INTRODUCTION
Do you agree that in God’s master plan, there is no such thing as “coincidence”? A few weeks ago, your pastor asked if I would be willing to preach today. Not only did I tell him “Yes!” on the spot, but I also told him that I knew exactly what I wanted to preach. You see, God had already revealed this sermon to me the previous week while my son and I were backpacking in the north Georgia mountains.
There is no such thing as “coincidence”. Today’s message was foreordained. Your presence here this morning is also not coincidental. God has aligned every detail this morning to accomplish His purpose.
Join me as we go to the Lord in prayer… [OPENING PRAYER]
When my son and I arrived at the trailhead for our backpacking trip, we needed to check in and register for a backcountry permit. However, I wasn’t expecting all the questions the park ranger had for me. She asked things like...
“Are you prepared for rain?”
“Are you prepared for sudden, cold weather?”
“Are you bringing a first aid kit with you?”
“Do you have something to make fire?”
“Do you have a way to purify water?”
“Are you carrying some means of shelter?”
“Do you have sufficient food and provisions?”
At first, I thought she was just kidding around, but she kept asking questions and was watching me intently as I responded. I quickly realized after the first couple of questions that she was dead serious. When she was satisfied with all my responses, she wrote the words “ALL PREPARED” on our permit. She was satisfied that we were sufficiently prepared to face the challenges of this particular hike.
Those questions and the words “ALL PREPARED” on our permit stuck in my mind during our hike that weekend. I realized that the park rangers would not give us a backcountry permit and would not allow us on the trail if we weren’t prepared. Then in my mind, these facts started taking on a spiritual context. I realized that the same is true of our spiritual condition. When our time comes to die and stand before God, we must be prepared. If we’re not prepared, we won’t be allowed to go into Heaven. Our Heavenly “permit” will not be granted, in a manner of speaking.
The title of today’s sermon is “All Prepared”...the phrase written on our backcountry permit. Please turn in your Bibles and let's read Matthew 25:1-13…
1 Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,
4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’
7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
9 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.’
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’
12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
To give you a little context, this parable is a small but important part of a larger sermon known as the “Olivet Discourse”, which starts at the beginning of Matthew 24 and concludes at the end of chapter 25. Jesus and His disciples are having a private discussion while sitting on the Mount of Olives... hence the name “Olivet Discourse”. The timing is after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem during the week leading up to Passover. Jesus will soon share the Passover meal with His disciples (also known as the “Last Supper”) and then be arrested, tortured, and crucified.
During this discourse or sermon, Jesus describes to His disciples the various signs leading up to His return, the great tribulation, the manner of His second coming, and the gathering together of His elect, the Church (a.k.a. the “Rapture”).
The primary message of the Olivet Discourse is that no one knows the day or hour of Christ’s return, and so we should therefore watch and be ready. To expound upon that message, Jesus uses the parable of the ten virgins to draw our attention to our own spiritual condition, and make us consider whether or not WE are truly prepared. So, with that context in place, let’s dig in...
I. PICTURE OF THE CHURCH
First, Jesus gives us a picture of the church in verses 1 thru 5. In these verses, we see 10 virgins (five are wise and five are foolish), each with lamps waiting for the bridegroom. These five verses lay an important foundation as context for the rest of the parable, so we’re going to spend a little bit of time here.
BRIDEGROOM:
Let’s look first at the bridegroom. The bridegroom is symbolic of Jesus Christ. He is represented as such in several parts of the Bible, including Psalm 45, Song of Solomon, and frequently in the New Testament. The Bible speaks of Jesus’ singular, unwavering, and unconditional love for his bride, the Church. Jesus is speaking of Himself as the bridegroom in this parable.
VIRGINS:
The ten virgins are representative of everyone in this room. Let’s first look at what all ten virgins have in common to better understand who we’re talking about:
1. All 10 are virgins,
-- Speaks of their chastity and character
-- They’re all good, decent, moral people
2. All 10 are waiting for the appearance of the bridegroom (Jesus) and all have lamps
-- Indicates a knowledge of God and His Word
-- Indicates their sincerity and desire
3. All 10 fall asleep while the bridegroom is delayed
-- The symbolism here is somewhat disputed among Bible scholars, but I want to take a stab at this one. Some scholars believe this refers to the apathy of the Church as the end times approach. Some even try and draw a distinction between slumbering and sleeping. In my personal opinion, I'm inclined to agree with Bible scholars who believe this is simply a euphemism for death. The Bible often makes reference to death as being “asleep”. So far the death rate for humans is holding at 100%, minus the 2 special cases of Elijah and Enoch in the Old Testament. Likewise, 100% of the virgins fell asleep. We’ll also see later in verse 6 about the “midnight cry” and how that ties to other scripture where the dead in Christ shall rise.
Let’s talk about the concept of “watching and waiting” for a minute as we consider the 10 virgins.
Reading from Matthew 24:42, Jesus says...
42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
We also see this echoed in Matthew 25:13 at the end of the parable of the ten virgins...
13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
As the author of one commentary puts it, “There’s a difference between watching like a guard at his post alert for danger and watching with expectation like a family awaiting the arrival of their beloved soldier returning from war.” One has the connotation of fear and danger; whereas, the other is filled with joyful expectation.
As way of illustration, let me use a personal example. I was away on a week-long business trip in South Carolina. I had originally planned to come home on Friday afternoon, but when my meetings ended earlier than expected on Thursday afternoon, I decided to drive back so I could be home Thursday evening instead of spending another night away from home. I also decided to make it a surprise. I didn’t let my wife or the children know I was on my way home whenever they would call or text me. I pulled back into town Thursday night, and called my daughter who told me they were out getting an ice cream after the boys’ soccer game. I pulled into the parking lot as they were starting to leave with their ice cream, and they saw it was me. Cars were quickly parked and everyone jumped out with squeals of surprise and joy. Daddy’s home!!!
Now, I’m no Jesus by any stretch of the imagination, but that’s the kind of joyful expectation that comes to my mind when Jesus calls us to watch for His return. Keep in mind that this is also the kind of watchfulness that Jesus depicts in the parable of the ten virgins... Watching with joyful expectation.
From all outward appearances, the ten virgins seem to be alike. But we know from these verses that there is one thing that distinguishes the 5 wise virgins from the 5 foolish ones... vessels of oil.
VESSELS OF OIL:
Can good works or being a good person save you?
Galatians 2:16 says...
“knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”
Can knowledge of the Bible and belief that there is a God save you?
James 2:19 says...
“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!”
Can sincerity save you?
Matthew 7:22-23 says...
“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?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
None of these things can save us from judgment and damnation. Yet, we see a picture of 5 foolish virgins who sincerely believe they will be part of the wedding party even though their vessels were empty... They may have had the lamps, but they didn't have any oil to put into those lamps.
So, what does the vessel of oil signify? The vessel is symbolic of the heart, and the oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. This is what separates the genuine believers (the 5 wise virgins) from the pretenders or counterfeits (the 5 foolish virgins)...having possession of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s look at a few other verses that make this same distinction...
Ephesians 1:13-14...
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Romans 8:9...
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
Romans 8:16-17...
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.
This is the picture of the church. The true Church, the bride of Christ, is made up of genuine believers who have been sealed with the Holy Spirit. With the 5 foolish virgins, Jesus is depicting all the well-meaning, good people who sincerely think they are saved, but who are sincerely wrong.
Jesus had the following warning for the scribes and pharisees earlier in Matthew 23:27-28...
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
The 5 foolish virgins may appear to be religious and righteous, but they are devoid of the Holy Spirit... Instead of living lives that have been truly transformed by the power of Christ, their lives are more like performance art.
This may sound harsh, but it's important to hear the truth... It's important for each of us to assess the genuineness of our faith... Our eternal destiny hangs in the balance! And Jesus is coming at any moment... Which takes us to our second point this morning... The Proclamation of the Christ!
II. PROCLAMATION OF THE CHRIST
Let’s read Matthew 25:6...
6 And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’
We see now the Proclamation of the Christ! The time has finally arrived! The wait is over! This isn’t the cry like the “waaaah” of a baby or someone sobbing... this is a SHOUT!... an exclamation! JESUS IS BACK!
Let’s also read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, to tie in with our sleeping virgins and the joyful, loud announcement of the return of the Christ...
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
The moment we’ve been waiting for with joyful expectation! The Proclamation of the Christ! Yet, this doesn’t fill all ten virgins with excitement, does it? Five of them are now in a fearful panic.
III. PANIC OF THE COUNTERFEITS
This is the Panic of the Counterfeits! The five virgins who are prepared, and in possession of vessels of oil (they have the Holy Spirit in their hearts) are ready to finally meet the bridegroom. The five counterfeits or pretenders are in a panic. They realize too late that they’re in need of oil for their lamps.
Look at verses 8 and 9...
8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
9 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.’
I like how the author of one commentary explains it, “The Holy Spirit is a gift uniquely given to believers at the moment of their salvation. You can’t get it for others, nor can they give any of theirs to you. Each of us has to receive it by ourselves and for ourselves.”
Revelation 3:18 reads...
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
You can’t ride someone else’s coattails into Heaven. Only a personal, individual relationship between you and Jesus Christ will do it.
IV. PROCESSION OF THE CHOSEN
While the five foolish virgins are in a panicked scramble to find oil, let’s look at the Procession of the Chosen in verse 10...
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
In this verse, we have two more symbolic elements to consider... the wedding and the door.
The wedding should be fairly self-explanatory... This is the wedding of the bridegroom (Jesus Christ), and His Bride (the Church) which is prophetically described in Hosea 2:16,19-20 and in Revelation 19:7-9.
The door that was shut is symbolic of the “door” or entrance into Heaven...
Revelation 22:14...
14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
Keep in mind also that there is only one entrance/gate/door into Heaven, and that’s through Jesus Christ...
John 14:6...
6 I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 10:7...
7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
In essence, Jesus is not just the bridegroom, He’s also the door. His offer of forgiveness and salvation is available to everyone UNTIL the door is shut. It doesn't matter if you believe in pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib rapture of the Church, when the Door is shut, the time for preparation will end, and it will be too late. (sermon note: see also Hebrews 3:7-19)
While the Door remains open, let's prepare our vessels with oil so we can join the Procession of Chosen when it's time to join the Bridegroom!
V. PROTEST OF THE CASTOFFS
Otherwise, we'll join in with the Protest of the Castoffs. The five foolish virgins realized too late that the time of preparation was over, and that they are now shut out and cast off forever.
Let's look at Matthew 25:11-12...
11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’
12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Jesus warns us of this reality in Luke 13:24-27...
24 Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’
26 then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’
27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’
The five foolish virgins are cast off. No matter how loudly and sincerely they protest, beg, and plead, it’s too late. The time of preparation is gone. The door is now shut.
CONCLUSION
The main principle of the parable of the ten virgins is preparation.
Are you prepared to meet Jesus?
The wise virgins are those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who are sealed by the Holy Spirit dwelling within their hearts. Jesus warns that we won’t know the day nor the hour of His return, and that it will be at a time when we do not expect.
Similarly, our own deaths (which are equally inevitable), could happen at any time without warning. No matter how healthy I’m feeling right now, I may not live to see the sun set tonight.
Just like the foolish rich man in Luke 12, we don’t know when God will say, “This night your soul will be required of you” (Luke 12:20).
Hebrews 9:27 says, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment”.
Everyone listening to this sermon is without excuse. God has given us clear warning of what is to come. He has given us His Word to show us our sinful condition, and the need for a Savior. He has made it clear that the one and only way to spend eternity with Him is through His Son, Jesus Christ. Being a good person isn't good enough... Being religious and being a member of a church isn't sufficient... Only through placing our faith in Jesus Christ, surrendering our lives to Him, will we be reconciled with God.
But here’s the good news... The door is still open this morning! It’s not too late! Are you prepared to meet Jesus like the five wise virgins? Do you have “ALL PREPARED” written on your Heavenly “permit”?
Let’s pray… [PRAY]
