Matthew 19:26-30
Mat 19:26 (KJB)
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with
God all things are possible.
Then Jesus tells them the reality of salvation in
all three verses and the key to being saved. If man was left to himself, he
would be unable to become saved. This is because man is spiritually dead and his
entire life and understanding is tied to this earth.
(Eph 2:5 KJV) Even when
we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are
saved;) The only way that a man can be saved, wealthy or poor, is
that God does the saving. If a rich man is one of God’s Elect, then he can have
all the money in the world and it will not prevent him from becoming saved
because God would be doing the saving. The unsaved man has no understanding of
the Gospel and is unable to understand any aspect of it and that is why with man
it is impossible because of their deadness.
(1 Cor 2:14 KJV) But the
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned. Only God can quicken or make a person alive by the Gospel
and then comes the understanding. He does
this by resurrecting the soul of the person He is saving and once that is done,
then they can understand, believe, and exercise faith.
The spiritually dead man can in no way raise himself up from being
spiritually dead. It must be done by God
just as He raised Lazarus (John 11) and the Son of the Widow of Nain (Luke
7:11-16) and Jairus’s Daughter (Mark 5:22-43).
God performs salvation first by making the person spiritually alive as it
states in Ephesians 2:5. A spiritually
dead man has no ability to quicken themselves and that is why Jesus said with
man it is “impossible” because only God can save a person.
Mat 19:27 (KJB)
Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and
followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
Peter probably assessed in his mind that they had left everything behind to
follow Christ in contrast to the rich man who did not want to leave his wealth.
So Peter was asking a question which would have risen out of natural curiosity.
He wanted to know what they would have since they left houses, their jobs, their
families, etc. He wanted to know and probably so did the other disciples.
Mat 19:28 (KJB)
And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me,
in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye
also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Jesus does not rebuff Peter for asking that type of question but gives him an
answer. The Bible states in Revelation that those who become saved in Christ are
made kings and priests. (Rev 1:5-6 KJV) And from Jesus Christ, who is the
faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the
kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his
own blood, {6} And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to
him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Rev 5:10 KJV) And hast made
us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. When
Jesus is speaking of the regeneration, He is speaking of the time when He goes
back to Heaven at His ascension and then once the Holy Spirit fills the apostles
at Pentecost, they will be to Israel as Judges because they will be preaching
the Gospel but will also be proving to Israel and its leaders that they have
sinned against God by condemning and crucifying their prophesied Messiah. Just
as the leaders of Israel judged and condemned Jesus, they too will now be the
subject of judgment. This verse could not be speaking of the time of the new
Earth and Heaven because there would be no sin and what would be there to judge?
Jesus had told them that whatever was bound on earth would be bound in Heaven
meaning authority which a judge would have. A judge pronounces sentence and has
the weight of the law behind him plus the legislators who created that law. The
apostles are going to have the weight of Heaven behind them once their public
ministry started.
Mat 19:29 (KJB)
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or
mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an
hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
The blessings that the apostles can expect to receive are extended to all
believers who have forsaken their earthly lives for the life of the Gospel.
Whatever a person had forsaken whether it be house, or career, or business they
will receive a hundredfold of what they had sacrificed and this would be
different for every one so there is no blanket blessing here as each Christian’s
life is different with a different calling and situation. Then Jesus not only
tells them they will inherit the hundredfold blessing but to top it off, there
is also the promise of inheriting eternal life. They never heard anything like
that coming from the Scribes and Pharisees.
Mat 19:30 (KJB)
But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
Our society always views those who are on the top of the political or business
or entertainment industries to be first among all the people and will remain
first. They look upon the poor people as the dregs of society and that they will
always remain last. Here Jesus tells the disciples that in the kingdom of
Heaven, the order is reversed. Those that are the dregs of earthly society when
they become saved will go into Heaven before all those who are in the top
echelon of earthly society. This includes the religious leaders who think they
are right with God and are not. (Mat 21:31-32 KJV) Whether of them twain did
the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them,
Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of
God before you. {32} For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye
believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when
ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. The
Pharisees thought they should enter into the Kingdom of Heaven based on their
positions but they are the ones who will be last. Those publicans and harlots
which became saved in Christ, will be first. Look at the twelve Apostles as they
were all working men and they will all be in Heaven except Judas. The Pharisees
because of their hatred for Jesus will be in Hell.