30 Days of Prayer for the Harvest – Day 1

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30 Days of Prayer for the Harvest

Over the next 30 days, I invite you to join me in concentrated prayer for a harvest of souls for Christ. Jesus said to those He sent to proclaim His kingdom, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Luke 10:2).

As we start 2026, what will we do differently as individual believers and as a church that will have a kingdom impact on our community? We all know that what our families, neighborhoods, and cities need is Jesus Christ. But what are we doing to see people come to Christ for salvation?

Today’s Devotional and Prayer

Read Matthew 9:35-38

35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

How does being in a crowd affect you? Do you like being in a crowd? Some people love crowds and find lots of people around them energizing. Others don’t like crowds much at all. Lots of people all around make them feel nervous or even isolated. Neither attitude is necessarily right or wrong, and a lot of how you feel about crowds is probably based on your personality more than anything.

But whether you are an extrovert or an introvert, when it comes to crowds, there are two things we find in Matthew 9:35-38 that should be true of all followers of Jesus Christ. Regardless of your personality type, we should all be people of compassion and prayer. That was Jesus’ response, and if we are Jesus’ followers, that is, if we are disciples of Christ, then that should be our response too.

We are going to spend several days meditating on this passage from Matthew 9. We will look at Jesus’ ministry to the lost, Jesus’ compassion for the lost, and then finally, Jesus’ instructions to pray for the lost.

Today, let’s think about …

Jesus’ Ministry to the Lost.

Matthew 9:35 says, “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”

Where did Jesus go?

He went throughout all the cities and villages. Matthew 4:23 said that Jessus was going about preaching the kingdom of heaven “in all Galilee.” “Galilee” signifies the general area covered, while “all the cities and villages” demonstrates the scope of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus went where people lived and worked. He didn’t just wait for people to  come to Him, He went to them.

And what did Jesus do?

Teaching, Proclaiming, and Healing. Notice that Jesus ministered to the whole person. He ministered to the ‘mind’ by teaching them, to the ‘will’ by preaching to them, and to the ‘body’ by healing them. He ministered to their personal needs.

People we know and those we will meet in our community all have these same personal needs. Every personal need can be a window into a person’s heart. Behind our personal needs there lies a spiritual need—a need for a relationship with God.

Do you recognize the personal needs of people? When you are in your neighborhood today, or at the store, or in the doctor’s office, or with your family—wherever today finds you—take time to look for the needs of people. Ask yourself, “How could Jesus meet their need?”

Today’s Prayer

Could you pray something like this? (Please take time to make the prayer your own. This is just an outline or model; the prayer needs to be yours. Pray as long as needed to see God work in your heart).

Lord of the Harvest, give me the eyes to see the crowds around me. Give me the eyes to see the people who our church is not reaching. Give me the eyes to look beyond the busyness of my day and to see the people who are lost. Help me to see them and their needs. Help me to see them as real, spiritually needy people, not just nameless faces or hindrances to me. Remind me how Jesus is the answer to their needs.

I pray for the people on my street where I live and for the people I will meet today. Father, use me to reach some of them.

Please use New Covenant Baptist Church to make a difference in our community for the kingdom.

Amen.

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Our Failure and Christ’s Faithfulness – Matthew 26:31-46

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Our Failure and Christ’s Faithfulness

Matthew 26:31-46

To encourage a timid young preacher, Paul wrote to him the timeless truth, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13). This fragment from an ancient hymn resounds with powerful truth for us today. We all know that we are prone to faithlessness. Robert Robinson in his hymn Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (1758) expressed his own faithlessness, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love.”[1] I don’t suppose there has ever been a follower of Jesus who has not at some time been faithless or failed the Lord. The Bible is very transparent about the failures of even its most famous men of faith. Noah, a man who was called “a righteous man, blameless in his generation” (Gen. 6:9, ESV), was guilty of drunkenness (Gen. 9:21). Abraham, the father of faith (Rom. 4:16), feared for his life and practiced deception (Gen. 12, 20). Moses, the great law-giver, disbelieved the Lord and disobeyed in his anger (Num. 20:11-12). David, a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14), committed adultery and murder (2 Sam. 11).

In contrast to men’s failures, God is always faithful. Psalm 36:5 says, “Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” Psalm 89:1, “I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.” And Jeremiah writes in Lamentations 3:22-23, “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

These two contrasts of our unfaithfulness and the faithfulness of God are nowhere better illustrated than in our text this morning, Matthew 26:31-46.

1. We are faithless (Jesus predicts His disciples’ failure) – Matt. 26:31-35

Jesus and His disciples had just finished the Lord’s Supper, and they were making their way to the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives was about a fifteen minute walk from where they celebrated the Passover in Jerusalem. It was late in the evening. Remember that during the supper, when Jesus revealed that one of them would betray Him, the disciples all “were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, ‘Lord, is it I?’” (Matt. 26:22). Of course, we know Jesus was speaking about Judas Iscariot. But now on their walk to Gethsemane, Jesus predicts that they all will abandon Him. This is …

A. The Shepherd’s Announcement (Matt. 26:31-32)

31 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” (Matt. 26:31-32).

Can you imagine the shock that the disciples experienced when Jesus spoke this warning to them? In spite of all the times Jesus had predicted His impending betrayal, arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection, they refused to accept it. Now that the time was here, because they refused to believe what Jesus said, they could not accept the truth of their role in it either. So when Jesus said, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night,” it seemed impossible to them. Yet, Jesus warns them that not just the betrayer, but all of them would “be made to stumble,” or “be offended and fall away”.

The reason Jesus gave that they would stumble that night is “because of Me.” Because of the sentence of death upon Him, because Jesus would willingly go to the cross, they would all stumble in relationship to Him. That night, they would falter in the face of the extreme pressure of His arrest. Even though Jesus had prepared them and warned them, His arrest in the Garden would catch them off guard. They did not want Jesus to suffer and die; they wanted Him to reign as king. It wasn’t that they were intentionally rebellious. They just could not grasp the necessity of Christ’s death.

Yet, Jesus shows its necessity by quoting the prophecy of Zechariah 13:7. Jesus said, “for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’” (Matt. 26:31). In Zechariah 13, the prophet speaks of how the Lord God will cut off idolatry and false prophets from the land. But suddenly, in Zechariah 13:7, the Lord Himself speaks about His Shepherd,

7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, Against the Man who is My Companion,” Says the LORD of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered; Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.” (Zech. 13:7).

It is Yahweh, the LORD God Himself who calls for the shepherd to be struck. The LORD would strike the Shepherd, the Father would smite the Son on behalf of a rebellious race of sinners. The result is that the sheep would be scattered. This is how the LORD would remove idolatry and false prophets from Israel. In the next few verses in Zechariah, the prophet tells how two-thirds of Israel will “be cut off and die” (Zech. 13:8). But, one-third of Israel will be refined as silver is refined and tested as gold is tested (Zech. 13:9). Though they all are scattered, Zechariah promises a return of some of them. This is what would happen to the disciples. They fell and were scattered. But, they repented of their desertion, called upon the name of the Lord (Zech. 13:9), and were restored.

The Father strikes the Son in the justice-absorbing death of the cross. His sheep are scattered. But that is not the end! Jesus indicates their restoration in Matthew 26:32, “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” Jesus knew that the cross would not mean defeat, but victory. Everything would happen according to the divine plan of His Father. Nothing was a surprise to Him. “Because of Him” they would falter, but also because of Him they would meet again in Galilee. Jesus knew that after His resurrection He would restore and commission His disciples to carry the gospel to the world.

So, Jesus announced that they would all stumble that night. But even though Jesus warned them, they would all fail because of …

B. The Disciples’ Overconfidence (Matt. 26:33-35)

33 Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples. (Matt. 26:33-35).

When you and I read these words, we inwardly groan. We know what’s about to happen. And yet, when Peter spoke them, I’m sure he absolutely meant what he said. He even proved his resolve in the garden. When they came to arrest the  Lord, Matthew 26:51 tells us that “suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear” (Matt. 26:51); and John’s Gospel tells us that this swordsman was none other than Peter himself (John 18:10). The Lord rebuked him for this, and commanded him to put his sword away. But it’s clear that Peter was prepared to fight to the death to protect His Lord. He truly intended to make good on his boasted devotion to Jesus.

And yet, after Jesus was seized, Peter, along with all the others, fled and deserted the Lord. As we’ll see in greater detail later on in Matthew 26, Peter would follow along to see what would happen to the Lord—but at a distance (Matt. 26:57). And within a few hours of his boasted devotion, when a servant girl would ask if he was with the Lord, he would say, “I do not know what you are saying” (Matt. 26:70). Later, when another girl would identify him as one of Jesus’ followers, and he would say, “I do not know the Man!” (Matt. 26:72). Finally, several bystanders would affirm that he truly was one of Jesus’ followers, and Peter would curse and swear and say, “I do not know the Man!” (Matt. 26:74).

Peter and the other disciples were all clearly overconfident of their devotion to the Lord. Look at Matthew 26:35 again, “Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples.” Peter devalued the commitment of others and exaggerated his own. All of them boasted of their exceptional devotion. Instead of being clothed in humility, they adorned themselves in pride and self-importance.

The failure of Peter and the other disciples here should warn us whenever we’re tempted to boast of our devotion to the Lord. Remember what Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and disparately wicked; who can know it?” We may think we will always stand for the Lord, and that we’ll always be devoted to Him; but the Lord Himself knows how easily our own hearts can fool us. So, Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 10:12, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” All the disciples thought they were invincible when it came to being faithful to Jesus. All of them failed because they were overconfident in their own ability to stand.

We need to understand our own weakness and need for Christ. How many times have you promised the Lord that you would do something, only to regret it later when you failed to carry it out? In my own walk with Christ, there are many things I have determined to do but have failed to follow through. I have pledged to be bolder in my evangelism. But, when the moment came to be bold, I lacked the courage to speak out boldly. I have preached many things that I, myself, have failed to do. My prayer life is not what I want it to be. Prayer often gets squeezed out of my schedule in the busyness of the day. Failure is what happens when we foolishly trust our own heart, lean on our own understanding, and are overconfident in our own strength.

We are often faithless. But the good news today is that …

2. Christ is faithful (Jesus faithfully prays in Gethsemane) – Matt. 26:36-46

Matthew 26:36 takes us to the garden of Gethsemane, which means “oil press.” It’s a great name that describes what happened to Jesus in the garden. He was squeezed to the uttermost. It’s there that we see …

A. Christ is faithful in intense sorrow (Matt. 26:36-38)

Matthew writes, “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.”” Perhaps Jesus stationed them there to guard His privacy in prayer.

Then Matthew says that Jesus “took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee” (Matt. 26:37a), that is James and John. These were the “inner three” of the 12 disciples. I believe Jesus took special time with these men and allowed them to see what the others did not see because each of them would become special leaders in the church and would teach others what they had learned. Just as Jesus drew them near to Himself so they could see His power and His glory (Matt. 17:1-5), He also drew them near to Himself to behold His time of deep anguish.

As they walked deeper into the darkness of the olive grove, “He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed” (Matt. 26:37). Jesus knew what was coming. He knew He had been born for this purpose. He knew that He would “save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21) by His death and resurrection. However, the full emotional impact of what was about to transpire “began” at that moment to flood over Him.

Here we see the great contrast between the attitude of Jesus and the attitude of the disciples. Alfred Plummer writes in his commentary,

The Apostles are so sure of their own strength that they will not allow the possibility of failure, even when they are forewarned of it by Christ. The Son of Man is so conscious of the weakness of His humanity that He prays to the Father that He may be spared the approaching trial. He feels the need of being strengthened by prayer.[2]

Jesus was fully human in every way except that He had no fallen, depraved sinful nature. He experienced every human emotion just as we experience them. Even so, it is hard for us to understand how Jesus felt at that moment. John MacArthur describes it in this way,

“Never was so much sorrow emanating from the soul of one individual. We could never comprehend the depth of Christ’s agony because, frankly, we cannot perceive the wickedness of sin as He could. Nor can we appreciate the terrors of divine wrath the way He did. The sorrow He expresses in the Gethsemane prayer is therefore beyond our comprehension.”[3]

As if to further drive home the point of His intense sorrow that must have been so visible, Jesus said to them, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even to death.” “Exceedingly sorrowful” means “grieved all around.” Jesus was surrounded in sorrow. He was drowning in it. He was so overwhelmed with what would happen that it brought Him to the point of death. We cannot comprehend the limitless depths of Jesus’ sorrow that night. Hebrews 5:7 speaks of Jesus, “who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear.”

Our Lord, in His humanity, couldn’t help but recoil from the cross. But I believe it was much more than that. I believe He was sorrowing—almost beyond description—because He Himself was unspeakably holy; and yet, He was about to bear the sin of all of humanity upon Himself. The hymnist, Charles Gabriel expressed it so powerfully in the hymn My Saviors Love. The second verse says,

For me it was in the garden
He prayed, ‘Not My will, but Thine.’
He had no tears for His own griefs,
but sweat drops of blood for mine.
How marvelous, How wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous, How wonderful
Is my Savior’s love for me.”[4]

Jesus was faithful in His intense sorrow. Then we see …

B. Christ was faithful in His agonizing supplication (Matt. 26:39-44).

Matthew writes, “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”” Though Jesus was shaken, He still stood firm. The cup is clearly symbolic of the suffering of the wrath of God that would come upon Him. Many references in the Old Testament use this metaphor. Isaiah 51:17 says, “Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk at the hand of the LORD The cup of His fury; You have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling, And drained it out.” Jeremiah 25:15-16 says, “For thus says the LORD God of Israel to me: Take this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it. And they will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.”

It was not just the physical torture of the cross that drove Jesus to His angonizing prayer, but the full understanding that He would within a few hours “bear the sins of many” (Heb. 9:28). He who “knew no sin” would “be sin for us” (2 Cor. 5:21). He would bear “our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24). He would become “the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2). Isaiah 53:6 says, “The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Not only would His sinlessness be polluted with our sinfulness, not only would His divinity be engulfed in our depravity, the Father would impute every one of our sins upon Him and let Him endure the wrath meant for us. This is what Isaiah 53:10 means when it says, “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin …”

Fully understanding all this, fully feeling the emotional and physical effects of such horrible knowledge in His body, Jesus prayed, “If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me.” Jesus knew there was no way the cup could pass. He knew He came into this world for the express purpose of draining its bitter dregs. Yet, this prayer is the honest expression of the dread He felt at that moment. Though He would never give into sin, He felt the full effects of sin’s temptation.

How wonderful is the grace of Jesus in that He also prayed, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Jesus gave Himself over to the will of the Father. He remained faithful.

But what about the disciples? Matthew 26:40-41 says,

40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt. 26:40-41).

Jesus had told them to ” Stay here and watch with Me” (Matt. 26:38). But, they failed in their task. This brings us back to our first point: we are faithless. Here was Jesus in His hour of greatest need, being left alone by the failure of His disciples.

The response of Jesus is amazing. He rebukes them, “What? Could you not watch with Me one hour?”  He warns them, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.” And He gives them the reason for their failure, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” All of Peter’s resolves were sincere in his spirit at the time that he made them, but they were limited by his own power in the flesh to fulfill what he resolved to do. Peter and the others were depending on the weakness of their flesh rather than the strength of the Spirit of God. What immeasurable patience Jesus must have for His weak, fallible followers! I’m so very glad that I can rest upon His long-suffering spirit toward us; because I fail Him often too.

Matthew tells us that Jesus went back “a second time” to pray saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done” (Matt. 26:42). Again, He prays for the impossible and resigns Himself to will of His Father. He knew He could not bypass the terrible cup. He knew the only way we could be saved was through His sacrifice.

This is why no one can be saved any other way than through the sacrificial death of Jesus. If someone could be saved by other religions or by doing good works, Jesus’ agony and sacrifice would not have been necessary. But He knew it was. Jesus was fully aware of what was taking place. He was faithfully praying for the Lord’s strength, with the weight of the world’s sin upon His shoulders. But the contrast is these disciples, who couldn’t even lift an ounce. (I assume that our eyelids weigh about an ounce).

Sadly, the disciples were just as faithless as before. Matthew 26:43 says that He “found them asleep again” and adds that “their eyes were heavy” indicating that it was a deeper sleep than before. Because they would not “watch and pray,” seeking the Father’s help for what lay ahead, they fell into deep sleep.

Jesus then “left them” and went back to pray for “the third time, saying the same words ” He repeated the same thing again and again. f you are ever in doubt as to whether or not you should pray repeatedly for something, let Jesus be your model and be assured that you should. If you are ever in doubt as to whether or not you should pray to the Lord with passion, let Jesus be your model, and be assured that you should. If you are ever in doubt as to whether or not God hears your prayers, let Jesus be your model. He was heard ” because of His godly fear” (Heb. 5:7).

Finally we see …

C. Christ is faithful in His unconditional surrender (Matt. 26:45-46).

After the third period of prayer Jesus came back to the disciples. I think He must have looked different at this point. He had labored in prayer and surrendered Himself fully to the Father. Though the plan of God had not changed, the sorrow and distress that had almost killed Him has passed. Now, after prayer, He was fully prepared to drink the “cup” that would be given to Him. His surrender brought back His strength and confidence. It must have shown.

He woke the disciples, chiding them by asking, “Are you still sleeping and resting?” Then He announced, “Behold, the hour is at hand” (Matt. 26:45) His time had come and He knew it. He said, “The Son of Man is being [present tense] betrayed into the hands of sinners.”

Perhaps while Jesus was speaking these last words, he could hear the voices and see the torches of Judas, the religious leaders and the temple guards as they came to the garden gate. Jesus said, “Rise, let us be going. See. My betrayer is at hand.” (Matt. 26:46). Matthew 26:47 says the mob that came to arrest Him arrived “while He was still speaking.” Having spent this dark night of suffering and anguish of soul in prayer of dedication to the Father, as our sinless Substitute, Jesus stepped bravely forward and gave Himself into the hands of those who would lead Him to His crucifixion.

It wasn’t in the Garden of Gethsemane that Jesus became our Redeemer. It was at Golgotha that He accomplished our redemption. But it was at Gethsemane that His beautiful character as our faithful Redeemer is revealed to us.

Jesus is faithful even when we are unfaithful. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13). The disciples abandoned Jesus, but Jesus never abandoned them. Jesus died for drowsy disciples like you and me who fail Him repeatedly. So, lean on His grace. Watch and pray so that you do not fall into temptation. As John writes in his first epistle,

1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2).

We are weak. We are faithless. But Christ is faithful. And He is full of grace toward us in our weakness and failure.

——————————————————–

[1] Robert Robinson, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, https://hymnary.org/text/come_thou_fount_of_every_blessing

[2] Alfred Plummer, An exegetical commentary on the Gospel according to S. Matthew, Scribner, NY, 1910, p. 368.

[3] John MacArthur, The Murder of Jesus, Nelson Books, p.65

[4] Charles Gabriel, My Savior’s Love, https://hymnary.org/text/i_stand_amazed_in_the_presence

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From Passover to the Lord’s Supper (Part 2) – Matthew 26:26-30

Jesus Celebrates the Last Passover

From Passover to the Lord’s Supper (Part 2)

Matthew 26:26-30

The first Sunday of every month at our church we observe the Lord’s Supper or Communion. We break the bread and we pass the cup as together we share this meal focused on Christ and the cross. I usually spend some time explaining Communion’s importance and meaning. But today, in our journey through Matthew, we will look specifically at how Jesus instituted it at His last Passover supper. I am delighted for us to take some extended time this morning to reflect and learn about this important part of our worship.

Remember that in Matthew 26 we are reading about Jesus’ final hours with His disciples. Our Lord has announced beforehand to His disciples that He “will be delivered up to be crucified” (Matt. 26:2) at the Passover feast. We saw how the chief priests and elders conspired against Jesus to arrest Him secretly and kill Him (Matt. 26:3-5). Then Matthew contrasted the humble, loving anointing by Mary (Matt. 26:6-13) with the treachery of Judas (Matt. 26:14-16).

I. Jesus Celebrates the Last Passover (Matt. 26:17-25) (From Part 1)

Last time we looked at the last Passover. We have seen how Jesus exercised control over everything that was occurring to Him at the Passover. He sovereignly directed His disciples to prepare the meal (Matt. 26:17-20). And He already had released Judas to betray Him (Matt. 26:21-25). When our Lord instituted His supper of remembrance to His disciples, He was already observing an important feast from God with them. The Passover commemorated the exodus of the nation of Israel from their bondage in Egypt and their deliverance from the final plague. God had commanded that, on that night, they were to slay a lamb and smear its blood on the door posts of their home. When the angel of the Lord passed through Egypt and killed the first-born of each Egyptian household, the Lord would see that blood and ‘pass-over’ their homes. The paschal lamb was the central focus of the Passover.

But at the conclusion of Jesus’ final Passover, our Lord Himself becomes the central focus of the Last Supper. Jesus took the bread and the cup and imbued them with fresh meaning as symbols of His death for our sins. The Lord’s Supper becomes a lasting ordinance for the church to commemorate Christ’s suffering and death for us. So in our passage today, we see …

II. Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:26-30)

In Matthew 26:26 we see the significance of …

A. The Bread of the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:26)

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”” (Matt. 26:26).

As Jews, the disciples had been observing the Passover feast all their lives. They were familiar with all the elements of that meal—the lamb, the unleavened bread, the bitter herbs, the cups of wine. They grew up being taught the significance of all these things. But now, Jesus was doing something unprecedented! He was turning their attention away from the lamb on the table, and was presenting Himself to them instead as the Lamb they should feast on.[1]

Jesus invited them with a command, “Take, eat.” Jesus could have just broken the bread in front of His disciples and showed them the cup. But He did more than that. He said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” When we observe the Lord’s Supper together, we receive and eat a piece of bread. The bread is a symbol of our Lord’s body. It is real physical bread, not some kind of magical bread that becomes the body of Christ. When we take and eat this physical bread, it reminds us of Christ’s incarnation, that Jesus Christ came to us in a real physical body of flesh and blood. The Apostle John wrote in his first epistle about the coming of Christ,

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life– 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us– 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:1-3).

John is saying that he and the disciples saw and touched Jesus. The Lord’s body was not an apparition or an illusion. Christ came in an actual physical body. In that body, Jesus suffered being beaten, abused, and nailed to a cross. By the way, that word “fellowship” that John says we have with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3) is the same word “communion” that Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 10 to describe the bread and the cup of the Lord’s Supper. Paul writes,

16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. (1 Cor. 10:16-17).

When we take and eat this symbol together, we do it because we are in communion, in fellowship with Christ. In essence, we are saying, “Lord, I fully receive the sacrifice You made in Your body on the cross in my place!”

Bread doesn’t do anybody any good as long as it’s just sitting on the plate. This is why we take and eat it. Because in just as real a way as the physical bread enters our body and is united to us, by faith Christ has come into our lives and we are united to Him. Speaking about believing in Him, Jesus said,

“I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world. … 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.” (John 6:51,57).

Bread gives life to others by giving of itself. Jesus is the bread of life who gave Himself for us so that we might live through Him. When we take and eat the bread we are expressing our faith in Christ, saying that we have received Him and we have life because He gave His life for us. It is a reminder of our union with Christ in His death and resurrection (Romans 6:5-8).

This is the significance of the bread. Next, we see the significance of …

B. The Cup of the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:27-28)

Matthew 26:27-28 says,

27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matt. 26:27-28).

The cup is a symbol of Christ’s blood. It represents His very lifeblood poured out for us on the cross as the atonement for our sins. When we drink this cup together, we are saying, “Lord, I identify myself with Your blood, shed at the cross on my behalf for my sins. I affirm that it is by Your blood alone that I am washed clean of my sins.” Our eating the bread and drinking the cup are outward expressions of our faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice. Again, in John 6, Jesus says this about believing in Him,

54 “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” (John 6:54-56).

Earlier in that same teaching in John 6, Jesus also spoke about eternal life saying, “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40). To eat His body and drink His blood means to see the Son and believe in Him. Our eating and drinking at the Lord’s Supper is the outward expression of the inward faith in the blood of Christ that saves us.

An obvious application of this principle is that only those who have inward faith in Christ should partake in the outward expression of eating the bread and drinking the cup at the Lord’s table. If you have not yet put your faith in Christ, fully trusting in His death in your place for the forgiveness of your sins, then the Lord’s supper will mean nothing to you. Even worse, if you presume to take it without faith in Christ, you will be eating and drinking condemnation on yourself (1 Cor. 11:29). You will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:27). It’s one or the other. Either you are judged for your sins or Christ is judged for your sins in your place. Why not repent and believe now? Come to Jesus today, receive forgiveness for your sins and the gift of eternal life.

Jesus says in Matthew 26:28, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” The old covenant was established with Israel after the exodus from Egypt through the giving of the commandments of the law. After Moses had read the book of the covenant, the Law, to the people, he ratified the old covenant by sprinkling blood upon people. Exodus 24:8 says, “And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words.”” The old covenant was conditioned on the people’s obedience to the law. But the people couldn’t keep the law, and they repeatedly broke the covenant. The blood of animals had to continually be offered to atone for their violation of the covenant.

But God promised through His prophets that He would establish a new covenant. Jeremiah 31 says,

31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah– 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jer. 31:31-34).

At this Passover, Jesus enacts the new covenant with His own blood. Unlike the old covenant, the new covenant does not depend on our ability to keep the law. Rather, it depends on God graciously writing His law in our minds and on our hearts. We will know the Lord in a personal relationship. Our iniquity is forgiven and our sins are no longer remembered against us.

And this new covenant has been brought about for us through the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross! Just as the old covenant was established through the sprinkling of the blood of a sacrifice (Exodus 24:8), Jesus’ blood is the blood of a new and far better covenant; shed not merely to establish us in a promise to keep the law, but rather for the provision of complete remission of the sins of “many”—that is, for as many as place their faith in Him.

This is the significance of the cup. Next, we see …

C. The Promise of the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:29)

In Matthew 26:29, Jesus says, “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” Jesus made it clear that He was about to lay down His life. But He also made it clear that He would not stay in the grave. He would drink with them again in His Father’s kingdom. Each time we drink of the cup in the Lord’s Supper we anticipate the day of Christ’s return and the consummation of His kingdom.

Jesus said then He would “drink it new”. What does He mean by “new”? I believe He is referring to the fullest results of His sacrifice in His Father’s kingdom on the other side of the cross—that the covenant will be new, that the disciples will be new, and that even He Himself will be new. All things will be made new! Christ Himself will be in fellowship with us forever. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes,” (1 Cor. 11:26). At the Lord’s Supper, Jesus anticipated the fullness of His kingdom. So should we.

Finally, look at how Jesus closes this celebration with …

D. Worship at the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:30)

Matthew 26:30 says, “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” We will see as we read the rest of Matthew 26 that it is at the Mount of Olives that Jesus will pray in great travail and then be betrayed and arrested. But before they go, they worship by singing a hymn. In the traditional observance of the Passover meal, the Jews sang portions of Psalms 113-118, the Hallel psalms (Hallel means “praise”; Ps. 113:1,9; 115:18; 116:19; 117:1-2). And if that’s what Jesus and His disciples did, imagine what it must have been like to hear the Lord Jesus sing with His disciples such words as these from Psalm 116—just before going to the cross:

1 I love the LORD, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications.
2 Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
3 The pains of death surrounded me,
And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.
4 Then I called upon the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!”
5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
Yes, our God is merciful.
6 The LORD preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
7 Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
8 For You have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.
9 I will walk before the LORD
In the land of the living.
(Psalm 116:1-9).

Or imagine singing this with Jesus from Psalm 118:

18 The LORD has chastened me severely,
But He has not given me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I will go through them,
And I will praise the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD,
Through which the righteous shall enter.
21 I will praise You,
For You have answered me,
And have become my salvation.
22 The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This was the LORD’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it. …
28 You are my God, and I will praise You;
You are my God, I will exalt You.
29 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
(Psalm 118:18-24, 28-29).

So with that same attitude of worship, let’s sing a hymn as we prepare to come to the Lord’s table. Let’s remember His body given for us and His blood shed for our sins. Let’s worship because our sins have been forgiven. Let’s give thanks to the Lord.

——————————————————

[1] Greg Allen, The Crucial Reminder, https://bethanybible.org/2025/11/22/the-crucial-reminder-2/

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From Passover to the Lord’s Supper (Part 1) Matthew 26:17-25

Jesus Celebrates the Last Passover

From Passover to the Lord’s Supper (Part 1)

Matthew 26:17-25

In Matthew 26:1-16, we saw four preparations for the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross. His death came by God’s predetermined plan (Matt. 26:1-2); The Jewish leaders plotted to kill Him (Matt. 26:3-5); Mary perfumed by anointed Jesus (Matt. 26:6-13); and Judas prearranged to betray Jesus (Matt. 26:14-16).

In today’s passage, we see how Jesus Himself made some final preparations before the cross. He celebrated the last Passover feast with His disciples, and He instituted the first Lord’s Supper. Each of the Gospel writers emphasize different aspects of this last supper of Jesus with His disciples, but Matthew especially focuses on the plan of God. God was working out His sovereign plan of salvation as Jesus moved toward the cross.

Jesus’ death on the cross was no accident. It was a divine appointment. Our Lord was in absolute control over the events that surrounded His betrayal, arrest, trial and crucifixion. It all occurred under His sovereign authority, and in perfect obedience to His Father’s will.

I. Jesus Celebrates the Last Passover (Matt. 26:17-25).

A. Preparations for the Passover (Matt. 26:17-19).

Matthew 26:17 says, “Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?“

that is, on the first day of that sacred feast of the Jewish people that commemorated their deliverance from bondage in Egypt through the leadership of Moses.

Passover is the oldest of the Jewish feasts. It commemorated their deliverance from bondage in Egypt and their deliverance from the final plague, the death of the firstborn. It was to be the first feast of the calendar year, commemorated on the evening of the 14th day of Abib (Lev. 23:5; Ex. 23:15). The day following the Passover began the feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:6) which lasted for a week. The combined eight-day celebration of these two feasts could be called either “Passover” or “the Feast of Unleavened Bread.” The terms were commonly used interchangeably.

On the night that they were to depart from Egypt, God gave instruction as to what they were to do to commemorate that great deliverance. The LORD said,

3 “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. 7 And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 8 Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.’ “ (Exodus 12:3-8).

Four days prior to the Passover meal, each family was to select a male unblemished lamb and keep it until the fourteenth day of the month (Exo. 12:3-5). Because the events of this passage take place on Thursday of the Passion Week, Jesus and the disciples had doubtlessly already done this on Sunday or Monday just after the Triumphal Entry. On the day of the Passover, the lambs were taken to the priests at the temple and slain at twilight (Exo. 12:6).

God goes on to explain the meaning behind the meal,

11 ‘And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. ‘ (Exodus 12:11-14).

God instructed the Jewish people to commemorate this sacred event every year at this time (Exo. 12:17). And so, our Lord was celebrating the beginning of the Passover with His disciples on this first night of the feast of unleavened bread.

All the Gospels indicate that Jesus died on the cross on Friday, the preparation day for the Sabbath. If you were with us when we studied through the Gospel of John, you may remember that John indicates that “lest they be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover” (John 18:28), the chief priests would not go into the Praetorium early Friday morning when they delivered Jesus over to Pontius Pilate to be condemned. Thus, in John, Jesus died as the Passover lambs were being slain for the Passover. But in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus had celebrated the Passover with His disciples the night before. Bible scholars point out that the Pharisees as well as all the Galilean Jews counted days from sunrise to sunrise while the Sadducees and the Judean Jews counted their days from sunset to sunset. Therefore, 14 Abib (or Nisan) fell for Galileans on Thursday and for the Judeans on Friday. The slaughter of the lambs took place on both Thursday and Friday. Thus, Jesus could celebrate the Passover with His disciples on Thursday and also die as the Passover lamb on Friday.

Knowing they needed to prepare the Passover meal, Jesus’ disciples came to Him and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” The city was teeming with as many as 2 million people. Every place that could seat at least ten men would be used by residents and visitors to Jerusalem for the feast. And here’s where our Lord’s sovereignty is put on display before us. In answer to their question, Jesus then told them, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples”’ (Matt. 26:18).

Mark (14:13) and Luke (22:10) tells us that the man would be “carrying a pitcher of water.” This would be an odd sight, for women normally carried water. The man would be easy to spot in the crowd. They were to say to him, “The Teacher says, ‘My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.”

Why didn’t Jesus just tell them the name or address of the place? Why this secretive approach? Probably it was because Jesus knew that Judas was already looking for an “opportunity to betray Him” (Matt. 26:16). Jesus wanted to ensure He could eat this final meal with His disciples undisturbed before His arrest. Because Peter and John went on this task alone (Luke 22:8), Judas could not alert the chief priests where it was. Jesus sovereignly controlled every detail.

Observe specifically that Jesus said, “My time is at hand” (Matt. 26:18). On previous occasions Jesus had said, “My time has not yet come” and words to that effect (Jn.7:6,8 etc…). Now the time had come. John 13:1 says, “Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”

Jesus said, “I will keep the Passover.” This was no normal Passover, but a pivotal moment in Jesus’ ministry and in redemptive history. In Luke 22:15 Jesus emphasizes its significance, saying, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”

Matthew 26:19 says, “So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.” But it was clear that Jesus had already made Passover preparations for them! He chose the time and the place of the Last Supper. Jesus has been anticipating this meal and has already worked out all the details. He tells the disciples exactly who to contact and exactly what to say. He knows exactly where they will eat and all that will happen. Could you imagine what that must have been like for Peter and John to see all these things unfolding before them—just as the Lord had told them?

Jesus’ sovereignty over the preparation for the feast teaches us that He was sovereign over the meaning of what was about to happen on the cross. He was willingly giving Himself to us as the fulfillment of everything that the Passover was meant to represent. He Himself was the Lamb who was to be slain. It was His blood that was to provide the satisfaction of God’s wrath for sin, and that would allow Him to ‘pass-over’ us in judgment.

B. Jesus Announces His Betrayal (Matt. 26:20-24).

Matthew 26:20 says, “When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve.”

“Sat down” means “to recline.” For the disciples and other Jews, Passover was a joyous holiday occasion, much like Thanksgiving for us. The meal began with a serving of wine from a common cup. This was the first of 4 cups to be passed. Tradition has it that they watered down the wine to keep anyone from desecrating the meal in drunkenness.

Next, there was ceremonial washing in which the washing of hands symbolized the need for the spiritual cleansing of the heart. Luke 22:24 records that at the supper there arose “a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.” John records that Jesus Himself “rose… and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself… poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel…” (John 13:4-5).

It seems the disciples were too proud to serve each other in this way. So, the Son of God washed the dirty feet of men. It was both an act of pure humility and a strong rebuke to the arrogance of the disciples. He said, “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (Jn.13:15).

Next, was the eating of the bitter herbs. The herbs and unleavened bread were dipped into a dish of charoseth, a substance made of pomegranates, apples, dates, figs, raisins and vinegar. It was symbolic of the brick mortar the Jews used in their slave labor in Egypt.

Next would come the singing of psalms. Traditionally the Hallel psalms (Psalms 113-118) were sung.

Then the roasted lamb would be brought out and served. The head of the house would again wash his hands and break the unleavened bread to be passed and eaten with the roasted lamb.

It was probably at this or some other early point in the feast that Jesus said something that caused a chill to run up each disciple’s spine. Matthew tells us, “Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”” (Matt. 26:21). Several times before, Jesus had told His disciples that He would be betrayed. But this is the first time He lets them know that it will be one of them. One of the Twelve will do the betraying.

“Betray” is from a Greek term that meant “the handing over of a prisoner for punishment.” Matthew 4:12 uses the same word to describe John the Baptist thrown in prison.

The disciples are stunned. One of them? How can that be? It wounded them deeply to think that a betrayer was among them. Instead of pointing fingers at each other, it seems that each man began to examine his own heart: “And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?”” (Matt. 26:22). Judas has hidden his treachery well, so well that each of the disciples examines his own heart rather than immediately pointing the finger at Judas. The only thing worse than one of their number betraying Jesus would be if they were the betrayer themselves.

Jesus then answered them, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me,” (Matt. 26:23). In the Middle East, to eat a meal with someone is to proclaim a solemn friendship. They all had dipped their hands into the same dish as He had sometime during that evening. I suspect Jesus said this because it was fulfilling scripture. David, lamenting the traitorous act of his own friend, wrote in Psalm 41:9,

Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me
(Psalm 41:9).

In another Psalm, David wrote,

12 For it is not an enemy who reproaches me;
Then I could bear it.
Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me;
Then I could hide from him.
13 But it was you, a man my equal,
My companion and my acquaintance.
14 We took sweet counsel together,
And walked to the house of God in the throng.
(Psalm 55:12-14).

Judas’ betrayal did not come as a surprise at all to Jesus. He knew that it was the fulfillment of scripture. Assuring them that this was all part of His sovereign plan, referring to those prophetic Psalms, Jesus says, “The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him …” (Matt. 26:24a). This was not just because of the trickery of Judas or the plotting of the Jews, but because redemptive history was being played out according to the plan of God.

Jesus then added, “… But woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born” (Matt. 26:24). Here, we see a mysterious aspect of our Lord’s sovereignty. The Lord must be betrayed; because this is the promise of Scripture. But Judas, the one who did the betraying, remains utterly responsible for his vile action. Yes, this was all part of God’s plan, but Judas was a willing participant. No one forced him to betray Jesus. Judas did it willingly from the darkness of his own heart. Judas’ future in hell was so horrific that it would have been better off for him to have never been born (Heb.10:26-29).

C. The Betrayer Leaves the Passover (Matt. 26:25).

Judas, ever the charlatan, pretended innocence by asking, “Rabbi, is it I?” He tries to disguise his betraying heart by asking the same question all the other disciples asked. But there’s one significant difference. The other disciples all asked, “Lord, is it I?” (Matt. 26:22). I suspect that Judas cannot quite bring himself to call Jesus Lord, and so he asks, “Rabbi, is it I?” (Matt. 26:25).

Judas had been one of the twelve. He had seen the Lord’s miracles. He had heard the Lord’s teaching. He had been with the other eleven apostles. He was among those who had gone out preaching that people should repent. He was among those who had the greatest privilege imaginable—to be with the Word of God in human flesh for three and a half years. And yet, already, Judas had begun to draw himself away from the Lord that he was about to betray.

But Matthew tells us that it was this Judas “who was betraying Him,” using the present tense of the verb. Judas had already set in motion the wheels of Jesus’ betrayal. He had already gone to the chief priests, and they had already offered money to him. He had already been watching and waiting for the opportune moment (Matt. 26:14-16).

But notice also that nothing was hidden from the Lord. Jesus said to him, “You have said it” (Matt. 26:25).  Long before this time Jesus had spoken to the twelve and said, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” (John 6:70). We’re told that, in saying this, “He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve” (John 6:71). Jesus is the sovereign Lord, who already knew His betrayer long before the betrayal had ever even begun.

From John’s Gospel, we know that our Lord gave Judas permission to leave, and, indeed, to get on with his mission: “What you do, do quickly” (John 13:27).

Judas could not get out of that room fast enough. He could never go back. Jesus knew him to be His betrayer, and he could not be certain that the disciples might not figure it out. Whatever he did, he must do it quickly. And so, Judas left the room and went immediately to the Jewish leaders to betray the Lord Jesus.

We dare not miss the significance of what we have just read. Our Lord’s revelation (to Judas at least) of the identity of His betrayer forced him and the Jewish leaders to revise their plans. They had earlier resolved that the arrest and murder of Jesus would not be during the feast (Matt. 26:5). Now, if Judas were to earn his blood money, Jesus would have be arrest tonight, during the feast. Judas could never return to our Lord’s inner circle of disciples. Judas must act now or never, and act he did.

Jesus has an appointment with the cross, and by identifying His betrayer, Jesus set in motion the events that will lead to His arrest that night and to the cross the following day. All of the things that were about to happen to Jesus were under the sovereign control of the Lord Himself. And when we see that, it reminds us that His death was a deliberate act of immeasurably great love.

Let me leave you with three thoughts[i]:

  • Trust the sovereign Lord. Marvel at the plan of God. We see so much sin and evil in this world, yet God is still working out His sovereign plan. God in His providence works all things together for good, even Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. If God can take even the worst action ever committed by any human being (Judas), and use it for good in his plan, then we need to trust God’s sovereignty in our lives as well.
  • Fear hell. Sin is not just in the world out there. Sin is in here, in each and every one of us. Just as there was a time appointed for Jesus’ death, so there is a time appointed for judgment. Jesus said it would have been better for Judas not to have been born than to betray Jesus. There are some things worse than never being born. You may never betray Jesus, but if you reject Jesus as Lord you also will face eternal punishment in hell.
  • Repent and believe in Christ. There is forgiveness of sins at the cross of Jesus. What should we do with Jesus Christ who so willingly and lovingly gave Himself to suffering and death for us but to willingly and lovingly give ourselves to Him in return?

———————————————————————

[i] Ray Fowler, Foreshadowing of the Cross, https://www.rayfowler.org/sermons/lead-me-to-the-cross-condensed/foreshadowing-of-the-cross/  

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Preparation for the Cross – Matthew 26:1-16

Matthew 26

Preparation for the Cross

Matthew 26:1-16

By turning the page to Matthew 26, we have come to the final section of this Gospel. Matthew has told of the virgin birth of the King. He has shown Christ’s mighty works, given us His authoritative teachings, and related His conflict with the Jewish authorities. Jesus’ ministry on earth is coming to an end. The only thing left is His passion—His suffering, death, and resurrection. I know it may seem unseasonal for us to be considering Jesus preparing for the cross on the Sunday before celebrating Christmas. This morning, we have sung about Christmas Day, the birth of the Lord Jesus, laid in a manger, with shepherds worshipping and angels proclaiming peace on earth.

So, doesn’t it seem strange to speak of suffering and death while singing with wonder and joy? Yet, knowing the story of Jesus as Matthew has presented it, we aren’t really surprised, are we? No one in the history of the world came with more profound irony than Jesus. Matthew knew it, and he recorded it frequently. The divine King of the universe was born in humble obscurity in the tiny town of Bethlehem. The true King of the Jews was forced to flee to Egypt from the earthly despot Herod. Jesus experienced hunger, but He fed the multitudes. He grew weary but gave rest to others. He was the Son of God but paid taxes and tribute at the temple. He was called a devil but freed those tormented by demons. He would not turn stones to bread to feed Himself but gave His life as bread for His people. The king is a servant.

Nowhere is this irony more poignant than in His passion. His enemies thought they were destroying Him, but in reality, they were fulfilling God’s plan to save the world. He was sold for thirty pieces of silver, but He gave His life a ransom for many. Soldiers crowned Him with thorns and scorned Him as “King of the Jews” but their mocking words were nonetheless true. They jeered, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save” (Matt. 27:42), yet He redeemed His people from their sins. He died the death of a sinner but gave life to all who believe in Him.

This is the message of the Gospel. The sinless Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was born to be the king, suffered the death of a sinner. This is the truth we celebrate at Christmas. The birth of Jesus would have no eternal meaning without His death and resurrection. This is why He came to earth as a man and lived among us as Emmanuel, God-with-us.

So, I think it fits with Matthew’s approach and purpose for us to consider Jesus’ death as we celebrate His incarnation and birth. Christ’s passion is the climax of the gospel accounts. It is what everything—Jesus’ birth, life, teaching, miracles, controversies—everything is moving toward the cross. “All of human history flowed to this one grand, decisive act when the Incarnate Son would hang suspended between heaven and earth as the Mediator between God and men (1 Tim. 2:5) … Now, the purpose of His coming would be fulfilled. The countless prophesies of Messiah the Savior would be fulfilled.”[1]

In these first 16 verses of Matthew 26, he shows us four aspects of the preparation for Jesus’ death on the cross. First, we see that Jesus’ death was …

1. God’s Predetermined Plan (Matt. 26:1-2).

1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, 2 “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” (Matt. 26:1-2).

Matthew 26:1 marks the transition from Jesus’ Olivet Discourse to His preparations for the cross. This is Matthew’s typical formula to turn from a teaching section back to the narrative. Matthew returns to the story of Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem that began in Matthew 21 on Palm Sunday.

Here, Jesus reminds His disciples why they have come to Jerusalem—not only for the Passover feast, but for His crucifixion. “When Jesus had finished all these sayings,” about His future coming and kingdom, He snapped His disciples back into the reality of the present by saying specifically that “after two days” He would be “delivered up to be crucified.” Jesus knew that this was God’s predetermined plan. Look at what Jesus knew.

Jesus knew when He would die. Jesus said He would die “after two days” and at “the Passover.” That Jesus would die at “Passover” was no coincidence. Passover was when the sacrificial lambs were slain in remembrance of God redeeming His people from their slavery in Egypt. What happened when God delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt and from the judgment of the Death Angel only foreshadowed what would happen hundreds of years later in the death of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the true Passover Lamb will be slain. His blood will save from sin and death. As John the Baptist had proclaimed, Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Isaiah had prophesied about the Servant of the Lord, “He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7). Thus, Paul could say in 1 Corinthians 5:7, “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” “It is good for people to be delivered from slavery and bondage. It is better, far better, to be eternally delivered from the bondage of sin and slavery to the devil! It is good to be delivered from the Death Angel. It is better, far better, to be delivered from the eternal judgment of God!”[2]

This was God’s predetermined time for Jesus’ death. Every other previous attempt to destroy Jesus had failed because, as John 7:30 says, “His hour had not yet come” (cf. John 7:6, 8; 8:20). Herod tried to have Jesus killed as an infant in Bethlehem in Matthew 2. As early as Matthew 12, the Pharisees were plotting against Jesus to destroy Him (Matt. 12:14). The other Gospels record even more attempts on Jesus’ life (Luke 4:28-29; 6:11; John 5:18; 10:39; 11:53-57). The time was not right for Jesus to die on any of these previous occasions.

Now however, it was the Passover and God’s divine timetable was at hand. According to God’s predetermined plan, Jesus knew when He would die.

Jesus also knew how He would die. He says, “the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified” (Matt. 26:2). This is the fifth time Matthew records Jesus telling His disciples about His upcoming death. In Matthew 16, just after Peter made his great confession that Jesus is “The Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matt. 16:16), Jesus explicitly told them that He would soon “suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised the third day” (Matt. 16:21).

In Matthew 17, as Jesus descended from the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James and John, He spoke of the martyrdom of John the Baptist. Then He pointedly added, “Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands” (Matt. 17:12). Just a short time later, in Matthew 17:22-23, Jesus said, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men and they will kill Him and the third day He will be raised up.”

Then, in Matthew 20:17-19, Jesus again gave even more details, “Behold we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock an to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”

Now for the fifth time, Jesus tells His disciples that He is about to “be delivered up to be crucified.” Jesus knew He must die. He knew exactly how He would die. He knew He was born for and came for this purpose.

In John 12, Jesus prayed, “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour” (John 12:27). Later in Matthew 26, after the last supper, Jesus said to the disciples, “The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him…” (Matt. 26:24; Mark 14:21; Luke 22:22).  Peter would preach on the day of Pentecost that Jesus was “delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23). Revelation 13:8 describes Jesus as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Isaiah prophesied, “For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken” (Isaiah 53:8). Daniel 9:26 says “Messiah shall be cut off.” Zechariah 13:7 says, “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, Against the Man who is My Companion, Says the LORD of hosts. Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered…” Over and over, scripture declares that Jesus’ death on the cross was the predetermined plan of God.

Listen, Jesus was no reluctant victim but the willing sacrifice for our sins. He said, “… the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28). In John10:17-18, He said, “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

Jesus is the divine Son of Man. He is the sovereign Lord. He is in full control of all that will take place over the next two days. He know He will be handed over to be crucified, but no one takes His life from Him. He gives it.

Jesus was prepared for His death because He knew it was God’s predetermined plan. The next aspect of preparation for the cross is …

2. The Rulers’ Perverse Plot (Matt. 26:3-5).

3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. 5 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

There are echoes of Psalm 2 here where we read how the rulers gather together and conspire in vain against the Lord and His Messiah. The “chief priests, scribes, and the elders” comprised the religious and civil rulers of the Jews with “Caiaphas” the “high priest” leading their murderous schemes against Jesus.

We have seen in our walk through the Gospel of Matthew that for three years, over and over again, Jesus had publicly exposed the hypocrisy and ungodliness of the religious leaders. His reproach reached its climax in the temple in Matthew 23, when Jesus pronounced a blistering series of woes for their hypocrisy. If they wanted to be rid of Jesus before, now they are determined to kill Him.

But they wanted to find some way to “kill” Jesus without upsetting the masses of pilgrims who were in Jerusalem for the Passover. So, even though they wanted to seize Him as soon as possible, they were worried, saying, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people” (Matt. 26:5). They have to be very careful how they proceed. They need to be secretive and deceitful about it. They plan to put off arresting Jesus until after the feast. But their plans were in vain because God had already sovereignly chosen this Passover as the time for His Son’s death.

Think about the irony here. They had tried time and again to seize and kill Jesus, and could not do it. Now, the one time when they don’t want to do it, God will ensure it happens. These powerful rulers of the Jews met in secret seeking to kill the Son of God, but they can do nothing but fulfill God’s predetermined plan. Their preserve plot prepared what God intended.

Next, Jesus is prepared for His death by the beautiful sacrifice of Mary contrasted with the treachery of Judas. Preparations for the cross come through …

3. A Woman’s Precious Present (Matt. 26:6-13).

6 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”

10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. 13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

According to John 12, this meal at the house of Simon the leper took place six days before the Passover. At this point in his narrative, Matthew gives us a flashback to Saturday because it shows the contrast between this woman’s devotion and Judas’ betrayal. “Bethany” was just east of Jerusalem near the Mount of Olives. We don’t know who this Simon the Leper was, although he was most likely a former leper, perhaps someone whom Jesus had healed. Matthew does not give us the name of the woman, but of John tells us that it was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead (John 12:3).

Coming to Jesus, she had in her hands “an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil” (Matt. 26:7). Mark tells us that the oil’s value was “over three hundred denarii” (Mark 14:5), nearly a year’s wages. Mary approached Jesus “as He sat at the table.” Mark says she “broke the flask” and Matthew says she “poured it on His head” as He sat there. She didn’t pour out just a little. She emptied it. She held back nothing but gave it all up for Jesus. John says, “the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil” (John 12:3). I imagine that the others at the table just sat there for a few moments in stunned silence.

Then calculating its value, some became “indignant” saying, “Why this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” Now doesn’t that sound so spiritual? But John, in his account, exposed the motives behind it. John wrote:

4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. (John 12:4-6).

What Judas saw was a missed opportunity to line his own pockets, and he commented on it. The other unsuspecting disciples also echoed his rebuke.  The extravagance of the gift overwhelmed them. The anointing of oil on the head was reserved for the guest of honor, accompanied by the washing of feet. But instead of common household oil, Mary used this very expensive perfumed oil. And she didn’t just dab it on Jesus’ head, she emptied it on Him. Mary, with reckless, careless abandon poured out the perfume on Jesus’ head and let it run all down His body. The gospel of John tells us she also poured some on His feet and wiped His feet with her hair. The word “Christ” or “Messiah” means the anointed one, and Mary anointed her Messiah in this extravagant act of love and worship.

Then the rebuke came from the Master. Jesus asked, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always , but Me you do not have always.” Certainly, Jesus taught and modeled that helping the “poor” and ministering to physical needs is always important. However, Jesus defends Mary. Where the disciples saw only waste, Jesus saw a beautiful demonstration of love. Jesus says, “For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.” As important as helping the poor is, there was something even more important right here, at this moment. Mary seemed to understand what none of the twelve yet grasped—Jesus is going to His death. The cross was looming, and Jesus tells the disciples that this woman anointed Him with the perfume to prepare Him for His burial. I love the picture that Philip Keller gives,

“The delicious fragrance ran down over His shining hair and thick beard. It enfolded His body with its delightful aroma. Even His tunic and flowing undergarments were drenched with its enduring pungency. Wherever he moved during the ensuing 48 hours, the perfume would go with Him: into the Passover, into the Garden of Gethsemane, into the high priest’s home, into Herod’s hall, into Pilate’s praetorium, into the crude hands of those who cast lots for His clothing at the foot of the cross. … It was a significant moment of momentous meaning.”[3]

Jesus indicated the solemnity of this anointing when He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” (Matt. 26:13). And here we are almost 2000 years later on the other side of the world, preaching the gospel and telling what she has done.

How would you honor the death of your Savior? Mary not only gave her finest possession, but she also humbled herself in the way she gave it. She worshiped in gratitude for the death of her Savior. Mary loved Jesus who would pour out His life for her, and so she poured out on Him that which cost her most. Worship springs from a heart of love. Love is extravagant and lavish. Love doesn’t look for cheap bargains. It gives the best it can.

I’m afraid too often some Christians worship in a way that costs them nothing. Why? Their view of God is deficient. Their understanding of the cross is inadequate. Their evaluation of salvation is cheap. Their knowledge of sin is shallow. True worship is loving God with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul, and all our strength. Worship is responding in gratitude and love to the Lord who first loved us and gave Himself for us. Does your worship reflect the true worthiness of your Savior?

In response to the love of Christ for her, and in preparation for His death, Mary boldly came, broke the neck of the perfume bottle, and poured the entire contents upon the head and upon the feet of Jesus. This was costly, humble worship that prepared Jesus for the cross.

But next, Matthew contrasts the beauty of her worship with the ugliness of Judas’ treachery. Mary was an instrument of grace; Judas an instrument of sin. Mary had the light of love; Judas the darkness of treachery. Mary openly worshipped; Judas secretly betrayed. She will always be remembered for her love. He will always be remembered for his betrayal.

So last we see Jesus’ death prepared by …

4. The Traitor’s Pernicious Pact (Matt. 26:14-16).

14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

Thirty pieces of silver! The price for a gored slave (Exodus 21:32). The exact princely price that was prophesied in Zechariah (Zech. 11:12-13). Do you see the contrast? Mary thought Jesus was worth the most expensive thing she had. But Judas sold Jesus for a mere thirty pieces of silver. One gave all she had. The other took all he could get.

What happened with Judas? That’s a question Bible scholars have asked for centuries. We assume that because he was one of the twelve, he shared the same experiences as the other eleven. He saw the miracles. He heard the teaching. He traveled with, ate with, and lived with Jesus for three and a half years. He heard the Shepherd’s voice. He had felt the Lord’s embrace. How could he betray Him?

Surely, Judas betrayed Jesus because he never really knew Jesus. Like all hypocrites, he honored Jesus with his lips but his heart was far from Him (Matt. 15:8). In John 6:64 Jesus says, “But there are some of you who do not believe.” Then John comments, “For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.” Because of his unbelief and greed, he rejected the Christ of the cross. But here’s the problem: without the Christ of the cross, there is no hope, no life, no forgiveness, and no Savior. Judas’ betrayal left him lost and alone. And although he regretted what he did, instead of repenting and returning to Jesus, he took his own life. He went out of this life lost and condemned because he would not accept the Christ of the cross.

Listen, only the way of the cross leads home. You cannot be forgiven without the cross. You cannot have eternal life apart from the cross. You cannot be prepared to go to heaven unless you enter by way of the cross.

Jesus’ death was no accident or tragic fate. It was the sovereign plan of God to purchase the redemption of sinners. What is your response? Do you rest in God’s sovereignty as Jesus did? Do you scheme against it as the Jewish leaders did? Do you worship the Lord with the adoration and sacrifice of Mary? Or do you abandon the Savior for what you can get in this life as Judas did?

Isaac Watts expressed his response in the hymn, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, with this stanza,

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all!

—————————————————

[1] Phil Newton, Anointed for Burial: Matthew 26:1-13, http://archive.southwoodsbc.org/sermons/matthew_26.01-13.php

[2] Phil Newton, ibid.

[3] Philip Keller, Rabboni, pp.222-223.

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The Sheep and Goat Judgment Part 2 – Matthew 25:31-46

sheep-and-the-goats

The Sheep and Goat Judgment Part 2

Matthew 25:31-46

Last time, we began to look at the sheep and goat judgment at the conclusion of Jesus’ Olivet Discourse, that portion of the Gospel of Matthew in which our Lord taught His disciples about His second coming. Throughout Matthew 24 and 25, Jesus has taught with the purpose of preparing His disciples for His return. He told them, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming” (Matt. 24:42), and “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matt. 24:44). He said they should be like “a faithful and wise servant … whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing [his master’s will]” (Matt. 24:45, 46).

In the parables of the ten virgins and the talents in Matthew 25, Jesus taught His disciples to be vigilant in their watching (Matt. 25:1-13) and diligent in their working (Matt. 25:14-30) as they faithfully await His return. In this last section of Matthew 25, Jesus described His glorious coming and used the illustration of a shepherd separating the sheep from the goats to portray the judgment of people from the nations at His coming. Last time in Matthew 25:31-33, we saw the …

1. Scene of the Judgment (Matt. 25:31-33)

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.” (Matt. 25:31-33).

And we saw how this section answered several questions about the judgment:

When will this judgment take place? It will be, “ When the Son of Man comes in His glory” (Matt. 25:31), at the time of His return to earth. When He comes, the whole world will see Him.

Then we asked …

Who is the judge? The judge is King Jesus. He is the Son of Man who “will sit on the throne of His glory.” The same Jesus who came humbly and meekly as a servant and a sacrifice in His first advent will come again in glorious power to judge at His second advent.

Next, we asked …

Whom does He judge? Matthew 25:32 says, “All the nations will be gathered before Him.” All people from all nations will be judged. No one escapes His judgment.

Finally, we asked …

How will He judge? Jesus says, “… He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.” (Matt. 25:32-33). Jesus will separate the people into two distinct groups, pictured as the sheep and the goats. It is clear that the sheep represent those who are saved, and the goats represent those who are lost. Jesus calls them “the righteous” (Matt. 25:37) and the “cursed” (Matt. 25:41).

So, this judgment will take place when Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, comes again and sits on His glorious throne as King. He will judge all the people of all nations. He will separate them according to their character as His sheep or as goats. He will bless the righteous and curse the unrighteous.

Today, we will look at the basis for His judgment and the outcome of it. When the Bible describes God’s judgment, the righteous are always judged first, then the unrighteous (1 Pet. 4:17). So first, Jesus gives His …

2. Blessing for the Sheep (Matt. 25:34-40)

Notice the invitation that the King gives to those on His right. Matthew 25:34 says, “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:’” The king invites them to come into the kingdom because they have already come to know Him as the Good Shepherd of the sheep (John 10:14-15; 27-30).

Three things stand out in this invitation to the sheep. First, the King calls them “you blessed of My Father.” This stresses the fact that their entrance into the kingdom is by the grace of God. They aren’t getting into the kingdom because they had better works than the goats. They are getting in the kingdom because they were blessed by God the Father to have been called to be Christ’s sheep. Their works of mercy did not earn them God’s blessing, the Father’s blessing caused them to do works of mercy. They are the objects of God’s blessing by faith in Christ.

Second, Jesus says to them, “inherit the kingdom.” Their inheritance is given on the basis of their relationship with the Father. If you inherit from your parents, you are given it because of your relationship to them. We inherit the kingdom because we have a relationship with God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ whom God “has appointed heir of all things” (Heb. 1:2). Paul writes this about Christ and our inheritance with Him in Romans 8:

16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (Rom. 8:16-17).

Peter puts it this way in 1 Peter 1,

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, (1 Pet. 1:3-4).

The New Testament is clear. We do not inherit the kingdom because we somehow earned it or merited it by our good works. We are heirs with Christ in His kingdom because by the mercy of God He has given us a new birth by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As the King, the Son of God, Christ inherits His Kingdom from His Father. He will reign in Jerusalem on the throne of Davd for a thousand years. And in the new heavens and the new earth, He will reign for eternity on the throne of God and the Lamb (Rev. 22:3). And we—who by grace are blessed by the Father through faith in Jesus Christ—we will inherit the kingdom with Him. He will be our God and we will be His people. Forever we will joyfully serve and worship Him.

Third, Jesus says that the kingdom is “prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” The kingdom was God’s plan for His children from the beginning of creation. In Genesis 1, God made mankind in His image to have dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:26-28). He put Adam and Eve in the garden to tend and keep it (Gen. 2:15). He gave them authority over His creation (Gen. 1:26; 2:20). But mankind forfeited their kingly status when they rebelled against God and ate of the forbidden tree (Gen. 3). But God still had a plan to restore His people to the kingdom of God (Ge. 3:15). He did that in Christ—through His death and resurrection (Isa. 49:8; Psa. 2:8; Acts 3:18-21). God had our salvation in Christ planned before the foundation of the world.

Paul makes it clear in Ephesians 1, writing,

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth–in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. (Eph. 1:3-12).

Before this world ever came into being by the word of God, the mind of God was already preparing the next world for us and us for it. It was all done in Jesus Christ according to the Father’s will and for His glory.

Having invited the sheep into their inheritance, the King then gives the evidence for His judgment of blessing for the sheep.

The evidence is in Matthew 25:35-36,

35 ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 ‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ (Matt. 25:35-36).

It is what they did to Christ and for Christ that gives evidence that they are sons and daughters of God who are to inherit the kingdom. Jesus mentions six simple things that the sheep did: 1) fed the hungry; 2) gave drink to the thirsty; 3) took in strangers; 4) clothed the naked; 5) cared for the sick; and 6) visited prisoners. They did acts of mercy for those in need. Their acts of compassion and kindness gave evidence of their genuine faith in Jesus. Their mercy was their fruit.

These people did not do works of mercy in order to be saved, they did them because they were saved. Their mercy was evidence of their faith. Paul teaches in Ephesians 2 that we are saved by God’s grace through faith which results in good works. Listen:

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Eph. 2:8-10).

Genuine saving faith always produces good works. The sheep did not earn their salvation by showing mercy. They proved that they had received salvation by showing mercy.

The most interesting thing is that Jesus says they did these simple acts of mercy to Him. And look how Jesus says the sheep respond:

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 ‘When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’” (Matt. 25:37-39).

Jesus calls them “the righteous”, those who are in right standing with God. But it’s obvious from what they say that they did not do righteous acts to try to earn their place in the kingdom of heaven. If they thought helping others would merit them eternal life, surely, they would have kept track of all the good they had done. But in fact, they weren’t even aware that they were doing these things for Christ. They weren’t the type to boast about all the good they had done. They humbly served without looking for fanfare or rewards.

How did they show mercy to the King? Jesus says, “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” (Matt. 25:40). When they helped others, specifically, “the least of these My brethren,” then they were helping Christ.

What does Jesus mean when He calls the ones they helped, “the least of these My brethren”?  Some people consider “the least of these My brethren” to refer to all the poor and needy of the world, the afflicted, and the suffering. So, they believe that when you treat the poor and needy with love and kindness and reach out to meet their needs and when you send food and money to aid the starving in a part of the world suffering from famine, you are doing this to Christ and will be rewarded by Him. In a sense, this is an important emphasis. God Himself cares about the hungry and thirsty, the strangers and poor, the sick and imprisoned. We have seen in the Gospel of Matthew how Jesus had compassion on the multitudes, how He fed the hungry, healed the sick, and cared for the needy.

But in another sense, we have to see that Jesus is very specific in the Gospels about those who are His “brethren”. In Matthew 12, when Jesus heard that His earthly mother and brothers stood outside seeking to speak to Him, Jesus asked, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” (Matt. 12:48). Then Matthew writes,

49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” (Matt. 12:49-50).

In Matthew 10, Jesus said to His disciples,

40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. … 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” (Matt. 10:40, 42).

I believe “My brethren” refers specifically to believers here. When we serve fellow believers in Christ, we are serving Christ. Love and care for your brethren in Christ is positive evidence of your faith in Christ. So, we should especially serve fellow believers. But that doesn’t mean we are not to help others as well. In Galatians 6:10, Paul gives a good guideline to follow: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” In other words, you should help everyone you can, whether they’re a believer or not. But you can’t help everyone, so you should especially do good to your brothers and sisters in Christ.

This is the blessing for the sheep. They are those who were saved by grace and demonstrated that faith by the evidence of humble works of mercy and kindness done for Christ. They will inherit the kingdom.

Next, Jesus indicates the …

3. Curse for the Goats (Matt. 25:41-45)

What was true for the sheep was the opposite for the goats. Jesus says, “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:” (Matt. 25:41). The sheep were blessed; the goats were cursed. The sheep were invited to come; the goats were commanded to depart. The sheep inherit the kingdom; the goats go to the everlasting fire. The kingdom of heaven was prepared for God’s people since the foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34), whereas hell was prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41).

The evidence for their condemnation in judgment is not what they did, but what they failed to do. They were the opposite of the sheep. Jesus says,

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 take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ (Matt. 25:42-43).

Their lack of compassion was evidence of their lack of love for Christ. Listen, the fact that the goats failed to help the poor did not cause them to be lost. When they did not serve Christ by helping the needy, they proved that they were already lost. Their sins of omission were evidence against them. And the tragic fact is that they were oblivious to the whole thing. Matthew 25:44-45 says,

44 “Then they also will answer Him, 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, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’” (Matt. 25:44-45).

They were so self-centered and self-satisfied that they did not even notice the suffering around them. Their lack of mercy gave evidence of their lack of faith in Christ and love for Christ. The goats are condemned to the eternal fire not just because they didn’t care for the King’s needy brothers, but because their unconcern was evidence that they didn’t really know or love the King at all.

Finally, look at their …

4. Eternal Destinies (Matt. 25:46)

Jesus says, “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matt. 25:46).

There are only two eternal destinies for mankind: everlasting punishment or everlasting life. Eternal life is the gift of God to everyone who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:36 shows the contrast even more bluntly, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Eternal life is life that enjoys the presence of God forever. The opposite of that is eternal punishment: enduring suffering and personal conscious torment forever and ever and ever. The punishment is everlasting and infinite because they have sinned against the infinitely holy and eternal God. The unbelieving sinful nature of the unrighteous in hell will not be changed even after eons of punishment. They will still hate God and refuse to believe in Christ. Don’t be deceived by the lies of this modern world which relegates eternal suffering in hell to the dustbin of antiquity. Hell is still real. Hell is punishment. Hell is eternal. Jesus was clear about that.

Why does Jesus tell us about this judgment and the eternal destinies of the righteous and unrighteous? It’s the same reason He told us about the tribulation and His second coming. He wants us to be ready, to be prepared, to be wise and faithful, to be vigilant in our waiting, and to be diligent in our working. He warns us of this coming judgment so that we would escape hell and enter into the kingdom of heaven by faith in Him.

This is why Jesus came the first time—to save us from sin, death, and hell. He gave His life on the cross to pay the punishment for our sins. He was rejected so that we could be accepted. He died so that we could live. He took our sin so that we could receive His righteousness.

I love what John MacArthur wrote about this:

“In light of the utter and perfect holiness of the Almighty and the persistent sinfulness and ungodliness of man…it is not the Lord’s coming in wrath to render judgment that is amazing but rather His first coming in grace to offer salvation. The wonder is not that Jesus will some day come in glory to judge the world but that He first came in humility to save sinners. The marvel is not that God promises to condemn sinners for their sin but that He first offers them deliverance from it. In coming to save those who trust in Him, the Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated His great love for the unlovely by bearing the penalty of their sin, dying the death they deserve. What is remarkable is that He came to redeem sinners who are worthy only of His judgment.”[1]

Come to Jesus today. He will save you and give you eternal life. He will give you a new heart to serve Him by serving others. He will live in you and you in Him. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

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[1] MacArthur, John [The MacArthur New Testament Commentary; Matthew 24-28; Moody Press, Chicago, Ill, 1984] pg. 114.

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The Sheep and Goat Judgment – Matthew 25:31-46

sheep-and-the-goats

The Sheep and Goat Judgment

Matthew 25:31-46

Today, we come to the conclusion of the Olivet Discourse, that portion of the Gospel of Matthew in which our Lord taught His disciples about His second coming. After giving signs that will precede and accompany His coming, Jesus spent most of this discourse warning His disciples to watch and be ready for His coming (Matt. 24:42,44). He showed that His coming would be swift and unexpected like in the days of Noah (Matt. 24:37-42) or like a thief coming at night (Matt. 24:43-44). At the end of Matthew 24, Jesus said that His coming would be like a master returning to find a slave either faithfully doing the work that he was assigned, or a slave who neglected his duty and abused his authority (Matt. 24:45-51).

In Matthew 25, we have already studied two parables about the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said it would be like a wedding feast where the bridegroom is delayed. Some virgins were prepared for this by bringing extra oil for their lamps. Others did not prepare and were shut out. So Jesus taught His disciples, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Matt. 25:13). Next, Jesus compared the kingdom to a master who entrusted his wealth to certain slaves. Some put the master’s money to work and produced a good return for him. One did not trust the master, so he buried his master’s money. When the master returned, he settled accounts with them, rewarding the faithful servants and casting the wicked, lazy servant into the outer darkness.  

Do you see the common theme in all these illustrations that Jesus gave about His coming? When Jesus comes again He will come in judgment, separating the faithful righteous from the unbelieving wicked. Whether it is the wise virgins separated from the foolish virgins, the faithful servants separated from the wicked, or the sheep separated from the goats, this is the point that Jesus emphasized. His second coming is a day of reckoning when those who are not ready will be separated from those who are ready.

In our passage today, although Jesus uses the illustration of a shepherd separating the sheep from the goats, it does not read strictly like a parable. Rather, it is the startling description of Christ’s judgment at His second coming. In the other parables, there is a delay in the groom’s or the master’s coming, and the separation and judgment come at the end of the story. But in this last section, the Lord’s coming is featured first and the judgment consumes the entire teaching. It is all about that final day when Jesus returns and judges the righteous and the wicked, the saved and the lost, the sheep and the goats.

First, we see the …

1. Scene of the Judgment (Matt. 25:31-33)

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.” (Matt. 25:31-33).

When will this judgment take place? Jesus begins by establishing the timing of this judgment. It is, “ When the Son of Man comes in His glory” (Matt. 25:31). This is the same time Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24:30, when “… the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matt. 24:30). This talks about the time of His return to earth. When He comes, the whole world will see Him. The whole world will know that it is Jesus returning to judge the world.

Those with a more dispensational eschatology believe this sheep-goat judgment is a particular judgment that occurs on earth where He judges those who are alive from the nations at His second coming. Others see this as a general picture of the judgment of all people. Still others see this as a judgment occurring in heaven as Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father. Regardless of your eschatology, this much is clear: Jesus is the glorious King and judge to whom we must give an account on that day.

Who is the judge? King Jesus. When the Lord Jesus comes, He will claim the throne that is rightfully His. He will consummate His kingdom. This is what it means in Matthew 25:31 when Jesus says that the Son of Man “will sit on the throne of His glory.” When Jesus sits upon the throne, it will be a demonstration to all that He has all authority over time and eternity. On Wednesday, we looked at Psalm 2 where God says to the raging nations, “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion,” (Psalm 2:6). And to His Son, the Father says, “Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.” (Psalm 2:8).

But Jesus doesn’t come alone. He comes with “all the holy angels” (Matt. 25:31). Jesus explained the role of the angels in the separation and judgment in His parables of the wheat and the tares (Matt. 13:41-43) and the dragnet (Matt. 13:47-50). As Jesus promised in Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” In Matthew 24:31 after describing His second coming, Jesus says, “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

So, who is the judge? It is King Jesus, seated on His glorious throne, accompanied by holy angels. As the Son of Man and Son of God, Jesus will preside on the day of judgment. Jesus said about himself in John 5, “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. … and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.” (John 5:22-23,27).

Isn’t it good to know that the same One who is our Savior is also our judge? Revelation 1 describes Him as, “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth,” and then describes what He has done, saying, “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Rev. 1:5-6). Then John goes on to write about His coming and judgment, “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.” (Rev. 1:7). Our glorious Lord and King is also the One who “also loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Eph. 5:25). Aren’t you glad that our judge is the One loved us and gave Himself for us (Gal. 1:4; 2:20; Tit. 2:14)?  

Whom does He judge? Matthew 25:32 says, “All the nations will be gathered before Him.” The “nations” means peoples of all kinds. It is the same word Jesus used in His great commission to His disciples at the end of Matthew 28 when He commanded them to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” (Matt. 28:19). All people from all nations will be judged.

How will He judge? Jesus says, “… He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.” (Matt. 25:32-33). Jesus will separate the people into two distinct groups, pictured as the sheep and the goats. Jesus will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left—the right hand being the side of honor and blessing in Scripture.

John Broadus tells about his traveling in the ancient land of Israel. On the very morning he was working on his commentary on this chapter, looking across the plain of Sharon, he saw a shepherd leading forth a flock of white sheep and black goats, all mingled as they followed him. As the shepherd came into a little green valley, he stood facing the flock. When a sheep came up, he tapped it with his long staff on the right side of the head, and it quickly moved off to his right; a goat he tapped on the other side, and it went to his left.[1] This is the picture Jesus is giving. The shepherd easily distinguishes the sheep from the goats.

Notice that their identity as a sheep or a goat is already fixed. The Lord does not make anyone a goat or turn someone into a sheep on that day. Their nature as a sheep or a goat is already set and He know which of the people belong in each group. In John 10, Jesus said,

14 “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. … 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.” (John 10:14-15, 27-30).

Jesus is the good shepherd who knows His sheep. Each individual person will be singled out and assigned either to the sheep or the goats. Charles Spurgeon comments: “Not one goat will be left among the sheep, nor one sheep with the goats. The division will be very close and personal: ‘one from another; They will not be separated into nations, nor even into families; but each individual will be allotted his or her proper place among the sheep or among the goats.”[2]

It is clear that the sheep represent those who are saved and the goats represent those who are lost. The most common designation in Scripture for these two groups are the righteous and the wicked. (Genesis 18:23; Psalm 1:5; Proverbs 11:21; Matthew 13:49; Acts 24:15; 2 Peter 2:7).

It is not always easy for us in this life to discern those who will be blessed by God the Father as the sheep and those who are cursed as the goats. The prophet Malachi deals with this issue because in this life it often appears that the wicked are proud and blessed and the righteous are humble, poor, and persecuted (Mal. 3:13-15). But the Lord has the final word in the judgment. Malachi writes,

16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another,
And the LORD listened and heard them;
So a book of remembrance was written before Him
For those who fear the LORD
And who meditate on His name.
17 “They shall be Mine,” says the LORD of hosts,
“On the day that I make them My jewels.
And I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him.”
18 Then you shall again discern
Between the righteous and the wicked,
Between one who serves God
And one who does not serve Him.
(Mal. 3:16-18).

If you are among His sheep in this dark and fallen world, this promise is a cause of great comfort. This world may not make much of a distinction anymore between good and evil, or justice and injustice, or righteousness and unrighteousness. But we need to remember that King Jesus does! When He comes, He will make clear distinctions; and will separate the righteous from the unrighteous on the great day of His righteous judgment.

Just as we saw the rest of the Olivet Discourse, the day of Christ’s coming will be a day of separation in judgment. The Lord knows those who are His. The sheep will be given the place of honor and will inherit the Kingdom of heaven (Matt. 25:34). The goats will be assigned the place of shame and will be cast “into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41).

So, this judgment will take place when the Son of Man comes again and sits on His glorious throne as King. Our Lord Jesus Christ is not only the King, He is the judge. He judges all the people of all the nations. He separates them according to their identity. He blesses the righteous and curses the unrighteous.

How do you know in which group you will be found on that day? The eternal and critical issue is, what have you done with Jesus Christ? Have you believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for your sins and was raised from the dead to give you life? To everyone who repents and believes in Him, He grants forgiveness and eternal life. Paul quotes Psalm 32 in Romans 4, writing,

7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.” (Romans 4:7-8).

Either your sins will be counted against you on that day of judgment, or your sins will have been imputed to Christ. Either you will fall by your own unrighteousness, or you will stand in Christ’s righteousness. Paul says in Romans 8, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:1). Jesus says in John 3,

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:18-19).

In that same passage that speaks about Jesus being the judge, He says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” (John 5:24). Judgment will not be condemnation for those who have believed in Christ. Instead, judgment will be a reward for what we have done for Christ.

If you have not yet repented and believed in Christ, do it today. Turn from you sin and yourself. Turn to Christ and His perfect sacrifice for your sins on the cross. Believe that Jesus has been raised from the dead and is alive forever to save those who trust in Him. He will save you. He will change your identity from a goat to a sheep. He will transform you into a child of God.

Next time, we will see the details of how Jesus blesses the righteous and curses the unrighteous.

  1. Blessing for the Sheep (Matt. 25:34-40)
  2. Curse for the Goats (Matt. 25:41-45)
  3. Eternal Destinies (Matt. 25:46)

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[1] John A. Broadus, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, American Commentary on the New Testament (Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1886).

[2] Charles Spurgeon; The Gospel of the Kingdom: An Exposition of the Gospel of Matthew, https://archive.org/details/cu31924029340720/page/444/mode/2up?q=%22Not+one+goat+will+be+left+among+the+sheep%2C+nor+one+sheep+with+the+goats%22.

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Give Thanks for Our Salvation – Psalm 107

Psalm107

Psalm 107 is a descriptive psalm of thanksgiving. It begins, “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 107:1). To give thanks (יָדָה yāḏâ) carries the idea of “extending the hands in praise.”[i] The psalmist calls us to thanksgiving because Yahweh, the LORD, is good. We are to praise Him for His “mercy”, or faithful lovingkindness, “endures forever”.  

Verses 2 and 3 set the scene a bit more precisely by defining who it is who is to give thanks to the Lord: “2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, 3 And gathered out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south.” (Psalm 107:2-3). This psalm certainly applies to us as those who have been redeemed from the bondage to sin and death by the blood of Jesus Christ. As we realize our helplessness and experience God’s gracious help in our problems, we ought to appreciate His love and give thanks to Him. That’s the message of Psalm 107.

Then the psalmist gives four illustrations of God’s redemption. First, in Psalm 107:4-9, God’s redemption is like lost wanderers whom the LORD rescues. Listen to their predicament:

4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;
They found no city to dwell in.
5 Hungry and thirsty,
Their soul fainted in them.
(Psalm 107:4-5).

What do you do when you are lost and your soul is fainting from distress? Call out to the LORD! This is what they do in Psalm 107:6: “Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,” Did the LORD answer their cry? YES! The psalmist says, “And He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.” (Psa 107:6-7).

What should be the response of those God redeemed from lostness?

8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
9 For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness. (Psalm 107:8-9).

Do you feel lost? Jesus says, “I am the Way” (John 14:6). Do you feel empty and hungry? Jesus says, “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35). Do you feel thirsty to know God? Jesus says, “I will give you living Water” (John 4:10). Do you feel exhausted and weary? Jesus says, “I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). To get help from God, you must realize that you are lost, give up your own efforts to find the way, and call out to God. He will save you.

Listen to how the LORD saves those who are imprisoned in darkness due to their rebellion against God’s word:

10 Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
Bound in affliction and irons–
11 Because they rebelled against the words of God,
And despised the counsel of the Most High,
12 Therefore He brought down their heart with labor;
They fell down, and there was none to help.
13 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
And broke their chains in pieces.
15 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
16 For He has broken the gates of bronze,
And cut the bars of iron in two.
(Psalm 107:10-16).

It doesn’t matter how far you have fallen and rebelled against God and His law. Cry out to the LORD in your trouble. He will break the chains of sin and death.

Next the psalmist shows how God rescues from affliction and sickness due to sin:

17 Fools, because of their transgression,
And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
18 Their soul abhorred all manner of food,
And they drew near to the gates of death.
19 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
20 He sent His word and healed them,
And delivered them from their destructions.
21 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
22 Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And declare His works with rejoicing.
(Psalm 107:17-22).

If you are in great trouble today and you know that the reason for your trouble is your own rebellion, you may feel that you can’t call out to God for help. Not so! Cry out to Him and He will deliver you from your sin to His glory!

What about those who are overwhelmed by their circumstances? Listen how God saves them as well:

23 Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters,
24 They see the works of the LORD,
And His wonders in the deep.
25 For He commands and raises the stormy wind,
 Which lifts up the waves of the sea.
26 They mount up to the heavens,
They go down again to the depths;
Their soul melts because of trouble.
27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,
And are at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He brings them out of their distresses.
29 He calms the storm,
So that its waves are still.
30 Then they are glad because they are quiet;
So He guides them to their desired haven.
31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
32 Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people,
And praise Him in the company of the elders.
(Psalm 107:23-32).

Thus the psalmist paints these four word-pictures to drive home the point: To receive help from God, you must abandon all trust in yourself and cry out to God for His undeserved favor. Our response to the LORD for redeeming us is to give thanks for His goodness and His wonderful works. We exalt Him and praise Him.

Finally, the psalmist gives a summary of God’s ways, showing how the LORD turns poverty into plenty and strikes down the proud and self-sufficient, but lifts up the needy who call on Him:

33 He turns rivers into a wilderness,
And the watersprings into dry ground;
34 A fruitful land into barrenness,
For the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
35 He turns a wilderness into pools of water,
And dry land into watersprings.
36 There He makes the hungry dwell,
That they may establish a city for a dwelling place,
37 And sow fields and plant vineyards,
That they may yield a fruitful harvest.
38 He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly;
And He does not let their cattle decrease.
39 When they are diminished and brought low
Through oppression, affliction, and sorrow,
40 He pours contempt on princes,
And causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way;
41 Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction,
And makes their families like a flock.
42 The righteous see it and rejoice,
And all iniquity stops its mouth.
43 Whoever is wise will observe these things,
And they will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.
(Psalm 107:33-43).

Isn’t God good? Shouldn’t we thank Him for His mercy? Doesn’t He deserve all the praise and thanksgiving we could ever give? Every time we gather as a church we ought to be thanking God for saving us in Jesus Christ. We ought to be full of the joy of our salvation. “Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psalm 107:31). Today, let’s consider the goodness and mercy of the LORD as we sing and as we speak of what the LORD has done for us.

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[i] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3034/nkjv/wlc/0-1/

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The Parable of the Talents Matthew 25:14-30

Matthew 24 45

The Parable of the Talents

Matthew 25:14-30

What will you do with the opportunities God has given you?

Remember, we are in the middle of our Lord’s Olivet discourse concerning the future and, in particular, His Second Coming. Again and again, Jesus has urged His disciples and us to be alert and ready because we do not and cannot know when He will return.  We must live so as not to be caught off-guard. That means to live in faithfulness to the Lord, serving Him, and doing His will. This was the Lord’s own application of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. Jesus concluded that parable saying, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Matt. 25:13). Jesus expects His disciples to watch and be prepared at all times for His coming.

Now, in the parable of the talents, we will find that it has a similar elements to the other parables Jesus just told: a master who goes away for a period of time, his return coming at a time they do not expect, and the judgment of those who either were or were not prepared for it. But today’s parable makes still more explicit what readiness looks like. The parable of the virgins calls us to watch; the parable of the talents calls us to work.

Readiness is not a matter of passively waiting, but of active working. Being ready for the Lord’s return means serving Him faithfully in this world while we wait for His coming again. We should be preparing for Christ’s return by being faithful stewards of the opportunities God has given us.

So, let’s look at the parable of the talents together and see what Jesus teaches us about preparing for his return.

1. Resources Entrusted (Matt. 25:14-18)

Jesus begins this parable by connecting it to the previous parable about the ten virgins. In the LSB, Matthew 25:14 reads, “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and handed over his possessions to them.” (Matt. 25:14 LSB). What is just as a man going on a journey? The same topic that Jesus just illustrated in the previous parable, as He says in Matthew 25:1, “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be like …” This is why the New King James Version supplies the context by inserting “For the kingdom of heaven is like.”

What will the kingdom of heaven be like? “… a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and handed over his possessions to them” (Matt. 25:14). Notice that the possessions belonged to the master. He was the owner and the slaves were stewards or managers of whatever the master entrusted. When the master gave the talents to the servants, both they and he knew that it was still his money. They knew that they were accountable for the master’s money. They never thought it was theirs.

From this we understand a crucial biblical truth. All that we have belongs to God. In the ultimate sense, we own nothing. Even your life is a gift from God. All the things we think are ours are really God’s. He made them, He entrusted them to us, and one day He require an accounting for what we did with them. God is the owner; we are the stewards entrusted with particular responsibilities.

Matthew 25:15 says: “And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.”

It is important for us to know that the word “talent” in this parable does not means what it means in English today. We think of a talent as a natural human ability or skill. But the word “talent” in the Bible literally refers to a unit of weight. A biblical talent weighed about seventy-five pounds and it was used as a value for money, either a talent of silver or gold. Today, that much silver would be worth about $50,000, and that much gold would be worth about $3,000,000. Most scholars say that one talent of silver in those days would represent about 20 years wages for a common laborer. So, a talent was a significant sum of money. They all were given huge responsibilities.

Notice how the master distributes his possessions. The owner didn’t practice equity, dividing everything equally to each servant. No, he gave them all different amounts, “to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one.” And Jesus tells us why they received these different various amounts. It was because he gave them “to each according to his own ability.” The master knew how much each could handle and gave expectations based on each one’s personal abilities.

Here we find the sovereign design of the Lord who entrusts each of us with various resources, abilities, and gifts so that we might use all to His glory. So, some have superb intellects, others creative abilities; some have musical gifts while others are gifted with financial resources; some can speak, others can write; some can organize, others are great doers that get the job done. All of it comes from the Lord. All of us are therefore responsible to make the most of whatever the Lord has entrusted to us as wise stewards.

Listen, God is not obligated to treat you exactly like He treats anyone else. He can give you more or less than others; and He does. You have more than some and less than others. You have more money and talent and opportunity, more strength, better health, and better connections than others. And you have less of all that than others.

We need to be careful not to envy those who have more abilities or possessions than us, or be prideful over those who have less. Rather, we should be grateful. This week as we celebrate Thanksgiving, it is a good time for us to remember this and give thanks to the good Lord for the good gifts He has given. It’s not what you have, but what you do with what you have, that makes the difference. We need to trust God’s sovereignty and be grateful for whatever He has given us and determine to use whatever God has given us for His glory.

Then, notice what the servants did with the talents that the master entrusted to them. Two of them went to work right away to make the most of what they had:

16 “Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.” (Matt. 25:16-17).

Here we see a good picture of faithfulness. When it says that the servant “traded with them” it literally means that he went to work with them. He poured out his energy and wisdom to make the most of the opportunity that the master had given him. He made (or gained NASB) five more. The servant who had been given two talents did the same, he gained two more. Both had an excellent return for their hard work.

Jesus is coming again. And in the meantime, Jesus the master, has entrusted to us some of His most precious and valuable things to manage. We are the servants in this parable. In practicable terms, a talent can represent any life resource that God has entrusted to our care.

Pastor Gary Hamrick applied this to six major areas of life that God entrusts to us: money, abilities, authority, possessions, position, and influence, asking about each: “If you are financially blessed, are you financially generous for the kingdom?”; “Whatever you can do well, are you doing it well for God?”; “If you have been put in charge of things, are you using that authority to promote the kingdom?”; “If you have resources and possessions that can be used for the kingdom, what are you doing with those resources for the glory of God?”; “If you are a mother, father, grandparent, an employee or an employer, student, or a teacher, are you using your position or status in life that God has given you to glorify him?”; “If God has opened doors for you such that you have opportunity to influence people, are you using that influence to impact the kingdom?”[1]

The case of the third servant is something else entirely. Jesus says, “But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.” (Matt. 25:18). He did nothing with the talent he was given except to bury it in the ground so he wouldn’t lose it. He didn’t work with it. He didn’t invest it. Keeping it in this way meant that there was no possibility of loss, but it also meant that there was no possibility of gain.  

So we see the resources entrusted. Next, we see …

2. Faithfulness Rewarded (Matt. 25:19-23)

Jesus says, “After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.” (Matt. 25:19). Again, Jesus indicates to His disciples that His return would not be immediate but only after considerable time. And at His return, the Lord will call His servants to account for what He has entrusted to them. The Lord’s return will be a day of judgment. Every one of us will have to answer for what we did with what God gave us. You see that the servants knew this accounting was coming.

The first two servants were both faithful with what God had given them, and God commended both of them for it. Can you sense the enthusiasm of the first servant when he presents his return to his lord? Jesus says, “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’” (Matt. 25:20). He found great satisfaction and delight in pleasing his lord. The second servant had the same attitude, “He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’” (Matt. 25:22).

How does the master reward their them? It’s the same in both cases, “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’” (Matt 25:21,23). First, there is a commendation: He calls each one a “good and faithful servant,” and says to him, “you were faithful.” What does he commend them for? Faithfulness.

Second, there is a promotion: “you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.” When you are faithful with little, you will be entrusted with more. Do you want God to entrust you with more in this life and the next? Then be faithful with what you’ve got!

Third, there is an invitation: “Enter into the joy of your lord.” The great satisfaction was not in basking in honor but in continuing to serve the one whom they loved with unflagging devotion. This is how they entered into the joy of their lord.

What a picture for us! The reward of faithfulness is that the Lord entrusts us with more of that which belongs to Him and which we are to use for His glory. Having found delight in “a few things,” He increases the personal delight and satisfaction by making us “ ruler over many things.” Listen, our service to the Lord does not end in this life. Heaven is no place for lazy bums! ” And there shall be no more curse,” John wrote, ” but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him” (Rev. 22:3). No longer hindered by tiredness or need for sleep or lost opportunity by darkness, we will continue to serve our Lord for eternity.

So, if you do not find delight in serving Christ now, I’m afraid that heaven will not be a very welcome place for you! As the slaves found sheer pleasure in being able to say they gained double what they had. Out of joy they served and were assured of continued service, and that through being enveloped in the joy of the master. Such joy is so rich, that nothing can compare to it.

But notice the contrast of the third servant. There we see …

3. Opportunity Squandered (Matt. 25:24-30)

Jesus says,

24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’” (Matt. 25:24-25).

Notice that the lack of faithfulness in this servant was due to his bad attitude about his master. This slave immediately begins to find fault with his master and place the blame on him. He calls him a hard man. He accuses him of harvesting where he has not sown and gathering where he has not scattered seed.

Was he right in what he said to the master? Clearly all three men knew the master would come back, and they all knew that he would demand an accounting. But the first two men focused on the fact their master, besides being a fair man, could also be very generous. They knew if they did a good job, they would have a great reward at the end. The third fellow lived in fear and so didn’t do anything at all. His fear of punishment was far greater than his desire to be rewarded.

So what’s his problem? He thought he knew his master, but he didn’t. Because he didn’t know him, he didn’t trust him. Because he didn’t trust him, he did nothing.

What was the master’s judgment? Jesus says,

26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'” (Matt. 25:26-30).  

The master says that this servant is “wicked and lazy.” He is worthless and has shirked his responsibility. The third servant tried to use his bad thoughts of the master as an excuse for why he had done nothing with the one talent the master had given him. But even if what the servant said about him was true (and it’s not!), that still does not excuse the servant’s behavior. If the servant was afraid of the master and thought the master was that harsh, he should have at least put the money in the bank and earned some interest for the master. As it is, he did nothing, and that was unacceptable.

Christ operates on the principle of faithfulness. He is faithful even when we falter and fail. So He calls for faithfulness in us, promising that faithfulness meets with His pleasure and has the assurance of abundant reward in His presence. “ For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” Doing nothing for God is unacceptable. Not only will you not receive a reward, you will also lose what God initially gave you as well. We have a saying for that don’t we? You’ve got to use it or lose it! God expects you to use the opportunities and gifts He has given you for His glory.

Sadly, the parable of the talents ends the same way as the parable of the two servants, with the unfaithful servant being thrown out into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

And this gives us the eternal perspective of this parable. What is the most valuable thing that the Lord has left with us, wanting us to cherish and to duplicate? It’s salvation. It’s the Gospel. It’s the Good News of Jesus Christ for the salvation of souls for whoever believes and receives. That’s what carries eternal weight in this parable.

MacArthur concludes about this parable,

In the kingdom, in the church, in the assembly of the redeemed, there are going to be those who are prepared and serving the Lord. There are going to be those who are unprepared and who outwardly may be active but are not ready for his coming. And when the Lord comes, there will be a separation and a delineation based upon their service rendered to him. All excuses set aside. False service will be ended and that which they appear to be doing will be given to others in the kingdom and throughout eternity.[2]

God has entrusted us with the gospel of Jesus Christ. What have you done with the opportunity the Lord has given for you to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ? Have you believed that He died for your sins and was raised from the dead to give you eternal life? And if so, is that new life bearing fruit, multiplying in faithful service and faithful sharing of the gospel with others? Will you hear the Lord say on that day, “Well done good and faithful servant … enter into the joy of your Lord”?

—————————————————

[1] Gary Hamrick, Get Ready ‘cause Here I Come – Part 3, https://assets01.cornerstonechapel.net/documents/studyguides/20210321.pdf

[2] John MacArthur, https://www.gty.org/sermons/2377/the-tragedy-of-wasted-opportunity-part-2

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The Wise or Foolish Virgins – Matthew 25:1-13

Matthew 24 45

The Wise or Foolish Virgins

Matthew 25:1-13

Are you ready for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ? This is the theme of the parables we are studying in Matthew 24 and 25. We are in the middle of Jesus teaching His disciples on the Mount of Olives about the destruction of Jerusalem and about His coming and the end of the age (Matt. 24:3). In Matthew 24, Jesus made it clear that the end would not come immediately, but only after some general and specific signs that would precede His coming. And He commanded His disciples to watch and be ready because no one knows the day or the hour when the Son of Man will come (Matt. 24:42,44).

To exhort us to readiness for His return, Jesus then taught three parables. Last time, from the parable of the wise or wicked servant we learned that readiness for Christ’s return includes faithfulness. If you want to be ready for the Lord’s coming, be faithful to serve your Master while He is away. We said that being ready for Christ’s return means that we watch expectantly, serve faithfully, and live holy.

Now, as we turn to Matthew 25, Jesus will teach two more parables and then describe the judgment that follows His return. The theme that ties this section together is separation in judgment. when Jesus Christ comes again, the saved will be separated from those who are lost. Whether it is the wise virgins separated from the foolish virgins; the wicked servant separated from the faithful in the parable of the talents; or the sheep separated from the goats in the judgment, this is the point that Jesus emphasized. His second coming is a day of reckoning when those who are not ready will be separated from those who are ready.

Jesus previously taught this aspect of the kingdom of heaven in His parables of the wheat and the tares and the dragnet in Matthew 13. Jesus said about the wheat and the tares that grow together in the field of the world,

40 “Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matt. 13:40-43).

And in the parable of the dragnet Jesus said,

49 “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt. 13:49-50)

Jesus’ coming will be a time of judgment when the righteous are separated from the wicked. That is the theme of Matthew 25.

Today’s passage is the parable of the ten virgins or bridesmaids waiting for the coming of the bridegroom. It is a parable to teach a truth about the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said, “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.” (Matt. 25:1).

In order to catch the impact of this story, we need to know something about first-century Jewish wedding customs. In those days, young people got married in three stages. First, there was the arrangement or engagement, The two fathers would make an agreement as to what the dowry, obligations, and arrangements would be. Later came the betrothal, the formal religious ceremony in the bride’s home. The bride and groom exchanged marriage vows and the dowry was given to the bride. Then the groom would spend from several months to a year preparing for his wife by establishing himself in his trade or farming and preparing a place for them to live. Finally, there was a wedding banquet (or feast) at the groom’s home. The entire community could be involved in this celebration which could last even up to a week. The festivities began with a bridal procession. The groom and his friends would come to the bride’s house where she and her bridesmaids were waiting. The whole party would then parade through the streets eventually arriving at the groom’s home or other place prepared for their wedding feast. These wedding processions were often at night with the wedding attendants carrying lamps or torches to light the way and to attract attention.

Knowing this custom, the parable becomes straightforward to follow. It is fairly easy to identify the bridegroom with Jesus and the arrival of the bridegroom with the return of Christ. Ten is a nice round number, and so the ten virgins or bridesmaids represent all who are waiting for Christ, while their different actions represent those who are prepared for the waiting and those who are not.

Let’s look at this parable in three parts: 1) the waiting for the bridegroom; 2) the coming of the bridegroom; 3) the entering into the wedding banquet.

1. Waiting for the Bridegroom (Matt. 25:1-5).

The parable begins with all ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom. Jesus says, “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.” (Matt. 25:1). These ten virgins all had several things in common. All had been invited to the banquet and all had responded positively. All ten had gone out to wait for the bridegroom. They all had their lamps with them. All the virgins wanted to see the bridegroom. All were in the right place at the right time. All fell asleep while waiting for the bridegroom. All were awakened by the midnight cry. All ten virgins got up to prepare their lamps.

Yet there was one crucial difference. Jesus said, “Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.” (Matt. 25:2). “Wise” (φρόνιμος, phronimos) is the same adjective Jesus used in the previous parable to describe the faithful servant who did his master’s will. It means prudent, astute, or sensible. Their wisdom shows up in their preparation for the bridegroom’s delay. Jesus says, “but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.” (Matt. 25:4). The wise were ready for any potential delay. They didn’t know exactly when the bridegroom would arrive, so they brought extra oil with them. They did not want to miss out on this most joyful of events, and so they were ready for any potential delay.

The description “foolish” (μωρός, mōros) in the Bible indicates not just ignorance or silliness. It especially speaks of those that are dull to the things of God. Therefore they are impious, godless, or morally worthless. Their foolishness shows up in the lack of preparation. Jesus says, “Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,” (Matt., 25:3). The foolish did not bring any extra oil for their lamps. In other words, they made a foolish assumption. They assumed that the bridegroom would come sooner than he did, and so they did not make any extra preparations in case he came later than they expected. They evidently never thought about the possibility that he might be delayed. Or if they thought about it, they dismissed it as so unlikely that it wasn’t worth worrying about. Either way, they weren’t prepared when he suddenly arrived at midnight.

Before we feel sorry for them, consider this: The foolish virgins knew the bridegroom was going to get married; they knew he would come to the banquet; and they knew they needed oil for their lamps. All ten virgins started had the same information. The five foolish virgins had everything they needed to know. And still they were not ready!

Notice Jesus does not say the bridegroom was late in coming, just that he took longer than those who were waiting for him expected. The bridegroom’s delay is seen in Matthew 24:5, “But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.” No condemnation is given to either the foolish or the wise for sleeping. What this detail shows is the apparent delay and that the foolish had more than ample time to prepare themselves. The foolish virgins found time to sleep, but they neglected to get the needed oil. The five wise virgins could rest in confident assurance that when the bridegroom arrived, they were prepared.

So, that’s the first part of the parable: waiting for the bridegroom. Next, Jesus tells about the …

2. Coming of the Bridegroom (Matt. 25:6-9).

Jesus says, “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’” (Matt. 25:6). The bridegroom came at midnight when they did not expect him. The “midnight cry” awoke them from their sleep. The command went out, “go out to meet him!” The moment has come at last! As you can imagine, there was a flurry of activity and excitement. The moment they had waited for had arrived. No more delays, no more anticipation, the time had come for all of them to be part of the wedding festivities.

“Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps” (Matt. 25:7) so that they would be ready to join the wedding procession and the festivities that will follow. The mark that you belonged to the wedding party was your lamp. Without it, one would be excluded. The ten virgins knew this. That’s why we find them busily trimming their lamps to go out and meet the bridegroom. Only then does the foolishness of the first five become apparent to all. They are low on oil and a wick without oil will not stay lit.

“And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’” (Matt. 25:8). The foolish five recognize that they are in a dire strait. Panicking, they asked the wise to give them some of their oil. “But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’” (Matt. 25:9). The wise virgins prove themselves doubly prudent. This was not selfishness, but reality. There is not enough to share.

The five foolish maids left to purchase oil, “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came …” (Matt. 25:10). The five wise vrigins joined the wedding procession to the banquet. The five foolish missed it. They knew what they needed. They had ample time to prepare. But they did not. If the foolish virgins had known that the bridegroom was going to take longer than they expected, perhaps they would have brought the extra oil. The wise virgins knew that they didn’t know when the bridegroom was coming. So, they wisely brought the extra oil. They prepared themselves for a longer wait just in case. 

The next scene shows the marriage feast guests arriving and the door being shut.

3. Entering into the Wedding Banquet (Matt. 25:10-12)

Matthew 25:10 continues, “… and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.” Two phrases stand out: “those who were ready went in with him” and “the door was shut.” The wise virgins who were prepared entered the wedding banquet. They experienced the joy of the bridegroom. The language implies that the door was shut and stays shut. No one else could enter. No bargains would be made. The door was shut.

Whether or not they found oil, we’re not told. Nevertheless, they made their way to the bridegroom’s home where the wedding feast had already begun. Jesus describes the scene. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’” The double use of “Lord” stresses the urgency in their plea as well as the verb tense for “open up.” Desperate for entrance to the wedding feast, they plead with the bridegroom to open the door that had been shut. But they had failed to prepare for the bridegroom’s coming.

Then come those ominous words of judgment in Matthew 25:12, “But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’” The bridegroom says that he has no relationship with them. This is similar to Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:

22 “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” (Matt. 7:22-23).

Then Jesus gives us the …

Conclusion:

Jesus concludes in Matthew 25:13, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” Be watchful and prepared while you wait for Christ’s coming (Matt. 25:13).

Here is how we apply this parable to ourselves today:

  • You don’t know when Christ will return, so be ready now.

The first application is this: You don’t know when Christ will return, so be ready now. Don’t delay. Don’t leave things for another day. Make things right in your life with God now. You should live every day as though Christ was returning today.

Do you have oil in your lamp? Have you repented and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? If you have, God has made you a child of God and placed the oil of His Holy Spirit in you. He will keep you burning until Christ comes. If you have not yet trusted Christ to save you, you need to do that today. We can masquerade all of our lives as Christians, and having failed to prepare through trusting in Christ, hear those decisive words, “I do not know you.” It matters not how popular you are in church or how many accolades you’ve received for service or how wonderful everyone believes you to be. What matters is knowing Jesus Christ. Are you wise or foolish? Be on the alert-Behold, the bridegroom comes!

Today, the door is open. You can come to Christ. You can receive the gift of eternal life and the forgiveness of sins. Turn from your sin and selfishness. Believe in Christ that He died for your sin and is alive forever to save you.

When Christ comes again, the door will be shut. Some people will find out the value of Christ too late. They will suddenly realize how wrong they’ve been, but the door will already be shut. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

And then the second application is this …

  • You don’t know when Christ will return, so be ready to wait if necessary.

Just as you need to live your life as though Jesus could return today, you also need to live your life as though Jesus might not return for a long time. That means we don’t wait by going up on a mountaintop and gazing into the sky. It means we wait by being ready at all times while we work and grow and get married and have kids and live every day to the glory of God in Christ.

Waiting is hard. It’s easy to get discouraged waiting for Christ to return. We see the signs, and we wonder why it is taking so long. You need to be prepared both for the short term and the long term. You need to be ready to live for Jesus not just for a season but for the rest of your life.

So, what do you do while you are waiting? That’s what we are going to look at in next week’s message.

 

 

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