December – 30 – Love God and Serve Others

Sunday School Lesson

December 30

Love God and Serve Others

 

Devotional Reading: James 2:14–26

Background Scripture: Matthew 25:31–46

 

Matthew 25:31–46

31. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

 

32. And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

 

33. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

 

34. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

 

35. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

 

36. Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

 

37. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

 

38. When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39. Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

 

40. And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

 

41. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

 

42. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

 

43. I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

 

44. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

 

45. Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

 

46. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

 

Key Verse

The King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.—Matthew 25:40

Lesson Aims

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

 

1. Identify the setting for Jesus’ sheep and goats teaching.

 

2. Explain what separates people into “sheep” and “goats” in Jesus’ teaching.

 

3. Express one way to improve his or her congregation’s benevolent outreach.

 

HOW TO SAY IT

Micah	My-kuh.
Olivet	Ol-ih-vet.

Introduction

1. Social Justice Rediscovered

Many people have a great interest in pursuing social justice. This is a common passion within the so-called millennial generation, a group that churches desperately want to reach. Church leaders find that millennials have little interest in supporting traditional church programs (especially Sunday morning services that have not changed for decades). Millennials want to do more than talk about being Christians; they want to do Christian things, especially things they believe advance social justice.

Pursuing social justice today isn’t so much about blaming those who cause injustice as it is about helping those who suffer from injustice. The church’s concern for millennials and the millennials’ concern for social justice have given this cause a rebirth, almost as if it has been discovered for the first time.

We are wise to remember, though, that the church has a long history of helping those in need, a history based on the teachings of Jesus and the practices of the early church. A key biblical basis for this is Jesus’ illustration in Matthew 25 of the separation of sheep and goats, the text for today’s lesson.

1. Lesson Context

Jesus’ final week of ministry, the days leading to His crucifixion and resurrection, began with His entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. This event is recorded in all four Gospels and traditionally is called the Triumphal Entry (Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–44; John 12:12–19). The events beginning with that entry into Jerusalem, known as Passion Week or Holy Week, comprise a disproportional percentage of the material in each Gospel account—about 36 percent of Matthew, 37 percent of Mark, 28 percent of Luke, and 44 percent of John.

These eight days, culminating with Resurrection Sunday, are huge when contrasted with the other 33 years of Jesus’ life. It has been said that the Gospel authors’ accounts of Passion Week are the story they dearly want to tell; everything else is prelude. This is overstatement, but we should certainly pay attention to what happens during this week!

We might think that Jesus spends these last few days preparing His disciples for His death and saying His good-byes (and He does some of this), but a significant part of the week is dedicated to teaching. The longest block of teaching comes on Tuesday. This block is known as the Olivet Discourse because of its setting on the Mount of Olives, which looms over Jerusalem to the east. In this discourse, Jesus spoke prophetically about the future destruction of Jerusalem (fulfilled in AD 70), about His return in power and glory, and about the future judgment of humankind. In Matthew, this represents two full chapters: 24 and 25.

Matthew ends this discourse with Jesus’ teaching on the separation of the sheep and the goats. Sometimes this is referred to as a parable, but it is unlike the majority of Jesus’ parables for several reasons. First, it is not referred to as a parable (compare Matthew 13:3). Second, it is not framed as being about the “kingdom of heaven,” as are many of Jesus’ parables in Matthew (see 13:24). Third, it is not a made-up story used to illustrate Jesus’ teaching, but is about future events presented in a prophetic and symbolic manner.

Our lesson is from the third section of Matthew 25. The first section is the parable of the 10 virgins, a story about wedding attendants and their preparations (or lack thereof) for a delayed bridegroom. The second section, the parable of the talents, relates how servants have used resources entrusted to them during their master’s absence. The general point of both parables is to be ready, because you don’t know when the bridegroom/master will return (Matthew 25:13).

These lead to the final section, which begins with a picture of the return of the Messiah.

1. Gathering of Nations

(Matthew 25:31–33)

1. Judge Is Seated (v. 31)
2. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.

 

As Jesus speaks of the Son of man coming, we are to understand this as referring to himself. Matthew uses this designation for Jesus numerous times, always on the lips of Jesus (examples: Matthew 9:6; 16:13; 20:18). This title emphasizes the humanity of Jesus, but it is also a term for the Messiah drawn from Daniel 7:13.

As in Daniel, Jesus presents a dramatic vision of the future that emphasizes glory, the Lord’s angels, and a throne designated for the Son of man. This throne is not a decorative antique, as portrayed in pictures we see. Rather, it is a seat of judgment, the throne of a judge-king (see Psalm 9:7).

 

What Do You Think? What do you have yet to do in order to be ready for the return of Christ the King?   Digging Deeper If the King were to return today, how would He evaluate your faith?

1. Judged Are Separated (vv. 32, 33)

32, 33. And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

 

The audience for the judge is all nations, an inclusive, worldwide term that indicates much more than the nation of Israel (see Isaiah 66:18). This is judgment of all humanity.

This scene does not depict individual trials with evidence and attorneys. Rather, the mass of people is divided into two groups. Jesus likens this to a shepherd separating his mixed flock into two groups based on species. Sheep and goats might be herded together for grazing, but they are of different value to the shepherd. Both animals may be slaughtered for meat, but the other products of goats are milk and cheese, whereas sheep provide wool.

We should not be drawn into this analogy too far, however. These are not animals but people (all nations) and the Son of Man (the shepherd) is their judge.

1. Sheep on the Right

(Matthew 25:34–40)

1. Sheeps’ Blessing (vv. 34–36)
2. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

 

The sheep/goats analogy is dropped when the judge renders His verdicts. He is not just a judge, though, but the King. Kings in the ancient world are more than heads of state or military commanders. They are lawgivers and judges for their people, reigning and rendering judgments (example: 1 Kings 3:28). The dual roles are often attributed to the Lord, the ultimate king and judge (Psalm 96:10; Isaiah 33:22).

The first verdict is given to those on his right hand, the sheep of the analogy. They are invited to comeand claim the kingdom which has been prepared for them as an inheritance. This is an invitation to enter Heaven, for their kingdom has been ready since the foundation of the world, an allusion to the truth of Genesis 1:1.

Jesus’ words also help us know the identity of the judge. He is surely the “Son of man” (Matthew 25:31, above), Jesus himself in all His glory. He invites those judged favorably to enjoy the blessing of His Father, a proper pronouncement for this king who is the judge, who is the Son of God.

 

35, 36. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

 

The king gives the basis for this favorable verdict, and it is unlike anything we would hear in a law court today. He does not cite statutes or legal precedent, but speaks in personal terms. Those the king invites to share Heaven receive this judgment because of the way they have acted toward Him.

This judge lists six areas in which they have acted correctly: helping people with lack of food, lack of water, lack of housing, lack of clothes, lack of health care, and lack of visitation in prison. All of these are easy for us to understand except two: clothing nakedness and visiting prisoners.

First, the Bible sometimes uses naked in the sense of inadequate clothing to guard against weather conditions (see 2 Corinthians 11:27). In Jesus’ depiction, the act of kindness is not to cover a stark-naked person to prevent social embarrassment as much as it is to give warm clothes to a shivering unfortunate who has no protection from the weather.

Second, in the ancient world (and in many countries today), jailers supply prisoners with few, if any, provisions. Food, clothing, and medical care are more likely to come from family and friends who bring such things from outside.

All six kindnesses are acts of justice. In a basic sense, righteousness is doing the right thing, as well as not being guilty of doing the wrong thing. Justice, a similar concept in the Bible to righteousness, is wanting to see the right thing done for other people. The key to understanding this is to remember that true justice is seeing the right thing done for others from God’s perspective, which is not necessarily identical to our own perspective. When we do things to relieve human suffering, we are doing God’s work. We are doing justice. This is social justice, one person at a time.

 

What Do You Think? What are specific ways our church can address the six needs of people given in this story?   Digging Deeper What will be your part in correcting any identified deficiencies?

A Drink of Cold Water

In the 1970s I was a missionary in Liberia, an African nation plagued with a corrupt government. Police officers were both victims and perpetrators in this unjust system. They harassed motorists as a way of subsidizing their meager pay. In the reverse of the problem people of color sometimes face in the United States today, at times I found myself guilty of “driving while white.” Almost all light-skinned people in Liberia were high-paid foreign nationals working for American or European corporations that were there to extract Liberia’s wealth of natural resources. They were obvious targets for bribe-seeking policemen, and so were missionaries.

Here is a typical scenario: I would hear a police whistle, then look to see who wanted me to pull over. The officer would say, “It’s a very hot day; I need a drink of cold water.” Those were code words for “I’m looking for a bribe.”

When asked what I was doing in the country, I would identify myself as a missionary. At that point the talk of a bribe would usually cease. It was common knowledge that missionaries were bringing something of great value into the country, and doing so on a very low salary. In this case, our bringing the gospel and Christian schooling were the “drink of cold water”!

With the knowledge that we were in the country to bless the officer’s people, his sense of injustice turned into gratitude. As Jesus said, those who serve Him will be blessed!

—C. R. B.

1. Sheeps’ Surprise (vv. 37–39)
2. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

 

This blessed group, the righteous, who are offered the riches of Heaven, are incredulous. Something does not make sense to them. They don’t recall ever serving the king in this way. When did they relieve His hunger or thirst?

38, 39. When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

 

When did they provide housing for the king? When did they bring clothes to cover His nakedness? When was the king sick and needed a friend to nurse Him to health? When did they ever make a visit to the prison to provide for the needs of the imprisoned king? This last one is the most fantastic of all. Who ever heard of a king in a prison? Obviously, something else is behind the judging words of the king.

 

What Do You Think? What methodology should our church use in prioritizing its resources for local ministries of benevolence?   Digging Deeper Which needs are best met by cooperating with secular agencies and/or other churches? Why?

1. Sheeps’ Justification (v. 40)
2. And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

 

The King solves the mystery quickly by identifying the precise objects of the acts of righteousness for the blessed ones. They have been kind to the least of these my brethren, and the king considers such benevolence to be a service to Him personally. This judge, who might never need food, water, shelter, clothes, medical care, or prison visitation, has a heart of compassion for the unfortunate people who need such help.

We should not understand this to imply that the “sheep” have earned their blessing and salvation. Salvation cannot be earned. And even if it could, the acts have been done unwittingly, without intent to curry favor with the king. These kindnesses have been motivated by hearts of kindness, hearts in tune with the king’s own heart.

 

What Do You Think? Thinking of a time when you relieved, or attempted to relieve, the suffering of another, what did you learn from that experience for future application?   Digging Deeper In what ways do you anticipate that assisting others will help you grow in your faith?

III. Goats on the Left

(Matthew 25:41–45)

1. Goats’ Curse (vv. 41–43)
2. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

In Jesus’ world, to be positioned on the right hand of the king is the most favored position. To be on the left hand is less favored, and this is certainly true here. The judge now addresses the goats, who have been gathered there.

The king-judge’s verdict to the goat group starkly contrasts His message to the sheep group. They are not blessed, but cursed. They are not invited to enter the kingdom, but commanded to depart. Their destination is not an inheritance waiting for them from the foundation of the world, but everlasting fire. This is a place specially prepared for the devil and his angels (compare Revelation 12:9).

God, Our Judge

I led an early morning men’s Bible study for several years. One of the regular members of the group resisted any talk of God as the judge of the world. Whenever the text we were studying declared (or even hinted at) the idea that God would judge people, the man would try to reason his way around it.

For a long time I sought to understand his objections intellectually. I would answer the issues he raised as logically as I could, citing other biblical evidence that supported the concept of a loving yet judging heavenly Father.

Then, during one morning’s study, my friend broke into tears and opened his heart to the group. He told us about the family in which he had been raised. His father professed to be a Christian, but he was an angry, judgmental, violent, and abusive man. My friend and his siblings lived in constant fear of their father’s sometimes vicious retribution. An act of the slightest disobedience could result in extreme punishment, either physically or psychologically. The children grew to hate their father so much that when he died none of them attended his memorial service.

Perhaps you have friends whose family experience has twisted their view of God. How can you help them overcome a distorted view of our heavenly Father?

—C. R. B.

42, 43. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

 

The cursed group have failed in all six areas of compassion listed as part of the first verdict: hunger, thirst, housing, clothing, sickness, and visitation.

1. Goats’ Challenge (vv. 44)
2. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

 

The pronouncement just given seems mysterious, however, in that the goat group apparently has not heard anything said to those ones on the right a few minutes earlier. As did the righteous ones, those cursed question the king’s assessment. They cannot remember any situation in which they failed to assist the Lord, their judge. When does a king ever need food or water? When does a mighty judge lack in housing or clothing? When does a king fail to have medical care or become imprisoned?

1. Goats’ Condemnation (v. 45)
2. Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

 

The same standard is cited for the cursed as the king used for the blessed. They are guilty of failing to serve Him because of their lack of compassion for the least of these. There were plenty of opportunities to help those in need, lots of people who needed assistance. Denial of compassion for people in the community is equivalent to spurning the needs of the judge himself.

 

What Do You Think? What will others see in your life in terms of “sheep” characteristics as a result of today’s lesson? How will you make it happen?   Digging Deeper Considering 1 Thessalonians 5:4–11, what sorts of things need to be in your life to be considered a child “of the day”? Why?

1. Eternal Destinies

(Matthew 25:46)

46. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

 

Again, we should be cautioned to remember that Jesus is not teaching a system in which our works make us righteous or blessed. No one is unfailingly responsive to the needs of others. And no one is so hard-hearted as to never care about others. The point is that God, the ultimate judge, does notice what we do and don’t do. If we want to serve Him, we will serve others. This is justice enacted, righteousness at work. The time for so doing is not unlimited; either everlasting punishment or life eternal await all humanity.

Conclusion

1. Justice Delayed

“Justice delayed is justice denied” is a saying in the legal world. The saying advocates timely decisions by judges. This may be compared with Jesus’ parable in which a corrupt judge keeps putting off rendering a verdict to bring justice to a cheated widow (Luke 18:1–8). Jesus likens this parable to the final judgment in language similar to that of our lesson: “When the Son of Man shall come” (Matthew 25:31; also Luke 18:8), final justice will be administered.

By God’s plan, then, this final justice is delayed. Does that mean it is denied? Not at all! This is the message of Jesus in our lesson. We should not worry about our destiny at the final judgment; rather, we should attend to our attitudes in serving the Lord today. Do we truly have the heart of Jesus, the one who had great compassion for the sufferers He encountered (Matthew 15:32)? He healed diseases. He fed multitudes.

We enact God’s justice—His righteousness—on a small scale whenever we act compassionately to relieve suffering. This may take many forms. It can involve ministries of famine relief (food), drilling wells (water), building homes (housing), thrift stores (clothing), free medical clinics (health), and/or prison ministry (visitation). Some Christians may not have the capacity for physical participation, but they support such ministries financially.

Furthermore, we should understand this is not entirely an individual matter. Churches can take active roles in acts of compassion for the needy in their community and with international relief organizations.

As with the caution for individuals in these areas, churches should take care too. If social justice projects are designed to garner publicity or enhance community reputation, they will flounder. Doing justice must be motivated from a heart that loves justice (Micah 6:8). It must be motivated by the ethic of the Golden Rule: that we would treat others the ways we want to be treated.

If we were without food, wouldn’t we welcome a hot meal? If we were without housing, wouldn’t we welcome shelter? Benevolent acts are not self-serving, but gain the heart of the king. We don’t need to wait for His judgments; we can judge ourselves by our actions and inactions now.

1. Prayer

Heavenly Father, may we never turn our backs on the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the poorly clothed, the sick, or the imprisoned! May our hearts be like that of Your Son. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

1. Thought to Remember

Caring for others is serving Jesus.

 

KID’S CORNER

Separating the Righteous from the Cursed

December 30, 2018

Matthew 25:31-46

 

Matthew 25:31-46

(Matthew 25:31) “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.

Jesus Christ identified himself as the Son of Man. He said He would come again after His death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. When He comes again everyone (sheep and goats) will see Him in His glory as King of kings. He will come and visibly show himself as the Great King upon His throne, as He now truly is in glorious splendor forever. His angels will come with Him to do His will and carry out His promised plans.

(Matthew 25:32) “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;

Jesus Christ is now and will visibly show himself to be the Lord and King over all the nations of the earth. Many worldly leaders and people in all nations are goats, and Jesus will deal with these evil leaders and people when He comes again. He will set the evil goats to one side so they can never afflict or persecute His followers (the sheep) again. The sheep will inherit eternal life and joyous celebrations in heaven forever.

(Matthew 25:33) and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

The right hand of God is sometimes described as the authority and power of God. The loyal and loving followers of Jesus Christ will be placed at the right hand of God to exercise His authority and power as God directs. The evil leaders and people of this world will be replaced. The followers of Jesus will reign with Him. Notice: Jesus did not say that He would kill the goats. Sheep and goats will live forever, but in different places.

(Matthew 25:34) “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

The Father and Jesus prepared a kingdom for the followers of Jesus before they ever created this world. Jesus was, is, and will be the King of His kingdom. His followers will inherit eternal life in His eternal kingdom, because Jesus the King died and rose again for them. They are blessed by God’s many gifts. Jesus told His disciples that He was going to heaven to prepare a place for them: imagine what a place this will be for believers!

(Matthew 25:35) ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;

Those who love God and others as the Scriptures teach will live, love, and act in ways like Jesus and the Good Samaritan in Jesus’ parable. Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit indwell every one of His faithful followers and enable them to live as He directs. When His followers love and help one another, they are showing love and helping Him. Jesus’ followers will meet the needs of one another and others as Jesus leads them.

(Matthew 25:36) naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’

Food, drink, compassionate companionship, clothing, medicine offered with personal concern and tenderness, are all needed and will be needed by everyone. The New Testament and 2000 years of history show Christians being persecuted, imprisoned, and killed for following Jesus. The goats try to destroy the lives and testimony of God’s sheep; therefore, believers seek to help one another especially. When they do so, they are helping Christ, who indwells His followers.

(Matthew 25:37) “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?

The sheep, the righteous people, are righteous because of their faith in Jesus Christ, who leads them in their daily lives as their Lord and Savior. The supernatural loving power of the Holy Spirit within them leads them to do as Christ without any self-righteous concern or focus on themselves. They do not even remember all the good they are doing or have done, because their focus is on following Christ and not on their achievements or on their rewards from God for doing good deeds.

(Matthew 25:38) ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?

Some people see the list that Jesus gave as “duties,” as something they must be sure to do to earn eternal life, as a check list of duties to complete before they see Jesus. However, as much as it is true that Christians must do their duty and obey God, the list Jesus gives describes the attitude and perspective of one of His true followers. His followers will seek to love and serve others because of their new character as born-again believers and because of their love for their Savior.

(Matthew 25:39) ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’

Christians will suffer physical needs and even suffer from neglect, from sickness and persecution. Jesus as our Great King did not say that He would prevent our suffering in this world; rather, He promised to be with us in our suffering and time of need. One of the ways He is with us is by living His life within us. Another way He is with us is when our brothers and sisters in Christ draw near us to bless and help us, to offer us encouragement and support when truly needed. When we as Christians draw near to help others, Jesus himself is reaching out to them through us to meet their needs.

(Matthew 25:40) “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

Jesus answered, or will answer someday, that the righteous in Christ did many good deeds for those who are righteous in Christ. That does not mean that Christians only help one another, because Jesus commanded His followers to love their enemies (our enemies are also our neighbors). He did not tell His followers to restrict their service to true Christians only. However, true Christians will love and serve one another, and show special concern for their brothers and sisters in Christ.

(Matthew 25:41) “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

Sheep and goats are two different species of animals that act very differently. Sheep and goats are fitting descriptions of different types of people who naturally act according to their nature. We all like sheep have gone astray, but those who trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior are born again. Christians have a new nature, quite unlike the nature of goats. The goats are the accursed. As Jesus once said to some, your father is the devil. There are some (even some powerful leaders in business, church, and government), who act like the devil and oppose Christ and His people. They promote ungodliness and wickedness and specific sins that the Bible especially condemns. God prepared a place for the devil and his angels, and God will send their followers to join them in a place of eternal punishment. The goats do not die; they are only separated from the sheep forever. Jesus, who died on the cross to save them, will send them away because they refused the salvation and new life that He offered them after He rose from the dead and that He offers today to those who will accept Him and the good news about Him.

(Matthew 25:42) for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;

Jesus indwells His followers. Goats either ignore those who follow Jesus, disparage them, or do horrible things to them. When goats see one of Jesus’ followers in need, they refuse to help them. They especially refuse to help believers because they follow Jesus. The right way of living by the sheep brings feelings of self-condemnation and other feelings to the unrighteous, so they want to destroy or live as far away from the sheep as possible. Rather than destroy the goats, Jesus will give them what they chose: He will send them away as far as possible from the sheep.

(Matthew 25:43) I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’

Jesus listed the same opportunities to love and serve others that both the sheep and the goats had and have. The sheep, when presented with the opportunities, helped those in need. The goats, when presented with the same opportunities, did not help others. If they ever helped anyone, it was because they wanted to serve their own or the devil’s selfish purposes. They had no real care or love for others.

(Matthew 25:44) “Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’

The goats will ask Jesus the same question as the sheep, but the reason they did not serve others was because they were so selfish and self-centered they did not see or care about the needs of others. Their sins were sins of omission for lack of love for God and others. They had a supreme love only for themselves, and they only helped others if they perceived the possibility of some selfish benefit.

(Matthew 25:45) “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’

The goats, as children of the devil, will either afflict Christians or refuse to help Christians, especially Christians in need. Jesus expressed deep love and concern for “the least” of His followers, and His followers should do the same. The goats will, or will try to, take advantage of “the least,” and they will often look for “the least” so they can take unjust advantage of them.

(Matthew 25:46) “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

This is the second time in this lesson that Jesus mentioned eternal fire or eternal punishment. He was seriously making an important point. The goats did not find happiness living with the sheep; they hated it. God will not force them to live with the sheep or try to get along with them. God will send them far away from the sheep and himself. They will suffer there because they are going to a place that was originally prepared for the devil and the devil’s angels that rebelled against God. In this life, the goats experience many of God’s good gifts and good gifts from God’s people. They will be going to a place where they will experience no good at all. This should not surprise us, because our loving God did and will do the most loving thing for the goats—He will send them to their desired and deserved place forever, but make no mistake, it will be a place of punishment, but perhaps less of a place of punishment than the goats spending eternity with those they hate in heaven. The righteous, those who have come to love and serve God and others through faith in Jesus Christ, will spend a joyful eternity with the ones they love and the One who loves them.

 

Separating the Righteous from the Cursed

December 30, 2018

Matthew 25:31-46

 

“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?’” (Matthew 25:37). After Jesus began His public ministry in the world, He taught both those He judged to be, or who would become, “sheep” (the righteous) and those He judged to be, or who would become, “goats” (the cursed). Because Jesus knew that strong warnings can sometimes influence people to change their behavior, He warned the goats that upon His return in glory as the Son of Man and King that He would separate the sheep from the goats based on their habitual behavior. Looking first at the behavior of those Jesus judged to be sheep (the righteous), notice they did many good things; such as, feeding the hungry, giving drinks to the thirsty, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned. Jesus proclaimed that He would say to the righteous, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). Because they loved their neighbors, the righteous saw the needs of others and wisely tried to find ways to help them without even thinking about any rewards they might receive from God for their good deeds. They did not think of seeing Jesus in these needy people; they only saw themselves in a position to help those who could not help themselves. Because of their relationship with Jesus, their Good Shepherd and King, they thought and acted as Jesus thought and acted. The goats admitted that though needy people lived all around them, they never saw people who were hungry or thirsty or strangers or naked or sick or in prison (Matthew 25:44).

 

Thinking Further

Separating the Righteous from the Cursed

December 30, 2018

Matthew 25:31-46

Name _________________________

 

1. Jesus has told us some of His plans upon His return to earth as our glorious King. Who are those who will rejoice when he comes?

 

2. For what group did God prepare the place of eternal fire for eternal punishment?

 

3. Based upon the way they act and have acted, with which group will the goats be the happiest: the sheep or other goats? Which group forever?

 

4. What might you say to someone who says they do not believe in hell, and a loving God would never send anyone to hell?

 

5. When Christians help other Christians in need, how are they helping Jesus? How is Jesus helping those in need?

 

Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further

1. Jesus has told us some of His plans upon His return to earth as our glorious King. Who are those who will rejoice when he comes? The sheep, the righteous, those who love Jesus as their Lord and Savior and show it by the way they treat others.
2. For what group did God prepare the place of eternal fire for eternal punishment? The devil and his angels.
3. Based upon the way they act and have acted, with which group will the goats be the happiest: the sheep or other goats? Which group forever? The goats. The goats.
4. What might you say to someone who says they do not believe in hell, and a loving God would never send anyone to hell? That Jesus and the Bible teach there is a hell and God will send people there who have rejected God and the Way of Salvation. Those who go to hell have rejected heaven and the way people want to live and will live in heaven. That a loving God knows the unrighteous would be miserable in heaven and they would make others miserable too. A loving God will send them where they will be the happiest, far away from God and those who love God for God and those who love God have and would make them miserable in heaven by their love and righteousness, but they will suffer from being far away from God and those who love God. They will be with people like themselves and make each other miserable.
5. When Christians help other Christians in need, how are they helping Jesus? How is Jesus helping those in need? Jesus indwells Christians. When a Christian helps someone, Jesus is helping them. When a Christian receives help from another Christian, Jesus is helping them.

 

 

Word Search

Separating the Righteous from the Cursed

December 30, 2018

Matthew 25:31-46

Name ______________________________

 

E I L G D E M O C L E W Q Z O

N Y E T A I G Z Q P B F S F P

O X C N X Y O W E Z L U O V Q

R R K E O A G E K C O X M U Z

H I F M L T H X S I T P E F K

T G R H B S R B R G S N Z N M

O H E S T Q X O X F A T H E R

N T G I H W L E T A R A P E S

R E N N F G N C V P V W X K V

G O A U I O Y U O H O R A D G

O U R P S K D R J F T Q J V E

A S T A Q W O S H E P H E R D

T I S I H Y B E I C O W S M U

S Z D U S V X D A F U T U W Z

J C P E O P L E O H M Y S Q S

 

Glorious

Throne

Separate

People

Shepherd

Sheep

Goats

King

Father

Son

Stranger

Welcomed

Righteous

Cursed

Punishment

 

 

 

True and False Test

Separating the Righteous from the Cursed

December 30, 2018

Matthew 25:31-46

Name ________________________________

 

Circle the true or false answers. Correct the false statements by restating them.

 

1. What we do matters to the Father and the Son of Man. True or False

 

2. Jesus the King sits on a glorious throne, and He will come someday to bless the righteous. True or False

 

3. Jesus will gather people from some of the nations of the earth, but not others. True or False

 

4. Jesus will do what a shepherd does, and He will separate the sheep from the goats. True or False

 

5. The righteous are the blessed who welcomed strangers True or False

 

6. The cursed did not help Jesus and His followers. True or False

 

7. Today, everyone in every nation helps Jesus’ followers. True or False

 

8. Only the devil and his angels will suffer eternal punishment. True or False

 

9. From the foundation of the world, a kingdom has been prepared for the righteous. True or False

 

10. The very least of Jesus’ followers are important to Him. True or False

 

 

True and False Test Answers

Matthew 25:31-46

 

1. True
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. True
6. True
7. False
8. False
9. True

      10.True

 

 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, may we never turn our backs on the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the poorly clothed, the sick, or the imprisoned! May our hearts be like that of Your Son. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.