Encounter Jesus – Matthew Week 14

What Did Jesus Say About the  Final Judgment?

Matthew 25

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Encounter Jesus Week 14 Handout

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Lesson Notes

We continue the Olivet Discourse – Jesus’ final speech in Matthew, covering end times. Jesus concluded Chapter 24 with 2 parables which had the points:

  • Be ready at all times for His return – it will be a surprise when He comes
  • Blessed is the one doing Christ’s will when He returns; Cursed is the one who isn’t

Chapter 25 begins with 2 parables expanding on those points – we’ll discuss briefly.

Parable of the 10 Virgins – Read Matthew 25: 1-13

  • Background: A wedding procession – typically at night, went from the groom’s house to the bride’s for the ceremony, then back to the groom’s for the feast.
  • Carried torches covered in oil-soaked rags – they don’t stay lit long without more oil
  • All 10 started well, had lamps/torches
  • The groom was delayed – reiterating the point of the earlier parables – the return of Christ will be later than we expect
  • They sleep – not a problem. The problem was their situation when they woke up!
  • Only those prepared for the long haul persevered to salvation – entered the feast
  • Consistent with Jesus’ words in Matthew 24: 13 – the one who endures to the end will be saved
  • Also consistent with Parable of the 4 Soils
  • Genuine saving faith – the kind producing fruit – will persevere to the end and there is nothing to fear
  • Faith that isn’t genuine – intellectual assent without life change – will not persevere
  • Only Jesus can tell the difference – we can’t
  • Verse 13 emphasizes – we don’t know the day or the hour – prepare for the long haul

Parable of the Talents

  • Expands and clarifies the point of doing what we’re supposed to do until Christ returns
  • Servants entrusted with enormous sums of money (perhaps millions of dollars), based on their capabilities
  • Two of them immediately went to work – essentially starting and running businesses – the only real way to multiply money back then. One buried the money.
  • Verse 19 – “After a long time” the master returns
  • Point – we are to invest everything God has given us – spiritual gifts, natural talents, developed abilities and education, skills, life experiences, money, and time – invest it all in building God’s Kingdom here on earth
  • If we do – regardless of what we were given in this life
    • “Well done, good and faithful servant”
    • I will set you over much -responsibility in heaven
    • Enter into the joy of the master
  • If we don’t – condemnation/damnation. Genuine faith will drive us to act.

Final Judgment – Read Matthew 25: 31-46

  • Verses 31-33 – When Christ returns He will judge
    • All the nations – everyone – Jews & Gentiles
    • Will separate people like sheep and goats
    • In the middle east you commingle your flocks and they look a lot alike
    • Shepherds separate them at night (sheep like it cool, goats like it warm), and for shearing, milking, etc.
    • While they are a blur to us, shepherds can separate them quite efficiently
  • Verses 34-40 – the righteous – the sheep – on Christ’s right, go to heaven
    • Why? They fed, gave water, welcomed, cared for, and visited Jesus  Christ when He was in need, a stranger, sick, or in prison
    • “What are you talking about?” “We never did any such thing!”
    • When they did it for the least, poorest, neediest of Christ’s brothers and sisters – Christians – they did it for Him
  • Verses 41-46 – the opposite is true for the unrighteous – the goats – those on the left who go to eternal punishment (damnation) – eternal fire prepared for the devil and demons
  • Is this teaching salvation by works??? It would be easy to read that into this, but
    • NO! (verse 37) – “the righteous” – they are righteous, then they do these things, not because they do them to become righteous
    • Matthew 1: 21 – “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” They don’t save themselves.
    • Matthew 20: 28 – “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give  his life as a ransom for many”
    • John 3: 14-18: (verse 15) – “that whoever believes in him may have eternal life”
    • Remember, the sheep and goats are both surprised – so they didn’t do the good things (or fail to do them) in the expectation of salvation
    • These works – either done, or neglected, represent whether a heart has been transformed by saving faith in Jesus  Christ as Lord and Savior
    • Jesus is clear – real faith does these things, and that should be sobering for us. Real faith transforms us, changes who we are and how we see and treat people.
    • This is what James means when he says faith without works is dead.
    • Matthew 28: 19-20 speaks of two aspects of genuine discipleship – professing the faith, and living a life transformed by that faith.
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