Reflective Bible Study Gospel Adventure

God, Camels, and Wealth: Matthew 19:16-30

Published September 11, 2024 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Matthew 19:16-30 (NCV)

¹⁶ A man came to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to have life forever?”

¹⁷ Jesus answered, “Why do you ask me about what is good? Only God is good. But if you want to have life forever, obey the commands.”

¹⁸ The man asked, “Which commands?”

Jesus answered, ” ‘You must not murder anyone; you must not be guilty of adultery; you must not steal; you must not tell lies about your neighbor; ¹⁹ honor your father and mother; and love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ ”

²⁰ The young man said, “I have obeyed all these things. What else do I need to do?”

²¹ Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, then go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor. If you do this, you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”

²² But when the young man heard this, he left sorrowfully, because he was rich.

²³ Then Jesus said to his followers, “I tell you the truth, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Yes, I tell you that 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.”

²⁵ When Jesus’ followers heard this, they were very surprised and asked, “Then who can be saved?”

²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “For people this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

²⁷ Peter said to Jesus, “Look, we have left everything and followed you. So what will we have?”

²⁸ Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, when the age to come has arrived, the Son of Man will sit on his great throne. All of you who followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And all those who have left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, or farms to follow me will get much more than they left, and they will have life forever. ³⁰ Many who are first now will be last in the future. And many who are last now will be first in the future.

Read Matthew 19:16-30 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

There is a proverbial “elephant in the room” that faces us every time we read this passage, and up to this point, we have ignored it. However, in this passage’s case, the “elephant” is not an actual elephant, but a “camel”.

While teaching on the challenges those who are rich face, Jesus makes this startling statement in verse 24: “I tell you that 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.”

Regardless of whether Jesus was talking about a literal needle (something that is used in sewing), or a human sized opening in the wall of Jerusalem, the reaction to Jesus’ words tells us what we need to know: “When Jesus’ followers heard this, they were very surprised and asked, ‘Then who can be saved?’” (v. 25)

This leads me to believe that the context for Jesus’ words suggests the more impossible of the two options, but it is only impossible when looking from one perspective. Jesus quickly follows up with another profound statement in verse 26: “For people this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

These verses that surround this event say two big things: It is impossible for anyone (especially someone who is rich) to enter God’s kingdom on their own, but God can make impossible things possible for those who place their trust in Him.

While the context of this event has wealth as a key theme, money is not the reason that makes salvation impossible for some while possible for others. Wealth brings with it a new level of temptation, and that temptation centers around trusting the money over trusting God. The more money one has, the more tempted they are to think their money or ingenuity is a safe place to lean. The temptation of wealth is to look to the wealth and not to God.

But God isn’t willing to abandon those who are rich. He doesn’t abandon anyone who is honestly seeking Him and wanting to place their trust in Him. In this event, Jesus points out that for many who are rich, the decision to follow Him is a much harder decision to make, because of the things we own.

In our world today, everyone looks at wealth as a relative thing. Perhaps only a handful of people actually think they are “rich”. In society, “rich” is a moving target. We base wealth on what we own: someone who has 50% more than you is “rich”, while someone who has 50% less than you is “poor”. The fallacy here is that the poorest of people living in one country could be richer than 95% of those living in another.

I honestly don’t see God looking down and categorizing people based on wealth. Instead, I believe He is looking for those who are willing to trust Him with their lives. For this group, God makes a way for them to enter His Kingdom. Wealth isn’t even an issue in God’s eyes. What matters is where we place our focus.

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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Judging Jesus in Your Life: John 19:1-16

Published September 10, 2024 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: John 19:1-16 (NIrV)

¹Then Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped. ²The soldiers twisted thorns together to make a crown. They put it on Jesus’ head. Then they put a purple robe on him. ³They went up to him again and again. They kept saying, “We honor you, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.

⁴Once more Pilate came out. He said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing Jesus out to you. I want to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” ⁵Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Then Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

⁶As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. I myself find no basis for a charge against him.”

⁷The Jewish leaders replied, “We have a law. That law says he must die. He claimed to be the Son of God.”

⁸When Pilate heard that, he was even more afraid. ⁹He went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus. But Jesus did not answer him. ¹⁰“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you understand? I have the power to set you free or to nail you to a cross.”

¹¹Jesus answered, “You were given power from heaven. If you weren’t, you would have no power over me. So the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

¹²From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free. But the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are not Caesar’s friend! Anyone who claims to be a king is against Caesar!”

¹³When Pilate heard that, he brought Jesus out. Pilate sat down on the judge’s seat. It was at a place called the Stone Walkway. In the Aramaic language it was called Gabbatha. ¹⁴It was about noon on Preparation Day in Passover Week.

“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.

¹⁵But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

“Should I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

¹⁶Finally, Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be nailed to a cross.

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

Read John 19:1-16 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

During Jesus’ trial before Pilate, John draws our attention to some interesting wordplay that was used, and onto a startling declaration that the chief priests state. Following Jesus’ conversation with Pilate about where Pilate’s power over Jesus came from, Pilate knew Jesus was different and John tells us that from that point, “Pilate tried to set Jesus free.” (v. 12a)

However, John tells us that the Jewish leaders had one other trick up their sleeves to twist Pilate’s arm into sentencing Jesus to death. They respond to Pilate’s attempts to free Jesus by saying, “If you let this man go, you are not Caesar’s friend! Anyone who claims to be a king is against Caesar!” (v. 12b)

In a single statement, the Jewish leaders challenge Pilate on where his allegiance lies: Does Pilate side with the self-proclaimed King Jesus, or does he side with Caesar, the Roman emperor?

But Pilate does not seem fazed by their remark. Instead, John seems to say that their remark gives Pilate an idea. “When Pilate heard that, he brought Jesus out. Pilate sat down on the judge’s seat.” (v. 13)

Pilate is clearly Roman, and Jesus is clearly Jewish. So Pilate, seated on the judge’s seat, challenges the crowd by saying, “Here is your king!” (v. 14b)

But the people shouted back, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” (v. 15a)

Pilate responded by asking, “Should I crucify your king?” (v. 15b)

Then the chief priests give their most revealing response: “We have no king but Caesar.” (v. 15c)

The chief priests, who technically should have no king but God, directly state that Caesar has replaced the role of God in their lives. While they might claim to be following God, they have lowered God out of the role of king and instead placed Him in the box of their religion.

In this conversation between Pilate and the chief priests over the fate of Jesus, these Jewish leaders clearly ally with Rome over the Messiah who God had sent. While they may have not liked Rome, they choose Rome over God.

The choice these religious leaders had is the same choice each of us has. When we are prioritizing our lives, will we place God in the number one position, or will we place a human authority, system, or set of beliefs as first in our lives? Will the God who placed us ahead of Himself win our hearts, or will we choose something else instead?

The Jewish leaders chose to reject Jesus, but we don’t have to make the same decision.

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Flashback Episode — When Jesus Returns: Mark 13:24-37

Published September 9, 2024 in Audio Journal Entries

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In our last podcast episode, we began focusing in on a question several of Jesus’ closest disciples ask Him about the time of the end, and Jesus began sharing His response. However, Jesus’ response is much longer than one podcast could hold, so we stopped part way through, saving the last section for this episode.

If you missed our last episode, Jesus described a time of intense suffering and a time where we should not believe anyone who claims to be the Messiah or to know where the Messiah has appeared. Even if we see signs, wonders, miracles, or other amazing things, we shouldn’t be fooled, because as we discussed in our last episode, Jesus’ return has a distinctly different goal than His first coming.

In our last episode, we stopped reading before Jesus describes the time of His actual return. Let’s pick back up where we left off. Our passage for this episode comes from Mark’s gospel, chapter 13, and we will read from the Contemporary English Version. Starting in verse 24, Mark continues sharing Jesus’ response:

²⁴In those days, right after that time of suffering,
“The sun will become dark,
and the moon
will no longer shine.
²⁵The stars will fall,
and the powers in the sky
will be shaken.”

²⁶Then the Son of Man will be seen coming in the clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷He will send his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the earth.

Let’s pause reading here briefly because I want to draw our attention onto what Jesus has just described.

In the days after the time of suffering that God cuts short for the sake of His people, we are warned not to believe any one claiming to have discovered the Messiah, or anyone claiming to be the Messiah. Jesus then describes how the sun will be darkened, the moon will cease to give light, stars will fall, and the powers in the sky will be shaken. All of these things could be describing independent events leading up to Jesus’ return, or they could be describing different aspects of the grand event known as Jesus’ return.

But regardless of these details, verse 27 makes it clear: Jesus “will send his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the earth.” Nothing in this passage hints at Jesus actually coming to this planet to stay. Instead, as I read this, the events leading up to Jesus’ return might be so dramatic that it makes the earth uninhabitable. With no sun, we would have no light, no warmth, and no vegetation.

Everything Jesus has described leading up to His return is so dramatic that if there is any doubt in your mind regarding Jesus’ return, it is likely a false Jesus coming, rather than the real one. In Paul’s writings, we see him describing Jesus’ return as gathering God’s people together in the clouds with Him. (For reference, this can be found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.)

Because of this, we can be certain that Jesus is not returning to set up an earthly kingdom, but to bring us home to a heavenly one.

But Jesus isn’t finished sharing. In verse 28, He continues saying:

²⁸Learn a lesson from a fig tree. When its branches sprout and start putting out leaves, you know summer is near. ²⁹So when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time has almost come. ³⁰You can be sure that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all this happens. ³¹The sky and the earth will not last forever, but my words will.

³²No one knows the day or the time. The angels in heaven don’t know, and the Son himself doesn’t know. Only the Father knows. ³³So watch out and be ready! You don’t know when the time will come. ³⁴It is like what happens when a man goes away for a while and places his servants in charge of everything. He tells each of them what to do, and he orders the guard to keep alert. ³⁵So be alert! You don’t know when the master of the house will come back. It could be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or in the morning. ³⁶But if he comes suddenly, don’t let him find you asleep. ³⁷I tell everyone just what I have told you. Be alert!

While there is enough in this last section to fill an entire other podcast episode, for our remaining time together in this episode, I want to focus in on three big ideas in three of these verses.

The first big idea is one of the most time sensitive ideas, and it is stated in verse 32: “No one knows the day or the time. The angels in heaven don’t know, and the Son himself doesn’t know. Only the Father knows.” This is important for us to pay attention to because it tells us that setting a date for Jesus’ return is pure, 100% speculation. Setting a date for Jesus’ return when He tells us that the angels don’t know (which also includes Satan and his angels), and even that He doesn’t know tells us that any date that is set is a guess, and it is way more likely to be wrong than right.

Since Jesus tells us that only the Father knows this, we can conclude that even the Holy Spirit doesn’t know the date for Jesus’ return, which then means that any date set is not an inspired action, but a random guess at a number. This sounds more like gambling or picking lottery numbers rather than being inspired by God. Instead of spending mental energy on trying to figure out a date, we should live each day with the expectation that today could be the day, being ready if Jesus comes, while also planning our future lives in case tomorrow happens. In every case but one, tomorrow will come, but we don’t want to assume there will always be a tomorrow, because if we do, Jesus’ return will catch us off guard.

The second verse and idea I want to draw our attention to is found a couple verses earlier, in verse 30, where Jesus tells His followers, “You can be sure that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all this happens.” While this might be an easier way of translating Jesus’ words in this verse, when we compare this statement to what some of the more literal translations say, we can see a potential misunderstanding or bias appear.

In the New American Standard Bible translation, we find this verse being worded like this: “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” The NASB translators also include the note on the word generation, saying that an alternate word they could have used is the word “race”.

This means that Jesus may simply be saying that humanity will not cease to exist before all that Jesus predicted comes to pass. This also subtly suggests that after Jesus returns, there may be a point when this race passes away, and in the context of this idea, we could conclude that Jesus may be referring to the sinful race and sinful generation He often describes in other places in the gospels.

However, another way of understanding this verse is in light of our third big idea, which is a promise that comes in verse 31. Jesus promises us that “The sky and the earth will not last forever, but my words will.” The NASB includes a little bit of wordplay in this promise, saying that “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

Jesus promises in this warning about the time of the end that even though heaven and earth pass away, which we know happens when God recreates the new heaven and new earth, Jesus’ words won’t pass away, and Jesus tells the disciples that His words have purified them.

When we listen and apply Jesus’ words into our lives, we will not pass away with the world. Like many of Jesus’ disciples and followers living during the first century, we can look forward to Jesus’ return and a future life with Him that lasts longer than sin, longer than our sin stained earth, and longer than we could possibly imagine. With Jesus’ words in our heart, we will outlive and outlast sin, and we will ultimately be united with Jesus forever!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first and place your faith, hope, trust, and belief in Jesus and His sacrifice for you on the cross.

Continue intentionally praying and studying the Bible for yourself to grow closer to God and Jesus each and every day and let His word challenge your life, your heart, and your mind. Accept and apply God’s word into your mind and your heart to let His love change your life and prepare you for the eternal life He has promised to give all His people.

And while we look forward to the time He returns, and as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or give up on where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Flashback Episode: Year in Mark – Episode 37: While answering His disciples question about when the end will be, Jesus includes a description that makes His return hard to fake.

Learning from the Four: John 19:28-37

Published September 6, 2024 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: John 19:28-37 (GW)

²⁸After this, when Jesus knew that everything had now been finished, he said, “I’m thirsty.” He said this so that Scripture could finally be concluded.

²⁹A jar filled with vinegar was there. So the soldiers put a sponge soaked in the vinegar on a hyssop stick and held it to his mouth.

³⁰After Jesus had taken the vinegar, he said, “It is finished!”

Then he bowed his head and died.

³¹Since it was Friday and the next day was an especially important day of rest—a holy day, the Jews didn’t want the bodies to stay on the crosses. So they asked Pilate to have the men’s legs broken and their bodies removed. ³²The soldiers broke the legs of the first man and then of the other man who had been crucified with Jesus.

³³When the soldiers came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they didn’t break his legs. ³⁴However, one of the soldiers stabbed Jesus’ side with his spear, and blood and water immediately came out. ³⁵The one who saw this is an eyewitness. What he says is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth so that you, too, will believe.

³⁶This happened so that the Scripture would come true: “None of his bones will be broken.” ³⁷Another Scripture passage says, “They will look at the person whom they have stabbed.”

Read John 19:28-37 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

The gospel of John is an interesting gospel. Not only does it give us a unique perspective on Jesus’ life, John seems to paint a picture for us about who Jesus is, instead of who He was. The other gospel writers dig into an assortment of events that give us an overview of Jesus’ life, His ministry, His death, and His resurrection, but John strategically pulls events together to paint a picture of Jesus as not just a prophet or famous person, but as the Messiah who God had sent.

Luke opens his gospel by sharing that his gospel is a collection of interviews with people who were eyewitnesses. Mark may have been one of Jesus’ followers who was not part of the group of 12 disciples, so his gospel is likely put together by talking with Jesus’ disciples themselves. Matthew was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, and he paints his gospel around how Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecy.

But in the events surrounding Jesus’ death, while Matthew is probably the most detailed writer at the moment Jesus died, it is John who draws our attention to a set of prophecies that Matthew missed or chose to not include. In John, following Jesus taking His last breath, the Jewish leaders convince Pilate to expedite the men’s deaths by breaking their legs.

However, because Jesus was already dead, they skip breaking His legs, and instead thrust a spear into His side to confirm His death. John tells us the significance of these two details of Jesus death: “This happened so that the Scripture would come true: ‘None of his bones will be broken.’ Another Scripture passage says, ‘They will look at the person whom they have stabbed.’” (v. 36-37)

This is one of the very few places where a gospel writer includes a prophetic detail of Jesus’ life that Matthew does not include. Perhaps this was because John was the only eyewitness who connected these dots, or maybe Matthew didn’t include it because He was not present for it.

What this tells me most importantly about the four gospels is that all four gospels are important and each of the four gospels has a place in helping us understand who Jesus was, who He is, and who He came to be. All four gospels can teach us something distinct about Jesus, and by including all four gospels, we can see a much better picture of Jesus the Messiah.

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