Matthew Separation Sheep and Goats

 

Matthew

Separation Sheep and Goats

Matthew 25:40

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Jesus is loving and compassionate

He is looking for people with the same love and compassion for others

Heaven would not be heaven without love and compassion

We must live out love and compassion on earth

If we want to be on the right side of Jesus and enter into heaven

Many will pray for salvation

But how many will pray, “God change me to be your love and compassion”

Jesus ends in verse 46 saying to the goats on the left of the King

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

We must get it right (righteousness) in compassionate ways on earth

To enter eternal life

Be careful in how you say Jesus is my righteousness

Because Jesus is looking for those who do acts of righteousness 

 

Separation Sheep and Goats

 

In Matthew 25, Jesus takes the disciples

 beyond their questions concerning

“when” and “what” will be the signs of the end times…

 

 They asked about in chapter 24 verse 3.

 

In Matthew 25, Jesus gives three examples of separation.

 

Separation of the ten virgins…

 

The five foolish and the five wise.

 

Separation of the servants…

 

 Faithful and unfaithful.

 

And lastly…

 

 Separation of the sheep from the goats

 

The timing of this story is the same as the other two…

 

 At His return.

 

In The Sheep and the Goats Story…

 

The Son of Man comes in His glory,

 and all the angels with Him,

He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory.

verse 31

All the nations will be gathered before Him.

 

Jesus from His heavenly throne

will separate the people.

 

Some will be on His right side

and the others on His left side.

 

It seems very basic…

 

 The standard Jesus uses to separate the people.

 

Jesus is looking for those who care for others

to be on His right and those who don’t on His left.

 

Jesus takes the care for others

very personal as He says “I was…”

 

Here is the list of things Jesus is looking for…

 

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, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

 

Neither the one on the right or left

saw caring for others as something done

for God because they both asked…

 

When did we see you in need of these things?

 

Verse 40 and 45 is Jesus’s reply…

 

40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth,

whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine,

you did for me.'

45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth,

whatever you did not do for one of the least of these,

you did not do for me.'

 

Jesus is loving and compassionate

 

He is looking for people with

the same love and compassion for others.

 

Heaven would not be heaven

without love and compassion.

 

We must live out love and compassion on earth…

 

 If we want to be on the right side

of Jesus and enter into heaven.

 

Many will pray for salvation but…

 

 How many will pray,

 “God change me to be your love and compassion”.

 

Just like the other two stories,

the separation is eternal.

 

Jesus ends in verse 46 saying

 to the goats on the left of the King…

 

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment,

but the righteous to eternal life."

 

We must get it right (righteousness)

in compassionate ways on earth

to enter eternal life.

 

Be careful in how you say

Jesus is my righteousness…

 

Because Jesus is looking for those

who do acts of righteousness.

 

All three stories don’t mention those

separated to eternal punishment as evil.

 

The foolish virgins,

the unfaithful servants

 and the goats

look a lot like those Jesus says

will enter into heaven.

 

Those who enter into heaven are…

 

Wise and prepared

 

Good and faithful servants

 

Loving and compassionate to others.

 

 

 

Scripture Reading

 

Matthew 25:31-46 NIV

 

31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

 

34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 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, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

 

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? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

 

40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

 

41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

 

44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 

 

45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

 

46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."