Affections for the End Times

 

Olivet Discourse- 7

 

TITLE: Affections for the End Times

TEXT: Matthew 25:31-46

TONE: Encouragement

TARGET: Believers

TASK: To encourage my hearers to have compassion toward others in light of Christ imminent return and the final judgement.

TEACH: All the acts of compassion witnessed by our church in the past few weeks.

TRUTH: Over the past two weeks we have dealt with the need to be vigilant concerning the Parousia of Jesus through our study on the ten virgins. Last week we looked at the parable of talents to which we learned the need for diligence concerning the Parousia of Jesus. This morning our texts does not deal primarily with the Parousia of Jesus, but specifically the final judgment. This final section deals with compassion. We are to be vigilant, diligent, and compassionate in our daily living.

 

Matthew 25:31-46 describes Jesus’ parable of the final judgment where humanity is separated into two groups: the sheep and the goats.

 

The coming judgment of God has been proclaimed throughout the entirety of time. The evidence of this is found in such text as Jude 14-15 which states, “It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied saying, ‘behold, the Lord comes with then thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

 

Solomon in his wisdom wrote, “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil” (Eccl. 12:14). Believers need to be convinced of the truth of these matters.

 

I.       The Presence of Sovereignty (v.31)

Explanation: The throne is the seat of God’s authority -a symbol of His power to rule and judge. From this seat, Christ, referred to as the Son of Man in Matt. 25:31, exercises His divine authority to judge the nations. The presence of God magnifies the truth that final judgement is not merely a legal event, but a divine and cosmic reckoning led by God who is holy.

 

Here we see the personal visible return of Christ. Angels only add to the awesome majesty of His glorious appearing.

 

“Associated with the Son of man in the judgment will be the angels. They are mentioned here not only because, by forming Christ’s train, they enhance the magnificence of His presence in glory, but also because they are given a task to perform. They will gather the wicked before the judgement throne and cast them into the furnace of fire.”[1]

 

II.           The Process of Separation (vv.32-33)

Explanation: Upon His return, the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne and all the nations will be gathered before Him. Here, Christ distinguishes between the “sheep” (representation of the righteous) and the “goats” (representative of the unrighteous), setting the former on His right and the latter of His left.

The gathering spoken of here takes place at the end of time. The manner of this gathering is plainly revealed in Scripture. The dead saints shall be raised and the living saints shall be changed. It is written, “the sea shall give up the dead which are in it, and death and hell shall give up the dead that are in them.” The dead in Christ shall rise first. Those which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.”

 

We also see the objects of this gathering, which are people. All children who have ever lived, from Abel the first saint down to the last born in the day that our Lord comes. No one will be overlooked or forgotten. The weakest and feeblest shall not be left behind. Saints from distance lands will come together as one Before we could not understand one another, but on this day we will be brought together in glorious harmony. The reality of the end time gathering should occupy our thoughts continually. It deserves our full consideration: it demands our attention.[2]

 

This separation process embodies God’s perfect knowledge (omniscience) and His immutable justice. Unlike human judgments, God sees the true state of each heart, making Him uniquely qualified to judge with fairness. There are two great classes to which people are divided: sheep and goats; wheat and tares. Viewed from the earth there are many different inhabits on the earth, but from God’s perspective there is only two. There were two classes in Noah’s day those inside the Ark and those on the outside. Eventually, the church as we see it now will separated into these two groups.

We are to imagine a courtroom setting. First, comes the citation or the issuance of a subpoena at the trumpet blast. Second, the appearance of the defendants will follow immediately. No one will be able to turn aside as if the Lord were not his lawful judge. Third, comes the examination, which brings me to my next point.

 

III.         The Plumbline of Service (vv.34-40)

Explanation: The examination will be carried out meticulously. All thoughts, words, and deeds the standard is the Word. The criteria for this separation are based on acts of compassionate service, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting those in prison. These acts serve as evidence of the heart’s alignment with God’s will, reflecting the inner transformation produced by genuine faith.

 

Separation at the final judgment underscores the truth that righteousness before God is not based on outward works but is fundamentally rooted in faith, which naturally manifests in love and good deeds (Ja. 2:14-26). The sheep’s actions reflect their lived faith and union with Christ.

 

Throughout His ministry, Jesus, by means of precept and example had stressed the necessity of feelings and works of love, mercy, and generosity (5:7, 43-48; 8:17; 9:36; 11:28-30; 12:7, 20, 21; 14:16, 34-36; 15:32; 18:1-6, 22, 35; 19:13-15; 20:28: 22:9, 37-39; 23:37). So, it is altogether natural that Jesus would expect this from His followers. Jesus is primarily speaking to the disciple’s daily conduct.

 

“At work, people have the greatest capacity to care for the hungry, the thirsty, and the sick. If by faith workers consecrate their work to God, hoping to love their neighbors, including their customers, such work serves God, and He will see it.”[3] It is not necessarily volunteerism the Lord is looking for, but loving service carried out in our daily lives. The reality is that Jesus blesses all acts of compassion, especially those carried out in His name.

 

I think it’s important to note the sheep were totally unaware of having performed these good deeds -which was exactly what made these deeds so good! The point being whatever was done out of love for Christ is counted as done to Christ.

 

IV.         The Punishment of Selfishness (vv.41-46)

Explanation: Fourthly, we come to the verdict and sentencing, which is different for the ungodly from the godly. For those on His right, the sheep, they are invited to inherit the kingdom “prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34). This highlights the grace and predestined love of God, who has prepared an eternal dwelling with Himself for those who are in Christ.

 

Fifthly, is the execution of the verdict. We must heed the words of Paul to the Galatians, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:7-9).

 

Those on His left, the goats, are sent away into “eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (25:41). This signifies the reality of separation from God, which is the ultimate consequences of a life lived apart from His grace and truth. The punishment will be most severe. There is no pain like that of burning. Fire is the most destructive and devouring of all the elements.

 

Creatures can live in air, and earth, and water; but nothing can live in fire. Yet fire is the portion to which the Christless and unbelieving will come. Their punishment will be eternal. Millions of ages shall pass away, and the fire into which the chaff is cast shall burn on. That fire shall never burn low and become dim. The fuel of that fire shall never waste away and be consumed.[4]

 

I was reading a recent sermon by Richard Baxter (1615-1691) which expresses the reality of this truth. He wrote, “As the angels come with Christ to judgment, so they shall sound his trumpet, and they shall gather the wicked out of God’s kingdom, and they shall gather the tares to burn them. In the end of the world, the angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire.”[5]

 

Hear these sobering words from Wilhelmus Brakel (1635-1711), “You who are careless, insensitive, comfortable in your sin, carnal, worldly-minded, of the earth, immoral…how do you think you will fare on that day? As you are summoned where will you stand -to the left or the right?[6]

 

However, for the believer this will be a glorious day. First, our Lord will be glorified before the eyes of all men, angels, and devils. Second, it will be a time of great refreshing for you from the Lord: day of deliverance from all misery, a day of feasting and celebration. Third, the good and the evil will finally be separated from one another. Fourth, the justice of God will be fully satisfied. 

 

 

 

 

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[1] William Hendrickson, New Testament Commentary: Matthew (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1973), 886.

[2] J.C. Ryle, Practical Religion (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth), 404.

[3] Daniel M. Doriani, Expository Commentary: Matthew-Luke (Wheaton: Crossway, 2021) 386.

[4] Ryle, 430.

[5] Richard Baxter, The Practical Works of Richard Baxter Vol. IV (Grand Rapids: Soli Deo Gloria, 2023), 855.

[6] Wilhemus Brakel, Christians in Reasonable Service Vol. 4 (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 1995), 349. 

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