1. A Lesson on Responsibility
Matthew 25:31-46

2. Review of the olivet discourse
The basic questions: When? What sign?
Jesus is addressing Jews about a Jewish issue –judgment before kingdom
The analogy with Noah focuses on 2 groups
The context is on Israel, not the church
It’s talking about Jesus’ coming & kingdom
The rapture and 2nd coming are distinct
The fig tree parable indicates nearness

3. Our text today is a continuation…
This is predictive narrative, not a parable
The parables in these chapters illustrated certain truths relating to Christ’s return and the kingdom
This passage has been commonly misinterpreted and misapplied
What is the meaning of this text for then and now?

4. I. We must properly distinguish this great divide
“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. 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. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.” (Matthew 25:31–33, NKJV)

5. A. The identification of the main characters
Who is the Son of Man?
This is how Jesus referred to Himself
“For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matthew 24:27, NKJV)
This refers back to a specific OT passage

6. Daniel 7:13-14
“I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.” (NKJV)

7. This is referring to the 2nd coming of Christ…
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:30, NKJV)
“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matthew 24:37, NKJV)

8. Who are the holy angels?
These are the unfallen angels
They are the mighty angels
“which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you,” (2 Thessalonians 1:5–6, NKJV)

9. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
“and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.” (NKJV)

10. Who are all the nations?
The word translated nations is also translated Gentiles
The word ethnos is where we get our word ethnic
The point is they are non-Jews
The Gentiles will be evaluated in relation to their treatment of the Jews in the trib

11. B. When will this take place?
Which coming is this?
What will He do at this coming?
“The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”” (Psalm 110:1, NKJV)
-He will sit on the throne of His glory
-He will separate people into two groups

12. Notice the differences…
Sheep/Goat Judgment | GWT Judgment
No res; only Gentiles The dead at throne
3 classes of people Only the unsaved
Some to kingdom or fire All to Lake of Fire
Treatment of Jews Works evaluated
At end of Tribulation End of Millennium

13. Joel 3:1-2 refers to this event
“For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land.” (NKJV)

14. II. We must recognize the Identity of these righteous ones
“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: 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; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’” (Matthew 25:34–36, NKJV)

15. Matthew 25:37-40
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 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.’” (NKJV)

16. A. The identity of those on his right hand
These are people of the nations (Gentiles)
They are called blessed & inherit kingdom
They are recognized as in the place of favor
They are recognized as being righteous
They are recognized for being kind to “My brethren”
They are commended for their favorable responses

17. B. What does this action communicate?
This passage encourages Philo-Semitism
This passage is not about their salvation
There are two kinds of justification:
-Justification before God –by faith alone
-Justification before men –seen by works
This text is not a general statement on how to treat all people

18. III. We should Recognize the Implications of this situation
“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: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 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.’” (Matthew 25:41–43, NKJV)

19. Matthew 25:44-46
“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?’ 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.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (NKJV)

20. A. The identity of those on His left hand
These are those of all the nations (Gentiles)
They are not in the place of honor
They are identified as cursed and heading to everlasting fire
They have not treated the Jews well
They will go to everlasting punishment

21. B. The implications of this judgment
All people’s eternal destiny is based on their response to Christ
There are only two ultimate eternal destinations:
-There is eternal life –by trusting Christ
-There is eternal punishment –by rejecting Christ