Parable of Ten Virgins

Parable of Ten Virgins (Mt25:1-13) - Lesson 24 4/17/2024

Introduction:

Q: Tell me something that makes you happy, joyful, hopeful?

Q: Tell me something that makes you sad?

Most sad: “I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.” or “the door shut”

We will see those two very sad phrases used in the parable before us this afternoon. This parable a part of the warning and reward parables given towards the end of Jesus ministry is one of the most hard to accept due to finality of it all.

This parable is about being prepared. Jesus, as Womack puts it “is teaching about importance of making proper preparations in life. and He uses the illustration of a Jewish wedding, with five foolish brides-maids and their lack of preparation, as the focal point of His teaching.”

Turn to and read Mt25:1-13 ask usual questions

Matthew 25:1–13 NASB95

1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 “Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 “For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5 “Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6 “But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 “Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 “The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 “But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 “And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 “Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12 “But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Background:

Everyone would like to be able to know, to know exactly when, how things would transpire. There have been many over the millennia who have tried to predict when Christ would return. Even though scripture tells us (Insert Mt24:36) no one knows.

Matthew 24:36 NASB95

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

Mt24 dealt with things to come; AD70 and the return of Christ

Mt24 told us to be on the alert (insert Mt24:42-44)

Matthew 24:42–44 NASB95

42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 “For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

This parable does not focus on the bride, but the bridegroom and the brides-maids and being prepared.

Interesting fact: 10 virgins, that was typical of a Jewish wedding for there to be 10 brides-maids, other young virgins, teenagers.

Jewish marriage came in stages

First, there was the engagement, many of the marriages were prearranged by the parents or professional matchmakers with the children not even involved but for the future when the time, age was right.

Second, the betrothal: This happens when they get close to marriage age. It was carried out with feasting and ceremony almost as elaborate as the marriage itself. It was absolutely binding and could not be broken except by divorce.

Finally, one year later, came the marriage proper. It was a time of great joy. Everyone joined in the festival and in the procession to the home of the newly-married couple.” (Barclay “And Jesus said,” p.133)

It was never known exactly when the Groom was going to come for it was unannounced until just prior to his arrival. Those who were to be in attendance at the wedding would need to make preparations for a longer-than-usual wait. Hence in our case the 10-virgins, 5-prepared, 5-unprepared.

Lamps held oil for 30-60 minutes each and would need to be replenished, so it took preparation to make sure had enough oil if there was a long delay until the coming of the bride-groom.

Womack: “As was the custom in many middle Eastern cultures, when all had arrived at the wedding, the door was shut and was not opened for anyone else. So, when the foolish virgins returned from buying more oil,, the door was closed and, presumably, locked.”

Explaining the text:

Parable/Analogy, hum, looks like it has aspects of both. An Analogy every part stands for something specific.

We can know that the Bridegroom represents Christ

The wedding feast is the eternal celebration of the wedding feast of the lamb in heaven

That is where the analogy ends.

10-virgins, we covered that already, this seems to be typical. Now they were to be prepared, but it did not mean they could not sleep, they would, but be prepared to get up and go when the call of the coming came. They then would be dressed in white to signify their purity and part they play in the wedding celebration.

“and the door was shut.” A.T. Robertson in his comments on this phrase said: “And the door was shut to stay shut since the grammatical construction of the verb is an aorist passive indicative form. And this is certainly the meaning we get from the ancient sources regarding the closed door at the wedding.”

Purpose and application:

We discussed parable/analogy and the way it can be seen, but we do need to remember the real meaning of what Jesus is trying to communicate, teach in the final days of his personal ministry prior to His sacrifice for our sins. The message was important, it was urgent and it was plain. So, what is the spiritual message of this parable, Womack gives a few points we will highlight.

First, we must all live in a constant state of preparedness for the coming of the Bridegroom

Live in expectancy, daily, as Jesus has informed the disciples in the previous chapter for no one knows the day or the hour when He will come.

5-wise virgins were prepared with plenty of oil for their lamps as they waiting .

5-virgins were “foolish” as the passage says because they did not plan ahead. Have you heard the term “if you fail to plan you plan to fail?”

The admonishment was clear (Insert/read Mt25:13 again) be prepared, we prepare for many things in our lives, we need to be prepared for our eternal life too.

Matthew 25:13 NASB95

13 “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Second, there are somethings that you cannot borrow. Barclay” It warns us that there are certain things which cannot be borrowed. The foolish virgins found it impossible to borrow oil, when they discovered they needed it. A man cannot borrow a relationship with God; he must possess it for himself. . . It is apparent from this parable that not everyone in the church will be saved, because not everyone in the church will be continually prepared for the coming of Christ.” (Barclay: Gospel of Matthew; pg. 320-1)

Third, “and the door was shut,” a very sad phrase as mentioned before. If there is one good take away from this today, from the word, from this parable is do not let the door be shut with you on the outside of it, for when it is shut it is over. The wedding feast will be eternal joy, celebration, but to those on the outside hell is eternal too with tormenting and gnashing of teeth. So, be prepared to enter into the banquet hall when the Lord calls us home to the feast.

Q: How can you be prepared?

Q: Is there anything you can do to help others to be prepared, since you cannot do the preparation for them?

Be prayerful daily that you are prepared, looking, longing, waiting, serving our Lord as we await the heavenly call for the wedding feast of the Lamb.

(Close) (Prayer)