First, we briefly discussed that we must become like little children in order to enter the Kingdom of God. Second, we looked at the young ruler’s question about eternal life and how it is impossible for man but possible for God. Here we quoted from the previous discussion. Third, we talked about Peter’s question regarding rewards about leaving everything behind to follow Jesus. We also quoted from the previous discussion. Here we mentioned that some people may ask why Christians have blessings in this world. This is because things are viewed very differently from God’s perspective and from a human perspective. This shows that when John wrote the Book of Revelation, he had not yet been conformed to the image of Jesus. Fourth, we briefly mentioned Jesus’ third prophecy that he would die and be resurrected after three days. Fifth, we discussed in considerable detail the matter of James and John asking to be seated near Jesus in glory. Sixth, Jesus spoke of the spiritual principle that those who desire greatness must serve others, which is completely different from the worldly standard. Finally, we discussed the blind man Bartimaeus, who was healed by Jesus due to his faith, and pointed out the reason for the apparent contradiction in inspiration about this matter.
1. One must become like a little child to enter the Kingdom of God
“And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.”(Mark 10:13-16)
This is the second time the phrase “turn like a little child” is used to describe the need to enter the Kingdom of God. Luke 18:15-17 and Matthew 19:13-26 discuss the same incident, which is prompted by the request for Jesus to touch the children. The latter directly states that Jesus was requested to lay hands on and pray. “So (Jesus) took the children, laid his hands on them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:16).
The first instance occurred when we were discussing Mark 9:33-37, where the apostles argued over who was greatest. The verses also said, ““Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; …”(Mark 9:37). Similar language is found in Luke 9:46-48. Matthew 18:1-6 further explains, “and (Jesus) said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”(Matthew 18:3-4)
This does not mean that we need to become like little children physically; that is impossible. As time passes, people simply age, and there is no reversal. Therefore, the child is at an age when he or she is completely dependent on his or her parents, just as Christians should be humble, looking to the Triune God for all things, obeying Him, and not relying on themselves. “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.”(Romans 7:18)
2. The young ruler asked about eternal life and what is impossible for man but possible for God
“As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall 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 murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property. And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?” Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.””(Mark 10:17-27)
The same incident is also recorded in Matthew 19:16-22 and Luke 18:18-30. The former mentions a young man, while the latter mentions a ruler. This means the young ruler is asking about eternal life. First, we notice that the young ruler is asking about what he should do. He wants to do something on his own, which is impossible. Didn’t we just say that we can’t rely on ourselves? There are always some things that we cannot achieve on our own. We see the reason why Jesus loves him. He has done everything he can, but it is clear that this does not give him certainty, otherwise he would not have come to Jesus in the first place. He said his lack was not relying on worldly wealth, and he needed to follow Him. However, he failed the test and had no choice but to leave in sorrow.
“And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.”(Mark 10:18) The God here refers to the Triune God. Indeed, only the Triune God is good; Jesus was simply stating a fact. Jesus did not deny that He is one of the Triune God. However, He knew that this was during that He was “…taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”(Philippians 2:7) That is, the period of His incarnation (see John 1:14). He and the Father were slightly different, as this passage says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”(Matthew 24:35-36) In addition to this, when the Word became flesh, “I and the Father are one.”(John 10:30). This is what Jesus said to Philip, “…Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”(John 14:9) God is infinite, and we are finite. We don’t know how this is arranged. It’s like we know God is a Trinity, but we don’t know how the Trinity is arranged. However, we must believe what God says in the Bible.
Speaking of God’s infinity, let’s look at the Church of Philadelphia, the best of the seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation: “‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”(Revelation 3:8) In the eyes of the infinite God, simply because they have a little power, He grants them an open door. God is a merciful and gracious God.
We have previously discussed Luke 18:18-30 in detail in “3. Read the story of the young ruler and know you must accumulate treasure in heaven” under “1073 Prayer attitude, children, young ruler, And prophecy of crucifixion and resurrection -Jesus (26),” including the discussion of the eye of a needle and that with God all things are possible. Please visit our website, “https://a-christian-voice.com/“, and click “On spiritual understanding about life” to find this article.
3. Rewards about leaving everything to follow Jesus
“Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.” Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.””(Mark 10:28-31)
The same incident is recorded in Matthew 19:27-30 and Luke 18:28-30. Here, Peter asks a representative question. We also discussed the former in “3” under “1073,” so we will not elaborate on it here. Please find the article.
We need to mention one thing here because some may ask, “We know Christians will have eternal life, but why saying there are blessings in this life?” Most people often think about blessed people having longevity. Aren’t people like James blessed by living longer? But James was executed and thus died young. (See Acts 12:1-2) This is because James had completed his mission and was taken away. God has absolute sovereignty and can determine how a person is taken away. The New Testament provides a practical example of this. We note that Jesus stood at God’s right hand to welcome Stephen (see Acts 7:55-56), but he was stoned to death. His prayer before death mirrored Jesus’ prayer on the cross (see Acts 7:57-60). By then, he had been conformed to Jesus’ image and completed his mission on earth. Therefore, Jesus would stand and welcome the first disciple who died for Himself. No one else has such a privilege.
Regarding the fact that longevity isn’t necessarily a blessing but may have other reasons, let’s look at the three special apostles: James, Peter, and John. They were special because Jesus sometimes took only the three of them with Him. For example, in the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter, “And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James.”(Mark 5:37). Another example is on the Mount of Transfiguration, “…Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them.”(Mark 9:2). We all know that Peter was the leader among apostles, following the Lord even though he knew he would die for Him (see John 21:18-19). John lived the longest, so some could reasonably argue that they were indeed able to stand on more grace. The fate of all three is the same: “And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”(Matthew 19:28). When the New Jerusalem comes, “And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”(Revelation 21:14). The names of these three are on them. The conclusion is that although we don’t know exactly how God did it, they were definitely conformed to the image of Jesus by then; otherwise, this would be impossible.
So, one reason John lived the longest is that it took him longer to be conformed to the image of Jesus. Why is this so? Although we don’t know his exact age when he wrote the Book of Revelation, we know he was already old. If he had been conformed to the image of Jesus by then, he would not have worshiped angels. The Bible says, “Then I fell at his (the angel’s) feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.””(Revelation 19:10) And this verse says, “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things.”(Revelation 22:8) These are recorded twice, and it is unlikely that we didn’t see them, so he certainly hadn’t yet been conformed to the image of Jesus at that time.
4. The third prophecy regarding Jesus’ resurrection after three days
“They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him, saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.””(Mark 10:32-34)
The same third prophecy of resurrection also recorded in Matthew 20:17-19 and Luke 18:31-34. The disciples were afraid, which shows that they knew there was a possibility of death, but even though it was the third time, the disciples still did not know what He was talking about. No wonder after Jesus was resurrected, “And He said to them (the two disciples who went to Emmaus), “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?””(Luke 24:25-26) In fact, the same was true for the other disciples. Only after they actually saw Jesus’ resurrection could they truly understand this prophecy.
5. James and John asking to sit near Jesus in glory
“James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John.”(Mark 10:35-41)
The Book of Matthew describes the same incident more clearly: “Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.” He said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.” And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers.”(Matthew 20:20-24)
We see that James and John’s request to sit on His right and left was through their mother. So, from a human perspective, some might say that a request from an elder might be more pleasing to Jesus. However, Jesus refused. He knew what He was doing: “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”(John 6:38)
The cup Jesus drank refers to the cup He drank in the Garden of Gethsemane: “And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.””(Matthew 26:39). That is, “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”(Philippians 2:8) James and John did indeed drink this cup as well. James died for the Lord at a young age. (see Acts 12:1-2) And John was also imprisoned for the Lord’s name: “I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”(Revelation 1:9)
6. Whoever wishes to be great must serve others
“Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.””(Mark 10:42-45).
This is the same statement as Matthew 20:25-28. The Scriptures clearly state that the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven are completely different from those of the world: whoever wishes to be great must serve. I wonder why the twelve apostles still couldn’t grasp this concept? Perhaps they found it difficult to accept that the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven are completely different from those of the world.
During the Passover, also known as the Last Supper, the disciples again argued about which of them was to be considered the greatest. Jesus answered them, “And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.”(Luke 22:24-27) This is consistent. Please note that this argument included Judas, the betrayer, because the Lord set an example of serving others, including washing Judas’ feet (see John 13:1-17).
7. Blind Bartimaeus healed by Jesus due to his faith
“Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.”(Mark 10:46-52)
Please notice that Rabboni is in Hebrew, “…(which means, Teacher).”(John 20:16) Now let’s compare the record in the Book of Luke: “As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was. They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!” And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.”(Luke 18:35-43)
This passage says it happened near Jericho, while the Book of Mark says it happened on the way out of Jericho. This presents an apparent contradiction, while the rest of the account is consistent. This apparent contradiction in inspiration calls our attention to what happened. The blind beggar believed Jesus, the Son of David, could heal him. And because of his faith, Jesus immediately restored the blind man’s sight, and he follows Jesus by praising God.
The importance of faith is also evident here, as Jesus Himself said, “…“A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching.”(Mark 6:4-6)
(Verses refer to those in NASB95 unless otherwise specified.)
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