"The Parables of The Kingdom pt.1"

Introduction

It should not be surprising that the Lord Jesus in the Olivet Discourse links the end times to parables regarding the Kingdom of Heaven.

His Kingdom is a spiritual kingdom that will in the end exist physically in a new heavens and new earth. The Kingdom of Heaven will come to earth in the eternal state.

These three parables that we will be looking at over the coming weeks give us insight on how we as Christians should be living in the world. One might even look at theses parables as application parables in light of the coming Kingdom of heaven.

They in a sense connect the Last Days according to Jesus with Kingdom application for us as believers in the world.

The first parable is the parables of the 10 Virgins and it is set in the context of wedding preparation. The 10 virgins represent the whole of the bridal wedding party. This is probably not a reference to a wedding with 1 bridegroom and 10 brides but 10 virgins representing the wedding party of the bride.

We see that Jesus divides them into two groups to set up a contrast between them in verses 1-4. Look back at your text to verses 1-4:

I. The Contrast (1-4).

The contrast is set between the wise virgins and the foolish virgins.

The foolish virgins are those who went out to meet the bridegroom but had no oil in their lamps.

Now perhaps we need to understand something of the Jewish marriage ceremony in the first century. Leon Morris, in his work on Matthew’s gospel gives us some insightful information on the wedding during the time of Christ on earth.

The bridegroom would go to meet his bride at a designated place. Sometimes it was the home of the bride or it was a designated spot where they would meet and be married.

The procession would take place often at night. And the torches or lamps would be lit in order to display light as they went to the house of the bridegroom. This would be followed with feasting that could actually go on for days in celebration of the new couples wedding.

The wise virgins are those who went out to meet the bridegroom but had plenty of oil in their lamps. They were prepared to meet the bridegroom when the time came because the had flask of oil with them. But we are told that the foolish virgins had no flask of oil.

You see they all had the same expectation of meeting the bridegroom . In that sense they all were on the same page. There was no difference. The difference was in the level of their preparation in light of the possibility that the bridegroom could be delayed in his coming.

This sets the stage for future conflict for them experientially. Look at verses 5-9

II. The Conflict (5-9).

We see that the bridegroom was delayed. This term “delayed” in the original language denotes the idea that the bridegroom is remaining in his original place busy doing the thing he was doing previously.

He is not being preoccupied with something else that has popped up and diverted His attention.

The bridegroom is still at work doing that which needs to be done.

Now we all know that Jesus has already told His disciples that there were certain things that would need to take place prior to His coming. Like the gospel being preached to all the nations of the world. We have also seen that God is desiring for all the elect to come into the Kingdom prior to His return (2 Peter 3:9).

We believe in the immanent return of Christ because we don’t necessarily have the inside scoop on the divine intent of what constitutes fulfillment. The seven churches of Revelation probably believed at the time that they would live to see the things that John Spoke of in that letter.

The second and third century also probably believed that they were living in the last days with the increased persecution under the Roman Empire and the Caesars that declared their own deity and demanded to be worshipped by their subjects as gods.

Throughout history we could point to fulfillment at times and some even in our day but the divine intent is what really matters when we get right down to it.

So as believers we are caught in that tension between our experience in the Christian life and what the divine fulfillment of biblical prophecy actually is.

We can actually at times tend to Americanize the fulfillment, but God sees from His perspective which is global in scope.

We see fulfillment in time sequence in the experiential while God sees fulfillment outside of time sequence. 2 Peter 3:8 reminds us that a day is as a thousand years to the Lord. And Peter is saying this in the context of explaining why Jesus hasn’t yet returned.

In the parable all of the virgins became tired and they all went to sleep because of the delay of the bridegroom (5). The conflict doesn’t arise until the midnight cry, “Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet Him!” (6).

The text tells us they all arose from their slumber, trimmed their lamps and the foolish virgins said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” (7-8).

Now right here you would think that the Christian thing to do would be to share your oil with those who don’t have as much as you do. Understand that the point of the parable is not sharing with those who don’t have as much as you have.

The wise virgins replied, “we do not have enough for our lamps and your lamps. You need to make a quick trip to Wal-Mart and get you some oil” (9).

The point of the parable is not to share with those who don’t have, the point of the parable is that all the virgins in the wedding party are responsible to get their own oil in ample supply to the point that they are ready for the bridegroom when He comes.

In other words Christian we should not put off the things we need to do for the Kingdom for a future time. Our posture should be one that when the final day comes Christ should find us ready for our eternal union with Him.

We should live that way because we are looking for His return and we are living our lives on earth in the light of heaven itself. This is living with a pre-occupation of the Kingdom of Heaven instead of the Kingdom of Earth.

Virgins with empty lamps have their focus on other things instead of the Kingdom of heaven. Their minds and hearts were somewhere else until the midnight cry announcing the bridegroom. Then their lack of preparation was exposed and they go off in a hurry to buy more oil. And their lack of preparation sealed their condemnation. Look at verses 10-13:

III. The Condemnation (10-13).

The Bridegroom came and those who were ready went with Him to the marriage feast and the door was shut (10).

Now most of us would imagine that they could still get in all they have to do is knock on the door. Will that is exactly what the foolish virgins thought. And verse 11 tells us that they show up to the door and said “Lord, lord open the door.”

We got our oil! We are a little late but we are here now and we are ready for the marriage feast! Lord just open the door and we will be glad to come in. We are so willing to be a part of the celebration! Just let us in Lord! Lord open the door!

From inside the door comes the words that are some of the most frightful and sobering words in all of Scripture spoken by the Lord of the House, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you”.

Being a virgin with an empty lamp is an eternally deadly way to live and the sobering words of Jesus should be of upmost concern if the true light of the gospel burns in us from the oil of the Holy Spirit.

And if it does it will show in your preparation for the Kingdom of Heaven. That is what these three parables are about that we are going to be looking at over the next 2 Sunday mornings.

What does it look like living in full preparation of Christ coming? Today we have seen that there is a Kingdom of Heaven Pre-occupation for the believer. And we are reminded of it this morning.

Christian did you know that every time we eat of this table we are not only looking at the gospel but we are eating in anticipation of His return.

This table is the appetizer that gets us ready for the grand feast. In Matthew 26: 29 Jesus told His disciples after the original Lord’s Supper that next time He drinks of the fruit of the vine it will will be in His Father’s Kingdom.

Conclusion

We are looking forward to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. He will return and take us to be with Him forever and there is a feast involved celebrating our eternal union. The lamb with His bride, The Church.

This table is the appetizer that should wet our appetites for that which is to come.

Unbeliever

Believer: Examine yourself don’t be a virgin with an empty lamp.

I Corinthians 11:27-31

Let’s Pray!