Matthew 25:1-13 - The Anticipation of the King

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7PM - Christmas Eve

Invite someone who doesn’t go anywhere else. People come when they’re invited.

Talk about Journal gifts

I have always been a massive professional wrestling fan.

In 2005, my dad took me to the Great American Bash.

I knew that my favorite wrestler, the Undertaker, would be there.

His character was this ominous, intimidating character.

When his opponent’s music would go off, there would be an extended pause before his big *Gong* would hit.

The anticipation in my little soul built and built.

I couldn’t wait. That 15 second pause felt like 100 years.

Then, right when I was about to crawl out of my skin… *Gong*…

Theres something that excites our hearts when moments of anticipation come!

Last week, I gave the illustration of a bride coming down the isle.

Some of the most memorable moments of our lives came from incredible anticipation.

Big Idea: The Anticipation of the King

Throughout the Old Testament, God’s people were told that a Savior King was coming.

We are in the time of year called “Advent,” which means “coming.”

This week we will celebrate the first Advent, or coming of Jesus.

But right now, we are in the second Advent, where we wait for His return.

Stand to read

Matthew 25:1–5 ESV

1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.

Leader: This is God’s Word

Everyone: Thanks be to God

Jewish marriage custom

The betrothal was a legally binding commitment—The bride would stay with her parents and the groom would go back to his father’s property to build a home for His bride.

Then at the right time, the groom and his friends would leave his home and proceed to the home of the bride.

After the ceremony, the wedding party would return to the grooms home for a celebratory banquet, symbolizing their new marriage.

The wedding ceremony would happen at the bride’s home at night.

People went to bed early when it got dark—this is why when the wedding delayed, they got sleepy.

This is why there are torch-lit, or oil-lamp-lit processions.

The virgins, or the bridesmaids, having enough oil for the lamps was paramount.

If they were not uniform, they would mess up the procession—This is a massive cultural moment.

We don’t want one bridesmaid to look different than the others.

We certainly don’t want them wearing white.

Up to this point, there doesn’t look like much difference between the two.

They were all virgin bridesmaids, they all carried lamps—to look at them, you may not think there’s a difference between the two.

The difference that is there is unseen—some have oil, some don’t.

Matthew 25:6–8 ESV

6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

They did not have everything ready for wedding day.

They were unprepared for him to come back.

They get word and panic sets in—”what do we do?!”

When I do a wedding, I tell everyone I’m in charge of “Dearly beloved,” “I now pronounce you,” and everything in between.

Outside of that, not my game.

Hil/I went to Tennessee for a wedding.

We were supposed to at in 1 hour.

The bride’s dress was left 45 minutes away… one way.

Someone was missing a bouquet.

After the ceremony

The began heating up the food. BEGAN.

THEN RAN OUT.

We had to run up the road to Hardy’s to grab some burgers and bring back to eat it.

It was a compliling train-wreck.

Now they hear the “Here comes the groom” chants and their eyes are growing very big because they know they’ve royally messed up.

“Hey, let me have some oil/borrow your bouquet of flowers.”

Matthew 25:9 ESV

9 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.’

At first glance, the wise look selfish.

That’s not what’s happening.

They have taken into consideration what it takes to pull this off.

This Bride/Groom deserve the best procession.

“Say man, let me borrow your bouquet of flowers.”

If the wise allow them to borrow oil, there wouldn’t be enough for the procession and it would go out halfway through.

It would ruin the procession.

They were obedient with what they were given for this day.

Their love for the Groom/Bride led them to do everything necessary to ensure the most glory for the day!

Their lives reflected their trust in the Groom to return.

They believed him when he said he’d be back.

Their delight oriented their lives to prepare for the day.

Church,

We must faithfully prepare for Jesus to return (vv. 1-9)

Our hope in Jesus looks forward to a day when He will return.

We actually believe that when He told us He will return, He will return.

As Christians, we believe that when He died on the cross, He forgave our sins.

Jesus came to secure your eternal redemption!

He brought God’s grace to you when you didn’t serve it!

When He rose again, He secured our eternal life.

Then He promised that He would return and make all things new.

The broken world we live in will not be like this forever.

The King will return and will make everything perfect.

When we repent of our sins and turn to Him in faith, He gives us a new citizenship!

We belong to His kingdom!

What this ought to do is drive us to live as if we belong in His kingdom!

We live loving and worshipping Jesus for all He has done and all He will do!

We live stoking the fires of our faith!

We live delighting in God’s Word and the God of the Word.

We live praying for Him to work in our lives and those around us.

We live as if we truly believe Jesus is going to come back.

This is what the wise did!

They truly believed the Groom would returned, so they made all the preparations because they believed Him.

There’s a lack of oil in many professing Christian’s lamps.

You have heard the gospel, but have not believed it.

You have heard the gospel, but have not been changed by it.

A gospel that did not change you, did not save you.

They appear to have life, but lack the true effectual working of God’s grace in their souls.

There’s glitter and flash, but nothing in their lives drawing them to Jesus.

They’re in the building when the church is unlocked, but there is no love for God’s Word, no time spent in prayer, nothing that would stir their affections for Jesus.

They’re dressed to go to the wedding, but there’s no oil that keeps the light going.

This is their issue—Then the Bridegroom comes when they’ve gotten comfortable lulled themselves to sleep.

This is exactly what Jesus said we can expect—that He’ll return when we don’t expect it.

The fact that it’s midnight and these 5 virgins are going to try to buy oil, it’s going to be tough.

Matthew 25:10–11 ESV

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. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’

Whether they got it or not, they eventually begin to beg.

Let us in! We’re here now! We’re ready to go!

They were invited to the wedding feast! These things lasted days.

The groom could’ve easily unlocked the door.

Matthew 25:12–13 ESV

12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

The groom saying “I don’t know you” is not ignorance, it’s rejection.

He’s not saying, “I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”

He’s rejecting, “I don’t even know who you are anymore.”

They were a part of the wedding party—likely close personal friends.

This shows a breach of relationship. The virgins compromise their relationship with the bride/groom when they act indifferent toward the rest of the bridal party.

Their neglect shows they are not true friends—so they’re banned.

With their lips they called Him, “Lord” but with their lives they rejected Him as their Lord.

What this shows us is:

Your life shows what you believe about Jesus (vv. 10-13)

This expectation/hope will reorient your entire life.

This won’t only effect what you do, but how your heart is oriented toward God.

We must live with the anticipation that our Savior King will return to bring Heaven to earth!

We must look forward to the day when Jesus comes!

All of our brokenness, our pain, our shame will be taken away from the earth!

Some of you aren’t ready for Jesus to come back.

You don’t live in urgent expectation that it could be any moment.

You’ve been invited to be a bridesmaid in the wedding, but you regard Him so little that you’ve settled for an invitation.

You skip the Bridal shower, the picking of the dress, the preparation—You actively miss being *with Him* in the pivotal moments.

You’re a spectator, not a participant in God’s plan of redemption—you need to repent.

You want to be at the wedding, but you don’t care at all for who the wedding is for.

You need to care about your relationship with Jesus.

Where do we begin?

Believe the gospel.

You need to realize that you’re a sinner in need of a Savior.

God at the perfect time, sent His Son Jesus into the world to redeem you from your sins.

The perfect Son of God laid down His life on the cross so that you can have a relationship with God the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit.

By trusting in Jesus, you can have eternal life and be loved by God!

Jesus gave us this promise after He victoriously rose again from the dead: I’ll be back.

He will return and restore His Kingdom and everything wrong will be right!

Revelation 21:2–4 ESV

2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

This is the hope that we give our lives to.

We orient our lives around this reality, that we anticipate the King to return.

Will you trust in King Jesus to save you from your sins and give you a relationship with God?

Will you begin filling the lamp of oil?

Will you begin pursuing God in the Word and prayer?

Will you begin doing whatever you can to stir your affections and worship of Jesus?

Will you take a next step of faith toward Jesus today?

Take the Next Step

Evaluate your life.

Does your lamp have oil in it?

Do you love God’s Word? Being with God?

Do you look like a Christian in private AND public?

Anticipate/Get ready for Jesus

Start reading your Bible.

Don’t know where to start?

I’m doing a Bible reading plan at the beginning of the year.

Start in the book of John then go to Romans.

Take your next step of faith.

Starting Point, serving, groups.

Go to our Next Steps area to learn more.

Let’s begin anticipating the King together.

We want to be a church that believes the gospel and lives with full oil lamps of faith in Jesus.