The Second Coming of Christ
Part 8: How Will Jesus Judge My Life?
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 25:31-46
Sermon by Rick Crandall
(Prepared March 17, 2023)
BACKGROUND:
*Today we will finish our study on the second coming of Christ. This study has taken us from the Old Testament to the New. We have gone from prophecies written hundreds of years before Jesus was born to prophecies written almost 100 years after the Lord was born. We have covered a lot, but there is so much more to learn. Mark 13 and Luke 19 also give us reports on these discussions. We could also spend many more weeks studying other prophecies in both the Old and New Testaments.
*But today, let's get started by going back to Matthew 24 to see what prompted the Lord's discussion of His return. Jesus had just finished strongly condemning the Jewish religious leaders for stubbornly rejecting Him as the Messiah, for their corruption, arrogance, lack of mercy, hypocrisy and more.
*Matthew 24:1-3 tells us what happened next:
1. Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple.
2. And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.''
3. Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?''
*The disciples wanted answers, and that's what we have been looking for too. In today's Scripture, the Holy Spirit led Matthew to end his report on the second coming of Christ. Here the Apostle tells us about Christ's judgment of the nations, given in the Lord's parable of the sheep and the goats. With this background in mind, let's begin by reading Matthew 25:31-46.
MESSAGE:
*How will the Lord Jesus Christ judge our lives? We all need to know because the Lord's judgment is the only one that really matters. Our time in this world is very short, and we all need to be ready for God's judgment.
*How will Jesus judge our lives? Some scholars say that we can't tell much from this prophecy. That's because they are strict dispensationalists who believe this judgment is only for the gentiles who will be alive at the end of the Great Tribulation.
*By that time, the works of all Christians will probably have already been judged. Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:10 both tell Christians that our works will be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ. This judgment will take place after the rapture. And yes, Christians, we are saved forever by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus took all the punishment for our sins when He died on the cross for us. Thank God for the cross! But at the same time, we need to know that our works will be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
*As Paul told the church in 2 Corinthians 5:10: "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
*Again, the Judgment Seat of Christ for Christians will take place after the rapture. And the Great White Throne Judgment of the lost in Revelation 20 will not take place until the end of the Lord's thousand-year reign here on earth. That's why some scholars teach that this judgment of the nations only applies to the gentiles who will be alive when the Lord returns to reign for that thousand years.
*However, another view of this Scripture is that the Lord is talking in general about the judgment of all men. On top of that, 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness," so we can greatly profit from the Lord's teaching here in Matthew 25. (1)
*How then will Jesus judge our lives? Today we will look at four of the Lord's simple standards. They are simple, but incredibly significant, simple, but extremely crucial for all eternity.
1. AND THE FIRST STANDARD IS: BE A SHEEP.
*We must be one of the Lord's sheep. Jesus made this truth clear in vs. 31-33 where He said:
31. "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
32. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.
33. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
*When it comes to God's judgment, we surely don't want to be goats! No, we want to be the Lord's sheep! But what does this mean for our lives?
[1] FOR ONE THING, IT MEANS BEING REBORN.
*Of course, animal sheep have to be born, but spiritual sheep have to be born again. The only way for people to have eternal life is for them to be born again. The Lord explained this truth to Nicodemus in John 3:3-6, where:
3. Jesus said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.''
4. Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?''
5. Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
*You must be born again. Church: The reason why is because physical birth can only give us physical life. But "that which is born of the Holy Spirit is spirit." The Holy Spirit of God produces a new kind of man by a new kind of birth. It is the spiritual birth which gives us God's eternal life.
*When we are born again, we get a brand-new nature, a new spiritual heart. The spiritual reality is that we become one of the Lord's sheep. And there will be a family resemblance. As spiritual sheep, we can, and we should begin to look more like Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world.
[2] BEING THE LORD'S SHEEP MEANS BEING REBORN. IT ALSO MEANS HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD.
*And that's what Jesus Christ wants for everyone today. In John 10 we can see the relationship between the Good Shepherd and His sheep. And there in vs. 11-16, Jesus said:
11. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
12. But he who is a hireling and not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
13. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.
14. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
15. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
16. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd."
[3] BEING ONE OF THE LORD'S SHEEP MEANS HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD. IT ALSO MEANS RESPONDING TO THE LORD.
*How do Jesus' sheep respond to Him? -- By hearing His voice and following Him. Jesus made this truth clear in John 10:1-5, where He said:
1. "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
5. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.''
*Again, we see the relationship between the sheep and their Shepherd: The sheep know their Shepherd Jesus Christ. And the Lord's sheep respond to Him by following Him, "for they know his voice."
*We see more of this kind of response in John 10:23-28. There God's Word says:
23. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch.
24. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.''
25. Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.
26. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.
27. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
28. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand."
*Jesus said: "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." John Beehler told about a man in Australia who was arrested and charged with stealing a sheep. But the accused man stubbornly insisted the sheep was one of his own that had been missing for many days.
*Now this was back when sheep stealing was a major crime in Australia. And it may sound crazy to us today, but we're talking about the death penalty here. When the case went to court, the judge didn't know how to decide. So, finally he asked for the sheep to be brought into the courtroom.
*Then the judge ordered the prosecution witness to step outside and call the animal. The sheep made no response except to raise its head and look frightened. Then the judge instructed the man on trial to go out to the courtyard and call the sheep. When he began to call, that sheep ran toward the door. It was obvious that the sheep recognized the familiar voice of his master. And the judge declared, "His sheep knows him. Case dismissed!" (2)
*It was just like Jesus said in John 10:27, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." How will Jesus judge our lives? He will look to see if we are one of His sheep.
2. SO WE MUST BE SHEEP. AND WE MUST SHARE.
*The Lord's simple, but crucial standard is for us to share. We see this truth here in vs. 34-36 where Jesus said:
34. "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35. for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36. I was naked and you clothed Me. . .'"
*The sheep in this prophecy shared. They shared their food, their drink, and their clothes. They shared the basics of life the best way they possibly could. And Jesus wants us to share. God wants us to be givers, because He is a giver. Our giving brings glory to the name of Jesus Christ, but it also brings God's blessings into our lives. As Jesus said in Luke 6:38, "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
*Jesus put it that way because the Jews wore loose fitting robes that were tied at the waist. You could pull the robe up over the belt, and form a big cloth bowl to put things in. But there is a great promise for us here: "Give and it will be given to you."
*One way or another, God will bless us back. Praise the Lord! God's Word guarantees this: God will find a way to bless us when we give. And most of all, He will bless us when He judges our works. How will Jesus judge our lives? -- He will look to see if we have shared.
3. SO BE SURE TO SHARE. BUT WE ALSO MUST SHOW-UP.
*The sheep in this prophetic parable showed up. We see this fact, especially at the end of vs. 36 where Jesus said, "I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me."
*We often miss the importance of showing up. For example, think about showing up at church. When we show up, we will get blessings from the Lord. But that's not all. God will be blessed by our heartfelt worship! On top of that, our presence alone tends to encourage other people. And there are many other ways we can bless other people, if we are willing to show up.
*We all need to show up every time, everywhere, every way we possibly can. Show up for Sunday School and church. Show up to visit someone who needs your concern. Go to their homes; go to the hospital when they are sick. Jesus tells us we should even visit people in prison.
*God wants us to show up for people. And the reason why is because He shows up! The Lord will always show up in our lives. In Hebrews 13:5, Jesus Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you.''
*The original word there for "leave" has the ideas of loosening your grip on someone, deserting them, giving up on them, letting them sink, sending them back. The word "forsake" has the ideas of leaving someone behind, totally abandoning them, deserting them, leaving them helpless. And Jesus will never do that to us! Our God is a God who shows up for people, for "(Jesus) Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'''
*This great truth shows up in the story of Christmas. Matthew tells the story from Joseph's point of view. And in Matthew 1:18-23 God's Word says:
18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
19. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
20. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.''
22. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,'' which is translated, "God with us.''
*Jesus is Immanuel! -- And He always will be "God with us." We can always trust God to show up for us! In John 14:15-18, Jesus said: "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper (or Comforter), that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you (comfortless) orphans; I will come to you."
*Our God is not a cold, dead, distant God. He's alive! He loves us! And because of what Jesus did on the cross for us, His Holy Spirit is here with us today. God shows up to give us more help, hope and joy. And that's what He wants us to do for other people. How will Jesus judge our lives? -- He will look to see if we showed up.
4. SO WE MUST BE SURE TO SHOW UP. BUT ALSO SEEK TO HAVE A HUMBLE HEART.
*In vs. 37-46, the Lord shows us how important humility is to God:
37. "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
38. When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
39. Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'
40. And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'
41. Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
42. for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;
43. I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'
44. Then they also will answer Him, 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?'
45. Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'
46. And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.''
*Notice here that both groups were surprised. The sheep were surprised because of their humble hearts. But the lost were surprised because of their hard hearts.
*Is my heart humble or hard? That's the question we have to ask ourselves today. And that question matters greatly in the judgment. May God help us all to have humble hearts!
CONCLUSION:
*How will Jesus judge my life? The answer to that question is simple, but crucial for all eternity. Be a sheep. Put your trust in our crucified and risen, Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Then share what you can, show up, and seek to have a humble heart. If you have never received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, call on the Lord to save you today. And ask the Lord to help us do all of these things, as we go back to God in prayer.
(1) Original source, no longer available: "Strict Dispensationalist View of the Judgment of the Nations - Matt 25:31-46" - http://www.ebible.com/commentary/KJBC/Matthew+24:20#Matthew%2025:31-46
(2)Sources:
-SermonCentral sermon "Be A Smart Sheep" by John Beehler - John 10 1-10)
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_Australia
