Matthew 19:23-26: Who Can Be Saved?

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:23-26

Have you ever wondered why Jesus’ disciples were “exceedingly amazed” by this statement? In Jesus’ day, people sought signs as evidence of God’s blessing (John 6:30). They tried to please God by sacrifice and good works but still felt they couldn’t be sure they were acceptable to God and so they looked for signs of God’s blessing. If someone was wealthy, that was considered a certain sign that God had blessed that man.

When Jesus said it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven, it went against everything they had believed. They asked, “Then who can be saved?” After all, if a rich man, who almost certainly had God’s blessing, couldn’t be saved, then no one could be saved.

Our circumstances aren’t dependent on our salvation; God makes the sun rise on both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). So whether we feel we are being blessed financially or not, we can know we are saved by believing in Him who promised us eternal life (John 6:40).

The only sign we need today is the sign Jesus promised the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 12:34-40:

“Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

If Jesus were not resurrected, then our faith is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:14). What hope is there in worshipping a dead god? By His resurrection, Jesus shows us it is in His power to grant us life. If we confess Him as Lord and believe in His resurrection, we shall be saved (Romans 10:9-10). So if you’re worried about whether or not God loves you, stop worrying – He does (John 3:16)! Your circumstances aren’t the evidence of your salvation. If you need a sign, look to Him. His resurrection is the only sign we need!