Luke 22:63-71

Luke 22:63-71 The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” And they said many other insulting things to him. At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. “If you are the Christ,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You are right in saying I am.” Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.”

“You are right in saying I am THE SON OF GOD.” Of course, unbeknownst to the chief priests and teachers of the law, these words give life when said in faith, for faith in the Lord Jesus Christ unlocks the door to heaven. These people unknowingly were very close to the kingdom of God by inquiring whether He was the Son of God. They did not ask this question believing he was the Son, but if they had earnestly believed in him, they would have experienced new life right there. However, they were unwilling to regard him as the Lord, as the Christ. Instead, they mocked him rather than believe in him. They punished him rather than serve him. They killed him rather than accept his sacrifice for their lives. In their rebellion, they led themselves to the gates of hell. They were very close to the gates of heaven when they inadvertently implied Jesus was the Son of God, but instead of faith, unbelief inhabited and ruled their hearts.

There is no door to the kingdom of heaven other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God. All other ways to God are fraudulent. He is the "Good Shepherd." He alone stands as the door to eternal life, delivering us from the shroud of death. The ungodly find it difficult or even impossible to believe in God's gift. They believe Jesus Christ might have been a good person, even a loving person, but not God. Other religions acknowledge him as a prophet or a seer, but they will not accept him as the only door to the kingdom of God. However, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6) His sacrifice alone purifies us, cleanses us from the smell of death. His sacrifice alone makes us acceptable to The Almighty. We are righteous because Jesus is our righteousness. Jesus, the propitiation for sin, makes us heavenly creatures, no longer bound by the traditions of men and the Law. Now we are free IN CHRIST, full of his mercy and grace. We are literally new creatures IN HIM, adopted into the family of God.

As members of his family, we are heaven bound where Jesus sits at the right hand of the mighty God. We can stand boldly before the Father because Jesus sits by the throne, telling him of our faith commitment. He relates his love for us and reminds Father God of the price He paid for our redemption. The Father sees the Son in us; we are secure IN CHRIST. Outside of JESUS, we would be open to judgment, standing alone in our sins. Jesus would say plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! (Matthew 7:23) Clothed in fleshly garments with the old man permeating our souls, God would see us as corrupted beings. My breakfast partakers, each of us must believe wholeheartedly and declare in faith, "You are the Son of God!" This declaration activates the Holy Spirit within us, and out of our innermost beings will flow rivers of living water. Then we will be like Christ, displaying his nature instead of ours as new creatures, born again of the Spirit. Had Christ's accusers known how close they were to the kingdom of heaven with their question, they would have quickly bowed at his feet and accepted him as Savior. But blinded by the spirit of the age, they did not see Jesus as Lord; consequently, they missed their chance for eternal life. May we spread the light that reveals Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.