Judgment Day:

Matthew 25:31-33 “...When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left...”

Describe the second coming of Jesus Christ.

• He will come in glory, not as a suffering servant.
• All the angels will be with Him.
• He will sit on His glorious throne.

What will occur at His coming?

• The nations will be gathered before Him.
• He will separate people into two groups.
• The sheep on His right, the goats on the left.

Matthew 25:34 “...Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world...”

What is the fate of the people on the right?

• They are blessed by the Father.
• They inherit the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world.

Matthew 25:35-36 “... For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me...’

What qualified them for the blessing?

• Feeding the hungry.
• Giving drink to the thirsty.
• Welcoming strangers.
• Clothing the naked.
• Visiting the sick and those in prison.

Matthew 25:37-40 “...Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me...’

Who does the King expect people to care for?

• The least of these my brothers.

Matthew 25:41 “...Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels...”

What is the fate of the people on the left?

• They are cursed.
• They are cast into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Matthew 25:42-43 “...For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me...’

What qualified them for the eternal fire?

• Not feeding the hungry.
• Not giving drink to the thirsty.
• Not welcoming strangers.
• Not clothing the naked.
• Not visiting the sick and those in prison.

Matthew 25:44-45 “...Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me...’

Who does the King expect people to care for?

• The least of these my brothers.

Matthew 25:46 “...And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life...”

Who enters eternity?

• Everyone.
• Some have eternal punishment.
• The righteous have eternal life

Matthew 16:27 “...For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done...”

Is Jesus talking here about faith or works?

Ready or Not:

Matthew 25:1-4 “...Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps...”

When will the kingdom of heaven be like ten virgins?

• After the tribulation.
• At the end of the age.
• At the time that Jesus had just warned his listeners to stay awake for.

Why were five of them described as foolish?

• They took their lamps, but no oil.
• They weren’t prepared for things to take longer than expected.

Why were five of them described as wise?

• They took their lamps and flasks of oil.
• They were prepared for things taking longer than expected.

Matthew 25:5-9 “...As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves...’

Is it possible to think you’re ready for the coming bridegroom, when in reality you are not?

Matthew 25:10-13 “...And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour...”

Who was able to go in to the marriage feast with the bridegroom?

• Those who were ready.

Who was shut out of the feast?

• Those that weren’t sufficiently prepared.

How does this parable differ from the parable of the wedding garment (Matt.22:1-14)?

• Attendants vs Guests?

Unknown, but Watch:

Matthew 24:36-41 “...But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left....”

Mark 13:32-33 “...But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come...”

Luke 17:26-28 “...Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot - they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building,...”

Who knows when the End of the Age will occur?

• Only the Father.

Who doesn’t know when the End of the Age will occur?

• Not the angels of heaven.
• Not the Son.
• Not any human promoting an end time agenda.

What will the end be like?

• Jesus already talked about great tribulation.
• He already talked about the sun darkening and the stars falling.
• But now He’s saying life will be going on as normal - marrying, working the fields.

Matthew 24:42-44 “...But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming...”

Mark 13:34-37 “...It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake - for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake...”

Luke 21:34-36 “...But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man...”

What does Jesus advise?

• Stay awake.
• Watch yourselves.
• Don’t be lulled into the expectation that all will proceed as it has always proceeded.
• Don’t let the cares of this life set a trap for you.

Matthew 24:45-51 “...Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth...”

Who are the servants that God has set over His creation?

• We’re all in this together.
• We all have responsibilities.

Who are the wise servants?

• Matthew 25:40 “...And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me...’
• Those who take care of others, especially the least of these..

Who are the wicked servants?

• Matthew 25:45 “...Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me...’
• Those who are self indulgent, failing to care for the least of these.

The Fig Tree Lesson:

Matthew 24:32-35 “...From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away...”

Mark 13:28-31 “...From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away...”

Luke 21:29-33 “...And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away...”

What do you know when leaves come out on trees?

• Trees leafing is a spring time event that heralds the coming of summer.
• You know what comes next.

What had Jesus just been talking about?

• Signs of the end of the age.
• The great tribulation.
• The normal things in life falling completely apart.

What are these things indicating?

• What comes next is about to come next.
• The kingdom of God is near.

What will pass away?

• Heaven and Earth.
• Revelation 21:1 “...Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more...”

What will not pass away?

• The words of Jesus.

What generation will not pass away until all has taken place?

• It couldn’t be the generation at the time of His words because they passed away.
• It must refer to the generation living at the time of the events that precede His second coming.

What will that generation see?

• That which generation after generation has longed to see.
• The founding of the kingdom of God.

Why do you think the words of Jesus are important?

• They are the truth that we need, the everlasting truth.
• They explain what we need to know.
• They are given by God Incarnate to His created world. 
• They should not be ignored.