Come Meet Jesus

Prelude

Have we ever wanted Jesus to show Himself? Would we like to meet Jesus? Have we been walking right past Jesus without recognizing Him?

Purpose: Let’s find Jesus in the needy.

Plan: Let’s look at the Judgment of the Nations in Matthew 25:31-46, the Parable of the Sheep and Goats.

Story: Disaster Response

A fellow pastor was involved in church relief after a national disaster. He noticed large crews repairing church buildings. Then they packed up and left. The pastor’s team stayed on to repair people’s lives not just buildings. Repairing church buildings while people outside are hungry, thirsty, in need of clothing, in need of hospitality, sick, and in need of a caring visit is a woeful example. Can we even call that Christianity! Is it time for the Christian Church to repent? Does Matthew 25 tell us that Jesus identifies more with the needy than our holy places? Is the street then also a holy place, where Christians truly live the Gospel?

Matthew 25:32 Sheep and Goats

In Matthew 25:32 Jesus describes the judgment of the nations “as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.” Sheep farming is intensive work, but sheep are easier to work with because they are gentle and quiet. Goats are more independent and not as intensive work. But, they are not as easily herded as sheep, and they stink. Goats will domineer and often butt sheep out of the way to reach food. However, they are not harmful predators like wolves, so they may flock together to be separated later. Is that exactly what Jesus will do at the judgment? Can selfish and stinking people stay in the church for now?

Matthew 25:37 Living Faith

What kind of faith saves, a dead or a living faith? James 2 teaches that a living faith is accompanied by works, not works of the law, but good deeds. Dead faith is just a show, not accompanied by good works. How can anyone claim to have faith that saves without showing love to neighbor! In Matthew 25:37 the righteous asked Jesus, “Lord, when did we see You…?” Those “righteous” didn’t even know they had fed and clothed Jesus. Could it be that their motive was love for God and their neighbor and not earning salvation by works? Could it be that such good works are evidence of living faith?

Does the Parable of the Last Judgment (Matthew 25) teach salvation by works? By the washing of regeneration, we were born from above. The Holy Spirit transforms our lives by giving us participation in God’s loving nature. As Christians we are sanctified by faith (Acts 26:18) and by the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:16, 2 Thessalonians 2:13). Good works are evidence of a sanctified life (1 Thessalonians 4:1-7) and faith without works is dead (James 2:26). Saving faith is alive with the bright light of good works (Matthew 5:16) including helping the needy. Works don’t save us. They are visible evidence of a living faith.

Matthew 25:35-36 Seeing Jesus

In Matthew 25:35-36 Jesus identifies with the suffering, saying, “I was… hungry… thirsty… a stranger… naked… sick… and… in prison…” Do we see Jesus in the poor and needy of the world? Do we avoid them? Do we see the suffering of Jesus in the hungry and thirsty? Do we see the prophesied Messiah rejected as a stranger by His own people? Do we see Jesus’ nakedness on the cross in those with little clothing? Do we see the One who took all our diseases in the sick? In the suffering, anxiety, pain, rejection, loneliness and depression of a prisoner do we see Jesus? Jesus suffers with all who suffer.

Matthew 25:42-43 Finding Jesus

Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is with us always (Matthew 28:20, John 14:30, 2 Corinthians 13:5, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 3:17) and we sit with him, spiritually speaking, in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:5-6). He is in our worship, prayers, fasting, tithes and offerings. Matthew 25 describes other places to find Jesus. During His earthly ministry, he was often found among the least, the lost and the last. Jesus came to the poor and needy. He was born in impoverished circumstances, lived an itinerant life without fixed abode and served the sick and poor. In Matthew 25:42-43 Jesus identifies with them saying, “I was” the needy.

Matthew 25:40 The Throne of His Glory

In Matthew 25:40 Jesus says, “inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” Jesus calls people in all nations His brothers and sisters. The judgment seat here called the throne of His glory (Matthew 25) is elsewhere called the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15). It is judgment of all the nations, not just the Church. The judgment is: how nations handled human suffering. Do we see suffering people as brothers and sisters like Jesus does? Do we have hearts of charity? Jesus Christ is Savior of the world. Do we also save the suffering as we are able?