THE FUTURE #2

Concerning the future, Jesus promised something very new into this concept and by demonstration ‘overcame death’ by resurrection. By overcoming death He also overcame life. The term He always used was eternal life. All perspective is now eternal which encompasses life now and into the age to come. Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sister or mother or father or children or farms, for my sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he shall receive a hundred times as much, now in the present age (this time now), houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions, and in the age to come, eternal life, and Matthew adds, “shall inherit eternal life.” The hundred fold reward is ‘in this present age’ and Matthew and Luke add ‘wives’ to this list that will be multiplied a hundred times, so it must have some less literal meaning. Jesus is obviously using the ‘kinfolks’ of the Hebrew tradition to show blessing and reward and He throws in ‘farms’ as a material reward.

He is referring to being peaceful, purposeful and powerful on the interior even while ‘being persecuted’ and this will exceed any material prosperity. He is forcefully saying that He and the gospel message are worth whatever they cost.

“Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.” Jesus