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Sunday 20th
Jan 2008 Morning service
Mat 25 Matthew 25:1 "The
Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated
by the story of ten bridesmaids1
who took their lamps and went
to meet the bridegroom.
This chapter contains 3 sections.
V1-13, v14-30, v31-46
The first parable uses the familiar
image of a wedding.
Weddings were a bit different in
those days. The Bride would have to
wait for the bridegroom. And he
could arrive whenever he chose.
One commentator notes that for
middle class families it was great
fun to try and catch the bridle
party unprepared for the bridegroom!
Thus arriving in the middle of the
night was not unheard of!
From the brides point of view she
would have here bridesmaids on the
lookout so that she would not be
caught out.
So Jesus uses this familiar picture
to make one main point:
You need to be ready for the 2nd
coming or you will be locked out.
Are you ready? Remember this is a
story given in private to the
disciples.
He is asking them and He is asking
us, are we ready.
V1 points us to the fact that Jesus
is again talking about the K of H.
At the start of the story the doors
to the kingdom are open.
The Bride has not yet returned.
Therefore the opportunity is still
there for everyone to enter who
wants to.
By the end of the story the doors to
the Kingdom are closed - v10.
The opportunity for entrance has
passed!
This is the situation we are in
today. The kingdom doors are open,
we can all enter. But the question
remains, are we ready to enter.
V2-5, map out the situation for us.
Of the 10 bridesmaids 5 were wise
and 5 were foolish. v2
What made the 5 wise? They were
ready, they had extra oil. v4
What made the 5 foolish? They were
not ready, had no extra oil. V3
Then comes the crunch - v5 the
bridegroom was delayed! The
bridesmaids all sleep.
V6 - the lookout lets the sleeping
beauties know that He is coming.
V7-8 they all wake up but not all
are ready. The fools oil is running
out! They ask for some off the wise.
V9 - the wise send them away to the
shops!
V10 during this time the Groom
arrives. The Wise enter the wedding
feast - they were ready. The fools
are left out - the door is shut!
V11-12: the fools try to get in but
are not allowed.
V13: the conclusion: be ready, keep
watch.
Point of the parable - we need to be
ready for the coming of the Lord /
prepared.
2nd story v14-30
V14-18 scene setting. Master goes
off and delegates responsibility to
his servants.
V19-27 the master returns and repays
his servants according to their
faithfulness or otherwise.
V28-30 conclusion. The faithless
will have no part in the kingdom,
the faithful will receive an
abundance.
Point of the parable - faithfulness
will be required in the waiting.
In these two parables Jesus makes
two simple points.
We need to be prepared. “Waiting
for the Lord”
We need to be faithful. “Working
for the Lord”
Jesus is coming again, how do we
prepare.
In the first parable the picture
is one of waiting. But it is a
prepared waiting.
We need to be prepared.
The wise bridesmaids had all they
needed for the situation. They had
the oil.
Oil represented what they needed to
get into the wedding banquet.
We need to be disciples, that is
born again, that is full of the
Spirit (Rom8v9).
To be prepared we need to be born
again.
This explains the seemingly less
than generous response of the Wise
to the Foolish v8-9. They could not
share what was not theirs to give.
You must come to Jesus yourself, you
cannot hitch a rid on another
disciple!
Preparedness is your responsibility.
Jesus is coming again what are we to
do? Be faithful.
In our waiting, we need to work.
2nd parable.
The Lord has given us all various
gifts, talents, work,
responsibilities etc.
As we are waiting for His return we
need to get on with these things.
What is the most important thing
about this service?
Not its productivity, not its
outward impression, not its
newsworthiness, not its front line
role, not its prominence, not its
fame,
The most important thing is our
faithfulness!
Note the response to the big shot
and the wee man v21,23 - both the
same.
The Master takes great delight in
the fact that we have been faithful.
We have worked to the best with what
we have been given.
This is of great encouragement to us
all because we can all be faithful.
This is something we can do.
Jesus does not ask us to do the
impossible.
He will not judge us according to
what we have not been given.
What are we to do as we look forward
to the 2nd coming?
Be prepared : Be faithful.
Evening
Service
Mat 25v31-46
In this final part of the chapter
Jesus moves from talking about being
prepared for the End to the End
itself and the judgement that will
take place.
He is not giving a parable but some
of His images are like those given
in parables.
V31-33 summarise the whole event.
Jesus will come again and the final
separation will take place.
V34-40 tell us what will happen to
the righteous and why.
V41-45 tells us what will happen to
the wicked and why.
V46 the last move from the judgement
seat to the eternal destination.
Context:
Jesus is speaking privately to his
disciples about the End times and
the last judgement. The Cross is but
3 days away and Jesus in these last
few days is telling the disciples
very important information. Thus, He
tells them about the Judgement.
What does this teach us about the
Judgement to come?
1) it will be international and
individual:
v32 “All the nations will be
gathered before him, and he will
separate the people one from another
as a shepherd separates the sheep
from the goats.”
It will be a world wide judgement.
Everyone will be there. “all the
nations”
Nations means Jews and Gentiles -
thus everyone.
Yet it will be specific for the
individual - “separate the people
one from another”
There will be no place to hid.
2) v32 Jesus will do the Judging.
“he will separate”
For those who know and love the
Lord, this will be nothing to fear!
It will be our Saviour that we stand
before. We will see him for the
first time. And what a vision that
will be. We will see him in all his
glory v31.
For the unbeliever it will be
terrifying. A day of sorrow and
regret.
3) v34-40 there will be rich reward
for the righteous.
Note: Jesus refers to himself as
King v34. His true identity will
shine forth on that great day.
The judgement was individual but the
inheritance will be given to us
communally.
The righteous will be given the
kingdom. That is our inheritance
v34.
This is Gods great plan for us. To
set us free in his kingdom, to reign
with Christ, in that place of
perfect sinless beauty, glory, joy,
love etc
Why will we be given such an
inheritance?
V35-40 because of the way we
have treated one another.
What do we make of these verses?
One thing we can rule out straight
away is salvation by works.
That would fly in the face of the
rest of scripture. We cannot save
ourselves by our works.
Nonetheless judgement will be
based on works.
Those who have good works are simply
producing the fruit of their
salvation.
Without fruit there is no salvation,
but fruit is not works.
Fruit is natural produce that comes
from who we are as new creations.
Thus the amazed response v37-39.
As we follow Jesus we do ‘good
works’ naturally, the more natural
these ‘works’ become the less we see
ourselves doing them!
And so too there is no room for
boasting. We are just doing what
comes naturally.
4) v41-45 the unrighteous will be
sent away.
The unrighteous are cursed because
of their lack of fruit.
The basis of the judgment for the
unbeliever is the same as that for
the believer.
They did not do, whereas the
believers did!
The separation is not based on
genius or logic, fame or power, but
simple practical helping of others!
Note: Who are we to help? V40&45
Gal 6:10 Therefore, as we
have opportunity, let us do good to
all people, especially to those who
belong to the family of believers.”
Application:
Jesus tells us the fearful end for
those who live without Jesus. Why?
Surely that we might be constrained
all the more to see them saved?
To pray for them, to love them, to
do them good!
Not so that we can rub our hands of
them and delight in their tragic
end.
Are you ready? The End is coming,
judgement is coming. Are you ready?
