Lamb of God: The Bridegroom, Master, and Shepherd

Matthew 24-26 

As I was reading my Bible, God drew my attention to Matthew 25. In particular, He drew me to look at the parable of the 10 virgins. I learned from this passage many times in my life, so I thought I understood it. In Bible training, my teachers taught me to look at the passage being studied in context with the rest of the chapter, not in isolation, so I read the rest of the chapter. Matthew 25 tells us three parables: the 10 virgins, the servants and the talents, and the sheep and the goats. My mind queried that there must be something Jesus taught the people before using these parables, because parables are used to help get a message across in a story fashion. So, I looked back at Matthew 24. In Matthew 24, Jesus taught the disciples concerning the end times. The parables of chapter 25 are stories to help learn a lesson regarding the end times. I then recalled that after these parables, Jesus entered Jerusalem for the Passover meal before His betrayal (Matthew 26:17-29, Mark 14:12-21, and Luke 22:7-23). My questions then are: 1) what do the three parables in Matthew 25 have to do with the time of Jesus’ telling, 2) with the future of Jesus’ second coming, and 3) with us today.

Let us look at this closer. The parable of the ten virgins tells us of10 young women who went to wait for the bridegroom at the place of the wedding. They were to be part of the party celebrating the bridegroom’s arrival. The groom did not arrive as soon as they expected and so they had to wait. The virgins waited so long that they slept part of the time. They awoke with a start when they heard the groom had arrived and the celebrations were to begin. Five of the virgins had prepared well and brought extra oil for their lamps. Five of the virgins did not prepare for the potential long wait for the groom. This parable tells us that we should not be caught unaware, but always be prepared for Jesus return to earth because we do not know when He is coming. The lesson of this parable is about being prepared. Many people claim to be followers of Jesus, yet they do not prepare themselves for His return. They easily followed Jesus when first introduced to Him, but then grew lax and perhaps did not grow further in their relationship with Him. These unprepared five virgins stand for those who at first claimed to follow Jesus because of the emotion and momentum of the moment, but were not really in a relationship with Him. They did not have a true faith in Him as the Son of God who provides salvation. They did not pursue Him, grow in faith, and have a relationship with Him. These five virgins’ lax belief led them to not prepare themselves to grow deeper in relationship with Jesus. They were unprepared for Bridegroom’s return (Jesus’ second coming). The bridegroom disowned them because he did not recognize them. The gist of this parable is about being prepared for Jesus’ return at any time. If you are not a true follower of Jesus, you will be caught off-guard when He returns to take His followers to heaven. You cannot prepare for His return if you are not His follower.

This parable supplements Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 24 verses 12-13, 39, 42, and 44. Jesus told the disciples that because of increased lawlessness, people’s love of Him will grow cold and they will fall away. He reminded them that in the time of Noah many people chose not believe until the flood came then they drowned. Jesus told them it would be the same with the return of the “Son of Man.” Jesus spoke in terms for their time. He also spoke concerning preparation for the Passover in the upper room (Matthew 26). He sent disciples to prepare a room for the Passover. They did not fathom that Jesus would transform the Passover’s meaning. The disciples did not know this Passover was His last meal with them before His arrest and crucifixion. Jesus prepared the way for them to hear of the new Passover, Jesus as the sheep who would die to remove all their sins forever. In the actions of sending the disciples to Jerusalem to prepare for the Passover, Jesus began preparations for telling the disciples of the new meaning of what they called Passover. Preparation is the key to this parable and is a key to being a follower of Jesus. No one knows the time of His return, but He will return. We cannot say that we will make a decision later regarding following Christ, because we do not apperceive when He will return, just as the 10 virgins did not apprehend when the bridegroom (analogy for Christ) would arrive. Each of us must be prepared and preparation requires deciding to follow Jesus, allowing our faith to show in actions, and growing in our relationship with Him.

The second parable in Matthew 25 concerns the three servants to whom the master gave talents (money) to manage while the he was away. The first two servants kept the master’s money safe and grew it so that when the master returned they could return the original money with added coins (growth). They worked for the master to his benefit in his absence. The master rewarded them with more talents and power in his kingdom. The master gave the third servant one talent. He was a beginner in the master’s trust and training program. Because the servant was afraid of losing the money, he hid it in the ground. The servant did not invest the talent and let it grow. The talent did not grow as the talents of the other two servants did. This servant did nothing to make growth occur. He did not believe in himself. He did not pursue growth by learning how to make the talent grow and doing it. The servant was more afraid than concerned of gaining the master’s approval. His fear kept him from doing learning and growing. The servant allowed his fear, which comes from Satan, to make him stale and become like the barren fig tree, which Jesus cursed. Did the servant follow the ways his mater taught him? Did he commit to grow to be more like his master? Did the servant take care of the master’s household, which included the master’s people, all other assets? His life did not show confidence in his relationship with his master, confidence in himself, and actions of faith by investing the talent. The master rejected this servant as a faithful servant and threw him out of his kingdom. The key word for this parable is doing, not that you can earn your salvation. You must choose to believe and trust in the master and choose to grow in your relationship with him.

Matthew 24 speaks to this parable. It says in verses 45-46, “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.” The slave in Matthew 24 is busy doing for the master to others. This slave made sure he fed everyone and grew more like the master. He ensured the master’s household ran well. The third servant in the parable did not do that. That servant had not grown to be trustworthy or mature. His fear, which he held to and came from Satan, stunted his faith and growth. We see this on the day of Passover with Jesus and the disciples in Matthew 26. Judas chose to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:14-16, 21-25). Judas feared not having money and being tortured, as Christ said His disciples would be (Matthew 24:9-10). Judas did not choose to follow Jesus with his whole life, but chose what was easiest for himself. We can choose to follow Jesus. We also choose whether to grow to be more like Him and to act out our faith to others by showing Jesus’ care and love for people. Jesus told the disciples when they give food, drink, clothes, shelter or visit the sick and those imprisoned, they are doing it also for Him (Matthew25:43-46). We each choose to follow Jesus and to enact our faith in Him with love for others.

The final parable Jesus taught to His disciples in Matthew 25 concerns the separating of the sheep and goats in the flock. This parable concerns following Jesus with your whole being, not just lip service. Both sheep and goats say “baa” but not all of them are sheep (analogy for Christ followers). Upon looking at their deeds, growth, and hearts, Jesus determined the true followers (sheep) and the goats (analogy for non-followers of Christ). He condemned the goats to eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46). What makes a person a sheep in God’s flock and not a goat? Jesus told them if they fed, offered drink, clothed, and housed unfortunate people and visited the sick and imprisoned, they were His true followers. By doing these things, they did them to Him. In this parable, Jesus spoke of true followers and what made a person a true follower. True followers enact Jesus’ love toward other people. To do this, they must be in a close relationship with Jesus so that the love He gave them flows out in actions of love to other people. It shows itself in the follower’s growth to be more Christlike, too. This parable deals with following Christ.

In Matthew 24, Jesus’ teaching in verses 48-51 tells us that if the servant beats others, takes all things for himself, and becomes drunk with power and the master’s provisions, he is not a follower of Jesus. He will receive punishment and be put with the other hypocrites, separated from God forever. Jesus taught the disciples in chapter 24 that no one knows the day or time of his second coming. Each disciple must follow Christ devoutly whether He returns soon or later. If, when Jesus returns, He finds his “servant” not acting with love toward others and instead finds him drunk with power and greed, he is not a true follower of Jesus. We find this same thing in chapter 26 before Jesus arrives at the upper room for Passover. The chief priests and elders (hypocrites) plotted to arrest Jesus (Matthew 26:3-5). They did not want the acclaim they earned as the most devout followers of Yahweh to go to Jesus. His claiming to be the Messiah turned people away from looking at them to Him. They wanted their favor restored to them and the way they thought to do this was to arrest and rid them of Jesus forever. They never claimed to be followers of Jesus, but they claimed to be followers of Yahweh. Judas claimed to be a disciple of Jesus, but joined hands with the chief priests and elders. He was a hypocrite and not a true follower. The key lesson in this parable concerns whether a person is truly a follower of Jesus Christ.

Being a follower of Jesus encompasses each of these elements – preparing, doing, and following. None can occur without the other, but Jesus taught on each element separately so the disciples could understand better each one. To become a follower Jesus means you must seek for Him. Matthew said in chapter 7 verse 7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.” Jesus makes Himself available to us whenever we ask for Him. John the Baptist came to prepare the way of the Lord so others would recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Old Testament prophets prepared the way of the Lord, too. We must prepare ourselves and seek for Jesus and He will make Himself to be visible for you. You also must prepare yourself daily to continue to follow Him and to grow more like Him. You cannot say one day you are a follower and later show no change in your life. This kind of person is similar to the five foolish virgins who said they were followers, but did not prepare themselves for His arrival.

Preparing ourselves also means doing. We prepare ourselves to be a follower of Jesus by recognizing our sinfulness, confessing our sins, and repenting. To repent means to turn 180 degrees away from sin and turning to God. So we do confess and we do repent everyday so that we stay in a close relationship with Jesus because God cannot be in the presence of sin. Unconfessed sin builds a wall between God and us. Each sin becomes a new brick in the wall between Him and us. As followers of Jesus, we do for others as we want Jesus do for us (Matthew 7:12). Remember that from the Lord’s Prayer? Jesus taught it, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:36-40). Following God is preparing yourself for being with Him each day and doing, acting out His love to others. Just as Jesus came to release the captives, give sight to the blind, set free the oppressed, and proclaim the year of the Lord” (Luke 7:18), His followers are to love others as He loved them by feeding, clothing, and sheltering the poor, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and telling the world of His love and salvation given. Being a follower of Jesus means doing and preparing.

Lest anyone say he or she is a follower, Jesus clarified who a follower is. A follower is one who watches for the Lord’s coming. A follower is one who continues to act out the Lord’s love in them toward others while they wait for the second coming of the Lord. Being ready for the Lord means seeking and watching for His second coming and continuing to do what He taught and commanded His disciples while He walked on earth before His ascension to heaven. A faithful, thoughtful, and wise servant (follower) of Jesus is one whom gives food and supplies to others at the proper time. The servant is blessed when Jesus returns and finds him doing these things out of love for Jesus and through the love Jesus put into him or herself toward other people (Matthew 25:44-46). Doing is being ready within yourself for Christ’s return and doing for others until He returns. This following then requires preparing oneself to be with the Lord every day – praying, confessing, becoming more Christlike – and doing – feeding, clothing, telling and teaching of Jesus to others.

The five foolish virgins were not true followers of Christ. The one foolish servant was not a true follower of Christ. They lacked preparation and diligence to know, grow, and show Jesus within their lives.

We each must decide if we are similar to the foolish virgins, foolish servant, and goats. We must decide if we will seek after God to know Him through His Son, Jesus. We must decide if we will prepare ourselves daily to meet with God and grow more Christlike. Each of us must decide whether we will live to serve others from the love Jesus put in our hearts or be power-hungry and greedy. The latter is like the foolish servant and the goats.

Will you seek for God? Will you allow Jesus to speak to your heart, mind and soul? Will you accept His forgiveness and gift of eternal life, which comes through His death and resurrection? The Jewish Passover celebrated God’s Spirit passing over their houses (because they spread lamb’s blood on the lintels of their doors as a sign of their belief in Yahweh) when He was exacting His promise of condemnation against the Egyptians. It is a celebration of God’s saving power. Jesus gave Passover a new meaning. Jesus is the Lamb whose blood is spread over the doors of our lives (our hearts, minds, and souls) so that God’s condemnation of death does not touch us because we are true followers of the Messiah.

What do you choose to be – a true follower or a foolish, unprepared, hypocritical servant? We each have a choice to make every day whether we are a follower of Christ or not. The decision is ours to make - follow Christ and grow more like Him or walk in our own ways with our own foolish wisdom. What do you choose?

Trials, Troubles, and Truth

          We live in a world that is different from thirteen years ago. The world is different from a generation ago. People speak of how different things are. They give examples of disrespect to adults and authority. They speak of fear of crime and wars. They even voice that weather is not the same; it is more violent. I consider these things and see that, yes, a lack of respect for authority figures and humans is evident. I live the change of the physical environment. People are losing heart and faith in humanity. They are erecting walls around their homes. These people are installing security systems in their homes, cars, and work places. Security companies patrol in their personal spheres of living. People are removing their landline telephones to avoid intrusion into their private lives, but at the same time, they are more involved in the cyber-world through emails and social networks. People are afraid, but they are lonely, too, and trying to fill the vacuum from a lack of relationships. This is America.

       Let us consider worldwide. There is rampant poverty, hunger, crime, wars, and religious intolerance. There is corruption, abuse, fear, and a breakdown in human relationships. Consider it this way; everyone experiences trials. Do not think I am discounting how hard trials are, but consider, everyday types of trials and severe types of trials affect everyone. When we are going through our particular hard time, we feel it is the hardest thing to do. It is hard. I very seldom meet people who are thankful they went through a trial. In time, though, we look outside ourselves and see other people are having a more difficult time in life. We see there are harder times people endure, such as mass genocide, religious persecution, executions, starvation, and becoming separated from family when fleeing for their lives. We live in this world.  

            A few people might say, oh, we must be getting near the end times. People might be shocked at first, but then gradually return to their jobs or school and forget what is happening elsewhere. I am not trying to say we are crass and unfeeling. What I am trying to make understood is that, for the largest number of us, persecution is a word in our vocabulary that sharply breaks into our mind periodically with media images and reports, but we do not live persecuted, so we do not take much notice of it. For millions of people, though, persecuted living is their reality. They are hunted by military regimes because of their culture or their faith. They are running in fear through forests, jungles, or deserts to get away from a present reality of torture, forced military service, prison, or execution. We each experience our own trials, but many million are in this world right now experiencing their trials that are “unto death.”     

            The statistics of these trials and persecutions point to areas around the globe predominantly near the equator, but include China, India, and North Korea, as well. With the violence, we hear reported from these places, we think the end times are coming. We do not know that is true; we only understand what is happening. Jesus stated, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matthew 24:36 NASB). We may be in the end time or we may not be; what is important is we keep living and believing in Jesus Christ as our Savior. Without Jesus, living our lives, wherever we are, is futile. What is the purpose of living through this?  

            Let me offer a thought. God’s purpose for allowing trials is to strengthen His children in their faith and character and their dependence upon Him. His purpose for allowing trials in the lives of nonbelievers is so they will turn to Him as their Savior and Father in heaven. I understand our ease to blame bad things on God because He let them happen. What if we took the positive view, though, and considered that He allowed them to happen to teach us He will take care of us, to teach us He is stronger than the situation. We must come to the point where we learn that we must quit fighting this trial in our own strength and allow God to take charge. When we have come through the trial, we are stronger Christians. How does that work, though, for those going through extreme trials and persecution? I do not know exactly. I have heard a few stories from those surviving extreme trials. We do not often receive news from those who survived religious persecution through torture, imprisonment, removal of human rights, and wars. From what I have heard and read, several persecuted believers say they waited on the Lord and endured through prayer, reviewing memorized Bible verses, singing hymns, and talking to other believers in the places where they were held. God is still God in the midst of persecutions and He works to grow a stronger believer in these circumstances, as He does in our lives. Through their prayers, verses, songs, and encouragements from other believers, they became stronger and endured their trials while remaining in their faith. Yes, a few people do recant their faith. There are people who do not recant and are killed or die. A few people do not recant and live. Either way, these latter two came out of the difficult experience changed; they are stronger believers.  

 We each will go through trials, whether severe or not. God gives us the opportunity to rely upon our own strength or rely on His strength, which will take us through the fire and make us stronger. Whichever way we choose to face the trial, if we relied on God, we are saved to live now on earth or to live now in His heaven. Either way, God is victorious. If we do not reply on God, we may survive the trial in our own strength or we may not. What is important to know, though, is that we have not actually won. Our unbelief has won us a temporary respite on this earth, but we cannot experience eternal victory in heaven without God and His plan for salvation through Jesus Christ. John said, “He (Jesus) must increase and I must decrease.” John trusted Jesus was the one for whom he was making the way. Jesus is God’s anointed One through whose death and resurrection we can obtain eternal life. John understood that he was only a man, but Jesus is the One sent by God. He acknowledged that when he said, "He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true” (John 3:31, 33 NASB).

John and others came to believe that God is true. People from the beginning of the world understood God was true. Consider Adam, Abraham, Moses, Noah, David, the prophets, and now John the Baptist. They knew then God was true. John bore witness to the fact Jesus is God’s Son, come to take away the sins of the world.

 If you had to go through an intense time or trial, what would you do? Would you blame God for letting that happen to you? Alternatively, would you become strong in the Lord knowing He has already conquered all things and He will get you through your time now? The latter will make you into a believer. The former will make you tired and, maybe even quit. Are you going through a trial now? Are you going to let God be your strength? One day we may have to fight the extreme trials we hear of in other countries where Satan’s slaves are creating life-changing problems. Now is the time to grow in the strength of the Lord, before you go through horrendous times, so that you can stand strong now and forever more. Right now, Jesus is offering you a relationship with Him, the relationship of which you have a void in your life. This relationship is unbounded, unforced, and all loving. God wants only what is best for you, peace, love, and eternal life with Him in heaven. He will give you everything you need to live now, on this earth, and forever…Love, Faith, Hope, and Peace