Entering The Kingdom – part 2

Jul 26, 2026 • Rory Mosley

059 Entering The Kingdom – part 2

Mark 10:17-31 (23-31)

July 26, 2026

Tonight we return to the text we started this morning.

· Commonly referred to as the story of “The Rich Young Ruler”

· Mark is using the story to illustrate how hard it is to enter the kingdom.

All of these stories that Mark is including

Are flowing downhill from the headwaters

Of that initial statement Jesus made to His disciples.

Mark 8:31-38 “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? “For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Ever since that point, we’ve seen Jesus striving

To get that truth through the heads of the 12.

To say they are slow to learn is an understatement.

· They have been disinterested in the truths regarding suffering, death, or resurrection.

· They have been unwilling to recognize what Christ has actually come to do and even who Christ has actually come to save.

We have seen their stubbornness, arrogance, snobbery, ambition, hardened hearts, and absolute confusion regarding who the kingdom is actually for.

But Jesus is at work.

And the latest work of Jesus is taking place

In response to His encounter with the young man who wants eternal life.

It is the conversation Jesus has with the disciples

After that young man leaves that is the main observation of Mark.

And the main observation is: IT IS HARD TO ENTER THE KINGDOM

(24) “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!”

· That’s the one verse Mark includes that Matthew and Luke omit.

· There is no specialized focus in that statement.

· It is not limited only to the rich.

Jesus makes the blanket statement that it is hard to enter.

We even turned and read Luke 14:16-35 this morning

Where we saw how easily people can miss the kingdom.

· Land, Oxen, Relationships

· Each of them seemed to be legitimate excuses

· Each of them served as stumbling blocks to entrance

JESUS THEN POINTED OUT THAT

Entering the kingdom would require absolute self-denial to enter.

Luke 14:26-27 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”

IT IS HARD TO ENTER.

Well that is what this passage in Mark 10 is about.

We are outlining 5 truths about entering the kingdom.

We saw the first this morning:

#1 ENTERING IS COSTLY

Mark 10:17-22

I won’t rehash the story, but in summary,

· We saw a rich young man who wanted to go to heaven.

· And even though he had been very religious, life had somehow eluded him.

· Jesus told him he needed “one thing” in order to obtain eternal life.

Incidentally, it’s the same “one thing”

That Jesus told Martha she should seek.

Luke 10:41-42 “But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

This young man needed Jesus.

The righteousness which God accepts is only found in Jesus.

NOW: It is clear throughout the New Testament, that righteousness from Jesus is a free gift.

So why do we discuss the cost?

· Because while the salvation which Jesus provides is absolutely free,

· There are things that will keep you from following that must be discarded.

But that is where this young man drew the line.

Jesus told him to give up his property, he would not.

He went away sad.

The cost to enter the kingdom was too high.

Don’t ever assume there is no cost to enter the kingdom.

Salvation is a free gift that costs you everything.

Mark 8:35 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

That was the first point: Entering is Costly

#2 ENTERING IS HARD

Mark 10:23-25

This is where the sermon of Jesus and Mark’s point really pick up steam.

As the young man leaves Jesus, “said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!”

On one hand we perfectly understand the point.

· If Jesus calls for selling everything, it will obviously be more difficult for those

who have more to lose.

This is one of the reasons we see more salvations in young people than in old people.

· It doesn’t mean that people never get saved in the later years,

· But it is much more difficult; they have so much more of the world to lose.

· But when you offer salvation to a child or a teenager or a college student, often

times all they have to lose is their reputation or a little social credit.

It is hard for the rich to enter.

I think that point is obvious to us.

But there is ANOTHER POINT to be gained from what Jesus said,

And we recognize that by the response of the disciples.

(24) “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!”

We notice simply that “The disciples were amazed at His words.”

Their amazement comes from the fact that people of their day

Thought the rich had the easiest path to salvation.

· They were already blessed by God as evidenced by their wealth.

· And if they needed to make amends, they had the means to do it.

· They could afford more sheep, more goats, more bulls, more grain, etc.

So when Jesus said it was hard for the wealthy to enter

The disciples were shocked!

AND REMEMBER:

This right on the heels of Him just announcing in the previous text

That children were the chief example of who enters.

Jesus is blowing their minds regarding who gets to come.

It’s the least likely, not the most likely.

Children get in while a seasoned ruler is left out.

HE IS ABSOLUTELY CHALLENGING THEIR THINKING.

So Jesus says it again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!”

They can’t believe the wealthy can’t enter

And Jesus says, “I told you it’s hard!”

And then comes the famous analogy.

(25) “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.”

Jesus borrows from a Babylonian proverb that speaks of an elephant going through the eye of a needle, but there were no elephants in Israel so Jesus uses a camel.

THE HIGH COST LEADS TO GREAT DIFFICULTY

And I just want to settle here for a moment,

Because many of you can testify to this.

· You remember the conviction.

· You remember when Christ confronted your life.

· You remember when He offered you life and called you to follow.

· And you remember the struggle.

There was a battle that raged.

You know how hard it was to let go and give your life to Christ.

It’s hard to give up your life.

It’s so hard many today refuse to do it.

Entering the kingdom is costly, Entering the kingdom is hard

#3 ENTERING IS POSSIBLE

Mark 10:26-27

Verse 26 represents the full weight of what Jesus just said sinking in.

(26) “They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?”

THINK ABOUT IT.

They are watching the most obvious candidate they could imagine walking away from Jesus without salvation.

· His money could not save him, in fact it hindered him.

· His years of religious zeal could not save him, in fact it haunted him.

· He ran to Jesus wanting life,

· He walked away weeping as one who could not enter.

And then Jesus said that it would be easier to get “a camel through the eye of a needle” than it would be to get that guy into heaven.

NOW YOU SEE THE DESPAIR AND REALITY SETTLING IN.

If that guy can’t get in?

What does that say for us?

And then Jesus lowers THE ULTIMATE BOOM.

(27) “Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible…”

It’s that same penetrating look Jesus gave the young man up in verse 24.

· Jesus looked into their soul.

· Jesus looked into that rich man’s soul and told him he needed to sell his property.

· Jesus saw his idol.

· Here Jesus’ piercing gaze just analyzed every one of the 12.

Imagine the scene!

· Staring right into Peter’s soul – NOPE!

· Turning to John – No

· Looking at James – Uh Uh

· Looking at Andrew – No

· And on down the list…

Not good enough

ACCESS DENIED.

This is such a crucial point for the disciples.

One of the reasons they are so hesitant to embrace the cross

Is because they don’t realize how badly they need it.

Thus far they are totally disinterested

In the notion of Jesus suffering, dying, and rising.

All they can think about is their rank in the coming kingdom.

And now Jesus has burst their bubble.

Rank in the kingdom?

· I’d like to know how you even plan to enter the kingdom?

“You are NOT enough.”

This was the very thing Christ taught me on the night He saved me.

It was the message sent to Belshazzar in the book of Daniel.

Daniel 5:25-28 “Now this is the inscription that was written out: ‘MENĒ, MENĒ, TEKĒL, UPHARSIN.’ “This is the interpretation of the message: ‘MENĒ’—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. “‘TEKĒL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. “‘PERĒS’—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”

· God has numbered your days and your end is determined.

· You have been measured and you are not enough.

· Your kingdom is over and judgment has come.

That is exactly the fact that the disciples are here evaluating.

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET IN?

And Jesus flat out tells them that on their own they can’t.

The standard of God’s righteousness is so high that no man even comes close.

· Not good men

· Not rich men

· Not pious men

· Not fisher-men

And every man must come to this place

Before the message of the cross will begin to make sense.

So long as you hold out hope

That there is something you can do to save yourself

Then you have no need of the cross or the cost of embracing it.

IT IS SO ARROGANT TO REJECT THE CROSS

It is you saying you can appease God without the need of Jesus’ help.

Go read Romans 7 again and hear the struggle and failure and lament of Paul as he desperately sought to take the Law and make himself pleasing to God.

You can’t do it.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE

“But…”

“but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

FINALLY SOME GOOD NEWS!!!

What a sigh of relief the disciples must have breathed.

There’s not a thing you can do to enter God’s kingdom.

· It’s too costly and too hard.

· The standard is too high.

However, God has a plan for saving the unworthy.

God has a plan for saving those who cannot save themselves.

And it’s the plan Jesus has been trying to explain to the 12.

Mark 8:31 “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

Mark 9:12 “And He said to them, “Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt?”

Mark 9:31 “For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.”

This is the plan.

This is the “One thing you all lack”.

You lack the atonement & righteousness that Jesus provides

And He provides it through His death, burial, and resurrection.

The disciples ignored it because they didn’t know how bad they needed it

BUT HERE, with the Rich Young Ruler walking away

Jesus again reveals how badly they need help being saved.

What an illustration!

Watch the best of the best of the best walk away into damnation

And now let me tell you how badly you need help.

NOW…

I think that Jesus was about to introduce again the necessity of His death.

· I think He was just about to go there again.

· And explain how God makes salvation possible for unworthy men.

BUT PETER INTERRUPTS HIM.

In fact, the very next teaching opportunity Jesus gets, look at what He talks about:

Mark 10:32-34 “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.”

JESUS IS TRYING TO ANSWER THEIR DILEMMA.

But even in that scenario James and John will interrupt Him

Asking to sit on His right and left.

The disciples need this message and they are simply refusing to hear it.

· The rich young ruler is leaving.

· The disciples are astounded.

· Jesus says its impossible for man to be saved.

· But He also points out that God has a plan.

But, as I said, Peter will interrupt Him.

So their full understanding will have to wait.

However, what we do learn is that

The cost of entering the kingdom is worth it.

And it leads to a 4th fact about entering.

#4 ENTERING IS REWARDING

Mark 10:28-30

The conversation regarding how to enter

Will have to wait a little while longer.

Jesus said that salvation was possible through God’s plan

That seemed to be enough to settle the anxiety of Peter

So he’s back to his own plan.

(28) “Peter began to say to Him, “Behold we have left everything and followed You.”

It’s an obvious response to that rich young ruler who wouldn’t.

Peter recognizes the one thing

He has done differently than that young man.

Peter has chosen to follow Jesus.

Peter still doesn’t understand how Jesus is going to save him,

But he does seem to recognize that

The plan absolutely involves following Jesus.

And Peter wants to know how this will play out.

Matthew’s gospel includes Peter asking, “What will there be for us?”

Which is obviously the question Jesus answers here.

Without explaining the means of His death and resurrection,

Jesus does point out to Peter

That following Him will absolutely end well.

“You have done right in leaving your life behind to follow Me.”

Then comes one of the most wonderful promises we read anywhere!

(29-30) “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.”

I don’t care what it costs you to follow Christ, Christ will reward you.

· Did He not tell the rich young ruler that he would have treasure in heaven?

· Jesus wasn’t taking anything from the man that He would not repay.

That is what Jesus says here.

Now before we get into the specifics of the blessing,

I again want to show you how Mark

Is linking this back to that first announcement of Jesus.

Mark talks about people who leave houses and brothers and sisters, etc. “for My sake and for the gospel’s sake.”

Where have we seen that before?

Mark 8:35 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

Do you see how Jesus is tying everything back to that initial announcement?

To follow Me you must lose your life,

And if you lose your life it will be worth it.

And then Jesus elaborates on what He meant there.

Now we love Mark’s gospel

Because he uses some phrases that Matthew and Luke omit.

· Both Matthew and Luke state that we will be compensated for what we lose,

· But both of them write in such a way as to make us think that the compensation will only come in eternity.

Matthew 19:27-29 “Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” 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. “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.”

· Matthew’s gospel makes it sound like every form of repayment for the cost will occur in the regeneration (millennial kingdom).

And then we read Luke’s version:

Luke 18:28-30 “Peter said, “Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You.” And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.”

· Luke does at the phrase “at this time”

· But it’s very easy to spiritualize what he says and turn it into spiritual blessings.

But you cannot do that with what Mark records.

Mark says (30) “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.”

· Mark says you will receive 100 times as much “now in the present age”

And we might say,

“Well so did Luke, but it’s just spiritual blessings”

But Mark actually describes the blessing in this present age:

“houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms”

· Now he does throw in “along with persecutions”

· And then says in the next age “eternal life”

ACCORDING TO MARK

Jesus references a physical loss of things in this life

With a promise to restore all that is lost in this life 100 times.

And that He’ll restore it in this life.

And we cue the prosperity preachers

Who immediately start asking for “seed faith” money!

“So give me $100 and Jesus will multiply it by 100 and give it back to you! He’ll give you $10,000”

Sounds like a message straight off of the television.

SO WHAT DO WE DO WITH THAT?

I mean we followed the life of the disciples.

· Peter didn’t get 100 houses.

· Andrew didn’t get 100 brothers.

· James didn’t get 100 wives.

· John didn’t get 100 mothers.

· Philip didn’t get 100 farms.

WHAT IN THE WORLD DOES THIS MEAN?

How does a man leave his mother and then get 100 moms from Jesus?

Well I know exactly what He means, because I am a recipient.

When I yielded my life to Christ

· It cost me a spot in the family business.

· It cost me my ag teaching degree.

· It cost Carrie her degree.

· It moved us from both our parents.

· When my grandfather died, I didn’t get his farm.

· When my kids were born, they didn’t live near their grandparents.

BUT, JESUS REPAID ALL THAT MANY TIMES OVER.

WE GOT YOU!

My kids got multiple sets of grandparents.

I got more mothers than I can count.

I got tons of brothers and sisters.

WHAT ABOUT THE FARM?

· No, I don’t own a farm, but I live in a great house that I don’t pay for.

· I’ve enjoyed the benefits of many farms through the generosity of farmers

who go to this church.

· I’ve been out to those farms and enjoyed cookouts and fellowships.

· I enjoy all the blessings of the farm without ever having to work one.

I’ve been to the Hurdt’s and enjoyed their peaceful setting,

· But never once mowed to prepare for it.

I’ve been to Ole and Doreen’s and enjoyed that pavilion,

· But I didn’t have to pay for it or clean it.

· I’ve enjoyed Willie’s mechanic shop…

· I’ve enjoyed Les Heflin’s garden…

· I’ve enjoyed Tammy’s embroidery machine…

· I’ve enjoyed Max and Rebecca’s house…

And if Tommy would hurry up and finish, I’ll probably enjoy Peggy’s play room.

And I didn’t pay for any of it, build any of it, clean any of it, or anything.

Everything I ever lost in the world for following Jesus,

He has repaid it many times over in the church.

Go read the book of Acts

Acts 2:43-47 “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

I cannot put into words the extreme blessing the church has been in my life.

· I’ve been able to travel to 3 other continents.

· I’ve walked with lions 3 times.

· I’ve stood at Victoria Falls 3 times.

· I’ve walked the Great Wall of China.

I’ve taken trips people work and save their whole lives for,

And I’ve done it virtually for free.

Tell me again how Jesus cheated me by calling me to follow Him.

You understand the point.

· Entering the kingdom is hard, but it is possible.

· Entering the kingdom is costly, but it is rewarding.

And then one more fact about entering the kingdom.

#5 ENTERING IS UNMERITED

Mark 10:31

One more, “But…” from Jesus.

Just in case Peter somehow thinks

That he’s getting because he sacrificed more…

Jesus is going to give one more statement.

“But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.”

What could He be talking about?

Oh, I don’t know, how about…

Mark 9:33-34 “They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.”

· You think you got in because you did something right whereas others did something wrong.

· You think you earned it because you sacrificed, whereas that rich man forfeited it because he didn’t.

· You think then that the greatness of your sacrifice will automatically land you a higher place in the kingdom than other people.

WRONG!

If you remember Matthew’s gospel,

· Jesus immediately gives the parable of the workers in the vineyard.

· Some hired in the morning, some at noon, some middle afternoon, and some right before quitting time and then they were all paid the same.

Matthew 20:13-16 “But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? ‘Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. ‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ “So the last shall be first, and the first last.”

That’s what He meant.

GET THE IDEA OF MERIT OUT OF YOUR MIND.

JESUS ALREADY ESTABLISHED

· That there’s nothing you can do to enter.

In fact, it is impossible for you to enter.

· If you enter, it will only be because someone else does it for you.

YOU WILL BE IN HEAVEN SOLELY BY GRACE.

So tell me why you think you should rank above someone else

Who is also there solely by grace.

Well because I gave more money.

· Right, and that money didn’t contribute to you getting in in the least.

Well because I served more years.