Live Ready: The Judgment

Introduction

We have entered the third and final week in this sub-series of our study of Matthew called Live Ready. If you haven’t been with us the past couple of weeks, that’s okay, I’ll briefly catch you up! We have been studying the Olivet Discourse, which is Jesus final main discussion with his disciples before his death.

A quick recap: our first week in the Olivet Discourse, we saw that, as disciples living in the last days, we must live ready to face trials and boldly proclaim the gospel through faith that endures to the end. There will be signs that point us to Christ’s return, and those signs are meant to encourage us that the day our Lord comes is drawing near, just as he promised.

Last week, we continued on with this idea of living ready: We must live ready for Christ’s return and steward what he has given to us. Jesus instructs his disciples to live in such a way that they are ready for his return at any moment, yet also prepared for a delay. We must place our hope in the reality of Jesus’ promise to return, not in our ability to discern one way or another when that exact time is.

Tonight, we close out the Olivet Discourse with Matthew 25:31-46, where we will see what will take place at Jesus’ return, and answer this question: what does Jesus expect of us while he has been gone?

Pray with me real quick, and we will dive right in.

[PRAY]

Open your Bibles to Matthew 25.

We’ve all heard the phrase “faith without works is dead.” That comes from James 2:26. Sometimes people use James 2 as a proof-text to suggest that the Bible is inconsistent in its teaching on faith versus works. You could just as easily use our text tonight to do such a thing.

But the overarching biblical testimony, from the first page of Genesis to the last page of Revelation, makes it clear that we are made right with God by grace through faith alone. And yet, true saving faith is never alone. The Holy Spirit truly transforms every believer, and that transformation necessarily produces good works.

That is important for us to keep in mind tonight, because if we are not careful, we can walk away from Jesus’ teaching tonight and fix our eyes on our good works rather than his Good Work, his finished work.

Stand with me for the reading of God’s Word tonight. As we read this passage, remember that Jesus is not teaching that we earn eternal life by charity, but that the reality of our faith is revealed in how we treat his people.

Matthew 25:31–26:2 NASB95

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ 41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 “Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” 1 When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, 2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.”

Our main idea from the text tonight is this:

MAIN IDEA: Jesus will judge people according to whether their faith in him was real, and real faith is shown by love for God’s people.

1. Christ will return to judge the righteous and the wicked. -vv.31-33

Christ is coming back. We’ve been talking about that for the past three weeks, and in reality, this is something almost every Christian knows. Jesus has said that he will return to the earth, and he will come in full power, in full glory, with all authority, to do what...? Judge all of creation over which he reigns supreme.

Ezekiel 34 describes this judgment in similar terms:

Ezekiel 34:17 NASB95

17 “As for you, My flock, thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I will judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats.

Ezekiel’s prophecy is clear: it is Yahweh God who judges. When Jesus describes his own return to judge the world, he is affirming a truth we have seen throughout this gospel. Jesus is God. When he says I and the Father are One in John 10:30, he means it.

In the flow of the Olivet Discourse, this judgment comes at the return of the Son of Man after the tribulation, when he gathers the nations before him. Those who remain will be gathered before the Lord, and Jesus tells us here that he will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep will be on the right. The right side is often associated with the place of honor, the place of blessing. When we think of Jesus’ ascension, we have the picture that he is enthroned at the right hand of God the Father. The sheep are the ones Jesus is judging to be righteous, as we see below. The goats, on the other hand, are in the place of rejection.

The sheep-and-goat image is a picture of two different kinds of people: those who belong to the King and those who do not. The emphasis is not on animal behavior but on final separation and final judgment. Jesus is showing that the difference between the two groups will be made plain at his return.

The answer is not that our works purchase salvation, but that genuine salvation produces a new kind of life.

2. Those who truly love Jesus will love his people. -vv.34-40

The sheep will inherit the kingdom that God has prepared for them from the foundation of the world. From the very beginning, think about this, God has been preparing a kingdom for you to enter into you, for to be blessed with. How amazing is that?

But we have to ask… why? Why are these sheep being blessed?

Why do they inherit the kingdom? Their love for one another demonstrated their love for Christ.

The righteous standing on Jesus’ right are the ones who served their brothers and sisters as if they were serving Christ himself. Look at verse 40 again: Jesus says:

Matthew 25:40 NASB95

40 “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

In Matthew, Jesus repeatedly uses brother-family language for his disciples and followers, so “brothers of Mine” naturally points to his people.

Matthew 12:48–50 NASB95

48 But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! 50 “For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

Matthew 23:8 NASB95

8 “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.

Matthew 28:10 NASB95

10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Some readers take “the least of these” more broadly as all people in need, but in Matthew’s Gospel the phrase “brothers of Mine” most naturally refers to Jesus’ disciples. He is saying that the ones who truly loved him are the ones who sought to love his brothers, his followers, his church.

In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches his disciples to trust the Father for food, drink, and clothing. Here, we see one way God often meets those needs: through the generosity of his people.

The community of believers is meant to care for one another. We see this taking place in the early church:

Acts 2:42–45 NASB95

42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.

You know, we emphasize the idea of community a lot around Whitesburg and our ministries. Why? Because of very things like this. The body of Christ is so incredibly important to Jesus, and he urges us to love one another in accordance with that.

As the author of Hebrews says, we should not forsake the gathering of the saints, for this very reason. This is why we do life together, because it is what Jesus would have for us

Paul says something similar in Galatians 6:10

Galatians 6:10 NASB95

10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

When we see a brother or sister in Christ in need, our first response should be to provide for them. To give them food or drink or clothes or medicine or comfort. We rally around them. This is what following Christ is about.

Jesus says in John 13:34-35

John 13:34–35 NASB95

34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

He reiterates this in John 15:17

John 15:17 NASB95

17 “This I command you, that you love one another.

True faith in Christ produces true love for his people. We cannot separate the two. The way we live out our faith matters deeply.

John says the same thing in 1 John 3:14-18

1 John 3:14–18 NASB95

14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

How are you loving one another? This is something each of us needs to ask ourselves. Am I committed to the body of Christ, or am I merely here for convenience and consumption? Are you investing in love with those around you, or are you passively receiving what is offered?

Those who love Jesus love like Jesus.

3. Those who do not truly love Jesus are shown in that they do not love others. -vv.41-45

Whereas the sheep receive blessings, the goats receive damnation. Why is that?

Why will they be cast into eternal fire? Their lack of love for one another demonstrated their lack of love for Christ.

Jesus says they did not do it to even the least of these, so they did not do it to him. The way that we live out our faith matters, as I mentioned above.

There will likely be people who thought they were Christians that end up in this group. But they never truly loved Christ because they chose to not love his people.

The church is not centered on our preferences, but on Christ and his people. This is the body of Christ. The reason that we gather is to glorify God and enjoy him forever, to stir one another up to love and good works, to care for each other.

Persistent indifference to Christ’s people would call into question whether we have truly understood and believed Christ.

The apostle Paul encourages us to live this way:

Philippians 2:3 NASB95

3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

Jesus is giving his disciples, and us, a warning here.

He is saying, “The way I have instructed you to love my people is important. If you truly love me, if you truly believe in me, then you will love your brother and sister, you will provide for them when they need it.”

If we do not do this, then we will be cast out of his presence forever.

4. Everyone will enter into their appointed eternal state. -v. 46

The wicked go into eternal punishment. Hell is real, and Scripture presents it as a fearful reality, not as an allegory or a temporary consequence. This text does not allow us to soften what Jesus says.

The encouraging side is this, though.

The righteous will enter into eternal life. We will spend forever with God, delighting in his presence, just as we were created to do. What is that going to look like?

John 17:3 NASB95

3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Revelation 21:3–4 NASB95

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

There is so much more we could reference for a picture of eternity. What is clear is that there will be joy, beauty, abundance, all found in the presence of God forever. That is the gift that Christ gives to those who know him by faith and honor him with their lives.

MAIN IDEA: Jesus will judge people according to whether their faith in him was real, and real faith is shown by love for God’s people.

Conclusion

Now, you may look at this and start to feel some pressure.

Do I have to earn my way to heaven? Do I have to work for my salvation?

The answer is and always will be… no*.

No… but, there is nuance. Two things we can understand from this.

The primary evidence of genuine discipleship is one’s relationship to and treatment of fellow disciples.

Matthew 24:45–49 NASB95

45 “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47 “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 “But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards;

Here, we saw a similar theme: the faithful servant cares for the household and all the people in it. The wicked servant does not do so.

Those who are saved will inevitably look like they have been saved. They will not be perfect, but they will be repentant, growing, and increasingly marked by love for Christ’s people. They do not earn salvation, but they do work because they have been changed by Christ.

Let me be clear: faith alone saves. But true faith is never alone. True faith will have good works, and this is what James talks about a lot in James 2.

And if you’re not assured yet, don’t worry, we’re not done. Let’s look to how Jesus closes this and transitions to what comes next.

Jesus secures our salvation completely in himself.

Matthew 26:1–2 NASB95

1 When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, 2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.”

Jesus is again telling the disciples what is coming. His death. His crucifixion at the hands of the Romans by the will of his very own people. Why is Jesus dying? Why did Jesus come at all? So that he could empower us to work hard enough to save ourselves from our own sins?

NO!

Matthew 1:21 NASB95

21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Jesus will save us from our sins. That is why he came, and that is why he died, and that is why he rose from the dead.

So when we read this text, we do not put our hope in our own obedience. Even as we seek to live for Christ, our hope in life and death is not our works but the blood of Jesus Christ.

Our comfort and assurance in salvation is not in our performance, but in Christ’s finished work and present intercession.

The beautiful hymn by Charitie Smith says it so powerfully. I invite you all to stand, or remain seated if you plan to pray, close your eyes, and meditate upon these words as we enter our time of response.

Before the throne of God above

I have a strong and perfect plea;

A great High Priest whose name is Love,

Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on his hands,

My name is written on his heart;

I know that while in heaven he stands

No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair

And tells me of the guilt within,

Upward I look and see him there

Who made an end of all my sin.

Because the sinless Saviour died,

My sinful soul is counted free,

For God, the Just, is satisfied

To look on him and pardon me.

Behold him there! the bleeding Lamb!

My perfect, spotless Righteousness,

The great unchangeable "I AM,"

The King of glory and of grace.

One with himself I cannot die,

My soul is purchased by his blood;

My life is hid with Christ on high,

With Christ, my Saviour and my God.