What did Jesus mean when he said, what is impossible for man, is possible for God?

Question

He was asked, then "who gets into Heaven?"

Answer 1

What man can't do, God can. He can do anything, He is God.

Man, can't get into Heaven by himself. Because we are not clean enough. But God can make us clean enough.

Answer 2

These passages come from Luke 18 and you don't have them in the order the appear in Luke, but don't worry!

I mention this because when we have Bible verses like this that we don't understand, the best approach is to first look at what the context of the verse is -- that is, what else is happening? where are these verses in the flow of the story?

In this particular Luke passage, Jesus and the disciples are talking about salvation, and the question is actually a little different, "Then who can be saved?" So, the question is about salvation and not getting into Heaven, which are similar but different questions theologically, but we don't need to go there now!

We often assume the world salvation in the Bible means assurance of the afterlife, but it can also refer to a political, economic salvation that many were looking to in Jesus.
The question is asked because Jesus is talking about how difficult it will be for the rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. This is the well known part where Jesus says it will be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

The idea here is that we need to consider how wealth shifts our focus away from ideas of God's Kingdom as they are portrayed in the Gospels. For example, the Kingdom is portrayed as a non-political, non-hierarchical society (The last shall be first!) in which goods are distributed in a more egalitarian system. So wealth accumulation is not a part of a society that Jesus envisions here.

So, how do we get into the Kingdom --all of us are indeed caught up in consumer-driven, wealth accumulating modes --this understanding is at the bedrock of society, so how we can change?

Part of it seems to be up to us, but we can only go so far in making the changes towards bringing about what this Kingdom stands for. Another part, the impossible part, is not beyond what God can do. This often is a life-long process in which God works with hearts and minds.

Answer 3

He means that God can make things happen that man would think can't be done. Man's logic, ability and capacity is finite and can only go so far. God is not contained in a box, but he can make anything possible. When man comes to an end, God can allow things to happen beyond man's end.

Answer 4

Spiritual purity.

Human nature, Satan and the temptations of this world are too strong for anyone to overcome with only the spirit of man. Jesus Christ was full of the spirit of God from birth, and so was able to overcome all spiritual opposition to God's Way. We require that spirit too if we desire to be with God and Jesus in the Kingdom of God.

Answer 5

Jesus was trying to convey the idea that no matter how good or righteous a person is, it is never enough to qualify them for entrance into heaven.

Only ones that are "Perfect" can dwell with God in heaven.

Gods Word says;

Isaiah 64:6
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

That is why Jesus, who "never" sinned, by laying down His life to pay for our sins, made it possible for anyone to enter heaven.

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Romans 10:9-10
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Answer 6

obviously god gets into heaven..

jesus talked in the language of the masses ...and with intelligent people he talked in intelligent language..

If you think you are nothing but this body and this mind, then you are very limited..

but when u think you are the spirit then u can work wonders....

"what is impossible for man, is possible for god....".. did u get it

and, obviosly who thinks he is the spirit is happy, he doesnt have misery..he is strong, he is powerful and is free...

he goes to heaven..

Answer 7

This is why:

Virgin Birth - Was it a preconceived notion?

What is the Imacculate Conception?

An Imacculate Deception?

Did Jesus give up Saturday for us?

Jesus? Christianity? .

If Jesus died, he could NOT have been God.

Gods do not die? Do they?

If Jesus 'died' on Friday and 'undied' on Sunday, what else besides Saturday was sacrificed?

If Jesus died for our sins, there should not be any more sins, else why go through with it?.

If Jesus really DIED, he should be dead, dead, dead!

If you swallow this stuff, you are not going to like the folks who don't. You want them to swallow it too.

Answer 8

The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Mankind on it's own is not capable of achieving that which the entire universe is capable of. If we work together we can become like God, because God is the sum of all that is. We are the sum of God.

Answer 9

with that question Jesus responce was a rich man will be corrupted with all his money but even if that rich man was sincere about keeping Gods laws then with Gods spirit even a rich man can come into the kingdom.

Answer 10

God can do all, man cannot go through a week without sinning, as for God, he cant sin

Answer 11

It means that there are things that are not possible for mankind to do, but he can do all. Jesus is able to do anything.