Watching for the Savior - Matthew 25:1-13

One of the hardest parts of the Holiday season for children is WAITING. Christmas seems to creep closer at an inch by inch pace (whereas for parents it feels like a supersonic transport!).

Parents find it hard to wait for their baby to be born. Countless Doctor appointments, various tests, pains, discomfort, classes, showers, and an endless number of annoying people who say, “Haven’t you had that baby yet.”

Today we talk about the toughest wait of all; the wait for the return of Christ. It is a major doctrine . . . however, it has been a long wait. The danger is that over time we get lazy. It would be like a military platoon training and training and training but never being used in a fight. They may lose their edge, or intensity. Unfortunately, when the time arrives, they will be unprepared.

In the first 13 verses of Matthew 25 Jesus tells a parable which frankly should arrest our attention and maybe even terrify us a little bit.

“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6“At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’

7“All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. 8Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’

9“But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’

10“But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’

12“But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’

13“So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

Understanding the Story

In the days of Jesus the bridal attendant would come to the house of the bride and wait for the arrival of the groom. They didn’t know when he would arrive but when he did they would form a formal procession from the bride’s house to the groom’s house. Much like in weddings today, being chosen to be an attendant of the bride (a bridesmaid) was an honor.

These women had torches of some kind. The torches depended on oil for fuel. In this account the Bridegroom took a longer time than expected so all of the bridesmaids (understandably) feel asleep. However, when the call came that the bridegroom was coming 5 of the 10 bridesmaids discovered they did not have enough oil to keep their torches lit. They asked the others if they could borrow some oil. The others could not help because they needed their oil for the procession. The five lacking oil ran to town to try to get more oil before the bridegroom went to his home with bride. But they were unsuccessful.

The late bridesmaids showed up a little late to the groom’s door and were refused admittance. But not only were they refused entry, they were told they were unknown by the bridegroom.

We feel horrible for the bridesmaids. It may seem unfair to you that after just this “little miscalculation” the women were shunned at the door. But . . . remember, this is a story designed to make a point! The response of the groom is designed to teach us something about the Kingdom of God.

The Bridegroom clearly is our Lord Jesus. The Ten Virgins (or Bridesmaids) represent the visible church. They depict people, if you will, who call or think of themselves as believers. The late James Montgomery Boice observed the Bridemaids had several things in common:

They were all were invited to be part of the bridal party

They all had responded positively (we might say, they “made a decision”)

They had joined the fellowship of the other bridesmaids (part of the visible church)

They confessed loyalty to the groom

They were anticipating the coming of the groom

They all fell asleep

This parable is not about those who are hostile to the faith. It is a warning to those who are in the church . . . people like you and me!

People become part of the church for many reasons.

It is what good people do

They have an affection for the teaching of Jesus

Their family has always gone to church (in other words it is a family tradition)

They want to raise their children with good values

They like a Pastor

It is where their friends attend

The point is that people can look like a believer and yet not actually be someone who has turned to Christ as their Savior and followed Him as their Lord. They may be in church, but have actually missed the point. I was amused by this story one commentator told,

My wife and I recently visited one of America’s finest zoos to see a new exhibit for large primates. Following recent trends in the field, it is a wonderfully constructed exhibit, with a large, natural habitat guaranteed to make the animals happier. Unfortunately for zoo patrons, the animals’ happiness includes avoidance of humans! It was our privilege to hear a zoologist explain how happy the animals, which no one could see, really are. Now more than ever, we can look at the vegetation in which happy animals hide. Zoo patrons are now trying to impress zoo managers with a startling thought: people visit the zoo in order to see the animals, not just to hear about their emotional status. (If the prime goal is to please the animals, abolish the zoo entirely!)[1]

This is what happens sometimes in the church. We have all kinds of great things and wonderful programs and it all sounds good . . . but we have missed the main thing: a genuine sorrow for sin and a true turning to Jesus to rescue us and make us new.

When Christ, the Bridegroom returns there will be a lot of excited people: Sunday School Teachers, Deacons, Pastors, Missionaries, Tithers, Youth Leaders, Choir Members and more. Sadly, many of them will have no oil. They will not possess the Spirit of God. They will be followers in name only and will not be admitted into the Banquet; they will be excluded from Heaven and exposed as a spurious follower. They may have had an “experience” but may not have truly surrendered to Christ.

This is why this parable is so important. It should lead each of us to examine our faith. We need to ask whether we are represented by the wise virgins (the ones who were prepared) or the foolish virgins (who were not prepared)

What Jesus is teaching is very similar to He told us in Matthew 7:21-23

21“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

These people had resumes that fill us with envy. They prophesied, cast our demons and performed miracles. Still, the Lord said to them: “I never knew you.” Why, because they were not true followers! They followed Christ when it was convenient. They obeyed what fit with what they wanted to do. As Kyle Idleman observed: these people were fans, not followers.

The beginning of 1 Corinthians 13 should make us think:

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained NOTHING.

Look at all the things these people did: they prophesied, understood deep truth, and had mountain moving faith. Yet, because they did not love, they “gained nothing”. In other words, they were Virgins without oil.

It may seem the other Bridesmaids were selfish because they did not share their oil. However, to do so, in the story, would have meant they would have all run out of oil before arriving at the Grooms home. It is a reminder people do not come into the Kingdom of God because of who they know. They are not granted forgiveness and eternal life because of their parents, grandparents or anyone else they know. This is a personal decision. We are responsible for the decision WE make regarding Christ. It will not work to blame others or to claim special privilege because of others.

How Do We Make Sure We Have Enough Oil?

The burning question is: how do we end up like the wise bridesmaids rather than the foolish ones. The first step in being ready for the return of the Bridegroom, is to do some personal evaluation.

Ask yourself some questions:

Are you living your life thinking, “I still have time to get serious about my faith?” If so, you don’t get it. Jesus does not call us simply to make a decision, sign a card, or join a club. He calls us to be made new. Being part of His family is not a box you check, it is surrendering to His work in your life.

Do you believe you are a good person and because of that you go to church? The Bible is crystal clear: In Romans 3 we are told that “No one is good, not even one.” The prerequisite for salvation, is recognizing that you have a great need; you are sinful and you cannot save yourself. We come to Jesus not as one dude talking to another dude! We come to Him as one who is lost and dying in desperate need of rescue.

Is “Christian” or “Christ-follower” something you “do” or is it something you “are”? I’ve told the story before (and will probably tell it again). I was called for jury duty and one of the days I was questioned by the defense attorney as they selected a jury. As I recall it was some kind of drug case. The lawyer asked me a question (which rambled all over the place as he tried to sound like he knew the Christian faith . . . he did not). In essence it seemed he was asking me if I could set my Christian values aside to judge the case, without “bias” (Perhaps he thought all Christian people hated “sinners;” not understanding that we are ALL sinners. My response to his rambling question was: “If you are asking whether I can put aside my faith during this trial you need to understand: being a believer is not something I do . . . it is something that I AM.” I was dismissed.

Following Christ is not like joining a club or belonging to an organization. It is not like serving the community when there is a crisis. Following Christ is more like a marriage: you walk together in everything.

4. What do the times of crisis tell you about your faith? When times get tough do you get mad at God or abandon your faith? In times when others attack do you become a savage or do you listen, learn, and hide yourself in Christ? When times are pressurized do you panic or do you trust?

When I had my back surgery a nurse told Debbie that when people are coming out anesthesia you often find out what kind of person they really are. This is because they lose their filter. In much the same way, in the time of trial you find out the true nature of your faith.

The essential question is: Have you truly come to Jesus as your Savior and Lord or do you simply see Him as your “get out of jail free” card? We come to Christ for salvation when we see Him as the One who rescues us from certain destruction. Because He has done so we recognize that He is God and we follow and serve Him every day of our life.

We need to embrace the gospel daily. We need to remember that we need His mercy and grace every day. It is the finest expression of love we have ever experienced. If we understand who Jesus is and what He has done for us, we will want to spend every moment with Him.

Do you remember that teenage love you once had (I hope you still have it)? You would talk on the phone for hours right after seeing each other. At the end of the conversation you would be reluctant to be the first to hang up. You found ways and reasons to spend time together. You may have “just happened to be in the neighborhood” even though it was 10 miles from home and you had been waiting for two hours!

We should love Jesus like that! We should love Him more than we love our best friend, our parents, and even our children! He has rescued us and fills us with love, joy, meaning and purpose. He gives strength in the times of weakness and perspective in the times of confusion. He gives us assurance in the time of death. He does what no one else can do in our lives!

After doing a personal evaluation we should do what the Bible tells us to do.

Pray constantly in the way Jesus taught us to pray. We are to keep in contact with Him . . .sharing our needs. We should turn to Him with confidence rather than worrying. Intimacy with our mate is about connection. Intimacy with God is the same thing. If we don’t talk, we don’t connect.

Put His instructions into practice. Jesus was not giving us suggestions or options for life. He was showing us what life is supposed to be. His Word is the instruction manual for how life works. The Bible calls us to “love his law”. We are not to relate to the Bible as merely rules we are required to follow. God’s word is wisdom and truth that opens us up to life and the beauty of life. It teaches us how to relate to each other.

Follow His example. We are often guilty of applying the words of God like a policeman enforcing the Law. As a result, we become harsh and judgmental. /we have knowledge without heart. The way of the wise bridesmaid is to relate to other people with that balance of truth and love; mercy and grace. We never forget that we are all sinners who are saved by grace.

Ruthlessly work to eliminate the idols of your lives. An idol is anything that is more important to us than the Lord. To put it another way; it is that which stands between us and Him. Your idol is that which you turn to for fulfilment and meaning. Your idol may be your work, your family, or your hobby. It might be your politics, your goals and ambitions, it might even be your “quest for happiness”.

The parable of the Ten Virgins is not really about a wedding. It is about life. It is about where you and I will spend eternity. This is more than a story. It is a warning. Those who are wise will listen carefully and make whatever changes are necessary to make sure they are ready whenever the Bridegroom comes.

If you have found this morning that you may not be a true follower of Christ, do something about that. Confess to God that you have been pretending. Ask Him to forgive you and to make you new. Ask Him to help you become a follower rather than mere!y a fan.

The Lord Jesus, the great Bridegroom may be delayed, but He is coming. It may be today. It may be next week. He may come in the clouds or He may come for us at the end of our life. We don’t know when He will come. Our prayer is that whenever it happens, we will be found with our lamps burning bright.

[1] Daniel M. Doriani, Matthew & 2, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, vol. 2, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2008), 395–396.