The Rich Young Man
Bible Study Time 2-11-07
Church links:
Bible Study Time 2-11-07
I’m sure you can recall the account in Matthew, Chapter 19, where we read about a wealthy young man who came to Jesus and asked what he needed to do to obtain eternal life. Specifically, he asked:
Matthew 19:16-30 (NKJ)
16 . . . "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"
Well, the Lord went immediately to the question that faced all of the Jewish people at that time. He asked, why do you call me good? No one is good but One and that is God.
If this young man truly wanted eternal life, he would have to first consider the question of who Jesus really was. Was He a prophet? Was He a teacher? Yes, He was both, but He was more than a prophet. He was more than a teacher. He was, in fact, God in the flesh.
This young man’s own words had brought him to the brink of eternal life because, for him, obtaining eternal life was all about believing that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus told Martha:
John 11:25-26 (NKJ)
25 . . . "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26 "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die . . . "
Then He asked Martha, “Do you believe this?” and Martha said:
John 11:27 (NKJ)
27 . . . "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God . . . "
Jesus asked his disciples in Matthew 16, “Who do men say that I am?” They responded that some were saying He was John the Baptist, while others were saying that He was one of the ancient prophets. When Jesus asked, who do you say that I am, Peter spoke up and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
I’m sure that some of the disciples may have wondered why Jesus was so concerned about this particular question. After all, couldn’t they just get on with the business of setting up the kingdom?
Maybe this was in John the Baptist’s mind when he sent his disciples to ask if Jesus really was the Messiah or if they should look for another. Why didn’t Jesus just go ahead and bring in the kingdom?
For centuries, the Jews had been taught about the coming of the Messiah. They longed for the Messiah and the kingdom, but very few had any idea that the setting up of the kingdom would depend upon their willingness to believe in the Messiah. There were a few hints in the Old Testament that the Messiah would be rejected. Isaiah said:
Isaiah 53:3 (NKJ)
3 He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; he was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
David said:
Psalms 22:16-18 (NKJ)
16 . . . dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;
17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.
18 They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.
It’s easy for us to see that these passages are prophesies about Jesus Christ, but the people who lived before Christ could not have understood these prophesies without a direct and personal revelation from the Holy Spirit. Some even suggest that Isaiah and David didn’t understand the meaning of these prophesies.
Daniel was a little more specific when he said:
Daniel 9:26 (NKJ)
26 " . . . (the) Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself . . .
Clearly, Daniel was saying that the Messiah would be put to death, but He still gave no hint that the setting up of the kingdom would be dependent upon the nation of Israel accepting the Messiah and believing in Him as the Son of God.
When Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” he was expressing a precious truth, but it was a truth which was accepted by very few of Peter’s fellow countrymen. Therefore, Jesus said:
Matthew 16:17-18 (NKJ)
17 "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
The word church simply means “called out ones,” and God has called out several different churches through the ages. Stephen, in Acts, Chapter 7, referred to the Jews in the wilderness as the church in the wilderness, which was in essence the Church of the Old Covenant. When Jesus told Peter that He would build His church upon this rock, Jesus was referring to the Church of the New Covenant. Today, we belong to the Church which is the Body of Christ.
The Church of the Old Covenant went into the Old Covenant Kingdom after forty years in the wilderness. The Church of the New Covenant will go into the New Covenant Kingdom after the seven years of the tribulation period. We, as members of the Church which is the Body of Christ, have no expectation of entering any earthly kingdom. Our hope is to be caught up to be with Christ before the tribulation period begins.
Therefore, Jesus was talking to Peter about the Church of the New Covenant. It’s obvious that they were anticipating the New Covenant Kingdom because Jesus went on to tell Peter:
Matthew 16:19 (NKJ)
19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Notice that Jesus did not say that Peter could pass those keys on after his death to his successors. That’s because Jesus was talking about the keys of the future kingdom which will be established after the Apostles have been raised from the dead with immortal bodies. In the kingdom, the Apostles will possess the keys to the kingdom. Whatever they bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever they loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
When the rich young man came to Jesus, he was at least aware of the fact that the kingdom was associated with eternal life. He knew that the kingdom was not going to be just another glorious political kingdom, but it was going to be a spiritual kingdom which offered the hope of eternal life.
Sadly, this young man, like the nation of Israel, did not realize that his entrance into that kingdom would depend upon his willingness to believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Rather than faith, He offered his own good works as the means by which he would enter into the kingdom. Jesus asked him:
Matthew 19:17-22
17 "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."
18 "Which ones?" the young man asked. Jesus said," 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,'
19 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"
21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
One of the amazing aspects of this story is the offer that Jesus made to this young man. Jesus was the very One who had breathed the breath of life into Adam’s nostrils, and He was saying, come and follow me. Just leave everything else behind and come and spend some time with me.
Would you be willing to follow the One who gave life to the very first man? Would you be willing to follow the One who gave you life while you were still in the womb? Would you be willing to give up everything you have to be with the One who controls all of the circumstances of life? What person in their right mind would turn that down?
But, you see, the answer to all of these questions really depends upon who Jesus really was. The fact that this young man turned and walked away proved that he just didn’t get it. He didn’t believe that Jesus was the very Son of God who was with God in the beginning and who was God.
He was very much like Cain who slew his brother, Abel. Cain loved his stuff, and he wanted God to accept the fruit of his own labor. When Cain found out that his own works were not acceptable to God, he killed his brother, and the Bible says that ultimately Cain went out from the presence of the Lord.
It’s sad to think how many people on judgment day will go out from the presence of the Lord because they trusted in their own good works. One of the greatest lies of the devil is that God will accept all who do the best they can. Many people fall for this lie even though the Bible plainly declares that all of our own righteousness is as filthy rags.
The rich young man chose to hang onto his stuff rather than giving it up to follow the Lord. His lack of faith stands in contrast to the disciples. When Jesus filled Peter’s boat with fish, Peter’s eyes were opened. He got on his knees before the Lord and said:
Luke 5:8 (NKJ)
8 . . . "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"
Peter recognized Jesus as Lord, and he was willing to forsake all for the privilege of being with Christ. On certain television shows, I’ve seen people bidding tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege of spending just a few hours with a celebrity. Now, I have to tell you, that’s pretty hard for me to relate to, but these people obviously value very much the thought of spending some time with a celebrity.
I wonder how much you and I would pay to spend time with Jesus. How much do we value our time with the Lord? Whether it’s our personal time or our time in public worship, how much do we value that time?
I have to assume that those celebrities on TV don’t even know the people who are bidding for their time, and it may be that they don’t really care to know them. But you and I have a Savior who knows us. He knows us, and He still loves us. He loves the thought of spending time with us, and He loves to fellowship with us. What’s more, He promises us that as we fellowship with Him, He will supply our every need.
If we need wisdom, He’ll give it to us. If we need comfort, He’ll supply it. If we need encouragement, He’ll provide that. Whatever our need, it will be met as we fellowship with Christ.
We can also rest assured that our fellowship with the Lord will not end after a few hours. God’s not going to be watching the clock to see when our time is up. The Lord loves us, and He cherishes His time with us. He loved us enough to die for our sins, so we know that He cherishes every second of His time with us? It must grieve the Holy Spirit when He sees that we so often fail to cherish our time with the Lord.
We, as believers today, actually have the privilege of walking in fellowship with Christ every minute of every day. The Bible says that there is only one thing that can hinder our fellowship with Christ and that is sin. The Apostle John said:
I John 1:3 (NKJ)
3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
I John 1:6-9 (NKJ)
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 (but) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Jesus Christ knows us. He loves us. And He wants to help us as we walk in the light. His desire is that we might experience every good thing as we walk in fellowship with Him. However, this fellowship is available only to those who come to God through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, and no man comes to the Father, but by me.”
This offer of salvation and fellowship is open to all people. Jesus Christ doesn’t just select a few here and a few there. No, He stands with open arms and says to the whole world, whosoever will may come. He says:
Matthew 11:28-29 (KJV)
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
When Jesus said, take my yoke upon you, do you know what that yoke is? It’s the cross of Calvary. In Mark, Chapter 8, the Lord told His disciples:
Mark 8:34-35 (NKJ)
34 . . . "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
35 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.
The rich young man had to believe that Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God, but we today are required to take up the cross of Christ. We are required to believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and that He was raised from the dead for our justification. In other words, He was raised from the dead to make us righteous in the sight of God. That’s the gospel by which we are saved today.
When we believe this gospel message, the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the death of Jesus Christ. We are baptized into His death, burial and resurrection, and by this means we are justified in God’s sight.
It may be that you are listening today, and you know in your heart that your life is missing something, and you know that what you really need is fellowship with Jesus Christ. If that’s the case, Jesus is saying to you, come and follow me.
All it takes is a simple prayer of faith. You know, I can’t tell you what words to pray. There is no magic prayer that saves everyone who says it, because it’s really a matter of what’s in your heart. Only you know what’s in your heart, but I can tell you this, if you open your heart to Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit will give you the very words that you need to say. Jesus said, ask and you shall receive; knock and the door shall be opened unto you.
Thank you for listening to Bible Study Time. I’ll look forward to being with you again next week at this same time.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Matthew 19:16-30 (NKJ)
16 . . . "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"
Well, the Lord went immediately to the question that faced all of the Jewish people at that time. He asked, why do you call me good? No one is good but One and that is God.
If this young man truly wanted eternal life, he would have to first consider the question of who Jesus really was. Was He a prophet? Was He a teacher? Yes, He was both, but He was more than a prophet. He was more than a teacher. He was, in fact, God in the flesh.
This young man’s own words had brought him to the brink of eternal life because, for him, obtaining eternal life was all about believing that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus told Martha:
John 11:25-26 (NKJ)
25 . . . "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26 "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die . . . "
Then He asked Martha, “Do you believe this?” and Martha said:
John 11:27 (NKJ)
27 . . . "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God . . . "
Jesus asked his disciples in Matthew 16, “Who do men say that I am?” They responded that some were saying He was John the Baptist, while others were saying that He was one of the ancient prophets. When Jesus asked, who do you say that I am, Peter spoke up and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
I’m sure that some of the disciples may have wondered why Jesus was so concerned about this particular question. After all, couldn’t they just get on with the business of setting up the kingdom?
Maybe this was in John the Baptist’s mind when he sent his disciples to ask if Jesus really was the Messiah or if they should look for another. Why didn’t Jesus just go ahead and bring in the kingdom?
For centuries, the Jews had been taught about the coming of the Messiah. They longed for the Messiah and the kingdom, but very few had any idea that the setting up of the kingdom would depend upon their willingness to believe in the Messiah. There were a few hints in the Old Testament that the Messiah would be rejected. Isaiah said:
Isaiah 53:3 (NKJ)
3 He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; he was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
David said:
Psalms 22:16-18 (NKJ)
16 . . . dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;
17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.
18 They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.
It’s easy for us to see that these passages are prophesies about Jesus Christ, but the people who lived before Christ could not have understood these prophesies without a direct and personal revelation from the Holy Spirit. Some even suggest that Isaiah and David didn’t understand the meaning of these prophesies.
Daniel was a little more specific when he said:
Daniel 9:26 (NKJ)
26 " . . . (the) Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself . . .
Clearly, Daniel was saying that the Messiah would be put to death, but He still gave no hint that the setting up of the kingdom would be dependent upon the nation of Israel accepting the Messiah and believing in Him as the Son of God.
When Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” he was expressing a precious truth, but it was a truth which was accepted by very few of Peter’s fellow countrymen. Therefore, Jesus said:
Matthew 16:17-18 (NKJ)
17 "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
The word church simply means “called out ones,” and God has called out several different churches through the ages. Stephen, in Acts, Chapter 7, referred to the Jews in the wilderness as the church in the wilderness, which was in essence the Church of the Old Covenant. When Jesus told Peter that He would build His church upon this rock, Jesus was referring to the Church of the New Covenant. Today, we belong to the Church which is the Body of Christ.
The Church of the Old Covenant went into the Old Covenant Kingdom after forty years in the wilderness. The Church of the New Covenant will go into the New Covenant Kingdom after the seven years of the tribulation period. We, as members of the Church which is the Body of Christ, have no expectation of entering any earthly kingdom. Our hope is to be caught up to be with Christ before the tribulation period begins.
Therefore, Jesus was talking to Peter about the Church of the New Covenant. It’s obvious that they were anticipating the New Covenant Kingdom because Jesus went on to tell Peter:
Matthew 16:19 (NKJ)
19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Notice that Jesus did not say that Peter could pass those keys on after his death to his successors. That’s because Jesus was talking about the keys of the future kingdom which will be established after the Apostles have been raised from the dead with immortal bodies. In the kingdom, the Apostles will possess the keys to the kingdom. Whatever they bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever they loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
When the rich young man came to Jesus, he was at least aware of the fact that the kingdom was associated with eternal life. He knew that the kingdom was not going to be just another glorious political kingdom, but it was going to be a spiritual kingdom which offered the hope of eternal life.
Sadly, this young man, like the nation of Israel, did not realize that his entrance into that kingdom would depend upon his willingness to believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Rather than faith, He offered his own good works as the means by which he would enter into the kingdom. Jesus asked him:
Matthew 19:17-22
17 "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."
18 "Which ones?" the young man asked. Jesus said," 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,'
19 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"
21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
One of the amazing aspects of this story is the offer that Jesus made to this young man. Jesus was the very One who had breathed the breath of life into Adam’s nostrils, and He was saying, come and follow me. Just leave everything else behind and come and spend some time with me.
Would you be willing to follow the One who gave life to the very first man? Would you be willing to follow the One who gave you life while you were still in the womb? Would you be willing to give up everything you have to be with the One who controls all of the circumstances of life? What person in their right mind would turn that down?
But, you see, the answer to all of these questions really depends upon who Jesus really was. The fact that this young man turned and walked away proved that he just didn’t get it. He didn’t believe that Jesus was the very Son of God who was with God in the beginning and who was God.
He was very much like Cain who slew his brother, Abel. Cain loved his stuff, and he wanted God to accept the fruit of his own labor. When Cain found out that his own works were not acceptable to God, he killed his brother, and the Bible says that ultimately Cain went out from the presence of the Lord.
It’s sad to think how many people on judgment day will go out from the presence of the Lord because they trusted in their own good works. One of the greatest lies of the devil is that God will accept all who do the best they can. Many people fall for this lie even though the Bible plainly declares that all of our own righteousness is as filthy rags.
The rich young man chose to hang onto his stuff rather than giving it up to follow the Lord. His lack of faith stands in contrast to the disciples. When Jesus filled Peter’s boat with fish, Peter’s eyes were opened. He got on his knees before the Lord and said:
Luke 5:8 (NKJ)
8 . . . "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"
Peter recognized Jesus as Lord, and he was willing to forsake all for the privilege of being with Christ. On certain television shows, I’ve seen people bidding tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege of spending just a few hours with a celebrity. Now, I have to tell you, that’s pretty hard for me to relate to, but these people obviously value very much the thought of spending some time with a celebrity.
I wonder how much you and I would pay to spend time with Jesus. How much do we value our time with the Lord? Whether it’s our personal time or our time in public worship, how much do we value that time?
I have to assume that those celebrities on TV don’t even know the people who are bidding for their time, and it may be that they don’t really care to know them. But you and I have a Savior who knows us. He knows us, and He still loves us. He loves the thought of spending time with us, and He loves to fellowship with us. What’s more, He promises us that as we fellowship with Him, He will supply our every need.
If we need wisdom, He’ll give it to us. If we need comfort, He’ll supply it. If we need encouragement, He’ll provide that. Whatever our need, it will be met as we fellowship with Christ.
We can also rest assured that our fellowship with the Lord will not end after a few hours. God’s not going to be watching the clock to see when our time is up. The Lord loves us, and He cherishes His time with us. He loved us enough to die for our sins, so we know that He cherishes every second of His time with us? It must grieve the Holy Spirit when He sees that we so often fail to cherish our time with the Lord.
We, as believers today, actually have the privilege of walking in fellowship with Christ every minute of every day. The Bible says that there is only one thing that can hinder our fellowship with Christ and that is sin. The Apostle John said:
I John 1:3 (NKJ)
3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
I John 1:6-9 (NKJ)
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 (but) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Jesus Christ knows us. He loves us. And He wants to help us as we walk in the light. His desire is that we might experience every good thing as we walk in fellowship with Him. However, this fellowship is available only to those who come to God through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, and no man comes to the Father, but by me.”
This offer of salvation and fellowship is open to all people. Jesus Christ doesn’t just select a few here and a few there. No, He stands with open arms and says to the whole world, whosoever will may come. He says:
Matthew 11:28-29 (KJV)
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
When Jesus said, take my yoke upon you, do you know what that yoke is? It’s the cross of Calvary. In Mark, Chapter 8, the Lord told His disciples:
Mark 8:34-35 (NKJ)
34 . . . "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
35 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.
The rich young man had to believe that Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God, but we today are required to take up the cross of Christ. We are required to believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and that He was raised from the dead for our justification. In other words, He was raised from the dead to make us righteous in the sight of God. That’s the gospel by which we are saved today.
When we believe this gospel message, the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the death of Jesus Christ. We are baptized into His death, burial and resurrection, and by this means we are justified in God’s sight.
It may be that you are listening today, and you know in your heart that your life is missing something, and you know that what you really need is fellowship with Jesus Christ. If that’s the case, Jesus is saying to you, come and follow me.
All it takes is a simple prayer of faith. You know, I can’t tell you what words to pray. There is no magic prayer that saves everyone who says it, because it’s really a matter of what’s in your heart. Only you know what’s in your heart, but I can tell you this, if you open your heart to Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit will give you the very words that you need to say. Jesus said, ask and you shall receive; knock and the door shall be opened unto you.
Thank you for listening to Bible Study Time. I’ll look forward to being with you again next week at this same time.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
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