The Parable of the Ten Virgins December 13, 2009

What are the names of the stories that Jesus used to tell to people? A parable What is a parable? Well, one of the parables that Jesus told was about these ten young virgins (women) who were invited to a wedding party. Back in Jesus’ time, during a wedding party, there usually would be ten virgins who would walk the bridegroom into the church with lamps in their hand.

The ten virgins took their lamps and went to the place where the marriage feast would take place They waited outside for the bridegroom to arrive The five foolish virgins did not bring any oil for their lamps but the five wise ones brought flasks of oil with them

Why were they called foolish and wise? The foolish and the wise virgins waited for the Bridegroom to arrive but He was delayed to the wedding party So the ten virgins fell asleep while they waited for the Bridegroom All of the sudden, there was a cry, “Behold the Bridegroom!! Come out to meet Him!”

So all of the virgins quickly woke up and immediately got their lamps ready The foolish virgins looked at their lamps and realized that they were going out! So they asked the wise virgins, “Give us some of your oil for our lamps are going out!”

The wise virgins responded and said, “Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you. Go to the store instead and by yourselves some oil.”

Unfortunately, while they went to buy the oil, the bridegroom came and all those who were ready went inside with him and the door was shut… The foolish virgins came later and yelled, “Lord! Lord! Open for us!”

But the bridegroom replied and said, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.” After finishing the story, Jesus told the people this: “Watch therefore, for you do not know neither the day nor the hour in which I am coming…”

What do you think He meant when He said that? Let’s think…

Who were the five wise virgins? Who were the five foolish virgins? Who was the Bridegroom? What did the oil in the virgins’ lamps represent? What does the church represent? (The place where the wedding party was.) What does the “shut door” symbolize?

What is it that we can learn from the Lord’s parable? We do not know when the Lord is coming again We should always be prepared because of this We need to keep our spiritual lamps filled with the oil of good works and faith

Conclusion No one knows when we will meet the Lord (Just like the virgins didn’t know when the bridegroom was coming) We have to be awake and careful of our spiritual life so that we may be ready to enter into Heaven with the Lord (The foolish virgins were not allowed into the church because they were not ready) When the Lord does come, we want Him to know us and for us to know Him well also (The bridegroom told the foolish virgins that he did not know them)

Memory Verse “Behold the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet Him.” - Matthew 25:6