Matthew 25:31-46

Open up your bibles to the book of Matthew 25:31-46

Matthew 25:31–46 ESV

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Since the beginning of chapter 24, Jesus has been preaching a sermon.

This is what is known as the Olivet discourse

He sat down on the Mount of Olives and preached this sermon.

He was responding to a question asked of his disciples

“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

We’ve already been given signs, we’ve already been told what will trigger the sign

Jesus gave us the lesson of the fig tree

Then he goes into 2 different parables that share how we should be living as Christians

We should always be ready for his coming

We should always be working while we are waiting.

We are not to waste our lives.

For heaven’s sake, heed the warnings.

Hopefully you’re there, read with me please

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

36 I was 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, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’

45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’

46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

PRAY

In this morning's passage it is clear that there are 3 main things. The Judge, the blessed, the lost.

So let’s begin with...

I. THE JUDGE.

As we look Jesus as Judge, let’s start with his...

1. His glory.

The Lord was sitting on the Mount of Olives,

He was looking back on the holy city and the temple which he had finally left.

He had been rejected by the hierarchy of the chosen nation;

the shadow of the cross was falling on him; in three days would come the agony and the sacrifice.

This is a Tuesday

Knowing what was coming, his thoughts weren’t on his own sufferings

No, his thoughts were on his incarnation and atonement, which were to be manifested in the future.

His thoughts were on the salvation of those who believed

His thoughts were on the condemnation of those who refused to.

Jesus speaks of himself as the King—the king of all nations

Upon his return vs 31 says He shall sit on his glorious throne.

This speaks of the earthly reign of Christ described in Rev 20:4–6.

Revelation 20:4–6 ESV

Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Let me read it for you

4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Let me be specific -

The judgment described here in vv. 32–46 is different from the Great White Throne judgment of Rev 20:11–15.

This judgment precedes Christ’s millennial reign (as we just read), and the subjects seem to be only those who are alive at His coming.

This is sometimes referred to as the judgment of the nations, but His verdicts address individuals in the nations, not the nations as a whole (cf. v. 46).

Now No human words could describe the glory of the Judge.

John could only say that from his face heaven and earth fled away; and there was found no place for them.

2. The gathering of all nations before him.

The parables of the virgins and the talents are parables of judgment;

but they only deal with a portion of the subject.

Judgment, Peter says, “must begin at the house of God.”

The two parables prior to this, if you remember, was talking specifically to those who embraced Christianity.

To be a virgin in the parable meant you identified with the wedding party

To be a servant given talent meant you identified as being apart of the the masters household.

Now there's A wider scene —the judgment of the whole world.

We’re no longer talking about a portion, but a multitude.

The people who are in this judgement are those who are alive.

when a person dies they immediately enter into that judgment right then.

The decision of their eternal destiny is rendered.

But for those who are still alive when Jesus comes, at the moment of His coming that judgment will take place.

So He says, “When I come, I come as a judge, not only as a King. ”

And he says when he comes he will make a separation

he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

Shepherds separate sheep and goats for the purpose of feeding and relaxing.

It is necessary because sheep and goats do not feed well together and they do not rest well together.

And the reason being the sheep are basically docile, gentle, easily led and easily scared.

The goats are unruly, rambunctious and almost fearless, and they create all kinds of problems for the sheep.

And so a separation needs to be made.

And in the same way that a shepherd would sort his sheep from his goats, so the Lord Jesus Christ, in His coming, will separate believers from unbelievers.

Believers, to be taken into His kingdom; The goats are put out of His kingdom.

And so let’s take a closer look at those to be welcomed into the kingdom. We call them...

II. THE BLESSED.

in three days time there would be a mocking title that hung above his head as he hung dying on the cross, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews,”

In spite of this, Jesus knew he was indeed King of kings and Lord of lords.

Come, you who are blessed by my Father

– literally, come here. Come to Me, come into My kingdom

That’s what He says to the sheep

Notice it says, “Then the King shall say.”

This fits Matthew’s emphasis.

This is the King.

And he finally really calls Him the King because He now is coming in His kingdom.

Now this is a key interpretative thought and I want you to get this.

It’s so important.

He is inviting them into the kingdom.

On what terms?

Well many people have sort of had difficulty with this passage, because they say, “Well look, it says in verse 35 and 36 that they were – ‘ 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

And doesn’t that teach salvation by works?

Isn’t He saying you can come into the kingdom because of your philanthropy?

You can come into the kingdom because of your basic human kindness?

You can come into the kingdom because of all the social action that you were involved in?

This seems rather problematic.

Are people going to go into the kingdom because of their social orientation?”

There’s far more to it than that

And that’s all bound up in verse 34.

People who get confused here somehow miss verse 34

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

First of all, “‘Come” – here comes number one point – “you who are blessed by my Father”

That emphasizes the source of their salvation.

You are blessed of My Father.

You are entering into the kingdom because My Father has determined to bless you.

Here is sovereign grace expressed.

By the way, the phrase in the Greek literally says, “My Father’s blessed ones.”

You are coming into My kingdom because God redeemed you out of His sovereign love.

So verse 34 expresses the reality of redemption, salvation and justification.

And then it says, Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit–

You inherit something because you are born into a family.

Right?

It implies again that they belong to the family of God, to which you belong by faith.

You inherit what is yours because by faith you have become a joint heir with Christ, if we borrow Paul’s thought in Romans 8.

you are those who inherit because you belong to the family by faith, you are sons of God.

Further it says, “inherit the kingdom prepared for you ”

When God prepared the kingdom it was for you that He prepared it.

you have the source of salvation in the Father’s blessing

And then a further thought. It was prepared from the foundation of the world.

Now that emphasizes the eternal covenant that God made with Himself to redeem a people selected before the foundation of the world.

Who are these people going in?

They’re not just people who got involved in social action.

They’re not just people who did good deeds on the earth.

These are those chosen from the foundation of the world by sovereign God

who responded by faith and became His heirs in the family.

And all of that is compacted in verse 34.

And that can’t be missed.

The good deeds mentioned in 35 and 36 are not the primary emphasis. The primary emphasis in identifying these people is in verse 34.

The good deeds are the fruit of the redemption defined for us in verse 34.

God isn’t asking for our Christianity to be secret.

He isn’t saying - Come into my kingdom b/c I know and you know even though nobody else knows.

He is saying “Come into my kingdom b/c this is how you have lived.

the mark of salvation is always the same, it is manifest righteousness.

Notice verse 35,

35 For I was hungry– here’s the reason and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

Six things are mentioned: Hunger, thirst, estrangement, improper clothing, sickness, and imprisonment.

And He says I know you belong in My kingdom because you met all those needs in My case.

You ministered to Me in those areas.

You see, the kingdom is for people who do that for Christ.

Yes, the kingdom is for people who minister to Christ in that way, who supply a need, whatever that need might be.

And in that culture, that’s what the need was.

Those are the blessed

And then we have...

III. THE LOST.

“Depart from me, you cursed”

It is always manifest righteousness that marks a true believer in Scripture.

It is what James says, faith without works is – what? – it’s dead.

It’s non‑existent.

There are going to be some folks gathered in the final judgment who are going to say, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name and in your name cast out demons and in your name done many wonderful works?” Matthew 7:22 and 23. “And the Lord says, ‘Then will I profess unto them, “Depart from Me, you who worked iniquity, I never knew you.”’”

Now wait a minute.

We prophesied in Your name.

We cast out demons in Your name.

We’ve done many wonderful works in Your name, and You’re telling us You don’t know us?

You see, there’s none of that criteria here.

He doesn’t say, “Oh, I saw you cast out demons. I saw you prophesy greatly. I saw you do many wonderful works.”

it isn’t those monumental successes outwardly that demonstrate the proof of true salvation.

It is that day-to-day routine grace kindness goodness demonstrated toward believers in need that proves the case.

And there are going to be lots of folks in the line saying,

“Look at all the greatness, look at all the splendor, look at all the wonders we did.”

And He’ll say, “I don’t know you.”

And there will be some folks who did the daily routine simple acts of love and therefore manifested the indwelling presence of the living God.

And that’s exactly what Jesus meant when He said, John 13:35,

John 13:35 ESV

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The proof is in manifest love, in the routine things of life, in the caring for those who have need.

You say, I never met anybody who was naked so that I could put clothes on them, but if I did I would.

That’s the heart attitude.

But maybe you’ve met somebody with another need, have you met that need?

That’s how you examine yourself to see if you’re in the faith.

That’s the test in the end. It’s similar in Romans 2:6-7

Romans 2:6–7 ESV

He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;

6 He will render to each one according to his works:

7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;

You see, He doesn’t say the ones who did all the phenomenal things, that had the big meetings and the big miracle workers, and so forth and so forth.

He says it’s to those who by patient routine well doing.

Verse 41, 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels who fell and there was no plan to redeem them.

They chose unholiness and there is no way to reverse that. There is no remedy and so God prepared a place for the devil and his angels in everlasting fire and that was for them.

But men have chosen to identify in their rebellion and they go there by choice to a place not even intended for them.

“Depart from me”

It speaks of isolation.

It’s a place of darkness,

Going back in verse 30. It speaks of duration, it’s everlasting.

It speaks of affliction, it’s fire.

Imagine – imagine that scene.

Go away, you chose it. Why? “

you never demonstrated the love of God, which is the mark of the manifestation of His presence.

You never revealed a changed life.

You never showed love for the brethren.

He’s not talking about the milk of human kindness, you never gave yourself away to meet the needs of other redeemed people.

And they say to Him,

44 ...‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’

45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’

Never with a proper motive

People are damned b/c of what they don’t do

You remember the virgins?

They didn’t get any oil.

The 3rd servant and the talent?

He did nothing

The virgins weren’t vile, they were just negligent.

And the servant wasn’t immoral, he just did nothing.

And people are damned to hell by what they don’t do.

And what they don’t do is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is the absence of righteousness.

It is the absence of the love of God that comes through faith in Christ.

46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Eternal punishment, eternal life

Both are the same as far as time is concerned - eternal

LESSONS.

1. The Lord is coming. He shall sit on the throne of his glory. Which side will you be set when the Lord comes—on the right hand or on the left?

2. Head the warning. Don’t just sit there and consume knowledge without checking to see if you have a changed life.

3. Follow Christ; love the brethren; imitate the example of the King.

Phil. 4:7 - (May) the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.