For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2nd Corinthians 5:21
All week, we have been looking at a parable Jesus told in Luke 16. This parable follows two people, a wealthy man and a very poor man named Lazarus who was at the rich man’s gate “longing for scraps from the rich man’s table” (verse 19-21). In this story, both of the men die. Shocking the religious leaders who were listening, Lazarus, the poor man, was rewarded with a promise of eternity with God forever while the rich man was in anguish in “the place of the dead” (verses 22-23). In his agony, the rich man, who saw Lazarus with Abraham “in the far distance,” begged for Lazarus to go to his brothers to warn them so that they would not suffer the same fate as Lazarus (verses 22-28). In our study yesterday, we looked at Abraham’s response in this parable, “Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote” (verse 29). In other words, Scripture points us to our sin problem and our need for a Savior. We cannot outdo our sin problem with good works. Today, we will conclude our study of this parable by looking at the rich man’s response to Abraham in this parable.
After Abraham explained that the rich man’s brothers had Moses and the Prophets to warn them to turn to God in the parable found in Luke 16, the rich man said, “If someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God” (verse 30). The rich man was convinced that his brothers needed more proof, like a person raised from the dead, to see their need to turn to God. Look at Abraham’s response from this parable: “If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead” (verse 31). That’s how the parable concludes. Jesus told this parable knowing what was going to happen: He was going to die a brutal criminal’s death on a cross and then rise from the dead. Even after His resurrection, Jesus knew that most religious leaders would not believe in Him. As a result, they would face the same fate as the rich man in this story.
It is solely faith in Jesus that will save us, not our wealth, status, or even good works. Only Jesus can save us. The apostle Paul wrote about salvation only available through Jesus in 2nd Corinthians 5, saying, “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (verse 21). It is only through Jesus, who came to earth, lived a perfect life, died a criminal’s death on a cross, although innocent, and rose from the grave, that eternal life can be found. May each one of us look to Him and Him alone to save us.
The good news that salvation is available through Jesus is too good to stay quiet about. Who do you know who is lost and facing an eternity separated from Christ? Invite them to join you this weekend at one of our services. Your invitation may make all the difference in their lives.
Prayer Prompt: Use this prompt to guide you as you pray.
“God, I want to see those around me come to faith in You. As I seek to share my faith, use me…”
Going Deeper
2nd Corinthians 5:1-21
1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
©2026 Sagebrush Church
