Matthew 7:13-29

Jesus invites people to respond to his teaching.[1] He does so by warning against insufficient responses to his message that result in spiritual ruin. He does so by a series of contrasts[2]: the narrow and broad way, true and false prophets, those who know Jesus versus lawbreakers, and those who do Jesus’ words versus those who merely hear them. And the result is the difference heaven and hell, eternal life and eternal death.

[1] According to France, Matthew, NICNT, n11, “D. C. Allison, Moses 190–191, points out several thematic links between these verses and aspects of the book of Deuteronomy, and tentatively suggests that Matthew may have designed this final section of the discourse to correspond to the closing section of the Pentateuch.”

[2] France, Matthew, NICNT.