Matthew 25:31-46 "The Final Judgment "

 

We have come to the end of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount of Olives, as contained in Matthew 24 & 25. It contains Jesus’ most succinct teaching on the end times. From here follows a further plot to kill Jesus, His anointing at Bethany, the institution of the Lord’s Supper, the betrayal and arrest, the crucifixion and resurrection, ending with the Great Commission in Matthew 28.  

Today is Palm Sunday, the day on which the church remembers the Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Normally we would focus on Matthew 21:1-11, but in the providence of God we can look to the greater fulfilment of that triumphal entry.  The ultimate triumphal entry will be the second coming of the Lord Jesus, and the ultimate event associated with that 2^nd coming is the final judgement, our focus for today.  We have seen the Lord Jesus speaking about His triumphal coming in 24:29ff. This was followed by 2 parables.  The parable of the 10 virgins (25:1-13) is an exhortation to be prepared for His second coming, and the parable of the talents (25:14-29) deals  with the matter of giving a personal account to  the Lord  for the  investment that He has made  in us. The closing words of the parable of the talents (25:28-30) lead us to the words on the final judgement (25:31-46). So, what we now read from v.31 onwards, builds on what Jesus has said before!  These are solemn and heart searching words.

Our text contains a description of

1.      His ultimate triumphal entry (v.31) “When the Son of Man comes in his glory…”

2.      The gathering of  all the nations (v.32a) “Before Him will be gathered all the nations”

3.      The great separation (vv.32b-46) “And he will separate people from one another…”

 

1.      THE ULTIMATE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY (v.31)

V. 31 The judgment of the whole world (all nations) begins when the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the angels with him…”. We will comment on the role of the angels later. This same Jesus who first came in the form of a little baby- supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary, born in humble circumstances, taking on the form of a servant, despised and rejected by men, nailed to a cross, suffering the punishment that was due to the worst of criminals - this same Jesus now comes in His true glory – the glory He had before the world existed (Jn.17:5).

“He will sit on His glorious throne”. God is on the throne of the Universe. This is the God whom Isaiah saw in Isaiah 6:1ff. The throne is a place of authority and judgement. God is the Supreme Judge.^[1] God the Father has submitted all judgment to Jesus (Jn. 5:22). He and the Father are one, and they are united in their judgement.

2.      THE GATHERING OF ALL THE NATIONS (v.32a)

“Before Him will be gathered all the nations…” – these are all people, created in his image, from all times, since the beginning of the creation of man, from Adam and Eve to the last one born before the coming of Christ. All will be gathered before Him who is seated on His glorious throne.

3.       THE GREAT SEPARATION  (vv.32b-46)

This is what constitutes the main part of our text. These are Jesus’ closing comments   of His teaching on the final things. The key word  is  separation[2]: “And he will separate people from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats“.

In the first place we need to ask, “What gives Him the right to separate the peoples of the world in this way?” The people of the world may now say, “but, I never belonged to this Christian religion! I was a Muslim, a Buddhist, or an Atheist. He has no right to judge me.” The Bible however maintains that this YAHWEH, the LORD, this JESUS  whom they have denied  and despised  is in fact  the sovereign ruler of the earth. The Bible steadfastly maintains that “the earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and all those that dwell therein” (Ps.24:1). Since then He owns all people, He has the right to judge all people/ nations.

Secondly, we need to ask, “How will he judge all people, seeing that many have returned to dust?” Now we need to remember that the second coming of Christ will be associated with a general resurrection of the just and the unjust (Acts 24:15).  Note that the righteous dead will be resurrected first (1 Thess. 4:16,17). All this is in accordance with the prophecy of Daniel:  “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt“(Dan.12:2). The Bible insists that at the end of the ages there must be a righteous judgement, and we are glad, for there is so much unfairness and injustice   in this world now.  So, He must judge all! This teaching is strongly represented in the apostolic message. Peter, when called to speak to the household of Cornelius, said in Acts 10:42: “He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead”. To the Athenian philosophers Paul said, “he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). To the Corinthians  he wrote,  “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”(2 Cor. 5:10) 

Associated with the coming of Christ will be the angels. They do not only accompany Him in an impressive dazzling splendor at His triumphal return, but we note that they have a specific job to do. Their work is to gather the evil doers. In Matt.13:41-42 (Parable of the weeds) we read  “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all lawbreakers, and  throw them into the fiery furnace.” But their work will also be to gather the elect (Matt.24:31). “And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” So we see then that the world (the nations) – the just and the unjust, the wicked and the elect are both spoken to by the Lord Jesus Christ. The whole world is accountable before God (Rom 3:19).

Now follows the teaching on the great Separation:  “… and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”  (25:32b-33). The parable of the wheat and the weeds teaches us that sheep and goats, Christ’s people and non- Christians live together in this world, until that day when the Great Shepherd comes. On that day He will make an accurate distinction between the two.  But what will be the criteria by which He separate them?

25:34- 46  A  Commendation and a Condemnation

Here we find the basis of Jesus’ acquittal and judgment, respectively on the righteous (25:34-40) and the on the unrighteous  (25:41-46). 

1.  The commendation (25:34-40) with respect to the sheep comes first.  V.34 is a crucial text. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom  prepared for you from the  foundation of the world.  Why is this verse important? It forms the basis of a true believer’s justification before God. Now look at vv. 35 & 36. If you read this without first considering v.34,  you might come to the conclusion that  the  commendation of the righteous is primarily based on their good works! “I fed the hungry; I welcomed strangers; I clothed the naked; I visited the sick; I visited the prisoners….”. The tempting conclusion is that since I did these things,  therefore I will inherit the kingdom.  But NO! The justification of the righteous is established on the basis of their election in eternity… ”from the foundation of the world” (v.34). This matches Jesus own teaching in this sermon, here (see Matthew 24:22,24,31) and elsewhere. The basis of God’s salvation is rooted not in our works but in His mercy.  The Bible teaches that God’s sheep are justified before the beginning of time.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ; for he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love He predestined us …  (Eph.1:3-4)

“God … who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.“ (2 Tim. 1:9)  

Nobody is ever justified on the basis of their works before God. We are always justified on the basis of God’s sovereign  grace ALONE, which is based on the atoning death of Christ for sinners ALONE. He ALONE is the ROOT of our salvation. 

Having said that, what then about the strong emphasis on the good works (or the absence of them) that the Great Judge, the Lord Jesus Christ sees, (or fails to see) here?   They are the FRUIT, or the lack of FRUIT which demonstrate our salvation. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING – FRUIT BEARING CHRISTIANS

You will remember that throughout His ministry on earth, the Lord Jesus had stressed the importance of showing mercy to the poor, the hungry and the naked and the sick and those that were imprisoned because of righteousness.^[3]  He commands each believer to do the same. What is of significance here is the fact that in each case, a little need is met in the lives of the least of my brothers (i.e. those of the Christian household- who should be always first à Gal. 6:10). Serving the members of Christ in this way honours and serves the Lord Jesus Christ (v.40). Jesus is most honoured in the daily, spontaneous, random little acts of Christian compassion. They are daily moved by the love of Jesus to do these things, and they are mostly not aware of the good that they do to their brothers. These are called the ‘blessed’ here. Wonderful!

By way of contrast we find the proof of absent works in vv.41-45.  Christ’s words to them begin with a condemnation (v.41):  “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels“.  Notice - their judgment rests on the proof of absence of love for the least of these members of his household.   Notice that not a single mention of the really bad sins, murder, idolatry, adultery, theft etc. is mentioned! The Bible is clear that these will not inherit the kingdom of heaven (Gal. 5:19-21). Jesus is here focusing on the subtle sins and signs of absence of grace in the heart.  Notice that the wicked express surprise at the fact  that they are  judged  for  their lack of caring  for these ‘ little things’ (v.44). But in truth their lack of care in these matters shows that they have an unbelieving heart. They have no ROOT and therefore no FRUIT. The result  product of unbelief is eternal punishment (24: 51; 25: 30 41, 46)

CONCLUSION

Jesus’ teaching on the end-times in Matt 24 & 25  does not only reveal  the destruction of the physical temple,  and  the deception  of  many by  the anti- Christ, and the subsequent  victorious  coming of Christ –  and the destruction  of the universe as we know it.  He draws attention  to our readiness to receive Him. He draws attention to the fruitfulness  of our lives in the parable of the talents, and in particular our daily  fruitfulness in the ordinary  things that flow out of our hearts in particular to our brothers and sisters in  Christ. He concludes His teaching by speaking of your and my commendation or condemnation  at the end of days! 

It begs us to take a good look at ourselves and  the great question therefore is this: WHERE WILL YOU SPEND ETERNITY?

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[1] Genesis  18:25; Isa 30:18 ;  Psalm 75:7

[2] Greek:  aphorizō  lit. to mark off by boundaries or  limits (apo- from; horizo –to determine /mark out)

[3] E.g.  Matt 5:7 ; 43-48; 8:17; 9:36; 11:28-30; 12:7,20-21; 14:16,24-36 ;  15:32; 18:1-6, 22,35 ;  19:13-15; 20:28; 22:9,37-39 ;  23:37)

Matthew 25: 14- 30 - The Parable of the Talents

 

The parable of the talents follows the parable of the 10 virgins. The 2  parables  are connected  by  a conjunction-  the  word  “for“ - a small but important  word that connects sentences,  and therefore  thoughts.  These two parables are really one story. Please note that this man going on the journey in 25:14 is the same man who is the coming bridegroom in 25:1. Jesus is speaking about Himself.  He is the key to the interpretation of this parable.

The parable of the 10 virgins teaches us that we must be prepared for the 2^nd coming of Jesus. The parable demonstrates that prolonged waiting for His second coming is difficult.  We saw that all the girls had fallen asleep at the time of the bridegroom’s coming. And yet there was a vital distinction. Five foolish girls had insufficient oil for their lamps and when the bridegroom came, they were unprepared to go with him.  The five wise girls also slept because of tiredness, but in their hearts they were awake, and in everything they were prepared for the bridegroom’s coming. They had oil for their lamps. They were ready to go with the bridegroom when He suddenly arrived at midnight. That is the big point of that parable. Are you ready to go with Jesus when He comes?  

If the  parable of the 10 virgins  addresses  our  state of readiness to receive  Jesus, the parable of the talents  will deal  with the matter of  giving a personal account to  the Lord  for the  investment that He has made  in us.

THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

Jesus is now speaking about that which will happen after the cross (Matt.27:32ff) and after the resurrection (Matt 28:1-10) and after the ascension (Mk. 16:19; Lk. 24:50,51; Acts 1:6-11). He is speaking about His return. He speaks about this most specifically in John 14:1-3.   All the indications are that His return will appear to be delayed, or long in coming (24:48;25:5,19). Moreover his return will be at an unexpected hour (24:36-51). In our first parable He comes at midnight. That is late! Who goes to a wedding party at midnight, at 24h00?  But that is the point which Jesus makes. He will return at an unexpected time, and the call is  to be ready  to go with the bridegroom  when He comes.  But now that He has come, what will He do?  The rest of this  25^th  chapter  deals with  this  by way  of (i) The parable  of the talents (25:14-30) -  the  examination of the works of  those that  are  said to be His servants (ii)  The final judgement  leading to the final state  of each person (25:31-46)

THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

Vv. 13,14: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor hour. For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property“.

In our parable this man goes on a journey. In his absence he entrusts his possessions to his servants (here douloi – lit. slaves). The picture is clear. This man is Jesus. He is the owner of this property. His property is the world and all that He has created. But in all that, He has a particular object of affection – His bride. In the previous parable He is the bridegroom of His bride.  His bride is His church. His church is the totality of all His elect past, present and future. At His second coming that bride will be complete.  He will now receive her to Himself. But He has another work to do. He must separate true believers from false believers. This parable is the lead-up to that final section on the final judgement.

How  Will The Lord Jesus  Determine  Who Constitutes His True Bride?

The answer is fruitfulness!

v.15 “To the one he gave 5 talents, to another 2, to another 1, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.” The bridegroom, who is now the master of the house went away. This refers to Christ’s ascension. But He leaves his house – the church with something – talents!  

A talent was a monetary unit.  A talent was roughly equivalent to 6000 denarii’s.  A denarius was a standard wage for a day’s work, for a common labourer. Therefore   6000 denarii’s would amount to about 16.5 years of work, if you worked every day, 365 days a year, for a denarius! So then, a talent is substantial money.

The  English language  has  taken the Greek word “talantos“ and  created  the  word “talent” or “gift”. By “gift” we mean the biblical definition of a gift, which is not for personal use, but for the purpose of glorifying God. This is what is meant by Ephesians 4:8 where we read, “When he (Jesus) ascended on high, he gave gifts to men.” The ascended Lord Jesus by His Holy Spirit gave varying gifts or talents into the hands of each one of his bride - His people, His servants.  This is also what we read about in 1 Corinthians 12 – 14 where we read about the Holy Spirit’s sovereign distribution of spiritual gifts in the church. These spiritual gifts are given for the purpose of re-investment in the body of Christ. By means of these gifts the church is greatly enriched. Glory goes to God when the church uses her gifts for the mutual edification of the body of Christ and for the extension of His kingdom. By the same line of thinking however it can also be said that the church can be impoverished by the withholding of these spiritual gifts, so that the church bears a poor testimony to her Lord. This is what Jesus speaks about when He refers to the salt losing its saltiness and the   when light of the church is hidden (Matt. 5:13-16).

The picture of the talents helps us to understand that these gifts that Jesus entrusts to His servants are very valuable. It is essential that these gifts or talents must work. They must be invested for a handsome return. In the life of the church that means that we must be fruitful. That which He has put into our hands must promote and improve the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom.. Fruitfulness is the key!

Now note that the master of the house   gave 5, 2 and 1 talent, each according to his ability.  The master knew His servant’s abilities well.  Jesus knows each one of His servants well! He knew what was in them, and He gave them according to what he knew they could handle.  

These three servants are illustrative of all of Christ’s servants in every age. Every Christian is endowed with talents or gifts, but (here is the point):  not all have the same endowments (weight or intensity) of talents or gifts.

Romans 12:6 provides important perspective on this when Paul speaks   to the Roman Christians, about “…having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them … in proportion to our faith…”.  So, for instance there may be a number of people that receive a gift of teaching spiritual truth. But God gives the ability or grace in terms of having this gift in the measure of 5, 2 or 1 talents.  It is important that we must not see this as unfair. And we should not envy those that have more; nor should we look down on those that have less. Remember, we need to remember here that with ability comes responsibility.  Those that have more will be held more accountable.  In a similar  teaching  in Luke 12:35-48, Jesus makes it very  clear  that  “everyone  to whom  much was given, of him much will be required…”(v.48 )   

Vv. 16 – 18:  How The Talents Are Put To Use By The Three Servants.

The first two servants worked well with the talents. They effectively doubled what they had received. But the third servant avoided the hard work of investing, selling and trading. He buried it for safekeeping.  He did not squander the money as many do when they come into possession of such money, but he did  nothing with what he had been given.

V.19-25    The Master Returns  To Settle Accounts   

a. The Master returns after a long time. Christ’s coming, though it should be expected at any time, is ‘after a long time’. This repeats the theme of the delay of the master in 24:48, and the delay of the bridegroom in 25:4.The delay is deliberate.  The commentator Lenski says: “the delay thoroughly tests out the faithful, and at the same time it gives the unfaithful a long period to repent… many start well but do not hold out”.

b. The Master comes to settle accounts. What Jesus has placed in our hands is still His. He expects us to improve on that which He has given into our hands. We use His talents and gifts to glorify Him by building into His kingdom.  Final praise or judgment shall be extended in terms  of  the spiritual returns we have invested and made in the kingdom of God.  

Please note in vv. 20- 30,  that upon  his return the master  deals with each of his three servants  (i) individually (ii) He rewards the labours of the diligent servants. (iii) He condemns the lazy servant and exposes him for who He truly is – a subject of hell.

Notice how that happens:  The faithful servants receive praise and commendation and they ‘enter into the joy of their master’ (25:21,23).  

The reward of a life lived faithful service and stewardship of God’s possessions is a life of joy.  Life in heaven will be filled with real joy. The depth of that joy cannot be understood yet  by us, as we live  now.  But, dear believer take hold of that promise, of greater joy in the future kingdom by continuing to invest in this present kingdom. If you plant generously now, you will reap and had  received the least in terms of  talents– even though the least  was also plenty! But he did nothing with what he had. Take note of the excuses that he makes. Essentially he blames the master : “I knew that you are a hard man. It’s your fault. I was afraid of you.”  And then he accuses his master of profiteering – reaping where he had not sown, collecting profits from situations in which he has not worked etc. 

Listen how the master deals with him. He does not accept his explanation. Instead he lays bare the wickedness and evil of his heart. Jesus is saying that it is wicked to waste your talents and opportunities to serve in God’s kingdom. He therefore calls him wicked and slothful/ lazy. 

What did he do wrong? All he did was to do nothing in preparation for the masters - Christ’s coming! Being prepared for Christ’s coming means  using  that which He has entrusted to us, for the extension of his kingdom. It’s called bearing  fruit! Absence of fruit (although there is a tree) is a certain sign  of barrenness.

And now he is no longer considered a servant. In fact, he is ultimately unmasked for who he really is. He is a pseudo Christian. He is a fake Christian,  and  for this reason he now  shall share  in the fate of the wicked. And so we read of the final  verdict in v.30 “And cast that worthless servant into the outer darkness in that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (see also Matt. 8:12; 13:42, 50). We will pick up on this next week

CLOSING DIAGNOSTIC QUESTIONS

Have you believed the gospel?

Are you ready to go with  the Lord  Jesus when He comes?

Are you obeying the gospel, by putting your talents to work in the light of his coming and the account that you must give? (2 Cor. 5:10)

Matthew 25:1-13 The Parable Of The 10 Virgins

In His Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24 & 25) Jesus speaks about His second coming and the importance of being alert and ready for that occasion which will come unexpectedly upon this world, like a thief in the night. Now, in Chapter 25 we find three further weighty observations with respect to Christ’s coming:

(i)                 We must be prepared to receive Him when He comes. This is shown in the parable of the ten virgins (25:1-13).

(ii)               We must be ready to give account of ourselves to Christ, when He comes. This is shown in the parable of three servants that have been given responsibility to take care of his property (25:14-30).

(iii)             We will receive an announcement of our final destiny.  This is shown in  the description of the process of the last judgment (25:31-46)

We will take our time to consider each of these separately.

In this sermon  we will deal with the parable of the 10 virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)  

This parable speaks specifically to those that assume that   they will inherit the kingdom of heaven.  It speaks to all those that profess to be members of the church, Christians. In that regard Jesus uses the picture of a wedding party, and now specifically the picture of 10 virgins, concerning which He makes a distinction between 5 foolish and 5 wise virgins.

In this parable Jesus speaks  of   10 virgins- unmarried  girls-  that  are  anticipating  the coming of the bridegroom,  whom they  would   escort  to  his bride.  Hebrew weddings could take days.  Somewhere at the beginning of the wedding feast, in the evening, the bridegroom, accompanied by his entourage would go to fetch his betrothed from her father’s house. A procession was formed under the direction of one of the bridegroom’s friends. He would be the master of ceremonies and he would remain by the bridegroom’s side throughout the wedding ritual. On this occasion 10 young, unmarried women formed a part of the bridegroom’s wedding procession at night, and for this purpose they carried their lamps. These oil lamps naturally needed to be replenished from time to time.  The bridegroom, we are told, took his time in coming (25:5).

Keep in mind now that Jesus is applying this parable to Himself. He is the heavenly bridegroom of the church. This is not the first time He has used this designation for Himself.[1]  And He was speaking to His hearers in familiar pictures.  And if they were alert (as parables require us to be), His hearers would have understood that He was making a connection between God (the bridegroom/ husband) and Israel (the bride/wife) of God[2]  and Himself. God  considered Himself to be in a covenant relationship (Hebr. berit)   with Israel. Jesus in identifying  Himself as the bridegroom of God’s people  makes therefore a direct connection between Himself and God!  

Returning to the parable of the 10 virgins we read:  

25:2-4 “Five of them were foolish and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps“.   Five of them were described as foolish because they took no extra oil with them.  Five wise girls were thinking ahead. They made sure that they had adequate oil supplies, just in case the bridegroom was delayed. The point of having these lamps was to provide light for the way ahead  to the bride’s house. By the way, remember that Christians are children of light. The gospel is light, and they who receive it must not only be enlightened by it themselves, but must shine as lights, in this dark world (Phil. 2:15,16).

25:5 “As the bridegroom was delayed they all became drowsy and slept“. Here is the problem for all the 10 girls. The bridegroom was delayed.  This theme is picked up from 24:48. The wicked servant says to himself, “My master is delayed”, and because of this he grew careless and acted foolish.   Jesus knew that His delayed return (that is how it always feels for every generation) would become a problem for the early Christians, and  for every generation throughout the history of the church.

So, we find that all the girls get sleepy. Not even the wise girls stayed awake.  Let’s face it. Staying awake after a long day is hard. This also happened to the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane when they are called to watch and pray in the hour of Christ’s greatest temptation and trial. They all fall asleep (Matt.26:40,43).

Now remember again that this parable is spoken specifically to remind the church, that with respect to the 2^nd coming of Christ we need to be expectant, watchful and alert to the Lord’s coming. Remember that His return will be sudden and unexpected!  Now there is a great temptation in waiting. Our zeal for the things of God diminishes after a time. The ordinariness of daily Christian routines and the lack of spiritual zeal of those around us make us tired.   There is a certain tediousness attached to being a Christian, and this is a common temptation and we all can fall into it. We become less vigilant and expectant, and although all love is not necessarily lost, yet the first love is often absent (Rev. 2:4).  There is of course no sin in sleep itself. We all need it. The fact that Christ’s disciples fell asleep, while they should have watched and prayed, in order not to fall into temptation, was certainly not good, but this did not make them non-Christians.

The point is this - are we prepared for Christ’s coming, even in our sleep? You know that we can be asleep and yet be expectant. I thought about this.  You have a teenager who goes out at night to visit with their friends. In the meantime your light goes out at about 10 pm, while they think nothing of visiting into the small hours of the morning.  So, you go to sleep, but in your heart you are awake. You wait for that key to turn and for that door to open. That’s the difference between those who are asleep and waiting, and those who are asleep and who are fast asleep!  Preparedness is ultimately the real issue. Are these girls ready when the bridegroom comes? Let’s see …

25:6&7 “But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet Him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps”.  So, they all got up to meet the bridegroom, but the difference begins to show.  5 of the girls did not have enough oil. They did not plan. They did not think, or anticipate  what might happen if the bridegroom comes late,  and so they asked the wise girls:

25:8-9 “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out“. But there was clearly not enough oil to sustain them all, and so the wise girls answered them, “Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves …”. This was not selfishness. This was wisdom speaking.  The point is that if the wise girls would share the oil with the foolish ones, all the lamps would go out at some stage of the journey to the bride’s home.  Now, remember that   Jesus did not intend this to be a lesson on sacrificial sharing! The lesson of this parable is that we cannot ultimately rely on one another’s preparedness.  You cannot get to heaven on the back of the faith of your father, mother, brother or sister or friend! In this regard you must enter by the narrow gate yourself! (Matt 7:13,14). We will see this clearly   in conclusion.

25:10 ”And while  they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with Him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.”  The bridegroom returns while the five foolish girls are shopping for oil.  In the meantime the wedding party goes to marriage feast, “and the door was shut!” Too late for latecomers!  Jesus is making a weighty point here. If you are unprepared at Christ’s coming, though you may try all you can to secure entrance at that time, you will be excluded from the wedding feast.  Being a member of the bridal party, being a baptised member of the church at this stage does not count. The question is this, ”Is your heart prepared? Are you prepared to go with the bridegroom when He comes?”

Now listen to these next words of the parable, and see whether you can relate them to another similar passage in the gospel of Matthew:

25: 11,12:  “Afterward the  other (five) virgins  came also, saying  ‘Lord, Lord open  to us’. But He answered, ’Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’”

These words recall the chilling words of Matthew 7:22-23.   This does not literally mean that Jesus does not know them. He knows everyone, for He has created all people (Jn. 1:3,4).  But it does mean that He does not know them as His own (i.e. His sheep Matt.  25:32ff; Jn. 10:1-18). And, think about this carefully! The foolish girls did not think of the bridegroom as their own either!  They had such little anticipation in their heart about His return, and the wedding feast, that their most basic preparations (such as having sufficient oil) was lacking. They were “hangers on “– their heart wasn’t in it, and it is a shock to them when they suddenly discover themselves to be excluded from the wedding feast. ‘Lord, Lord open  to us’. 

God has something to say to such people on that day! 

Those who cry out on that day of His coming … “Lord, Lord …”, but who had never made sure that they were truly prepared in their soul   for His coming, will not be allowed into God’s eternal kingdom.  They will be excluded.   And so Jesus makes the simple and striking appeal again…

25:13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” 

The lesson is plain and simple: A true follower of Christ must watch and be prepared for  His coming. And when He comes we must not have divided hearts like Lot’s wife.  We must  not  first  want to go do this and that.  We must go with Him, …then!  

In this parable Jesus warns nominal, distracted, unprepared, disinterested Christianity and church members. Christianity is not a cultural affair. It is not a casual attachment  to religion. It is not an insurance policy. Biblical Christianity is a state of being – a state of preparedness. Christ is our Saviour and Lord. That means that I  must continue to grow in  my  love for Him.  Continue to serve Him. Continue to obey Him. Continue in fruitful service to Christ. Don’t stop. Don’t backslide. Don’t get distracted. Don’t lose heart. Prepare your soul.  Be constantly ready. Always be ready to face Christ.  It is not enough to be a mere  member of the church. You must be a prepared and ready lover of the bridegroom.  

Remember that the narrow gate is open now. 

Then it will be shut and bolted, and a great gulf will be fixed. This will be like the shutting of the door of the ark after Noah  had entered. When he was in he was safe. Those outside the ark perished.  

Flee to Christ, NOW!

 

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[1] See  Matt. 9:15, Mk. 2:18,19;  Lk. 5:34,35 ; Jn. 3:27-30 ; 2 Cor. 11:2 ; Eph. 5:25-27 ; Rev. 19:7-10 , 21:2, 22:17..

[2] There are a couple of references in the OT scripture   in which God is called a bridegroom (e.g.  Isa.  54:4-5; 62:5 ; Jer. 2:2; Ezek. 16:7-34 ; Hos. 1-3) and Israel His bride.  Ps 45   is a wedding Psalm, and it has messianic overtones

Matthew 24: 36- 51 “Preparing For Christ’s Coming”

 

OUTLINE

1.            When will Christ return?

Ø  We don’t know the time (36)

Ø  It will be sudden  and unexpected (37- 39).  Don’t expect the world  to  eagerly await Christ’s return (38)

2.            What will happen at His coming? 

Ø  There  will be a separation of  people at Christ’s return  (40,41)

3.            How does a Christian prepare for Christ’s coming?

Ø  Stay awake – Keep an expectant  watch (42-44)

Ø  Be faithful  (45)

4.            What can the Christian expect at Christ’s return?

Ø  Blessedness (Happiness) (46)

Ø  Reward (47)

5.            How does a non- Christian relate to Christ’s coming?

Ø  They  expect  that Christ  will never come (48)

Ø  They   abuse   Christ’s  property (49)

6.            What will happen to the non-Christian?

Ø  They will be surprised by  Christ’s unexpected  and   sudden return (50)

Ø  They will  be  consigned to a place of unspeakable suffering (51 cf.25:30)

 

1.         When will Christ’s return be? (vv. 36-39)

a. We don’t know (v.36):  Jesus tells His disciples what the signposts of His return are, but He does not give them a date.  He says that neither He nor the angels know – but only the Father. This raises a big question. If Jesus is one with the Father, co-equal in His God-hood, why did Jesus not know? The answer is that Jesus took on human nature. He voluntarily laid aside His majesty and entered into our world as a humble servant, (Phil. 2; Jn. 13:1-20). As perfect man Jesus learned whatever He did from the Scriptures, by the leading of the Holy Spirit (Lk. 3:21,22; 4:1;14) and in prayerful communion with His Father (Lk.2:49; 5:16, 6:12 etc). In this state His Father revealed many things to Him while He was on earth e.g. His divine son-ship (Matt. 3:17; 17:5); to bear the sins of God’s elect people and to die as a sin offering;  to rise again from the dead (Matt.  16:21;17:22,23,20:17-19); to  ascend  back to the Father in heaven to take up His place in glory once more (Jn. 14:1-3; Jn.17).  In His humanity the Father chose to not reveal the time of His second coming to His Son – for a very good reason. There is a wonderful cutting edge to not knowing the time. People who live in constant expectation are alert. The element of the unknown return of the bridegroom and the Master of the house in the parable of the 10 virgins (Matt. 25: 1-13) and the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30) is deeply embedded in the story of Jesus’ return.

b. Jesus says that His return will be sudden and unexpected (vv.37-39) and many people will not be prepared for this event at His coming.  Jesus draws here a comparison with the people in Noah’s day. People were found "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage". They were warned, but they disregarded his prophetic warning. The flood overwhelmed them very suddenly while Noah and family were saved.  Many years ago a family was camping in a dry river bed in the  Namib-Naukluft mountains.  We are constantly warned against camping in dry riverbeds – especially during the rainy season.  A downpour some distance away sent torrents of water down the river and overwhelmed the poor family. The mother and two children perished in that flood. Only the father survived. Our elder, Pieter Slabber conducted that tragic funeral. It was a sudden and unannounced catastrophe and it illustrates what happened to the people in Noah’s day.

Not many people will be eagerly awaiting the returning King (v.38). In Noah’s day many people absorbed in their own pursuits were swept away into eternity - unpardoned, unconverted, and unprepared to meet their God. And our Lord says, "…so will be the coming of the Son of Man." (v.39). People did not listen to God through Noah, and they will not listen to Christ, the Son of God [see the parable of the tenants in Matt. 21:33-41; particularly vv.38,39].  There will be a vast multitude in this entire church age and at Christ’s coming   that will not have entered,  but passed by the narrow  gate and have carried onto the easy  way and  the wide gate that leads to  destruction (Matt. 7:13,14). They will have found the cross of Christ offensive and stupid.  But their eyes will suddenly be opened, but it will be too late. The flood of God’s righteous wrath is coming, and it will not be held back. It is one thing to reject the testimony of Noah, but what have you got left when you reject the testimony of Christ?  Nothing! Only a fearful judgment!

2. What will happen at His coming?  (vv. 40, 41)

There will be a separation of people at Christ’s return (vv. 40,41). Twice we read that "one shall be taken and the other left". Presently the godly and the ungodly are all mingled together – even in the church. The wheat and the weeds grow together in the field until the harvest (Matt.13:24-30). But when Jesus returns there will be a complete separation. We shall consider this in greater detail when we get to 25:31ff. 

For the Christian this will not be a trial, for the glory of the new things will completely overshadow the past. There will be no tears or sorrow when Christ brings in His kingdom.  We must stop thinking like men in this regard.

I must continue to press home the consequences of being in the wrong flock! You will not be able to change your mind after you have died or when the Lord appears!  Everyone shall go to their eternal destiny as they were found at His appearing.  Believers shall be with Jesus, whom they have loved in this life. Unbelievers shall have what they have wanted all their life. They will have no Christ, and therefore they will not have His heaven. If you have not desired Christ with all your heart in this life, you shall not have Him in the next!  The immortal souls of those that have not embraced Christ the Redeemer will possess a Christ-less, God-less eternity. This is everlasting hell.   

3.   How  does a Christian  prepare for  Christ’s  coming? (vv. 42-45)

a. Stay awake (ESV) - keep watch (NIV) (vv.42-44). The Greek word here is “grēgoreō”, from which we get the name Gregory (the watchful one). Every Christian should be a “Gregory”. Listen  to the imperative: “stay awake!”   Jesus’ language is urgent. He knows the sluggishness and sleepiness of our beings.  With respect to the day of the Lord Paul also writes to the Thessalonians: “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but us  keep awake and be sober…” (1 Thess. 5:6). How do you stay watchful?

        i.            Fully expect   the Lord’s coming.   The problem of the 5 foolish virgins in Matt. 25: 1-13 was that they were not expectant and thus they fell asleep.

      ii.            Consider yourself to be at war. You cannot afford to be asleep. You must be vigilant. You have an enemy intent on destroying you (Eph. 6:10-18).  Fight the good fight of the faith (1 Tim 6:12).

    iii.            Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus through personal Scripture reading and meditation upon the Word of God; persevere in prayer; persevere in Christian worship and fellowship; persevere in regular participation in the Lord’s supper.  These are the means of grace that God has provided to keep you from falling asleep.

b. Be faithful (v.45).“Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?  He answers in v. 46: ”blessed is that servant whom His master will find so doing when He comes.”  Faithfulness is one of God’s wonderful attributes (2 Tim 2:13). Christians must be imitators of God. Faithfulness is a major Christian attribute. True Christians are faithful Christ’s servants. They are faithful in to their God. They are faithful to one another. They are faithful stewards in God’s house, while their Master is gone.

4.         What can the Christian expect at Christ’s return? (vv.46,47)

a. Blessedness (Happiness) (v.46). The state of the true Christian can be described in one word: Blessed/ happy! This reminds us of Jesus’ teaching in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:2-12: “Blessed are the…”. Jesus there teaches us which kind of people are called ‘blessed’ by the Father. A special beatitude is pronounced here upon a persevering, faithful Christ centred person (5:11, 12). It shows that they  have believed Him, and love Him.

b.         Reward (v.47): The Christian’s blessing will be a tangible one.  The Lord Jesus will say to His faithful servant on that day, “take charge of all my possessions”. I am not sure what that means, but we may be assured that there is a material reward which awaits  the  servant of Jesus when the Son of God  comes to give  His faithful  servants their rewards.  We are going to consider the doctrine of rewards in greater detail when we come to Matt. 25:14-30, when we shall consider the  parable of the talents.

Lastly, we must now  consider  the  awful  plight of the unconverted person. 

5.         How does an unbeliever relate to Christ’s coming? (vv. 48-49)

a.         He expects that the Master will never come (v.48). Please note that Jesus makes no distinction between the believer and the unbeliever’s Master. The ultimate truth is that the whole world is created by one God. Therefore this whole world is accountable to this one God.  Christians see themselves as faithful  stewards of God’s creation, taking care of God’s belongings, watching out for  their Master’s return. Unbelievers, agnostics and atheists  by contrast have no expectation of their  Master’s return.  They do not own him as their Master. What follows now is an interesting insight…

b. The unbeliever abuses His Master’s property (v.49). Because such  people think that God is absent or non- existent, they also  believe that He  God doesn’t know and isn’t looking. What is the ultimate result of such thinking? Jesus tells us that the wicked servant becomes careless and cruel.  He abuses his Masters servants.  All the abuse in the world happens because we think that God does not see!  It is  a serious thing to assault a fellow human being – for in so doing you assault the image of God (Genesis 1:27).  There is another aspect to this abuse, and it involves substance abuse (Drunkenness). Notice also that the wicked servant associates with evil companions.

6.  What  will happen  to the unbeliever?  (vv.50,51)

a. He will be surprised by the Master’s sudden return (v. 50) “... he does not expect Him…”  This is the mind-set of an unbeliever. He cuts God out of the picture, and then he will be surprised by his sudden and unexpected return.

b. The unbeliever will be  consigned to “that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”  (v. 51 cf.25:30). According to the Bible hell is a real place. Hell has no fire escape (Luke 16).  Hell is an ever  accusing conscience. Hell is truth known too late. Hell is living with deep regrets.  In hell there is no opportunity for repentance. This is no place of forgiveness; it is a place of eternal bitterness, and therefore this is a place of real emotional darkness. There is no light and  no laughter in hell. It is utterly impossible to imagine  anything worse.

So  then, please  listen  to the word of God. Listen to Jesus’ words.  Do not ignore this.  Do not be foolish like the people in Noah’s  day  who laughed at him when he built the ark. The difference between him and them is that he and his family were saved. They perished.

Take note of the signposts and be prepared for your Master’s return. Use your time wisely now to invest your life in developing your relationship  with your coming King. Understand that you are living in a hostile, fallen world.  But have pity on this world. Look upon this world right now as an object of God’s mercy and grace, and help those who are yet unbelievers by your prayer and by your evangelistic words. Very soon this opportunity will be gone. Very soon we all find ourselves in one of two God appointed destinations.