is the pivotal, most-importantest question.

“Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?”

All we know is the questioner understands what Jesus is all about. It’s about seeking and saving the lost. Jesus is preaching the gospel of salvation. The questioner understands what Jesus has been teaching. It is a great moment of clarity. Will those who are saved be few?

Which leads us to, fourth, Jesus’ response. Strive to enter through the

narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

But wait, Jesus. I did what Franklin Graham invited me to do. Surely that means I will be in the kingdom of God.

A look at one word, “strive,” reveals much.

“Strive,” also translated as “strain,” refers to what one does in athletic training or competition or warfare. It can also mean “to struggle.” Even “contend” or “fight.”

So what’s the point?

The question, and Jesus’ response, recognizes that people are being saved. It’s just a matter of how many. Remember, Jesus says, “I know my sheep.” Remember, Jesus refers to his true followers as, “My little flock.” Jesus says, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” Remember, we affirm that Jesus knows the names of those who are in the Lamb’s Book of Life. That’s

what matters most.

So, back to strive. The Greek word is agonizesthe. What English word do you hear? Right…agonize. Strong word. Specifically, it refers to hand-to-hand combat. Here’s how it’s used in others contexts:

1 Timothy 6:12 - Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

2 Timothy 4:7 - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

1 Corinthians 9:25 - Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

An athlete strives. A warrior strives. They strive for victory. They train hard. They embrace the ethic, “No pain, no gain.” That’s the imagery Jesus uses. You have to fight your way through to true faith.

What are we fighting for? What is Jesus driving us to?

Let’s go back to Luke 9:23:

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Can you hear the fight in that? Can you hear the struggle? It’s not about self-fulfillment. It’s not about living your best life ever. It’s about self-denial. It’s the end of you. Every day, deny yourself. Every day, take up your cross. Every day confess your sin. Every day give of yourself to be a blessing to others. That’s the fight. That’s the striving. In a world that says you can have it all…that it’s all about you…that the world exists for your enjoyment and pleasure…you strive to do the hard work of following Jesus.

{What Tom Hawkins said about the people of Covenant Church}

Here's a glimpse into where we’re going to go next week:

YOU CAN HELP THE POOR AND NOT BE SAVED…BUT YOU CANNOT BE SAVED AND NOT HELP THE POOR.

Strive to be decent, kind, caring, generous, loving people. That battle is within ourselves. The battle is repentance. The battle is self-denial. The battle is not conforming to the world. That battle is not being like every one else. The battle is believing what Jesus teaches. The battle is living life against the grain. Give up your dreams and dream God’s dreams. Give up what is getting in the way of conforming your life to Jesus Christ. Repent of whatever stands in the way of you leaving your little corner of God’s world a better place. Are you with me on that?

“Strive to enter through the narrow door.” Strive.

We’re going to end on a negative note.

I recently saw a clip of a sermon by a female pastor of a liberal mainline denominational church. She said, “I felt God’s presence with me as I made the decision to end two pregnancies.” And Jesus said, “For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able…I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil! In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth…And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Unless there is repentance, those who turn from the righteous path of

following Jesus will be cast out. And don’t think it’s just preachers of wickedness. All who sit under such teaching are equally cast out. My hope would be that anyone who was in that church for the first time would leave and vow never to return. We must all be ready to strive for the truth of the gospel.

Let’s end with this positive affirmation from Charles Spurgeon:

Here is the gospel in a few words. Jesus suffered the wrath and torment we justly merited. He doubtless bore the penalty of your transgressions, if so be you penitently believe in his sacrifice. When you trust in him for pardon, ’tis proof your sins were laid on him for judgment. You are, therefore, a forgiven man, a pardoned woman; you are saved - saved forever. If you have a simple, childlike trust, you may go home, singing for joy of heart, knowing that you have already entered the strait gate, and before you lay grace on earth and glory in Heaven. May God bless you richly, and may you adore him gratefully, for his dear name’s sake. Amen.