Jesus' Warning for the Nations

J.R.R. Tolkien coined the phrase “eucatastrophe”

It is used to describe a sudden and favorable resolution of events in a story, where a seemingly hopeless situation is turned around in a moment of joy.

He used the Greek prefix “eu-” (meaning "good”) with the word catastrophe" (meaning a sudden disaster)

Revelation 13 & 14 & 17

The Coming of the Son of Man

Read Matthew 25:31-33

He will come as a judge

“Son of Man” was Jesus’ favorite term for himself.

It was not as offensive as “Son of God”

It was not as revolutionary as “King”

Here, however, as Jesus teaches His disciples privately, He blatantly refers to Himself as both.

John 5:22 “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,”

The judgment of the Son of Man closes the door of opportunity for salvation.

As Jesus has been illustrating in His parables this is the moment...

That the good servants who do the will of their master will be rewarded while the unfaithful servants will be cut in two.

That the prepared virgins will be welcomed into the wedding feast while those who are unprepared will find the door shut.

That the faithful servants who wisely stewarded their masters talents will hear “well done” and the unfaithful ones who resent their master and hide their talents will be cast into outer darkness.

He will come at the end of the Tribulation

Matthew 24:29–31 ““Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

He will sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem

Isaiah 9:7 “Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”

He will be the King of all nations

This kingdom will demonstrate one of the great themes of the Bible: Jesus is the King of Kings, the Supreme Ruler over all creation, and His rule is superior to that of any other king the world has ever seen.

He will separate the righteous from the unrighteous

In Jesus’ day (and even in the Middle East today), sheep and goats were often herded together. However, while sheep are docile and gentle, goats can be more aggressive and disturb the sheep. This is why, when it came time to take care of their needs, such as eating or sleeping, the shepherd would separate the goats from the sheep to better care for the sheep.

Transition: Likewise, when Jesus returns as King, He will separate the righteous from the wicked.

The Reward of the Righteous

Read Matthew 25:34-40

The reason for their reward

The were blessed of My Father

The proof of the Father’s blessing

They cared for one another

John 13:35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Matthew 10:40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

They will be ushered into eternal life

The Judgment of the Wicked

Read Matthew 25:41-46

The reason for their judgment

They were cursed

John 3:18 ““He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

The proof of their identity

They abused the servants of the Lamb

Acts 9:4–5 “Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.””

They will be ushered into eternal punishment

Conclusion: Are you identified with the Son of Man and His saints?