I know that this man was caught up into paradise …
Summary: There are places we cannot go on our own. Sometimes we have to be lifted up by others if we are going to get there. God sent the Lord Jesus so that we might all be lifted up to heaven.
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven.
Summary: In today’s passage Paul makes an offhand comment about the “third heaven.” Pondering what he means opens the door of our understanding wider when we consider the meaning of “heaven.”
…and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Summary: Sometimes we make simple things complicated by focusing on the wrong thing. Paul explains the foundation for Peter’s seven step plan. The goal is to honor our Lord in this life and the next.
Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
The hour has come. Jesus is now facing the end of his ministry, the reality of his mission on earth. In verse 24 he summarizes his situation. In today’s verse, he applies that same principle to the lives of those who would follow Him.
What is the life that we lose? What is the life that we keep? Clearly, there is a choice here. The question that leaps to the eye is, “How do we discern the difference?”