The End of the Story

Today’s Text: Matthew 25

Introduction

Chapter 25 is a direct continuation of 24: 35-51, so it will be helpful to keep in mind what transpired in that section before we continue.  Jesus had been telling His disciples that they would not know when He will return.  There will be no particular signs, no particular checklist, and whenever He returns, we will be surprised.  For those who are ready, this will be a surprisingly good thing, for those who are not ready this will be a surprisingly bad thing.  The real question that is left to consider is how do we get ready?

Three Parables

Chapter 25 consists of three parables, the Ten Virgins, The Talents, and The Sheep and the Goats.  If you look carefully at each of these parables, you will detect a common thread: a group of people are awaiting the arrival of the Master.  Some of the group are properly prepared and some are not.  The ones who are prepared for the arrival will be rewarded; those who are not will suffer loss… sound familiar?

The Ten Virgins

Here, you have 10 virgins who are awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom.  Each of them has a lamp, but only five of them have procured enough oil to keep her lamp lit when the bridegroom arrives. Those who do not have enough oil must go and purchase it at the last moment, and miss the wedding feast; they are cast off into the darkness they deserve for they made no preparation to light their lamp.  This parable is rich with Biblical imagery: bridegroom, lamps, light, darkness…

The bridegroom is a reference to Christ, the Bridegroom and His Bride, the Church.  The lamps remind us of the Lampstands in Revelation 2 and 3 which are representative of the seven churches, and of course Matt. 5:14-16.  “Let your light shine before men…”

The virgins would become ready for the arrival of the Bridegroom by living their lives in a certain way: letting their lamps shine forth to the glory of God.  Those who did not do so were not the Brides when the Bridegroom arrived, and let’s face it; none of them knew when He would arrive.

The Talents

Here we see some well-meaning servants who had received varying numbers of talents from the Master.  They were entrusted with these talents by the Master while he was away, and the servants were expected to invest those talents for the benefit of the Master.  Some did and were rewarded, and some did not and were condemned.  Again, their preparation for the Master’s return was in the way they lived their lives.  Those who lived for the Master’s service invested their talents and were able to show a profit for the Master.  The one who did not, thought only of himself, and not for the benefit of the Master: he suffered greatly for his selfishness.

Sheep and Goats

In this case, the King returns and separates his subjects into two groups.  Those who served the king by serving his subjects were rewarded, and those who did not were punished. Again, the result of the story depends entirely upon the way each person lived his life!

Are you ready?

How you live your life will determine whether or not you are ready when the Lord returns… and there will be no warning of His coming.  Do you serve God by serving others in a way that promotes God’s purposes?  If you do, then you will be happy upon His arrival.  However, if you live your life for yourself, He will not recognize you when He comes.  It is just that simple!

Putting it all together

In this final lesson on the Oliver Discourse, we have seen that being ready for the return of our Lord is all about how we choose to live our lives.  We have seen three parables that explain this, but I must point out that the Discourse actually contains four, not three. Live our lives in His service, or will we go through the motions, say the right things, but really live for ourselves only.

In the first part of the passage, Matt. 24:5-34 tells of the doom of Jerusalem, and if you stop to consider it, it is the same story that we have found in our three parables in chapter 25:

There will be no warning signs leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem; things will be going on just about like normal, and then it will happen.  The Lord has made provision for those who follow Him and who take heed of His words, but for those who follow Him only in words there will be nothing but doom and judgment.  The Jews were God’s chosen people, and they had a long standing relationship with God by virtue of having been born of the seed of Abraham.  We know, however that this was a difficult and checkered relationship because throughout their history the Israelites failed to live up to the terms God had set forth for them to obey.  When Messiah finally came to them, they for the most part chose not to follow Him.  In fact, they persecuted those who did.

When Jesus told His disciples about the coming judgment of the city and the destruction of the Temple which was the center of all things Jewish, He gave then specific instructions of how they were to be saved from doom.  I have no doubt there must have been some who had at one time or another heard about these things, but who when the time came for action, did not take Jesus words to heart, and if I am correct in this assumption, then they too perished.

Now it is our turn!  We have received these teaching from the Lord; what will we make of them?  Will we take His words to heart and live our lives, really live our lives in His service, or will we go through the motions, say the right things, but hold back from true commitment?  This, in closing is the message and meaning of the Oliver Discourse.

Note: As this is the end of this set of Class Notes, I will need to think of what to do next, and I have no idea at the present!  Any suggestions?