CCC Livestream - The Gospel Shaped Family - Mark 10:13-16
Live Worship Gathering: 6.21.2026
Preaching: Jason Purdy
I invite you to take your copy of God’s word and turn with me to Mark 10.
We will look at verses 13-16 today.
As we continue our summer sermon series: “The Gospel Shaped Family.”
We are walking through some key passages on marriage, on singleness, on parenting, and on children, as well as some passages addressing key issues that we all deal with in family life - both in our biological families and in our church family.
My prayer is that God would continue to make us and shape us by His grace and through His gospel into a godly church family that is made up of godly gospel shaped families.
The main theme of the first half of the gospel of Mark is Jesus’ identity as both God and man, and more specifically how Jesus is the Son of God.
Now, in the second half of Mark’s gospel, where we find ourselves today, the main theme shifts to the idea of discipleship and humble service, or to put it another way, how we live in light of knowing and following the God-man Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Jesus has begun to tell his disciples he will be delivered over and killed and on the third day rise again, and he uses this information to call us who follow Jesus to die to ourselves and take up the humble life of service to Christ in this world.
And as we look at chapter 10, the gospel of Mark shows us how following Jesus affects key relationships in our lives like marriage and children.
In our approach to marriage and to children, we must die to ourselves and take up the humble life of service to Christ in this world.
We considered verses 1-12 on marriage last week and will consider verses 13-16 on children today.
The reason why Mark places these two passages back to back is because Jesus is showing us the difference between how the world views marriage and how Jesus views marriage, especially when it comes to the great value of women.
Remember, the Pharisees were arguing that Moses allows for men to choose to divorce their wives for any reason, which would leave a woman very vulnerable in the ancient world.
And Jesus completely destroyed their argument by showing them from Moses’ writings why they were wrong, what biblical marriage truly is, and how biblical marriage honors women by protecting them from being passed around from one man to another although the culture allowed for such things.
And now, in our passage today, Jesus is going to show us the difference between the way the world views children and how Jesus views children in terms of their value.
I want to point out that this is not necessarily a passage about parenting but about how we should all view children and what children teach us about God and his kingdom.
Would you follow along as I read?
Mark 10:13–16 ESV
13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
1. Bring Children To Jesus
Just one chapter earlier in Mark 9, the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest among them, so Jesus brought a child into the midst of them and said, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
And this was a shockingly new notion to the disciples because Jewish society did not hold a romanticized view of children like our culture tends to.
In our culture, children are seen as innocent, cute, fun loving, and represent freedom and life, but in the Jewish mind of the day, children were not fit to work and were not able to obey God’s law, so childhood was a time that held little to no value in the ancient mindset.
So, in this scene, people are trying to bring children to Jesus that he might touch them.
It may seem strange to us, but we read that Jesus’ ministry throughout the gospels was many times a very physical ministry of touch.
Back in the Old Testament law, we read that those who were ritually unclean due to a physical condition should not be touched by others, because anyone who touched them became ritually unclean as well.
Yet, when Jesus approaches those who need healing and help, he would touch them as a physical ministry of presence showing us that when the God man touches impurities, he does not because unclean, but the unclean become healed, because he who has no nature of sin is able to heal all sin and disease.
So, bringing children to be touched by Jesus would symbolize God’s blessing and favor on a child like the laying on of hands in prayer would.
Yet, as we see the people trying to bring the children to Jesus, the disciples of Jesus following the cultural expectations of the day rebuke the people for their actions.
The word rebuke is a heavy handed word meaning the disciples did not hold back in being ugly toward these people who would think Jesus was so unimportant that he would give his time to worthless children.
And when Jesus observed his disciples treating the people this way, verse 14 says, “He was indignant.”
Indignant means he was aroused to anger and he expressed emotional disgust toward his disciples’ attitude and actions.
Had they learned nothing from his lesson in Mark 9?
And Jesus told them, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them.”
You see, what makes a person angry shows a lot about what that person values.
Jesus expresses anger at the disciples’ rejection of children, because Jesus greatly values children.
Jesus’ words and actions express God’s love, compassion, and defense for the helpless, vulnerable, and powerless.
For in the kingdom of God, many of the first will be last and the last first.
Jesus said, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.”
Let’s be honest with ourselves for a moment, what are some ways that we can be tempted to devalue children and ministry toward children?
Children will most likely not give us a pat on the back and money in the offering plate.
It is tempting for parents and even moms to believe that giving her time and efforts to the raising and ministry of her children is somehow second class.
Some are tempted to think that children’s ministry is something for people who are not good enough ministers to minister to the adults.
But, by no means is this the case.
Children are our mission field.
God calls us to teach them, train them, love them, interact with them, value them, and always be sharing Jesus with them.
Our culture either devalues children to the point where they justify abortion for those who see children as an inconvenience and unnecessary,
Or others idolize childhood and make children the center of their universe.
One of the key ways show off the glory of Christ is how we value marriage differently because of Christ like we saw last week,
And how we value children and point them to Jesus.
Bring children to Jesus.
2. The Kingdom Of God Belongs To Children
Jesus says in verse 14, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.”
The original word for children in this passage is a word that means infants and young children.
And now here, Jesus says, “To children belong the kingdom of God.”
Now, I must be honest and say we do not have one clear passage of Scripture that says that all infants and young children who die go to Heaven, and not all Christians take this position, but I confidently hold the position that all infants and young children who die go to Heaven to be with God for eternity.
I do not hold that belief just because that is what I want to be true.
I hold that belief because of God’s word.
Jesus says to such belongs the kingdom of God.
Few things are more tragic than a miscarriage, stillborn baby, death of an infant or child, but I believe with all my heart on the authority of God’s word, they are in heaven to reunite with all who repent and believe in Jesus.
Even if you do not take the view I take on this: I believe we must say that we entrust the issue to God’s sovereignty and for believers, God never fails to do all things for His glory and for our good.
A book I used in my study this week called, Christ-Centered Exposition of the Gospel of Mark listed seven biblical reasons why it makes biblical sense that infants and young children go to heaven, and I affirm them as well:
First, the grace, goodness, and mercy of God would support the position that all infants and young children go to Heaven.
The Scriptures are clear that God is love and desires all to be saved.
God’s concern for children is evident in our passage today and in others.
People go to hell because they choose willful rebellion and unbelief to reject God and His grace, and young children are incapable of this kind of conscious rejection of God.
Second, in the Bible, when the baby of David and Bathsheba died, David confessed confidence that he would see the baby again and he comforted his wife.
Third, James 1:17 says, “It is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn’t do it.”
While we are all born in the original sin of Adam, the Bible makes a distinction between original sin and actual sins.
Original sin is why infants can die physically.
Only actual sins committed in the knowledge of right and wrong lead to spiritual death and separation from Christ.
Fourth, Jesus affirmed that the kingdom of God belonged to little children.
This seems to affirm the reality that children populate heaven.
Fifth, Scripture affirms that the number of saved souls is very great.
Revelation 7:9 speaks of a multitude that no one could number in Heaven, but there has never been a time in human history where there were more proclaimed Jesus followers than there were non-Christians.
And, Jesus even states that the way is wide that leads to destruction and many find it, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few find it.
How could both of these Biblical statements be true? They can both be true if the countless multitude who have died prematurely, in the womb, in infancy, or young childhood make up the majority of those who are in Heaven!
The great preacher, Charles Spurgeon wrote, “I rejoice to know that the souls of all infants, as soon as they die, speed their way to paradise. Think what a multitude there is of them!”
Sixth, some in Scripture are said to be chosen or sanctified from the womb.
This affirms the possibility of all who die in infancy to be saved.
Seventh, in Deuteronomy, young children are exempted from the punishment of having to die in the wilderness.
Because the people of God rebelled against God, God sentenced them to die in the wilderness, but he wrote this in Deuteronomy 1:39, “You little children, whom you said would be plunder, your sons who don’t know good from evil, will enter there.”
This shows that the young who did not yet know good from evil were not punished with the adults.
Charles Spurgeon was so confident that young children went to Heaven, He made an evangelistic appeal to parents based on this very fact:
“Many of you parents who have children in heaven. Is it not a desirable thing that you should go there too?… Mother, unconverted mother, from the battlements of heaven your child beckons you to Paradise. Father, ungodly, impenitent father, the little eyes that once looked joyously on you, look down upon you now and the lips which had scarcely learned to call you Father ere they were sealed by the silence of death, may be heard as with a still, small voice, say to you this morning, “Father, must we be forever divided by the great gulf which no man can pass?” …If thou wilt think of these matters, perhaps the heart will begin to move, and the eyes may begin to flow and then may the Holy Spirit put before thine eyes the cross of the Savior…if thou wilt turn thine eye to Him, thou shalt live.” -Spurgeon
Jesus said the kingdom of God belongs to children, will it belong to you as well?
If it will, you must:
3. Receive The Kingdom Of God Like A Child
Verse 15: Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.
What does it mean to receive the kingdom of God like a child?
If it is a necessity to of salvation, if it is a necessity of entering the kingdom of God, it is a necessity that we know what it means to receive it like a child.
Now, we most likely will first think that Jesus is saying that we must have child-like characteristics in order to receive the kingdom of God.
And then we start thinking about characteristics that we connect to children like innocence, spontaneity, humility, or the ability to believe something without questioning it.
But, in our study of the passage, this cannot be what Jesus means.
Because I already told you earlier that the characteristics that we assign to children in 2026 are not the characteristics that were assigned to children in the ancient world.
Instead, children were considered immoral beings who could not yet follow the law of God and they were valueless until they attained to a certain age.
So, if Jesus were pointing us to the characteristics of children, he would be telling us that in order to receive the kingdom of God we must be immoral and valueless to society.
That is not what Jesus is saying.
Instead, let’s think of the context of our passage.
Look back with me at Mark 9 starting in verse 33:
The disciples were arguing over who was the greatest disciple.
Who was the greatest in terms of status and prestige.
We know it was about status and prestige because Jesus corrects their thinking by telling them the first must be last and a servant to all.
He is saying the one with the greatest status in the kingdom of God is the one who comes last and servant to all.
Then, he wraps his arms around a child and says, “Whoever receives one such child in my name, receives me.”
It wasn’t about the child’s characteristics.
It was about the child’s lowly status.
Moving on to verses 38-41:
The disciples see a man casting out a demon in Jesus’ name, and they try to stop him because he is not a follower of the disciples.
That’s what the text says.
It doesn’t say they tried to stop him because he didn’t follow Jesus.
It says they tried to stop him because he doesn’t follow us - the disciples.
Jesus corrects them saying whoever gives a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
In other words, people do not have to honor and acknowledge your status as one of the twelve disciples in order to belong to Christ.
If they are just kind enough to offer you some water when they ask, it will do.
As followers of Jesus, you are not to view yourselves as kings but as servants.
Verses 42-50: I don’t care who you are or what your status is - if you cause little ones who believe in me to sin, you deserve death and hell.
Chapter 10 verses 1-12:
It does not matter what kind of status you believe you have as a man in this society,
You cannot just write your wife a certificate of divorce and marry another without it being a serious sin.
Now our passage today: Let the children come to me though they hold no societal status.
For to such belongs the kingdom of God.
And truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.
In other words, you will only ever enter the kingdom of God is you enter with the status of a child.
You know it was a shocking statement both to the disciples and to all who heard, not only because of how the ancients viewed children,
But also due to the fact that Jesus starts the statement with the words, “Truly I say to you.”
Everything Jesus said was true, so he didn’t say that statement before every sentence he ever spoke.
He said that statement when He was about to tell them something they had never heard before and it was a spiritual truth that was going to contradict the notions of the day.
What does it mean to have the status of a young child, and how do we receive God’s kingdom with that kind of status?
What have we already said?
Children could not obey the law of God, so they had no status of righteousness or good of their own.
Children could not make any money, so they had no buying power or earning potential.
Children could not defend themselves, so they were vulnerable to attack.
Children held no places of honor, they were servants, they were overlooked,
They were the opposite of the Pharisees who loved to have the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplace.
Paul picks up on Jesus’ teaching in:
1 Corinthians 1:26–29 ESV
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
Your worldly status holds no weight in the kingdom of God, in fact, it could be the very thing that keeps you from it.
Galatians 3:28 ESV
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
None of those statuses hold any weight when it comes to being in Christ Jesus.
So, once again: What does it mean to have the status of a young child, and how do we receive God’s kingdom with that kind of status?
The gospel is that while we were sinners who have fallen far short of God’s glory, while we are lost and dying in our sin, while we are in the status of hostility with God,
God sent His son Jesus.
And Jesus humbled himself from the status of equality with God to taking the form as a servant and being born a newborn baby.
And while Jesus grew in wisdom and favor with both God and man, Jesus had no worldly status to speak of.
He was from a backwoods town and a humble profession.
He ate with sinners, he healed the deaf, sick, and lame.
Though he never sinned, those who held worldly religious and political status hated Jesus and nailed him to a Roman cross.
On the cross, Jesus identified with the status of criminal, of sinner, and of cursed of God, for cursed his any man who is hanged on a tree.
Yet, three days later, Jesus was raised to life by the power of God defeating our sin and death and was highly exalted to the right hand of the throne of God.
And all who are convicted of their sin and convinced that God is no respecter of persons,
All who understand that they have no righteousness or goods or treasures of their own that could ever buy entry into the Kingdom of God,
That nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling.
All who place their faith in the work of the Lord Jesus in his cross and resurrection for your salvation, with the status of a child.
I can bring no good, no obedience, no self discipline, no degrees, or certificates, no accomplishments, no sufferings, no amount of tears, no religious rituals, nor years of service, in order to offer in exchange for entry into the kingdom.
Instead, I bring nothing; and by God’s grace, I gain Him, and His kingdom.
Listen, if you are here today, and you have not been saved from the righteous wrath to come against your sin, and you have not been saved into the hope of the kingdom of God,
It is not your sinfulness that is going to keep you from entering the kingdom of God.
I can say that because Jesus has done everything necessary to save you from your sinfulness through the cross and resurrection.
If you do not enter the kingdom of God, it will be because you believed in yourself, like you have the intellectual status to argue away God, and to argue away his wrath toward sin, and to argue away your need for a Savior.
Or you believe your status as of being religious, or of being a “good person,” or of accomplishing certain rituals is going to grant you a pass.
But Jesus said, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.
How do you enter like a child? You admit you bring nothing, but Jesus paid it all.
You forsake any hope of worldly status and prestige and you submit to your Lord and Savior Jesus who become servant of all.
Finally,
4. Commit Yourself To The Blessing Of Children
In verse 16, Jesus took the little children in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
The ritual of giving blessings was a practice well established in Israel.
In the book of Genesis, Noah blessed Shem and Japheth, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, and Jacob blessed his sons and grandsons.
They spoke words of love and grace. Words identifying them as beloved sons and heirs of their fortunes.
Sons could draw from their father’s blessings in times of hardship and need to remind them who they are and whose they are.
In the same way, Jesus’ speaking of blessing would remind the parents and the children that they were created in the image of God and beloved in the sight of God.
I remember a time when I was so discouraged and a friend placed his hand on my shoulder, smiled, and said I love you, and more importantly God loves you.
Man, that was such a blessing to me to be reminded who I am and whose I am and the touch was a needed touch of encouragement and comfort.
God has come near to each one of us in the person of Jesus Christ, speaking his great love and care for us and identifying His children as sons and daughters of God.
We should also remember how much our words and our body language speaks to others in our lives.
In my marriage or parenting, it can become easy for me to focus on negative things and speak in negatives.
While that is sometimes necessary, the words and actions that really bless people and speak into their lives are the positive words of blessing, telling people how you see God using them and how God loves them.
Do this for your spouse. Do this for your children. Do this for your fellow church members.
Providing simple gestures of touch and presence to remind someone, you are not alone, and you are loved.
Our God speaks words of life and blessing into his children, and comforts us with the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Who would God compel you to be the hands and feet of Christ to this week by ministering your presence and words of blessing to this week?
Commit yourself to the blessing of children and the children of God, whether they are five years old or 95 years old, and in so doing, God uses you to be a tangible blessing of God’s presence to others and you experience the blessing of the Holy Spirit’s presence in you made possible by salvation by faith alone.
Let’s pray.
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