Pastor Giglio continues that the seventh distinctive in
Jesus’ offer is that He gives us the very best now. In John 10:9-11, Jesus
proclaims: “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find
pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have
come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the
good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Jesus gives His best that we may be saved, have life
and have it to the full, as He gives us the blessed assurance of forever with
Him for the eternal perspective daily. It is all wrapped up under the banner of
the great word called “done”. In John
19:28a, 30b, “ Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished,
that the scripture might be fulfilled … he said, It is finished: and he bowed
his head, and gave up the ghost. The Greek word for the term “it is finished”
is “Tetelestai” It is a Greek commercial word that means, “it is
paid.” This illustrates that on the cross Christ paid in full the penalty
for our sins. Where everything else being offered you is about “do”, Jesus is
offering a gift to you today under the banner of “done”. It is not what you do,
it is what Christ has already done for you. That is what is on the table today.
Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore
God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above
every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in
heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
A beautiful way of thinking
about Jesus’ offer is the example of a funnel. In this post-modern world,
people look at the narrow end of the funnel and say, “Are you serious? Christ
is the only way to salvation? Jesus’ death on the Cross is the only way to
forgiveness? It just seems so marrow.” And it is narrow. In Talking about
Himself being “The Way” to Heaven, Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter by the narrow gate; for
wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to
destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because
narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to
life, and there are few who find it. Jesus is the name above all names. Acts
4:12 tells us, “Salvation is
found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind
by which we must be saved.” The truth is narrow; it always is. But, turn
that funnel around and we can say, “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord
will be saved (Romans 10:13). Whosoever
wills may come and drink freely from the river of life (Revelation 22:17). The truth is narrow, but the gospel is wide.
Salvation is narrow, but the invitation of Jesus is wide. Exclusivity in desire
and need is narrow, but Jesus’ offer is so wide that anyone can come.
God is no respecter of
persons (Romans 2:11), so the gospel is available to everyone. It’s not that
Christians think that they are the only ones good enough to be saved. Nowhere
does Jesus say that. It’s worse than that! Jesus says that no one deserves to
go to heaven; that is why it is called “grace”. Jesus has come to make a way
for everyone who wants to call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. You may
be struggling at the bottom of life just to make it today, but you can have a
moment in life when you see a Savior, understand and believe in your heart that
Jesus is God’s gift, and you receive Him. Right out of the depths you cry out,
“Jesus, Will you saved me. There is no other name in heaven or on earth by
which to be saved and whoever calls upon your name will be saved.”
Wherever you are, you can
call out to Jesus and in a heartbeat, the angels in heaven would rejoice and
sing, and the gates of heaven would open. The kingdom of Heaven would come and
salvation would come in them. It changes your story; it changes your life. If
you call on the name of the Jesus, in that instant salvation would come to you.
Know with certainty in your heart that whoever calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved. It doesn’t matter who you are. The truth is narrow, but the
gospel invitation is wide open today. At the crucifixion, Jesus didn’t die with
a narrow little view, but with His arms stretched wide open. The truth is
narrow; it always is. Jesus is the Way.
In Christ, Brian
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