The First Last, the Last First

Matthew 19:27-20:16

August 1, 2004

 

I had a lively theological discussion on Wednesday night with a nine-year old. He asked an important question, "How do we know that God answers our prayers?" Perhaps you've asked the same question. I responded, "We trust Him to answer our prayers." Then I asked, "In what ways can God answer our prayers?" While he had a puzzled look, I went on to explain that the Lord can answer yes, no, and not now to our requests. After giving him an example or two, he nodded approvingly. I was reminded of how Jesus reiterated the importance of receiving the kingdom of God as a child.

 

But I knew that his question aimed for a particular issue. He wanted to know why the Lord had not shrunk the tumor in his brain. I have been praying similarly with him but up to this point, the Lord has not chosen to say "yes" to this prayer. So we talked about how we trust Him even when we do not understand all that He works in us. We know that the Lord is good and all His works in our lives demonstrate His kindness toward us, and aim for a greater purpose than we can see with our limited vision. I then turned him to the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. There, the Lord Jesus asked the Father, "If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet, not as I will but as you will." I explained that the "cup" was a metaphor. He asked, "What's a metaphor?" So I told him how metaphors give us word pictures to help us understand important truths, and in this case, the cup represented the contents of God's wrath, which Jesus satisfied on our behalf at the cross. He drank the cup to the very last drop. The full measure of God's wrath was absorbed by the death of Christ for all that believe. The Father answered "no" to Jesus' prayer of letting the cup pass, but in doing so, He granted to all of us something far better than all of life itself. We talked about forgiveness and the life that Christ gives us as we embrace Him as Lord and Savior.

 

Then I turned our attention to the future. I told him that we spend 99.9% of our time thinking about the present life and how we feel and what we have, but Jesus spent a lot of time talking about the future. I mentioned that the text that I was preaching on this week would be dealing with this. He said, "I won't be here Sunday because I have to go to a family reunion." So I gave him a little preview of the text. The disciples wanted to know what would be theirs as followers of Christ. While telling them of some benefits that would belong to them, Jesus added you "will inherit eternal life." That's life with Him forever and ever. There will no pain, no tumors, no sickness, no sorrow; Christ will take all of that away. When we focus only on the present, I told him, we could sometime be discouraged because of things that happen to us. But as Christians we are to live with an eye on the future, the eternal glory that will be revealed. After I had finished talking about this, he said something that brought a smile of deepest satisfaction to me. "That really encourages me."

 

And that is precisely why Jesus told the disciples what we find in our text - to encourage them as they pressed on in following Christ. Christ's followers will inevitably face times of difficulty, persecution, suffering, and loss. But that is not the end! The displays of sovereign grace follow believers throughout eternity. And that should encourage you! Do you rely upon the Lord's sovereign, gracious provisions for eternity to strengthen your resolves in faithfulness?

 

I. Leaving and following

 

Some look at Peter's question in verse 27 as out of place or selfish. But Jesus does not rebuke him, but rather instructs him. "Then Peter said to Him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?""  Obviously, this assertion and question did not come out of the blue. Its basis can be found in the context as the disciples listened to the discussion that Jesus had with the rich young ruler (19:16-22). He wanted to know what "good thing" he had to do to inherit eternal life. He placed eternity on a merit system - something that he could earn by particular actions, something that God was obligated to give him in return for his actions. Yet the teaching of Christ demonstrates (1) the deceitfulness of the human heart in thinking that we can merit anything from God, and (2) necessity of sovereign mercy and grace for any of us to enter the kingdom of heaven (19:23-26). The disciples were dismayed that this finest of the fine among this part of Judea failed to enter the kingdom. Jesus explained the human impossibility of making oneself savable, but the grace shown by God's ability to do what is impossible with men.

 

So Peter's question is not illegitimate. They had left everything to follow Christ. He had told the rich young ruler that as he gave his wealth to the poor he would have treasure in heaven - a thought that likely intrigued the disciples. They had also listened to Jesus talk about the kingdom and its eternal dimensions. They knew that it was not geo-political, as they had been taught. The rich young man would not leave his love of things to follow Christ; but in great contrast, they did. So "what then will there be for us?" Jesus' explanations have their basis in the principle of leaving and following.

 

1. A general principle

 

I don't detect Peter being smug in his assertion and question to Christ. There was an obvious contrast right before their eyes between their own position and that of the rich young ruler. Our Lord's discussion refers to "you who have followed Me" and "everyone who has left houses or brothers... for My names sake." Leaving and following describe the concept of Christian discipleship. We find this in the Gospels' descriptions of the disciples as those that left their fishing nets or tax collector's booth to follow Jesus. The Christian chooses allegiance to Jesus Christ above all else. What he leaves will vary from person to person and circumstance to circumstance, but the reality is that he does leave one life for another. He leaves a life centered on self and wrapped in the shroud of spiritual darkness for a life of following obediently after Jesus Christ.

 

"Many who are first will be last," Jesus said, "and the last, first." So often, those who appear to be outwardly religious may be far from the kingdom of God. The disciples certainly thought that the rich young ruler gave every appearance of being under the blessing and favor of God, and thus part of the kingdom. But true spirituality cannot be measured by what material and temporal things a man possesses. While the Jews typically equated possessions with divine blessing, Jesus' teaching upstages such a concept. The nature of being Christ's followers necessitates acts of leaving what the world values and embracing the life of Christ. True spirituality can only be measured by the character of one's devotion to Jesus Christ. Love for Christ is demonstrated in following Him as obedient disciples even to the point of loss in those things valued most by the world.

 

The principle of leaving may leave us uncomfortable! So it is important that we grasp what is implied. What we leave will be dictated by (1) the circumstances in which we respond to the gospel. One who comes to faith in Christ from out of atheism or Islam or Buddhism may be forced to leave home and familiar surroundings due to complete rejection of the gospel in his home. That happens everyday throughout the world. Some who are employed in immoral trades certainly leave whatever profit they've known in those settings for the sake of Christ and the gospel.

 

(2) Others will likely leave established relationships that would stand in antipathy to the gospel and the life of discipleship. This does not mean that when we become Christians we avoid all of our unbelieving family and friends. But sometimes the one coming to faith in Christ has relational ties that would be sinful to continue. A young unmarried lady that has been living with a man upon coming to faith in Christ must break that relationship. That's where the church comes to her rescue in providing a new set of relationships and perhaps even a home so that she might be freed from that bondage. A teenager that has spent his time involved with drugs would need to leave those relationships that tie him to that sort of bondage.

 

(3) The new believer's priority becomes that of following after Christ as an obedient disciple. That means that he wants to pursue the calling of Christ upon his life. Whether that is some type of "vocational ministry" or whether that is recognizing that his vocation becomes his ministry, he is willing to leave whatever stands in the way of his obedience to Christ.

 

All of life is weighed in relationship to Christ. That's what is involved in the principle of "leaving and following." Those positions that might breed disloyalty to Christ or worldly pursuits that would detract from being a disciple or achievements that center on self rather than glorying in Christ or relationships that enslave one to sin are left to follow as disciples of Jesus Christ. In contrast, the rich young ruler desired eternal life but had no interest in the qualities and priorities of eternal life for the present.

 

2. A focused life

 

Speaking for the rest of the disciples, perhaps after their own private discussions, Peter declared, "Behold, we have left everything and followed You." Jesus acknowledged this as well, referring to them and to all that continue in their steps as "you who have followed Me." He used a participle at this point that means disciples are characterized as those that follow Christ. The word implies "to follow as a disciple." Here is no blind pathway but following after Jesus Christ as He is revealed in the gospel. We do not follow subjective imaginations of Christ or what we suppose Jesus might do but biblical revelation. Who Christ is and what Christ has commanded is laid out for us in the Word of God. That's why we must refuse to be swayed by those claiming mystical visions or extra-biblical words from God or prophetic revelations. My brethren, we have plenty to keep us focused by just following the revelation of Holy Scripture!

 

To follow Jesus is to be cross-centered. C. J. Mahaney, in a wonderful little book The Cross Centered Life, has written, "Many good causes and activities can occupy a Christian's time and attention. But ... nothing can replace the gospel in a Christian's life" (19). When he speaks of the gospel he is referring to the centrality of Christ crucified and risen from the dead on our behalf. That revelation of Christ must anchor everything. Don Carson warns, "I fear that the cross, without ever being disowned, is constantly in danger of being dismissed from the central place it must enjoy, by relatively peripheral insights that take on far too much weight. Whenever the periphery is in danger of displacing the center, we are not far removed from idolatry" [quoted by Mahaney, 22]. This is why Paul could describe his spiritual walk as one "crucified with Christ," who was no longer living but now "Christ lives in me." The centrality of the cross is apparent as he continued, "And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me" (Gal. 2:20). So while others boasted of their abilities or intelligence Paul said not me. "But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Gal. 6:14).

 

If we consider the three-fold offices of Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King, I think it helps us to understand something of how this focused life of a disciple works out in daily life. (1) As a disciple I go on learning from Christ as my Teacher and Prophet. After describing life apart from the Lord as one of futility, mental darkness, ignorance, and hardness of heart, Paul explains, "But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth" (Eph. 5:17-24). The believers in Ephesus lived in Asia Minor not Israel. They never physically heard Christ teach but they had "heard Him and ha[d] been taught in Him." What does Christ teach us as our Prophet and Teacher? He continually, through the gospel, teaches us to lay aside the old life and put on the new self, to be renewed in our minds now as followers of Christ, to begin to think differently about everything in life, viewing all from the vantage point of the cross.

 

(2) As a disciple I go on depending upon Him as Redeemer and Priest. My trust in Christ does not end in that moment when I first believe. It continues and grows, and I find that the beginning of the Christian life cannot be compared with the wonder of constantly being "firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in [my] faith" (Col. 2:6-7).

 

(3) As a disciple I grow in my allegiance to Him as Lord and King. Even in something as mundane as observing special days or eating particular foods, Paul points out the centrality of Christ as Lord. "For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's." Then he adds, "For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living" (Rom. 14:7-9). The disciple never budges from his allegiance to Christ as Lord.

 

We who have left the old life to follow Him are helped in our focus upon Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King when we consider His future glory and how it involves us.

 

II. Future glory

 

We must admit that most of our focus and thought in life is upon the present circumstances. It is difficult for us to give thought to even the short future so that we sometimes fail to weigh immediate decisions in light of what lies ahead. This is not surprising since so much of our society is geared toward living for the moment. Consider how many advertisements urge us to find some instant gratification in their products without giving thought to how things might affect us in the future. Political candidates often prey upon some immediate issue and how he or she will solve it to the neglect of weightier issues that loom in the short future. That is one reason that we often find our Lord and the biblical writers bringing up the future glory. If we lose sight of our citizenship being in heaven and our destiny being an eternal world, we can fail to make the best use of our present time or resources.

 

1. The new world

 

The word used to describe the new world is "regeneration." "And Jesus said to them," that is, in answer to Peter's assertion and question, "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." This word is used twice in the New Testament: here and in Titus 3:5. In the latter passage, it refers to the enlivening power of the Holy Spirit that brings one spiritually dead to life so that we might repent, believe, and follow after Christ. The word literally means "new genesis," and thus in our passage, "a renewal to a higher existence," the age to come (TDNT, I, 686ff.; as Luke 22:30 and Mark 10:30 put it). The ESV translates it as "in the new world," Weymouth as "the New Creation," J. B. Phillips as "in the next world," and the NIV as "the renewal of all things." It points to the future, eternal kingdom of Christ when every enemy is vanquished and all of the redeemed will be gathered around the throne of our Lord.

 

When we think of "the new world" we do so in light of the old order that is marked by the effects of the Fall. It is because of rebellion against God's law, rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord and King, the persecution of Christ's followers, and the scorning of the gospel message that we long for the new world. The old order hurtles toward the Day of Judgment, when God will call all men and nations into account before Him. All of the tyranny of godless leaders, the savagery shown toward not only Christians but the defenseless and unborn, and the arrogant opposition of men to the gospel of grace will reach a certain end. And that should encourage us!

 

The new world is the consummation of Christ's redemptive work where all of the chaos in the present order stemming from the Fall will be brought to a close, and the creation order will be restored. Righteousness will reign rather than sin. There will be no distractions from loving and delighting in the glory of Christ. Sin, sorrow, pain, sickness, and death will have no place in the new world. The triumph of the gospel will shine forever!

 

Notice what our Lord does. He turns the disciples attention away from the opposition that they felt so keenly to the day when that opposition will be over. They had left all to follow Christ but what did that amount to compared with the eternal nature and quality of the new world? Much of our fear and hesitation to boldly follow Christ stems from losing sight of the new world that lies just ahead, having been secured for us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul had glimpsed this, so he could declare, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Rom. 8:18). And in triumphant exultation he told the Corinthians, "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (II Cor. 5:16-18).

 

2. The Son of Man reigns!

 

In that new world "the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne." We've seen this title of Christ quite often in Matthew's Gospel and elsewhere in the New Testament. Its origin is found in Daniel 7:13-14, where Daniel's vision of the future conquering kingdom of the Lord would steady him in the face of seeing earthly kingdoms crumble.

 

I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom [or sovereignty], that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.

 

This title of Christ places primary emphasis upon His sovereign reign. Leon Morris writes, "The dominant idea is that of sovereignty. The Son of Man rules with divine authority... The truth is that 'Son of Man' is a title pointing to deity rather than humanity." He adds four reasons that Jesus used this title for Himself so often. (1) It was a rare term and so it would not be encumbered with political connotations since Christ had no interest in marshalling people to appoint Him to a political throne. (2) The title as noted in Daniel 7 has "overtones of divinity." Jesus' use of this title shows that He understood and believed that He was divine. (3) In the background of Daniel 7, the title also emphasizes that the Son of Man would reign over a particular people - the redeemed. So it has "societal implications," with Christ forever tied to those He has redeemed by the price of His own blood. (4) The use of Man "had undertones of humanity. He took upon Him our weakness" so that we might know Him eternally [Leon Morris, Lord from Heaven, 25-28].

 

The triumph of the gospel is emphasized by the phrase that follows: "you also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Christ changes the disciples' perspective regarding the loss they had known as followers of Christ. After the rich young ruler, who typified the best of Judaism, rejected Christ and the kingdom, the promise of the Twelve judging Israel makes very good sense. They who had given clear witness, as apostles to Christ and His resurrection will in the future hold the recalcitrant Israelites to a time of accounting for rejecting Messiah and His kingdom. So Christ makes clear "for you who have followed Me," that the future looks bright and glorious!

 

III. Sustaining promise

 

Peter's question, "what then will there be for us?" is answered in such a way that believers in every age have found encouragement to press on as disciples of Christ. "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life." The phrase, "for My name's sake," serves as the foundation for all loss. It implies that Jesus refers to loss or deprivation that results from (1) the believer's relationship to Christ and (2) his stand for the gospel of Christ. Many have lost everything when they have declared, "Jesus Christ is my Lord." But Christ assures that the loss will be more than made up in both present and future.

 

1. Present dimension

 

To "receive many times as much" points to our temporal existence. Certainly, we realize that the future in eternity will provide more than our imaginations can fathom. But Christ wanted the disciples to understand that even in this life, the one that has suffered loss for the sake of Christ and the gospel will have much more returned. 

 

"Health and wealth" preachers have wrongly interpreted this passage. Christ uses figurative language, which is more apparent in Mark's parallel account (Mark 10:29-30). There Mark records 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." Persecutions may very well accompany the believer throughout his life but he finds that even with the persecutions the provisions of Christ far outweigh any feeling of loss. If this passage is held to be literal, the singular "he will receive," presents difficulties as he receives a hundred times as many "mothers." The parable that follows in Matthew 20:1-16, illustrates that Jesus Christ, by His sovereign grace, will dispense precisely what each believer needs to be sustained as His followers. I believe that the figurative language implies at least three areas of exponential gain.

 

(1) The believer will be joined to a host of other brothers and sisters in Christ. When someone told Christ that His mother and brothers were standing outside the place where he was speaking, Jesus asked, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" And then, while "stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother" (Matt. 12:46-50). There's the principle Christ now applies to every believer. Look around the body of Christ. Here you will discover relationships that far outstrip the loss of family or friends for the sake of the gospel of Christ!

 

(2) The bounty of Christ's grace that accompanies the believer throughout his life is also implied. To receive "a hundred times as much" in terms of houses and farms does not mean that every disciple of Christ will become real estate tycoons! But he will know the richness of grace that will supply his needs, often in the most remarkable ways.

 

(3) The believer will also know the deep satisfaction in Jesus Christ's work. He will continually draw from the deep, everlasting well of Christ's redemptive triumph. In this regard, C. J. Mahaney encourages us to memorize the gospel, pray the gospel, sing the gospel, review how the gospel has changed you, and study the gospel. Mahaney points out that through this "the sparks from the blazing fire of the cross have fallen on me many, many times, and my own zeal has burned brighter and brighter" (56-71).

 

2. Ultimate fulfillment

 

We tend to live in a tunnel, thinking of the present time alone while failing to consider the future and eternity. But I can assure you that our brothers and sisters that are presently going through great persecution and suffering think much of this promise of Christ, "And everyone who has left... will inherit eternal life." Their temporal loss loses its heaviness when considering what Christ has provided for us in eternity. 

 

Maybe we can learn the important truth of detaching ourselves from obsessions with the things of the world by thinking more of eternity. Set your mind and affections on things above, where Christ is, Paul tells us, and not on things on this world (Col. 3:1-4). That will encourage you to press on in faithfulness to our Lord.

 

Conclusion

 

The Christian is one that leaves one life to follow after Christ. Does that describe you? The baggage of the world does not fit on the narrow road leading to life. Let us not turn from Christ, as the rich young ruler, who loved the temporal more than the eternal. He gave every appearance of being "first" in line to God's favor but Jesus explains "the last shall be first, and the first last."  But let us find encouragement by looking to the future glory of eternity with Christ and the sustaining promises He has given us as His followers.

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