The Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25.31-46)

Introduction

 

Today, we come to the end not just of Matthew 25, but to the end of our epic series in Matthew’s Gospel. You may remember we already covered chapters 26-28 in the run up to Easter last year, so this is the very last sermon in this series…a series that began on 2 July 2023. This is the 74th sermon, and by midday 14 different preachers will have covered every verse of all 28 chapters. I hope you’ve been blessed and encouraged and challenged over the last 20 months or so.

 

Starting next Sunday, in the run up to Easter, we’re going to be looking at seven prophetic pictures, foreshadowings if you like, of Christ’s sufferings in the Old Testament and we’re very much looking forward to that, but first, let’s turn to Matthew’s Gospel and finish the job. If you have a Bible, please turn to Matthew 25.31-46. If you don’t, the words will appear on the screen shortly.

 

The great Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon used to say, when training young preachers, that they should always match the content of their sermons with an appropriate facial expression. “When you speak of heaven,” he would say, “your face should be radiant, lit up with a celestial glow, and your eyes should shine, reflecting the sublime glory of the Lord. But when you speak of hell, well… then your usual face will do!” Today, I’m going to speak about both heaven and hell, and you’ll have to be the judge as to which reality my face fits best. 

 

As we’ve seen over the past four Sundays, this passage is part of a major section of predictions and warnings and parables about the end times, the return of the Lord, the final judgment, and our eternal destiny. Here’s what Jesus says to conclude his teaching about the last things:

 

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 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. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

 

Setting the Scene

So far, so good. Jesus will return in glory, as we saw in chapter 24. All the peoples of the earth, every nation, tribe and tongue, will have to stand before him, and Jesus will divide the entire human population into two groups. 

 

We’ve seen this already throughout Matthew’s Gospel. The wheat and the weeds where the wheat is stored in barns and the weeds are separated and burned. The net full of fish where the good fish are placed in baskets and the bad ones are thrown away. The ten virgins where those with oil are admitted to the wedding and those without are shut out. 

 

The talents, we saw last week, where those who make a return on their investment are rewarded and those who do nothing are cast out. Here again, there is a binary separation. There are no shades of grey. It’s black and white. Here, you’re either with the sheep or you’re with the goats.

 

Even today, Middle Eastern shepherds divide their sheep and goats at the end of every day. These two species have to be separated because goats, being weaker and frailer than sheep, need to send the night in a warmer, more sheltered environment. But Jesus goes on to say that he will separate the peoples, not at the end of the day, but at the end of time. And his triage will not be based on their hardiness or frailty, but on what they have done - or not done. Let’s read the rest of the chapter.

 

Rewards and Retributions

 

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. 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.’

 

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

 

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. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 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.’

 

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?’ He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

 

A child once asked me, shortly after the death of his cat, whether animals go to heaven. I can’t remember exactly what I said. But I could have told him that, according to the Bible, life after death is reserved exclusively for animals. For doesn’t Jesus clearly say here that only animals, in particular sheep and goats, will live forever?   

 

But I didn’t tell him this for three reasons:

1. I just didn’t think of it at the time.

2. It’s not true anyway.

3. The idea that heaven is inhabited exclusively by animals is not all that reassuring for a young human being.

 

We might smile. But the passage from God’s word this morning is a serious matter. The eternal destiny for some will be unspeakably and unimaginably breathtaking. The Bible says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.” It is indescribably wonderful.

 

But the eternal fate of those who have rebelled against God and rejected the way of Christ is literally a fate worse than death. This is so serious and difficult a matter that we tend to avoid talking about it - even in church. I mean, not counting the last few weeks, how many sermons about hell and the final judgment have you ever heard?

 

But What About..?

 

And this parable of the sheep and the goats raises big questions. For example:

 

Question 1; “Take your inheritance… for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.” Does this mean that people can be saved by their good works, even if they have no real interest in God? Question 2; “Whatever you did for them you did for me.” In what way is Jesus the same as people in need around us? Question 3; “Depart from me into eternal fire… for I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.” Does this really mean that if you never visit prisoners or call in on the sick you will end up in hell? 

 

Question 1 then: Can we be saved by doing good works? It seems, at first glance, that this is what the parable says, but that would contradict the whole sweep of scripture, which clearly teaches that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

 

Consider these for example: Ephesians 2.8: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not… by… works, so that no one can boast.” Or Romans 10.9: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Or John 5.24 where Jesus says: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”

 

There are many other verses I could have mentioned. There is no debate to be had; we can do nothing to save ourselves. But Matthew 25 says here that the peoples will be separated and judged according to what they have done. Not according to what they have believed. 

 

Throughout the Bible, judgment is about what we do or fail to do. For example, in Romans 2.6, Paul says: “When his righteous judgment will be revealed God will repay each person according to what they have done.” In 2 Corinthians 5:10, he says: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” And Revelation 20:12 says much the same thing: “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened... The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.”

 

The two things can be true, listen carefully now please; God saves people on the basis of their faith, but he judges people according to their works. When you and I face the judgement seat of Christ, we can expect to hear, again and again, a guilty verdict for the many things we have done wrong in our life. We will be judged according to what we have done. But, if you have faith in Christ, by the mercy of God you can expect to be acquitted on all counts. “No condemnation now I dread, Jesus and all in him is mine! His righteousness, his faultless record, his innocence, his obedience, his sinless perfections will be credited to your account, through faith, and you will walk free, your name cleared, and with an everlasting royal pardon that cannot be rescinded.

 

Question 2; In what way is Jesus the same as people desperately in need around us? 

 

As a child, my Catholic mother once told me the story of Saint Martin of Tours, a Roman army officer and young Christian. One cold winter's day in Amiens, northern France, he saw an old beggar. “Alms for a poor old man!” Martin had no money, but seeing this man dying from the cold, he cut his thick cloak in half, giving part to the beggar and keeping the other half for himself. Some of those around laughed, finding him ridiculous in his torn cloak. But that night, Martin dreamed that Jesus appeared wearing the other half of his cloak, saying to the angels surrounding him, “Look! Martin gave me his cloak!”

 

Mother Teresa used to say, “In the poor we meet Jesus in his most distressing disguises. I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, this is hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is sick Jesus. This one has leprosy or gangrene; I must wash him and tend to him. I serve because I love Jesus.” When activist and author Shane Claiborne said to her, “I wouldn’t do what you do for a million dollars” she smiled and said, “Me neither.” Literally, she did it for love.

 

But, surprisingly perhaps, this passage is not really about altruism or philanthropy or charity generally. We need to note a small but vital detail; it’s in v40. “Truly I tell you,” says Jesus, “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Who are these brothers and sisters Jesus mentions here? 

Some say that Jesus is talking about the nation of Israel. And there is no doubt we should love the Jewish people. And point them to their Messiah. But Jesus never anywhere else in the Gospels called the nation of Israel his “brothers or sisters.”

 

Others say that Jesus is referring to literally anyone in difficulty. Again, there is no doubt we should love and help everybody we know in material need. It is good and right for us to show mercy and compassion to everyone. Compassion for the poor and needy is in the DNA of the Church that Jesus is building. In 2019, the Cinnamon Trust published a study saying local churches in the UK operate 220,000 social action projects, serving an estimated 48 million people each year. Praise God! They will know we are Christians by our love. But Jesus never once, anywhere in the Gospels, called the people of the world his “brothers or sisters” either.

 

Here’s the key to understanding this parable: Jesus considers that only those who believe in him and belong to him are his brothers and sisters. This is a term he uses uniquely to refer to his disciples. “Who is my mother, who is my brother?” he asks in Matthew 12. “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, sister, and mother.” This parable teaches us that Jesus will separate people on the day of judgment on the basis of one thing: their attitude towards him, as expressed in their actions towards those he considers his brothers and sisters, the Body of Christ.

 

That doesn’t mean we have permission to watch the world suffer and not lift a finger. Galatians 6.9-10 puts it this way: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

 

Who are we called to do good to? All people? Or the family of believers? Answer: yes. Jesus is urging us here to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters, without neglecting the homeless person in the shop doorway, my neighbour down the road, my unbearable colleague at work… But Jesus is talking mainly here about the apple of his eye, those who love the Lord and are therefore shunned by the world. 

 

Christians were opposed and persecuted by the Jewish authorities from the very start. But by the time Matthew wrote his Gospel, probably around 65AD, they were starting to become persona non grata in the wider Roman world. Some Christians were losing their jobs and so were unable to feed their families. Others became sick because they could no longer pay for medical care. Some were having their property confiscated and had nowhere to stay. Still others were being imprisoned for their faith as persecution grew in intensity. The church was under attack, and it was being driven underground. 

 

Imagine you are alive at that time. To provide for your fellow Christians in need, to take them under your roof, or visit them behind bars is to blow your cover and be identified as one of them. You become a marked man or woman. So Jesus is saying here, when you care for the suffering Body of Christ, you care for me. When you stand by and watch the Body of Christ suffer and do nothing, you ignore me. That’s why after Saul persecuted the Church, Jesus met him on the Damascus Road and asked him not, “Why are you persecuting them,” but “Why are you persecuting me.”

 

Well, the goats, like the sheep, are stunned by what they hear. Verse 44; “But Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, or in prison, and did not help you?” In other words, “If we had known it was you, we would have acted differently!” They are willing to help the Lord when he is in difficulty, yes! But as far as they’re concerned, his desperately needy brothers and sisters, who they see every day, can get lost. I hope that increases your concern for a suffering world, and especially Christians in need.

 

Question 3; Does this parable really mean that if you never visit prisoners or call in on the sick you will go to hell? 

 

Matthew 24 and 25 focus on the final judgment and, as we’ve seen, they are full of grave warnings about hell. And who does Jesus address his teaching to in these two chapters? Not the uncommitted crowds. Not the hostile Pharisees. Jesus is speaking exclusively here to his twelve disciples. What a shock! They too could end up among the number of those separated from Christ. 

 

And we know that this was indeed the fate of one of them, Judas Iscariot, the one doomed to destruction, as Jesus calls him in John 17. He separated himself from the twelve and he hardened his heart against the Lord. 

 

Some people have the impression that the Old Testament is full of wrath, anger, hell fire and damnation and is replaced by the New where it is full of love, hugs and flowers. 

 

But Jesus, in the Gospels, speaks more about hell than anyone else in the Bible. In Matthew 22, he describes its darkness. In Luke 16, he depicts it as a place of suffering, separation, fire, and torment. In Matthew 10, he talks about loss and destruction. In Mark 9, he gives another image: that of worms that never die. Pieced together, it’s a vision of total ruin and corruption. And six times in the Gospel of Matthew alone, Jesus says that hell is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. That speaks of bitter regret and unrepentant rage against God.

 

How many times did Jesus appeal to Judas; don’t do it, don’t go there, don’t harden your heart, don’t throw it all away.

 

This parable shows us that on the day of judgment, there will be great surprises. Many people will marvel to learn that by loving their brothers and sisters in Christ, they have served the Lord Himself. Others, confident and sure of themselves, will be astonished to see that in their selfishness, they have despised Jesus Christ their whole lives without even realizing it. 

 

Ending

 

Let me end where our parable begins; v31. “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him…” Jesus will come suddenly, unexpectedly, surprisingly. Jesus’ exact words in chapter 24 are, “at an hour when you do not expect him.”

 

Are you ready? If he returns in five years, I know I’ll be ready! But if he returns in his radiant glory this afternoon, while I’m cooking dinner, will I be ready then? What about you?

 

If he returns in ten minutes, and if he looks you in the eye, his eyes like blazing fire, his voice like the sound of rushing waters, and he asks you, “Have you loved my brothers, have you served my sisters...? What you did for them, you did for me.” How will you reply?

The kingdom of God is unshakable: let us therefore be thankful, and serve God in a way that is pleasing to Him, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Sermon preached at King's Church Darlington, 23 February 2025

Signs of the End (Matthew 24.29-51)

Introduction

The Bible’s track record on future predictions is not just impressive; it is flawless. 

 

Every prophecy in the Bible about the rising and falling of nations for example - and there are many - Egypt, Assyria, Edom, Babylon, Persia, Tyre, Sidon, Israel, Judah… came true in every detail. As we saw last Sunday, the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 was precisely foretold by Jesus, and his words are corroborated in three independent sources; the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke.

 

There is only really one major prediction in the Bible that’s still unfulfilled, and it’s this: Jesus is coming back! Pretty much everything else foretold in this book has already happened.

 

There are at least 45 specific and distinct prophecies in the Old Testament about the coming Messiah. It says he will be born in Bethlehem, he will be a descendent of Abraham, from the line of David, he will speak in parables, he will be hated for no reason, he will be betrayed by a friend for 30 pieces of silver (not 29.99!), his hands and feet will be pierced, he will be buried with the rich and he will rise from the dead. These and many other predictions were all fulfilled in exact detail in Jesus of Nazareth. 

 

But for every prophecy in the Bible concerning his first coming, there are 8 references to his second. One in every 30 verses between Matthew and Revelation is about the return of Jesus Christ. That’s 318 verses in all.

 

Jesus came the first time as the Prince of Peace, riding a donkey and wearing a crown of thorns. When he returns, he will appear as King of kings, riding a horse, wearing a crown of glory. The first time Jesus came, his mission was to save the world. When he returns, his purpose will be to judge it. 

 

So God’s prophecy fulfilment record so far is 100%. This is why we take seriously his promise to return in power and glory. It’s why we have to take note of what he says about it, and expect it, and be ready for it, and live in the reverent fear of God because of it, which is what Matthew 24 and 25 are about.

 

We read the first 28 verses of chapter 24 last Sunday, and you can listen to the podcast to catch up if you missed it. Now, we’re going to read the rest of the chapter together, from v29 onwards. This is Jesus speaking…

 

Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Now learn this lesson from the fig-tree: as soon as its twigs become tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.  Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 

Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, “My master is staying away a long time,” and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

Prayer… 

When Are We Talking About?

Chapter 24 is, I would say, the most difficult chapter in Matthew’s Gospel to understand.

 

I have several commentaries on Matthew, all written by good, reliable specialists, committed to the authority of scripture, and they each have slightly different views on precisely when some of the verses in this chapter refer to. 

 

Notice the picture on the screen, right at the top of the image, there are hills that you might expect to appear palest of all because they are furthest away, but curiously they are quite dark, giving the impression of being closer than the hills immediately in front of them.

 

In just the same way, it’s not always obvious at every point in Matthew 24 when Jesus is talking about the first century AD and when he’s talking about the last century AD, or when he’s talking about all times. Scholars come to different conclusions as to when some of these verses refer to.

 

I’m not going to go all the different views; this is not a theology lecture. I’m just going to preach what I believe is right, but you do need to be aware that some verses in this chapter are debated as to the time of their fulfilment.

 

Earth-Shaking and Unmistakeable

 

In v29-31, Jesus starts to talk about the end of all things. Immediately after this lightning flash from east to west announcing his arrival, he talks in v29 about the sun and moon being darkened, about stars falling from the sky and planets being shaken. This is a bit like when we say things like, “the whole world is in meltdown” or when we talk about “earth-shattering events.” 

 

We don’t mean by the word “meltdown” that the earth is literally dripping like candle wax or by the expression “earth-shattering” that our planet is fragmenting into small bits. This is just the kind of vivid language we attribute to presidential assassinations, and sudden revolutions, and shocking terrorist atrocities and massive natural disasters, and deadly pandemics and global financial crashes.

 

Jesus is saying here that his return, following a time of immense distress, or great tribulation as Revelation 7 calls it, is going to mark a global upheaval the likes of which we have never seen before.

 

V27 says the Lord’s return will be as unmissable as a bolt of lightning that flashes across the sky. Here, we are told that what it is will be unmistakable. There’ll be no “is it a bird, is it a plane?” All the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, says v30. 

 

And they will grieve for themselves and weep bitterly because they will see that they were wrong about Jesus, all their scoffing will prove to have been misplaced, and it will be too late to change their mind.

 

Jesus says in v30 that his return will be “in power and great glory.” There have only been so far in history two recorded unveilings of Jesus’ glorious heavenly radiance - and only a few have ever had a glimpse of it. 

 

The first was when Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James and John. It says it was like direct sunlight coming through his clothes and those who saw it had to hide their faces, such was the intensity of its brightness. 

 

The second was when Saul was converted on the road to Damascus. Again, the brightness of the light was so dazzling, so overpowering that Saul was temporarily blinded in both eyes.

  

When Jesus returns, he will be arrayed in majesty so awesome, the Bible says, we won’t be able to look at him without falling to the ground or covering our eyes! 

 

When he comes back, his true, magnified, stunning glory will be revealed and the brilliance of it will be utterly overwhelming.

 

As we saw last Sunday, the siege and fall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the temple, the abolition of the sacrificial system and the end of the priesthood following the rejection of the Messiah, all prefigured the end of all things. 

 

There will be so many echoes of AD 70 when the Lord returns. Ominous warnings, global instability, widespread distress, progress and persecution in equal measure for the church… History will repeat itself in lots of ways. 

 

These Things and That Day

 

So before Jesus concludes this chapter by telling us to be ready at all times for his return, he turns one last time to his own generation. This is their final warning. 

 

How do we know when he is speaking about the end of the temple and when he is talking about the end of the world? One of the clues is that when Jesus speaks of “these things” he is talking about AD 70. And when he speaks of “that day” he means his return in glory.

 

When you see all these things; (false messiahs, deceivers, famines, earthquakes, wars and rumours of wars, an abomination in the holy place), you’ll know that the time is near, and it will be for “this generation,” it will be in the lifetime of the people Jesus is speaking to here. 

 

But about “that day or hour” (v36) no one knows. Jesus says here that even he himself didn’t know the day. So if the Father wasn’t even telling his own divine, beloved Son then, he’s not telling you or me now. 

 

It’s good that we don’t know the day. If we did, we might be tempted to be lazy in our service of Christ. “Oh, it’s all right, I’ll get right with God right at the last moment.” No! There are more lost souls to win, there’s a church to make more beautiful, there’s more demonic darkness to push back in the name of Jesus.

 

Jesus does know now, by the way, when he is coming back. His omniscience was laid aside only temporarily for the years he walked on the earth, which is why he was surprised by people’s great faith or amazed at their lack of faith, as we have seen in Matthew’s Gospel. 

 

But now, ascended on high, seated at the right hand of the Father, he has been greatly exalted and given all authority. Now, he is the Lamb who has authority to open the seals, he knows exactly when his second coming will be.

 

The day and the hour of the Lord’s return for us though are unknown, indeed unknowable. 

 

But that hasn’t stopped people from foolishly trying to name the date. A medieval mystic called Joachim of Fiore said it would be in 1260. The Munster Anabaptists said it would be in 1534. The Quaker James Milner (not the one who plays in midfield for Brighton and Hove Albion) said it would be in 1652. The Methodist George Bell said it would be in 1790.The Baptist preacher William Miller said it would be in 1844. The Jehovah’s Witnesses said it would be in 1914. When it didn’t happen, they revised the date to 1925, then 1938, then 1975, and then, more vaguely “before the end of the 20th Century.” And the evangelist Jerry Falwell, who should have known better, said in 1999 that it would definitely happen within ten years. *Sigh*

 

Acts 17.31 says that the Lord has fixed the day. It is written in his calendar. There will be no last-minute change of plan. The time is set. The clock is ticking. 

 

Ready or Not? 

 

Matthew 24 and 25 have one goal; it’s not to help us calculate dates, it’s to compel us to be ready for his return at any time. 

 

In the 2006 Football World Cup, Germany played Argentina in the quarter final. At full-time, it was a 1-1 draw. Extra time couldn’t separate the teams either, so it went to a penalty shoot-out. 

 

When the Argentines stepped up one by one to take their penalties, the German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann took a folded piece of paper from his sock, looked the penalty taker in the eye and studied his note. The commentators said, “What’s Lehmann doing? He’s playing mind games, he’s trying to unnerve the penalty taker.” But it wasn’t a bluff. Lehmann had studied Argentine penalty videos and noted their favoured technique. 

 

It read: “1. Riquelme left high. 2. Crespo long run/right, short run/left. 3. Heinze left low. 4. Ayala long wait, long run, right. 5. Messi left. 6. Aimar long wait, left. 7. Rodriguez left.” 

 

Needless to say, as always, the Germans won on penalties. They always do, don’t they! That hand-written note was eventually sold for 1.3 million euros in a charity auction. But the point is this; if you're well prepared, you win before you even start.

 

The rest of this chapter, and the whole of the next one, are about being ready at any time for that event; the Lord’s return in glory.

 

In v37-39, Jesus says it will be sudden. In Noah’s day, everything was just normal. For months and months, years and years, people just went about their business, completely oblivious to what was just around the corner. But suddenly, a cloud burst, and it started to hammer down with rain. In an instant, everything was different.

 

In v40-41, Jesus says it will be traumatic. “One will be taken and one will be left.” The Lord’s return to judge the living and the dead will bring about a sudden and permanent separation; some to eternal darkness, some to eternal life. 

 

The choice we will have already made about Jesus when he suddenly appears will determine our eternal destiny. As we’ll see over the next three weeks, the three parables in chapter 25 all confirm this in stark terms. 

 

There are very few taboo subjects left in our culture. But there is one thing still considered very bad form to mention in polite conversation: the fact that every single one of us is going to face God’s judgement. Most people spend more time planning where they will spend their two-week holiday than where they will spend eternity. 

 

The weeping and gnashing of teeth in v51 describes despair. Eternal, bitter despair.

 

This is the biggest issue each of us needs to resolve in our lifetime and we have just this one lifetime during which to do it. This is as serious a matter as anything can be. Have you settled the matter yet?

 

If you haven’t, why perish? Can your heart endure in the day of judgement that is approaching? Turn to Jesus and be saved. Come to him right now, and he will loose you from the tyranny of every sin, lift the weight of every sorrow, calm the churning of every fear, lighten the load of every burden, and settle your troubled soul. 

 

What if Jesus returns this week? Or before lunch today? Don’t waver even one more hour. Literally nothing is more important than this.

 

In v42-44 Jesus says it will be unexpected. His return will be a shock. Jesus says it in words of one syllable, v44; “the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Nobody will have anticipated it. Nobody will have predicted it. It will be a bolt from the blue.

 

No burglar puts a card through your letterbox to tell you he’ll be popping in next Wednesday. Usually, you first become aware your house has been burgled when you come home to find your kitchen door hanging off its hinges and the TV is gone.

 

In June 2009, the Guardian newspaper published an article about an Israeli woman simply called Anat (she didn’t want to reveal her full name). Anat had been busy cleaning her mother’s house all day while she was away and expected to be congratulated on a complete home makeover. She had even dragged her mother’s dirty old mattress outside for the bin men and generously replaced it with a brand-new mattress as a special surprise. 

 

Well, you should have seen her mother’s face when she came home. 

That’s when Anat’s mother told her she had hidden all her savings in that old mattress. About $1 million. They rushed outside to retrieve it, only to discover the dustman had already been.

 

Yitzhak Borba, manager of one Tel Aviv landfill site, said that his staff were helping them because they appeared “totally desperate”, but with 2,500 tons of new rubbish arriving every day, it was a lost cause. Anat’s mother had put all her faith in her mattress and lost everything.

 

One day, Jesus will suddenly come back – and for some it will be the most unexpected and the most traumatic experience imaginable. For others, it will be not entirely unexpected, and anything but traumatic. We will see the Lord face to face, and he will bring his reward.

 

And Jesus tells us what we need to do in order to ensure his return is sweet and not bitter. Verse 42; “Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” Verse 44; “Be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

 

The little story at the end of the chapter about the servant in charge of the house hints that the Lord’s return would not be soon after Jesus said these words. “My master is away a long time.” 2 Peter 3 echoes that; “In the last days,” it says, “scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?’”

 

The main reason why smoke alarms don’t work when there’s a fire is that people take the batteries out because of the annoying beeping. And they never get round to putting a new one in. 

 

Keep watch over your spiritual health. Keep your heart pure. Don’t let yourself slide into spiritual apathy.

 

Ending

 

In 1845, Captain John Franklin led an expedition to the north pole. He and his crew took more provisions with them on board their two ships than any other Arctic explorers either before or since. But they all perished. When the frozen remains of his party were discovered, it became evident why. Franklin had taken silver cutlery, crystal glasses, China plates and a library of over 1000 books. He had taken all the trappings of an English gentleman. But no Arctic clothing. 

 

When Jesus returns, self-reliance will as useless as crystal glasses in the north pole. When Jesus appears in glory, self-indulgence will be like a gentleman’s library in the arctic. When Jesus comes back to reign, self-serving will be like a chandelier in a freezing blizzard. 

 

Are you ready? “You must be ready”, says Jesus, (v44), “because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”