Welcome to Episode #205 of the Way of the Bible podcast. This is our fifth of eight episodes in our Twenty-Sixth mini-series entitled Return to the Sermon on the Mount. On our four episodes so far on this mini-series, we’ve been speaking of the veracity of Jesus’ preaching to the crowds regarding the kingdom of heaven and the importance of having ears to hear. This week will be no different, as we take a deeper dive into the first part of last week’s passage and look at what it means to “Enter!” Let’s begin by reading the passage for our last episode to give us some context for today. Matthew 7:13-14 – “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Last episode, we hammered home the reality Jesus was pointing out to the crowd as he was winding down his talk focused on the kingdom of heaven. Specifically, there are only two places a person can go after their departure from this life. To destruction through the wide gate and easy way that many are upon. In fact, all humanity is born such that this road to destruction is the way all take unless something changes the course of a life. I believe that if an infant or child, from conception, dies before reaching the age of innocence (the age at which God chooses to judge an individual based upon what they’ve consciously done), then that child, by the mercy and grace of God, enters into the kingdom of heaven. Once a child passes that age, they are of their own making, born into sin and death, already walking on the wide and easy way leading to destruction. Of their own making refers to our individual responsibility to our conscience regarding right and wrong, and our consciousness of God in regard to who we are ultimately answerable to. The end of the age of innocence of a child is fluid and is greatly influenced by the actions of others. This is a universal reality, not respective of culture or nationality. It is a sad part of the human experience, and part of what Jesus came to make right. A keyword Jesus used in this passage to point a hearer to the possibility of escaping the road to destruction and finding the gate to the hard way that leads to life was the word Enter. In Greek, that word is eiserchomai - ice-er'-khom-ahee. This word means both a physical entry into a space as well as a spiritual and or metaphysical entry into a physical and or metaphysical space. For example, a spirit entering our bodies, and/or our spirit leaving our bodies to enter a new space for occupation. See 1 Corinthians 15 for more details. When we die a physical death, our spirit that God gave us returns to him for judgment of what we’ve done in the body, whether good or evil. For the believer, that judgment will be at the judgment seat of Christ and concerns our rewards given for divinely ordained and orchestrated works done through Christ that advance the kingdom. 2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. For the unbeliever, that judgment will occur at the Great White Throne judgment in Revelation 20:11-15 – Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the
