Mark 10:13–16: “Now people were bringing little children to Him for Him to touch, but the disciples scolded those who brought them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.’ After He took the children in His arms, He placed His hands on them and blessed them.”

So here we’re seeing two different reactions to children. One: the disciples—“Oh, this is big‑big people’s stuff, so little children shouldn’t have anything to do with it.” The other: we see Jesus indignant. Then He uses this opportunity to teach a lesson.

Notice two things there. He said, “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” So we see receiving and entering.

The argument is: am I supposed to “receive Jesus”? “Ask Jesus into your heart”? Different language we use—receive Jesus into your heart, come into the kingdom, message of the kingdom, “Is it the gospel of the kingdom? Is it ‘be born again’?” “No, it’s not ‘born again,’ it’s the message of the kingdom.” Those, in my opinion, are just different ways of saying the same thing—different ways of communicating the same thing.

He said, “Whoever does not receive…” So you’re receiving the kingdom of God as a gift, right? As a gift—and that is the attitude of a child. “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child…” meaning your disposition is as a needy one, your disposition is as somebody being helped, the disposition is that you have nothing to offer, but this is what God has given you in the gospel through Jesus Christ.

You can say, “Okay, when am I going to enter it? Have I entered the kingdom now or am I going to enter the kingdom later?” A lot of the conversations in Scripture—some of them tell you that the kingdom of God is coming. Look at what Paul said to people he went to preach to: “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). And Peter writes that through certain behaviors you will have a rich entrance into the kingdom of our Lord (2 Peter 1:11)—still pushing the concept of the kingdom of God into a future experience.

But now, the present experience is receiving the kingdom into our heart. Jesus, when talking to Nicodemus, said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God… except a man be born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:3, 5). That communicates two different angles: you’re born again (the same as receiving the kingdom, the same as receiving Jesus), and then you enter the kingdom of God.

The Bible talks about Jesus coming again the second time, and about the resurrection from the dead—that people will rise from the dead, and those who are alive in Christ will be caught up to meet Him in the air, and they will reign with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17; Revelation 20:4–6). That is the kingdom “properly so,” right? But there’s a sense of the kingdom that is present. There’s a sense in which you receive the kingdom.

And Jesus is using this opportunity to say that you need to have the same attitude of receiving that a child has. Have the same attitude when it comes to the kingdom.

What is Jesus doing to them here? They’re bringing the little children to Him for Him to touch. “He took the children in His arms, He placed His hands on them and blessed them.” The idea is that the blessing is something we receive—the blessing of the kingdom. It’s my thinking here that this is illustrative of receiving the blessing of the kingdom as something that comes to you, something you come to Jesus for.

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy‑laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The attitude of coming to Jesus tells you that you are moving from whatever you were trusting in before; you are recognizing that Christ is the One you should trust, Christ is the One you should put your hope in.

And Paul warned against “fighting about words” (2 Timothy 2:14). “Is it this word we should use? That word we should use? Is it ‘born again’? Is it ‘kingdom’? These people use this word, that’s the right word to use…”

Receive the kingdom—and then you will enter the kingdom.

God bless you. See you later.