Scripture Reference: Mark 10
Adults Shall Be as Children – Continued
Please read Mark 10:13-16 for background to this section.
From last lesson: You might be asking in what ways are children a pattern? In their humble dependence on others, their receptivity, their acceptance of themselves and their position in life. By faith they accept their lot, trusting others to care for them and see them through.
We enter God’s kingdom by faith, like little children: helpless, unable to save ourselves, totally dependent on the mercy and grace of God. We enjoy God’s kingdom by faith, believing that the Father loves us and will care for our daily needs. What does a child do when he or she has a hurt or a problem? Take it to Father and Mother! What an example for us to follow in our relationship with our Heavenly Father! Yes, God wants us to be childlike, but not childish!
There is no suggestion here that Jesus baptized these children, for Jesus did not even baptize adults (John 4:1–2). If the disciples had been accustomed to baptizing infants, they certainly would not have turned the people away. Jesus took these precious little ones in His loving arms and blessed them, and what a blessing that must have been!
The First Shall Be Last
Please read Mark 10:17-31 for background to this section.
Of all the people who ever came to the feet of Jesus, this man is the only one who went away worse than he came. And yet he had so much in his favor! He was a young man (Matthew 19:22) with great potential. He was respected by others, for he held some ruling office, perhaps in a local court (Luke 18:18). Certainly he had manners and morals, and there was enough desire in his heart for spiritual things that he ran up to Jesus and bowed at His feet. In every way, he was an ideal young man; and when Jesus beheld him, the Word says, He loved him.
With all of his fine qualities, the young man was very superficial in his views of spiritual things. He certainly had a shallow view of salvation, for like so many today, he thought that he could “do something” to earn or merit eternal life. This was a common belief in that day among the Jews (John 6:28), and ever so sadly, it is still very common today. Most unsaved people think that God will one day add up their good works and their bad works; and if their good works exceed their bad works, they will get into heaven.
Behind this good-works approach to salvation is a superficial view of sin, man, the Bible, Jesus Christ, and salvation. Sin is rebellion against the holy God. It is not simply an action; it is an inward attitude that exalts man and defies God. Did this young man actually think that he could do a few religious works and settle his account with the holy God?
The young man had a superficial view of Jesus Christ. He called Him “Good Teacher” (Master), but we get the impression that he was trying to flatter the Lord; for the Jewish rabbis did not allow the word good to be applied to them. Only God was good, and the word must be reserved for Him alone. Jesus was not denying that He was God; rather, He was affirming it. He just wanted to be sure that the young man really knew what he was saying and that he was willing to accept the responsibilities involved.
This explains why Jesus pointed the young man to the Law of Moses: He wanted him to see himself as a sinner bowed before the holy God. We cannot be saved from sin by keeping the Law (Galatians 2:16–21; Ephesians 2:8–10). The Law is a mirror that shows us how dirty we are, but the mirror cannot wash us. One purpose of the Law is to bring the sinner to Christ (Galatians 3:24), which is what it did in this man’s case. The Law can bring the sinner to Christ, but the Law cannot make the sinner like Christ. Only grace can do that.
To Be Continued
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 
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