In today’s text, salvation is shown as the most valuable gift bestowed by God, emphasizing its rarity and significance. Despite being widely offered, Scripture underscores that only a few will ultimately be saved, pointing to the gravity of embracing this divine gift with one’s entire being. The author frames salvation not as a peripheral spiritual idea, but as the sole matter of importance at the time of death, one that determines entry into the eternal kingdom of God.
One of the primary reasons for salvation’s value is its origin in the character of God, who acts out of love, grace, kindness, and compassion. The lament over Jerusalem in verse 34 illustrates how God’s offer of salvation was tragically rejected by the very people He longed to save. Though Jerusalem was chosen by God and honored as the dwelling place of His temple, its history of killing prophets reflects a persistent rejection of His messengers. Still, Jesus’ sorrow over the city signifies God’s deep compassion, and His determination to offer salvation not just to Jerusalem, but to the entire world.
Furthermore, salvation is seen as God’s ongoing mission, demonstrating His persistent effort to reach humanity. The phrase “how often” reveals His tireless pursuit of sinners, highlighting that God never ceases in His redemptive work. Even after Christ’s resurrection, the Spirit continued spreading salvation through the early Church and beyond, ensuring that the gospel would reach generation after generation. This unrelenting divine initiative is what ultimately enables believers to hear, respond to, and accept the message of salvation.
The imagery of God gathering His people like a hen gathers her chicks reveals both His protective nature and His desire to draw humanity into intimate relationship. Salvation is not simply about deliverance from sin, but about being drawn near to God. In doing so, God transforms sinners not only into citizens of His kingdom, but into priests—representatives of His presence and truth in the world. This divine gathering reflects not only justice but a nurturing heart, echoing maternal tenderness found in Scripture.
However, the passage also confronts the tragic reality of human rejection of salvation. Though God offers numerous opportunities for redemption, sinners often resist it, not on intellectual or emotional grounds, but because of a willful preference for sin. According to the author, the human condition, being spiritually dead, naturally gravitates away from God. Thus, the refusal of salvation is not due to God’s failure to offer it, but the sinner’s stubborn desire to remain apart from Him.
The stakes of rejecting salvation are portrayed as ultimate and irreversible. The Bible offers vivid imagery of hell and eternal separation from God, reinforcing the urgency of embracing salvation in this life. Once a soul has passed into eternity without Christ, there remains no further opportunity for redemption. This understanding compels believers to proclaim the gospel boldly, while there is still time for others to respond.
Salvation’s worth is also reflected in the eternal hope it offers believers. In contrast to the despair of judgment, salvation brings a lasting joy rooted in the presence of God. Christ Himself modeled this hope during His suffering, enduring the cross for the joy set before Him. The Christian’s hope, then, is not based on circumstances, but on the future promise of glory, a hope that sustains believers through trials and gives them a vision of heaven even amid life’s darkest moments.
In conclusion, the passage encourages believers to treat salvation with reverence and seriousness, understanding its divine origin, enduring hope, and eternal consequences. It calls for a life marked by “fear and trembling,” not out of dread, but in recognition of the immense gift that salvation is. More than anything else, salvation is presented as the greatest treasure one can possess, both now and forever.
BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH 
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