Mark 10:26-27- “And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men, it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible. NKJV
Jesus watched as the rich young ruler walked away from Him. The love that He felt as the young man spoke with Him was still in His heart, but there was also a sadness that went with the love. Remembering His disciples, He turned to them and told them it was hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Mark said they were astonished at His words. But when Jesus compared the difficulty of a rich man entering the kingdom of God, to a camel going through the eye of a needle, Mark wrote that they were greatly astonished.
“And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”
Mark 10:26 NKJV
Abraham, Isaac, and Israel were all very rich men. Men who God had made a covenant with. Every time Abraham met someone new they were trying to give him possessions. Isaac was very rich according to the account of his life. And Jacob was also made to prosper. It was quite possible that the disciples were also rich, and when Jesus spoke these words, it caused them to be shaken to the point that Mark said they were greatly astonished. This astonishment had them asking the question amongst themselves, “Who then can be saved?” If God isn’t saving the rich, the ones who looked favored amongst them, then who is He saving?
I heard a famous comedian share one day how many people don’t believe that he is a Christian. He loves God and believes in Jesus, he attends church, and so he is a Christian. I don’t know where this man is spiritually, but there are some things that he say that are not Christ-like, although he is very funny. After he made this comment he said that he looked more like a Christian than many others, referencing his financial state. There are those today who equate prosperity with God’s blessings on their lives.
Let me clarify that I believe that God wants His people to prosper. He said so in 3 John.
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers
3 John 1:2 NKJV
Prospering in all things, includes prospering financially. That doesn’t mean that rich people are favored and blessed by God, anymore than it means that poor people are not. Again, God doesn’t care how much money you have as long as money doesn’t have you.
Jesus responds to the disciples question by saying:
“With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”
Mark 10:27 NKJV
With men it is impossible for any of us to get saved. As a matter of fact, if it was left to man’s idea of how to get saved we would all be lost. But not with God. With God, the possibility of salvation for all of mankind was made possible by His grace, because with God all things are truly possible.
When the children of Israel stood at the shores of the Red Sea, and Pharoah and his army were approaching from behind, it looked like there was no way for salvation. But with God! God told Moses to stretch forth his hands and the waters parted until the bottom of the sea only showed dry land. Not muddy land, dry land! No one else could have brought their salvation. Things looked impossible from man’s point of view, but with God, they became very possible!
When the Israelites looked at Jericho, things looked pretty impossible. The walls were so thick they had chariot races on top of them. There seemed to be no way inside the city. And they were correct! There was no way for man to get inside of Jericho, but with God a way was made. God gave instructions to Joshua to walk around the city for seven days and on the seventh day to shout! Is that humanly possible to shout loud enough to bring down walls of a city? No it isn’t. If it was possible, stadiums would not be able to handle all of the cheering and shouting that fans create! But with God, a simple shout will bring down the walls of a city! Ask Rahab! What looked impossible to man, became very possible with God.
There was a famine in the land. Things were so bad that two women made a deal to eat each other sons. That’s horrific! The king was so angry he wanted to kill Elisha, the prophet. But Elisha told him that things would change on the next day. There would be so much food that it would cost next to nothing to purchase it. This famine was the result of Syria laying siege to the city and it had been going on for awhile. Elisha’s words were so ludicrous that the king’s armor bearer said that if God opened the windows of heaven, it wouldn’t be possible! He failed to understand that with man, this was truly impossible. But with God, all things are possible. Didn’t He do it? Oh yes, He did!
A young girl was going about her daily chores, when suddenly an angel appeared and told her that she was highly favored of God. He also told her that she would have a son, but not just any son, the Son of the Highest and she was to name Him Jesus. When she asked how this could happen, seeing that she didn’t know a man, he told her that man wasn’t going to be involved in this conception, this was happening with God! The Holy Spirit would overshadow her and she would conceive! This same Jesus, born of a virgin knew that with God all things were possible!
Are you still with me? Who then can be saved? Hear the words of the prophet:
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:4-5 NKJV
You see, Jesus knew that He was about to obtain salvation for the world. All of mankind, even the rich young ruler, needed more than what we could do to receive eternal life. As a matter of fact, there wasn’t a thing that we could do! We needed what only God could do! Because with God, all things are possible! So He sent Jesus! The answer to man’s dilemma for salvation!
Jesus knew His death was imminent. He knew the devil had plans for His demise. But what the devil didn’t know, was that He was more than willing to be made a sacrifice for the sins of the world. Because only He could provide the eternal life that man was seeking!
We can’t save people, because we can’t save ourselves! Only God can! He has given us the assignment to proclaim the good news of the gospel! That gospel is powerful enough to save the roughest gangster, the quietest librarian, the loudest drunkard, the most perverted of individuals because it isn’t about what they can do, but what will happen when they partner with God! With God, salvation is possible, but without Him it is not going to happen.
The rich young ruler, like so many people today, missed a divine appointment with God! He missed the opportunity to have more than what money could buy. He missed God! With God, all of our impossibilities become possible. Our hunger for eternity is satisfied. Our need for love is fulfilled. Our desire to be accepted is made possible. Our need to belong happens. With man, these things are impossible, but with God, all of these things, and so much more, become possible.
If you don’t know Jesus as your savior or the God of impossibilities, it was my pleasure to introduce you to Him. There is nothing like the grace He offers us to enter into the kingdom of God. If you will ask Him for salvation, and trust Him to deliver it, it will be yours. With man, it is truly impossible, but with God, through Jesus, it is very possible. Wonderful Jesus!
Wonderful Jesus! 