Parable of the Ten Virgins
Gospel of Matthew • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro
Intro
context: Jesus just told a parable about two servants. one was faithful and wise. the other was wicked and foolish. Jesus continues this theme and now another parable.
Remeber Jesus is talking about His return and the events surrounding “the coming of the Son of Man”.
In fact, it’s important to pay attention to how Jesus starts this parable in matthew 25. Jesus says, “then the kingdom of heaven will be like”.
If you’re taking notes I want you write down: “then(at that time) the kingdom of heaven will be like…”
Jesus introduces this prarable in a way that specifically teaches how to be ready for the time of His return.
So, at that time(A time which is unknown), Jesus says the Kingdom of heaven will be like the following.
God as Husband
God as Husband
ten virgins (unmarried) who took their lamps(torches), which could mean it’s dark. Went to meet the bridesgroom.
OT portayal of God(YHWH) as the husband of Israel.
“Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.
From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.
You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?
And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.
Jesus refers to Himself as the “bridegroom”:
Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
John the baptist recognized Jesus as the bridegroom:
John 3:25–30 (ESV)
Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”
John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom.
The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Jesus is the bridegroom. We are the bride. The church is the bride
Breakdown of Mtt 25
Breakdown of Mtt 25
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
Jesus is about to tell a story about the Kingdom and a bridegroom.
Remeber Jesus is talking about His return and the events surrounding “the coming of the Son of Man”.
In fact, it’s important to pay attention to how Jesus starts this parable in matthew 25. Jesus says, “then the kingdom of heaven will be like”.
If you’re taking notes I want you write down: “then(at that time) the kingdom of heaven will be like…”
Jesus introduces this prarable in a way that specifically teaches how to be ready for the time of His return.
So, at that time(A time which is unknown), Jesus says the Kingdom of heaven will be like the following.
This is a parable about the time between not and then.
Notice the virgins when to meet the bridegroom. These may represent professing Christians. these aren’t people who don’t want anything to do with the bridegroom. they want to go meet him. As we continue we will see whether all profession and genuine christians.
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 foolish and five were wise. Now, I don’t think we should press the details too much. i don’t think Jesus is saying 50 are wise and 50 are foolish. I don’t think that’s the point.
I think the point is to say they’re not all the same. some where foolish and some were wise.
what are purposed to do? Carry lamps/tourches, and meet the bridegroom.
All 10 of them are supposed to welcome the bridegroom with light, with their lamps burning.
now in order to be ready with light for when the bridegroom comes, they need oil! Which the foolish ones did not take with them. In other words, you could say they were not serious about their call and responsibility. They drove the car without gas.
like the pharisees, they had form but no power. Their played the part did not have what it takes to endure to the end. Their emptiness was of no concern to them.
As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.
Jesus says there will be a delay in His coming. Forever people have said oh when will he come. Peter had to deal with this. and he said one day is as a thousand. and thoudand is as one day.
Jesus has only been gone but a few days.
now notice they all fell asleep. usaully, sleep is mentioned as something negative but not here. How do I know that? because they all fell asleep. the wise and the foolish. the prepared and the unprepared.
so then our interpretation of “sleep” must be this. Jesus is refering to the normal day to day life, in the time before His return.
This is important because it help fight against the misinterpretation of watch therefore. because Jesus says he’s coming back and so many christians live lifes just staring in the sky.
Is that what you want to be found doing when He comes? staring in the sky?
But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’
There was a cry! Lets compare that to:
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
In other words, the cry goes out! He’s here! Go out and meet him!
Go with your lamps burning bright!
will you have oil in your lamps?
Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’
Foolishing creates foolishness. Why did they trim their lamps when they did not have oil??
They are so used to religion. They forgot the point is to have life.
they had time. the bridegroom was delayed. But they were satisfied in carrying around their lamps.
“look at me, I got my lamp”….look at me i got my Bible. Look at me i’m on the serving team.
and what happen when you have no life, is you try to refine the form. so they trimmed their lamps but what they needed was oil.
The foolish as the wise for oil and the wise say “no”.
you cannot borrow faith. you cannot borrow life.
Go buy “your own” oil. We cannot give you faith, obededience. you must have your own!
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. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
those who were ready. are you?
the door was shut, like noah’s ark.
the others come and say lord lord open to us, but he said i never knew you.
Look look, I have a lamp….
I never knew you…you had a form but no life. you carried the lamp but no life.
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
watch means be spirtual aware/alert. Do not live with form and not life.