THE GREAT REWARD

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Peter answered Him, “We have left everything to follow You! What then will there be for us?”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for My sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”

Matthew 19:27-30

Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow You!”

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Mark 10:28-31

Peter said to Him, “We have left all we had to follow You!”

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Luke 18:28-30

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

These were the words Jesus spoke to the rich ruler who had tried to assert he had perfectly kept a list of commandments he was told to follow. Jesus didn’t call out the ruler and question his bold proclamation. Rather, He presented the man with a challenge to see if he was willing to sacrifice in order to gain eternal life, to die to the things of the world that he possessed and come to follow Jesus with nothing to his name.

As the rich ruler grew sad and departed because he was unwilling to do as Jesus asked, His disciples who were present and heard the exchange had to be feeling quite good about themselves, for we know that at least five of them (Andrew, Peter, James, John, and Matthew), left behind their work and families to accompany Jesus in His ministry travels.

How do we know about these five?

The scriptures tell us.  

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

At once they left their nets and followed Him.

Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets.

Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him. 

As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.

Follow Me,” He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him.

Matthew 4:18-22, 9:9

Indeed, we at least know that these five disciples were willing to leave it all behind to follow Jesus but what would they gain from their sacrifice. What would be their benefit, outside of having the opportunity to hang out with God’s one and only Son?

I’m not asking that question. I didn’t have to because Peter asked it first. Look at today’s passage from the closing verses of Matthew, Chapter 19:

Peter answered Him, “We have left everything to follow You! What then will there be for us?”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for My sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”  Matthew 19:27-30

Peter had heard what Jesus had said. Anyone who left everything behind to follow Him would gain treasure in heaven but note that Jesus didn’t specify what that the treasure would be. This was at the heart of Peter’s question. Essentially, he was asking:

“We left everything behind to follow You. Now what’s in it for us?”

Jesus wasted no time painting a vivid picture of the great reward ahead for anyone who abandoned all in order to answer Jesus’ call:

“Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for My sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”

Here Jesus is talking about the day when He returns and makes all things new. Heaven and earth as we know it will pass away and a new heaven and earth will emerge. And on the day, Jesus will sit on His glorious throne in authority with God the Father over all those who will inhabit the new kingdom of heaven, namely all those who were known as Christian, those who had chosen to believe in Jesus as Savior and thus inherit eternal life. It would the greatest reward any mere human being could receive. Indeed, those who chose to out the world last in exchange for Jesus will end up first while those who shunned Jesus for the world, those like the rich ruler, would end up last.

But what about Peter’s question? What would the reward be for the disciples who had been Jesus’ faithful twelve?

Well, Jesus promises them all a special place of prominence, each with a throne of their own to rule with authority over the twelve tribes of Israel. This would be an additional bonus as they received their great reward.

Friends, the good news here is that through a belief in Jesus Christ, death is not the end but rather a transitional point, a point where one pivots from the temporary life of this world to the everlasting life promised by a God who didn’t want any of His children to have to perish (John 3:16).

For those in Christ, the best is yet to come, something at least a hundred times better than your top day on earth, a treasure in heaven comprised of an eternal home with Jesus and God forever.

It is the great reward.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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