Who Receives the Gospel?

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is for EVERYONE. The tragedy is that most people will not receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and will not repent of their sins before they die.

Let this motivate believers to continue following Jesus, to enter by the narrow gate and road!! And let this be a warning to those who are not followers of Jesus Christ.

by Jim Harwell

Most people do not receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Most people do not repent of their sins before they die.

Both today and throughout history, people are not and were not followers of God Almighty through Jesus Christ.

Today, according to statistics, approximately 30% of the world’s population are followers of Jesus; while 70% of the world’s population, or about 5 billion people, are not.

Tragically, those who do not receive Jesus as their personal Savior while they are on earth will spend eternity in hell.

The “Haves” and the “Have-nots”

SUMMARY OF TEACHING: In the Gospels, Jesus Christ reveals that the “have-nots” (the suffering) on earth are the ones who generally receive the Gospel, the great news of salvation and eternal life through Jesus. On the other hand, the “haves” (those who have an easy existence and do not suffer greatly) generally do not receive the Gospel.

The tragedy is that anyone who dies without Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will spend eternity in hell. Hell is so horrible that it almost cannot be described. Heaven is so glorious it cannot be put into human words. Heaven is filled with the glorious, majestic, indescribable presence of God Almighty.

Like Himself, God’s truth is glorious and wonderful. In the Gospels, Jesus the Christ is revealed as both the Son of God and . . . God.

The truth He reveals in the Gospels is divine and eternal. Remember, it was predicted long before Jesus arrived on earth that Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, would reveal things that had been kept secret from the foundation of the world (Psalm 78:2). It would be wise of us to listen, hear, understand and act.

One of the themes He addressed many times and in many different ways was the question of “Who receives the Gospel?” That is, who receives God Himself, through His Son Jesus Christ?

First, it is clear that the Gospel is for everyone. It is available to all. God wants to save everyone. Remember perhaps the most famous verse in the Bible: Jesus said, “For God so loved THE WORLD that He gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Amen.

For discussion sake, I will generally divide the world’s population into two groups: the “haves” and the “have-nots.” The haves are people who generally have their needs met and may even enjoy luxuries. They may live anywhere in the world, but mostly they live in first world, developed nations.

The have-nots are not so fortunate – at least on earth. Tragically, many people in the world suffer greatly every day. About 40% of the world, or three billion people, live on less than $2.50 a day. About 20% of the world, as many as 1.5 BILLION people, do not have access to clean water and have trouble getting food on a daily basis. About one billion people, or 14% of the world, cannot read. Across the world, the “have-nots” have a very, very difficult life.

For the “haves,” living without these necessities for just one day would be traumatic. Imagine living with that reality every day of your very difficult, painful, tragic life.

But there is good news for the have-nots.

According to Jesus Christ, the have-nots are generally the ones who receive the Gospel and find God – and therefore will get to spend eternity in heaven, the glorious place God has prepared for those who live for Him and love Him. Glory to God forever!

According to the Gospels, the haves – the healthy, the educated, the rich, the wealthy – generally do NOT receive the Gospel or have a relationship with God Almighty. It is a tragedy but a reality.

Please know I am writing in general terms here. There are always exceptions. We all know that members of both groups receive and reject the Gospel.

The answer to “Who receives the Gospel?” is confirmed in at least twelve (12) places, ways, stories, and truths in the Gospels, summarized below.

Why is this important? Well, first, if Jesus Christ taught about it, it is important! If He taught about something just one time, it’s important. He taught about the subject of “who receives the Gospel” at least 12 times.

It’s also important because:

It helps us learn about God Almighty and His Son Jesus Christ, about their ways and their character
For the “have nots,” it can encourage them to realize they are fortunate, though it may not seem that way on earth.
For the “haves,” it’s a warning to them to find and live for God, to humble themselves before the Almighty.
For servants of God, it helps them to understand and realize who they likely will minister to the most.

Outline:

Who Receives Jesus Christ and the Gospel? The “have-nots,” as revealed in 12 different ways, stories, and truths in the Gospels:

One – 2,000 years ago on earth, the “have nots” were the ones who received Jesus the Messiah, while the “haves” rejected Him

Two – The poor, brokenhearted, bound, blind, and oppressed – Luke 4:18

Three – People in physical need – Matthew, Mark, and Luke

Four – The sick and sinners, not the righteous and “well” – Matthew 9:10-12

Five – Happy are the poor, hungry, mourning. Woe to the rich, full, laughing – Luke 6

Six – God reveals the kingdom to the child-like and hides it from the wise and intelligent – Matthew 11:25

Seven – Hard for a man who trusts in riches to enter the kingdom – Matthew 19:23-24

Eight – Things highly esteemed to man are detestable to God – Luke 16:14-16

Nine – The Parable of the Rich Man and Beggar Lazarus – Luke 16:19-31

Ten – Parable of a Man’s Great Dinner – Luke 14:16-24

Eleven – Many who are first will be last, and the last first – Matthew 19:30

Twelve – Save life, lose it. Lose life for the Gospel, find it – Matthew 16:25

More:

Religious leaders – the chief priests and Pharisees – had Jesus killed

His disciples – everyday people

When God came to earth as a man 2,000 years, the “haves” opposed and rejected Him. Jesus was and still is available to everyone. But the “important” people of the day- the chief priests, the Scribes, the lawyers, the Pharisees, the rulers, and similar groups- rejected Him. They ultimately had him killed.

The people who believed that He was the Messiah, the Christ, and who followed Him and became His disciples were for the most part common people, the “have-nots.”

First, those who received Him were a small group. He had 12 disciples and then 72 additional disciples. There were a small group of women who supported Him financially and followed him, providing Jesus some of His material needs.

Of the 12 disciples, we know of what six of them did for a living. As many as five were fishermen (Peter, Andrew, James, John, and likely Phillip). One, Matthew, was a tax collector, who in those days were greatly disliked by the Jews due to tax collectors’ greed and their collaboration with the Romans. Only one disciple is considered to be from royal blood or noble birth: Bartholomew.

Two – A small number of people received Jesus as the Messiah.

We know that large crowds and even masses of people followed Jesus as He preached, taught, healed the sick and oppressed, performed miracles, raised the dead, and more.

One might think that they realized Jesus is the Messiah. However, the gospels reveal that the public did NOT receive Him as the Messiah, the Christ. How do we know this?

The disciples told Jesus that the public considered Jesus to be “’John the Baptist, or Elijah, or Jeremiah or one of the prophets’” (Matthew 16:14).

In Matthew 21, we read that the chief priests and Pharisees “feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet” (Matthew 21:46).

Matthew 16 contains the famous story of Jesus asking Peter, “’Who do you say the I am?’” (Matthew 16:15). Jesus first asked the disciples about the public:

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:13-16)

In Matthew 21, we learn that the people considered Jesus to be a prophet. The chief priests and Pharisees were trying to capture Jesus, in their efforts to have Him killed. But the priests and Pharisees feared the people. Matthew writes: “But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet” (Matthew 21:46).

the masses and common people, including those in great need – including the suffering, diseased, lame, blind, and more – for the most part received him joyfully. In many reports, massive crowds followed him and pressed around him. When Jesus fed the large crowd with bread and fish, there were 20,000 people with him. At one point, Jesus even got into a boat to avoid the large crowd gathered around him.

His twelve disciples were everyday folks – fishermen, tax collectors, and so forth. Make no mistake, there were wealthy people who received Jesus with joy as well. Several wealthy women provided for Jesus materially and gave him a place to live.

Two –

Two – The poor, brokenhearted, bound, blind, and oppressed

One of the first recorded times Jesus spoke publicly was when he stood up in the synagogue in his hometown Nazareth and read a portion of the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1,2). Jesus said “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

The Scripture he read is clear: the Holy Spirit anointed Jesus to “preach the gospel to the poor . . .” and to help the “brokenhearted . . . the captives . . . the blind . . . the oppressed.” (Luke 4: 18).

Right from the beginning, and in fulfillment of a prophecy from almost 1,000 years before Jesus was born, the gospel’s recipients were clear: the poor, the brokenhearted, the bound, the blind (both naturally and spiritually blind), and the oppressed.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
²To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
³To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

Three – People in physical need

The supernatural physical healings Jesus performed while on earth were truly miraculous. Who did Jesus heal – and who received his healings? In numerous places in the Gospels, we read that Jesus healed all kinds of diseases and infirmities. The most frequently cited healings were healing of four seemingly impossible physical challenges: the blind, deaf, crippleds, and lepers.

God passed over the “haves,” those who were healthy and whole, and helped those in great need.

Four – Jesus ministered to the sick and to sinners, not to the righteous and “well”

During Jesus’ earthly ministry as a man, He ministered to, spent time with, and discipled sinners and the “sick.” The Pharisees, religious leaders of the day, even confronted Jesus about this issue. Tax collectors at that time were considered robbers and thieves.

¹⁰Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. ¹¹And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹²When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Matthew 9:10-12

Five – Happy are the poor, hungry, mourning. Woe to the rich, full, laughing.

A very strong, clear, direct teaching confirming this subject is in Luke 6. Jesus said “blessed and happy” (blessed in the original Greek New Testament means “happy”) are the poor, hungry, mourning, and persecuted people (persecuted for Jesus’ sake).

Whereas, Jesus pronounced “woe” – suffering, misery, and hardship – for the rich, full, laughing, and well-spoken-of people. The scripture:

“Blessed are you poor,
For yours is the kingdom of God.
²¹Blessed are you who hunger now,
For you shall be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,
For you shall laugh.
²²Blessed are you when men hate you,
And when they exclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man’s sake.
²³Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

²⁴“But woe to you who are rich,
For you have received your consolation.
²⁵Woe to you who are full,
For you shall hunger.
Woe to you who laugh now,
For you shall mourn and weep.
²⁶Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
For so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Six – God reveals the kingdom to the child-like and hides it from the wise and intelligent

The “haves” today and throughout history includes those who are considered “intelligent and learned.” At one point, Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise, intelligent and learned and have revealed them to the babes and the child-like. Yes, Father, for you saw that it was good.” (Matthew 11:25)

Seven — Hard for a man who trusts in riches to enter the kingdom

Jesus said, “How hard it is for a man who trusts in riches to enter the kingdom of God. I say to you, it is easier for camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:23-24)

Eight – Things highly esteemed to man are detestable to God

The “haves” have what is highly esteemed in this world, right? They have the elusive things that people everywhere want and strive for: money, power, position, talent, beauty, importance, popularity, intelligence, connections and much more.

But Jesus specifically said these “highly esteemed” qualities are – get ready for this – an abomination to God; detestable to God; and revolting to God.

To quote him directly, Jesus said, “What is highly esteemed among men is detestable to God.” (Luke 16:15).

He spoke this against the Pharisees. The context: “The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard these things, and they scoffed at and ridiculed him. Jesus said, ‘You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:14-16)

Nine – The Parable of the Rich Man and Beggar Lazarus

After the “highly esteemed” quote, Jesus then told the very famous Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Again, the message in this story is clear regarding the haves and have-nots.

The rich man lived in luxury and had the finest clothes. The beggar Lazarus was a low as a person can be. He was full of sores, was laid at the gate of the rich man and desired to eat crumbs from the rich man’s table. To make matters worse, dogs came and licked his sores.

Where did the two end up for eternity after they both died? I think we would all agree: eternity is more important that our brief life on the earth.

The rich man died and was “in torments in Hades (hell).” He cried out to Abraham for mercy. The rich man was tormented in the flames of fire in hell. He pleaded for even one drop of water.

Lazarus was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom and was comforted. (Luke 16:19-31).

Ten – Parable of a Man’s Great Dinner; the poor, maimed, lame, and blind

The Parable of the Man Who Hosted a Great Dinner (Luke 14:16-24) is a very direct, clear proof of the answer to who actually receives the Gospel.

In the parable, a man prepared a great dinner and invited certain people who were definitely in the “haves” group, sending his servants to tell those invited that “all things are now ready.” The invitees declined to attend, making excuses. Two of them had businesses to attend to and another was getting married. The host of the dinner was angry.

Who did he bring in to the great dinner? He sent his servants to bring in the “poor and maimed and lame and blind,” all of whom are definitely in the “have-not” group.

After that, there was still room at the feast, so the generous man hosting the dinner told the servants to go out to the “highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” But he specifically said that “none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.”

Eleven – Many who are first will be last, and the last first

If the human race was in a competition, the haves would be first, and the have-nots would generally be in last, right?

Jesus said, “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Matthew 19:30)

Twelve – Save Life, Lose It. Lose Life for the Gospel, Find It

Humans are basically all trying to preserve and save their life. According to this world’s standards, the haves are “successful” at it, while the have-nots are not. It’s called “survival,” “success,” “living the dream,” and other names. In God’s upside-down kingdom, these standards are gone. It’s better NOT to save your life.

Jesus said, “If anyone wants to save his life, he will lose it. But he who loses his life for My sake and the sake of the Gospel shall find it.” (Matthew 16:25)

Most people – a majority of people – do not receive the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Most people will not repent before they die, and they will spend eternity in hell.

It is tragic, yes. But it is a truth.

Where is this truth in the Bible?

It is a truth that is throughout the four Gospels. Let’s first start with the actual life of Jesus Christ the Messiah.

Quick summary:

Jesus was rejected and killed.
The leader and religious leaders were His fiercest opponents.
The public had Him crucified.
The public did not believe that He was the Messiah, the Christ.
Jesus did not publicly say that He was the Christ.
Jesus strictly commanded His disciples that they not tell the people He was the Christ, the Messiah.
Jesus even commanded the demons not to reveal that He was the Messiah.
Jesus explained to His disciples that the “mysteries of the kingdom” were revealed to them but not to “the rest,” that is, the public.
He explained that He taught the people in parables as fulfillment of prophecy in Isaiah about people not receiving and coming to God.

10.The Foundational Parable, the Parable of the Sower.

We know that Jesus was rejected and killed. More than just rejected, He was hated, betrayed, condemned, and rejected. He was beaten, scourged, whipped, and flogged to the point of death. He was mocked, ridiculed, spit upon, and slapped on the face. He was insulted, taunted, reviled, and blasphemed.

The leaders, religious leaders, and people in authority rejected Him and were His fiercest opponents. We see in many places that the “scribes (lawyers), chief priests, elders, Pharisees, and Sadducees” were relentless in their opposition of Jesus. They were the ones who actually betrayed Him and gave Him over to the people, the public, who were the final group to reject and betray Him to death.

At the well-known final trial of Jesus, the public – not a leader – condemned Him to death. At that trial, the Roman governor (of Judea) Pontius Pilate spoke to Jesus and then gave the public the choice of whether to release Jesus or another man (the criminal Barabbus). After talking to and questioning Jesus, Pilate said twice, “I find no fault in Him.” Pilate also publicly washed his hands and said, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it” (Matthew 27:24). The public rejected and condemned Jesus to death. (Matthew 27:11-26, John 18:28- 19:16)

Jesus was rejected in His own country and His own hometown.

“So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” Matthew 13:57

The public did not believe Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior. We read this in numerous places. When Jesus asked His disciples who the people said He was, they replied: “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Large crowds followed Jesus, as many as 20,000 or more at times, but for the most part, they did not believe or realize He was the Christ.

Jesus Himself did not publicly say that He was the Christ. He told some individuals (listed below). In John, He gave detailed teachings about His Lordship and Oneness with the Father. But, one of the main themes of His ministry and teachings was that He did not publicly reveal He was the Christ.

Individuals Jesus told that He was the Christ:

Samaritan woman at the well – John 4:4-26

John 4: 25-26 – “The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When He comes, He will tell us all things.’

Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He.’”

Man who Jesus healed of blindness – John 9

John 9: 35-37 – “Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’ He answered and said, ‘Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.’”

Jesus strictly commanded His disciples that they not tell the people He was the Christ, the Messiah.

References: Matthew 16:20, Mark 8: 27-30, Luke 9: 20-21

Jesus even commanded the demons not to reveal that He was the Messiah. Numerous times, demons cried out the truth about Jesus being the Son of God, the Holy One of God, but Jesus commanded that they be silent.

Jesus explained to His disciples (the 12, and the 70, and possibly to others) that the “mysteries of the kingdom” were given to them; but that the mysteries were NOT given to the people in general. Matthew 13:11ff, Mark 4:11ff, Luke 8:10ff

He explained that He taught the people in parables as fulfillment of prophecy in Isaiah about people not receiving and coming to God.

Matthew 13: 13-15 – “’Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. ¹⁴And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not perceive;
¹⁵For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.’

The Foundational Parable, the Parable of the Sower.

The parable reveals there are four groups or types of people regarding the results (or lack of results) after the sowing of the “word of the kingdom” – the word of the presence of Jesus Christ. Only one group – “those with a good, noble heart, who bear fruit with patience” – actually hears and does the word of God. The other three groups do not. Therefore, 1 of 4 is 25%, which is very close to the percentage of people who are “Christian/Catholic” in the world today.

Let’s first look at Jesus Christ’s direct quotes and teachings about the “few” who do receive the Gospel.

“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Matthew 9:35

“Many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14

These were Jesus’ final words after He gave the Parable of the Wedding Feast, about a king who arranged a marriage for his son. More on this later.

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wideis the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.Becausenarrow is the gate and constricted is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

The Foundational Parable, the Parable of the Sower.

Who Receives the Gospel?