Matthew 7:14 Cross References - AUV

¹⁴ But the door that is narrow and the road that is restricted lead to [spiritual] life and [only] a few people will find them.

²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to be my follower, he should deny self [i.e., of always having its own way] and lift up his cross [of responsibility] and [then he can] become my follower. ²⁵ For whoever would [try to] save his life [i.e., by neglecting spiritual things] will lose it [i.e., miss out on the blessings of God]. But whoever [is willing to] lose his life [i.e., in commitment to God’s service] for my sake will find it [i.e., obtain both temporal and spiritual blessings].

¹⁶ So, the [person who seems to be] last will be first [i.e., in importance and blessings], but the [person who seems to be] first will [end up] being last.”

¹⁴ For many people are called [by God] but [only those] few [who respond] are chosen [by Him].”

¹ “Then the kingdom of heaven will be similar to ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the [bride and] groom. [Note: The picture here is that of a newly married couple returning from a festive reception to the groom’s home where they continued celebrating and were welcomed by a late evening wedding party] ² Five of the bridesmaids were foolish and five were sensible. ³ The foolish ones did not take enough olive oil for their lamps with them, ⁴ but the sensible ones took [extra] oil in containers, along with their lamps. ⁵ Now when the [bride and] groom were late [in arriving], the bridesmaids all got drowsy and fell asleep. ⁶ Then at midnight someone shouted, ‘Look, the [bride and] groom are here. Come on, let us go out and meet them.’ ⁷ Then all the bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps [i.e., removed the burnt wicks and replenished their lamps with oil]. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the sensible ones answered, ‘There might not be enough for us and you, [so] instead, you should go to the store and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they were away [trying] to buy olive oil, the [bride and] groom arrived, and those who were ready [to welcome them] entered the [house where the] wedding reception [was being held] and the door was shut. ¹¹ After that, the other bridesmaids also came asking, ‘Sir, Sir, [please] open the door for us!’ ¹² But he answered them, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’

³⁴ And He called the crowd to Him, along with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to be my follower, he should deny himself [i.e., of always having his own way] and accept his cross [i.e., his responsibilities, with all their difficulties] and then he can become my follower.

³² “ [And], do not be afraid, little flock [Note: Jesus refers to His small band of disciples as sheep following Him as their Shepherd], for your Father was pleased to give you the kingdom.

²³ [Along the way] someone asked Him, “Lord, will [only] a few people be saved?” And He answered them, ²⁴ “You should try hard to enter [God’s kingdom] by means of the narrow door, for I tell you, many people will try to enter it but will not be able to. ²⁵ Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, leaving you standing outside knocking on the door, [and] saying, ‘Sir, [please] open [the door] for us.’ and he answers you, ‘I do not know you or where you came from,’ ²⁶ then you will begin to say, ‘We used to eat and drink with you, and you taught in our streets.’ ²⁷ And He will say [i.e., the Lord is represented as saying this in the judgment. See Matt. 7:23; 8:11-12], ‘I tell you, I do not know where you came from, [so] go away from me, all you people who have done sinful things.’ ²⁸ [Then] there will be crying and excruciating pain, when you will see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and [you will see] yourselves thrown outside. ²⁹ And people will come from the east and west and from the north and south to sit down in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ And certainly, those [who appear to be] last will be first [i.e., in importance and blessings], and those [who appear to be] first will [end up] being last.”

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, then know that it has [already] hated me, [even] before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, the world would love [you as] its own people. But since you do not belong to the world, for I chose you out of it, that is why the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember what I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater [in importance] than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will [also] persecute you, too; if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

² The Jewish authorities will expel you from their synagogues. In fact, the time will come when whoever kills you will think he is doing a service to God.

³³ I have said these things to you so that you can have peace in [fellowship with] me. You will have trouble in the world, but cheer up, for I have conquered the world.”

²² [Along the way] they strengthened the hearts of the disciples, urging them to continue [to believe and practice] the faith and [explaining] that entering God's [heavenly] kingdom [See II Tim. 4:18] requires enduring many trials.

²⁷ And Isaiah declares about [the nation of] Israel [Isa. 10:22-23], “[Even] if the number of Israelites were [as many] as the grains of sand in the ocean, [still only] a small minority will be saved. ²⁸ For the Lord will carry out His word in the world [i.e., He will require an accounting from the people] quickly and decisively.” ²⁹ And, as Isaiah had said in a previous passage [1:9], “If the Lord of the [heavenly] armies [i.e., Almighty God] had not left us some descendants [i.e., a small minority], we would have become like Sodom; He would have made us like Gomorrah [i.e., destroyed].”

³² Why? Because they did not [attempt to do it] by faith [in Him], but by trying to fulfill all the requirements [of the law]. So, they stumbled over “the stumbling stone,” [i.e., the Jews refused to become obedient to Christ. See I Pet. 2:6-8].

⁵ So, now also, there is a small minority which has been selected by God’s unearned favor [i.e., to be saved]. ⁶ And if [they were selected] by God’s unearned favor, [then] the choice is not based on the good that people may do. Otherwise, God’s favor would not be [really] unearned.

² And you people must not be conformed to [the values and standards of] this age, but you should become transformed [i.e., changed in attitude and action] by having your mind renewed [i.e., to think in a totally different way]. Then you will be able to determine [and practice] God’s will, the thing that is good, and acceptable and perfect.

² You practiced such things when you lived according to the evil ways of this world, and according to the ruler of the [spiritual] powers of the air. [Note: This refers to Satan, whose influence permeates life around us]. He is the [evil] spirit who is now at work in people who are disobedient [to God]. ³ All of us [Jews] also once lived among such people, fulfilling the improper cravings of our physical being and doing what our bodies and minds desired. In this natural [unconverted] state we were deserving of [God’s] wrath, just like the rest [of mankind].

² and so we [i.e., I] sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow-worker in [the ministry of] the Gospel, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, ³ so that no one would be shaken by [having to experience] these difficult times. [See 2:14]. For you yourselves know that we are destined to have such experiences. ⁴ For even when we were with you, we warned you that we were going to be persecuted, and as you know, it has turned out that way. ⁵ [So], for this reason, when I could not stand it any longer, I also sent [Timothy] to find out about your faith. I was afraid that somehow the tempter [i.e., Satan] had tempted you [to give up] and that our work [on your behalf] will have become useless.

²⁰ These people had disobeyed [Noah’s preaching, See II Pet. 2:5] back when God’s patience waited [for them to repent, See Gen. 6:3], during the days of Noah, when the ship was being constructed. It was by that means [i.e., the ship floating them to safety through the Flood waters] that a few persons, eight of them, were saved [from destruction] through water. ²¹ This water prefigured immersion [into Christ], which now also saves you, not by removing dirt from the [physical] body, but [by serving] as an appeal [or, “pledge”] to God for a clear conscience through the raising of Jesus Christ from the dead.