Jesus of Nazareth was known for shaking things up.  He had a positive gift for “comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable” [a phrase credited to humorist Finley Dunne, in regard to the role of the newspaper].  Jesus turned conventional wisdom on its head all right, and he certainly knew how to speak bluntly, as when He told the religious leaders of His day: “…Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”  (Luke 16:15)

But there was something more.  Jesus drew crowds and held their attention in part because He knew what He was talking about. People could tell that, whether they liked Jesus or not.  One of His disciples, a former tax collector, put it this way: “the people were astonished at his doctrine: ²⁹ For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”  (Matthew 7:28-29)

Jesus intrigued His listeners by speaking as naturally—and apparently, as knowledgably—about death and the afterlife as he did about the day-to-day of this life. He seamlessly transitioned from the physical world to the spiritual one, as comfortable and confident in discussing the supernatural realm as He was the mortal plane of existence.  Someone with a command of both spheres and who moved easily between them was bound to fascinate His hearers.

This fascination was especially intense in Jesus’ case, as He made no effort to titillate or sensationalize and showed not the slightest interest in pandering to the idle curiosity of the masses.  On the contrary, Jesus spoke casually, almost off-handedly about the hereafter, as if it were just as familiar to His audience as it was to Him.  The following story told by Jesus (Luke 16: 19-31), is a well known case in point:

¹⁹ There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

[Meet Mr. High Life—well dressed, well fed, and probably well respected.  His estate is gated to keep out the riff-raff.]

²⁰ And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, ²¹ And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

[Say hello to Mr. Low Life.  His condition could hardly be more pitiful.  Homeless, dirty, too weak and too ill to work, he longed for even a few scraps, from a table at which he would never be invited to dine.  Only stray mongrels took any notice or had any compassion on Him.  Interestingly, this poor man has the distinction of being named, suggesting that his story may not be a parable, but drawn from life.]

²² And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

[The rites of the honored dead are accorded to the rich man, but evidently not to his financial and social opposite (no mention of what became of Lazarus’body).  Lazarus’ spirit however, is carried by angels to the abode of the blessed, indicating that he had trusted in God and now received His mercy. Lazarus is not shown favor because he was poor, nor was this a case of Karma or ‘what goes around, comes around.’]

³ And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

[The word here translated “hell” refers to the netherworld, a place of temporary confinement, not the final destination of the lost, which is the Lake of Fire.  Note that even so, the rich man is conscious, separated from the righteous and is suffering.]

²⁴ And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

[See how death has brought about total role reversal.  The rich man becomes the beggar and vice versa.]

²⁵ But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

²⁶ And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

[After death, the soul’s ultimate destination and disposition are fixed.  The choice made in life is final.]

²⁷ Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:  ²⁸ For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

[More begging—the “rich” man is beginning to think of someone besides himself.]

²⁹ Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

[The petitioner is rebuffed—‘Your brothers have the law of God and the testimony of the prophets.  Let them learn from them, if they are interested, how to avoid your fate.’]

³⁰ And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

³¹ And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

[The Father would soon send His own Son back from the dead.  There is no one else to send.  If a person’s heart is so hardened and steeped in sin that he or she can ignore all that God has revealed, said and done, even a resurrection won’t convince them.]

In telling the story, Jesus did not explicitly state that it was not an allegory or a hypothetical, but was about an actual resurrection—His own—and about His ministry of warning to the world to repent, because the kingdom of God is at hand.  We can now see that it was a story told in the shadow of a cross He did not deserve, but chose in order to save us from death and hell.  He gave His own life that we need never know the horror of the spiritually bankrupt fool who thought he had everything worth owning. But because he did not possess eternal life, suddenly found himself in a place of torment, while still awaiting final judgment and the Lake of Fire.

Jesus suffered and died for the sins of the whole world, according to the Scriptures, was buried and raised from the dead on the third day, according to the Scriptures. Now, all people everywhere can lay hold on eternal life by believing the gospel, repenting of their sins, placing their trust in Jesus, and confessing Him as Lord and Savior.  I pray that you already have.  If not, may I ask why not? What stands in your way and why have you allowed it to do so?  Are you waiting for some dramatic sign, some miraculous event, to finally convince you? You can stop waiting.

Jesus has already returned from the dead.  He waits for you to acknowledge the truth.  If you fail to call on His name your spiritual condition is terminal.  Hell is a very real place.  It is also a choice.  According to Jesus, hell was not made for humanity, but was “prepared for the Devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).  Yet all who reject the pardon Jesus purchased for you with His own precious blood, can and will end up there.  Don’t let your pride decide.  Don’t leave the Lord with no alternative but to say, “Not My will, but yours be done.” Call on His name today.  Trust in Him, trust in Him now, and live truly rich…forever.

HOW TO BE SAVED:

• Admit to God that you are a sinner (that you have not kept His moral law to perfection; in your thoughts, words and actions you have done what His law forbids and have failed to do what His love demands). This is seeing yourself from God’s point of view and agreeing that He is right about you.  Be as specific as you can.
• Believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and that God raised Him from the dead.
• Sincerely repent (turn away) from your sins, asking God to forgive you and to use His power to help you resist temptation, no matter how strong the pull of sin may be, at first.
• Acknowledge Jesus as the Lord of your life.  Invite Him to move into your heart and take up residence there, so that He can change you from the inside out.
• Trust His promise to save you and give you a new spiritual birth and a new nature (thoughts, desires, priorities, hopes, dreams and character).

SOME KEY TRUTHS:

• “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  (Romans 3:23)
• “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.”  (Romans 3:10)
• “For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23)
• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)
• “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)
• “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”  (I Corinthians 15:3,4)
• “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12)
• “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him…”  (Revelation 3:20)
• “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  (Romans 10:13)
• “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”  (Romans 10:9)
• “Verily, verily, I say unto you; He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life; and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”  (John 5:24)
• “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life through his name.”  (John 20:31) 
• “These things I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”  (I John 5:13)