1752 | Matthew 25:31
The Sheep and the Goats
31“ When the Son of Man comes n in his glory, and all the an gels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. o
32 All the na tions will be gath ered be fore him, and he will sep a rate p the peo ple one from an other as a shep herd sep a rates the sheep from the goats. q 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34“ Then the King will say to those on his right,‘ Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom r pre pared for you since the cre a tion of the world. s 35 For I was hun gry and you gave me some thing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you in vited me in, t 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, u I was sick and you looked af ter me, v I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ w
37“ Then the righ teous will an swer him,‘ Lord, when did we see you hun gry and feed you, or thirsty and give you some thing to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and in vite you in, or need ing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40“ The King will re ply,‘ Truly I tell you, what ever you did for one of the least of these broth ers and sis ters of mine, you did for me.’ x
41“ Then he will say to those on his left,‘ De part from me, y you who are cursed, into the eternal fire z pre pared for the devil and his an gels. a 42 For I was hun gry and you gave me noth ing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me noth ing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not in vite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look af ter me.’
44“ They also will an swer,‘ Lord, when did we see you hun gry or thirsty or a stranger or need ing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45“ He will re ply,‘ Truly I tell you, what ever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ b
46“ Then they will go away to eter nal pun ish ment, but the righ teous to eter nal life. c” d
The Plot Against Jesus
26:2-5pp— Mk 14:1,2; Lk 22:1,2
26 When Jesus had fin ished say ing all these things, e he said to his dis ci ples, 2“ As you
know, the Pass over f is two days away— and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
3 Then the chief priests and the el ders of the peo ple as sem bled g in the pal ace of the high priest, whose name was Ca ia phas, h
4 and they schemed to ar rest Jesus se cretly and kill him. i 5“ But not dur ing the fes ti val,” they said,“ or there may be a riot j among the people.”
25:31 n Mt 16:27; Lk 17:30 o Mt 19:28
25:32 p Mal 3:18 q Eze 34:17, 20
25:34 r Mt 3:2; 5:3, 10, 19; 19:14; Ac 20:32; 1Co 15:50; Gal 5:21; Jas 2:5 s Heb 4:3; 9:26;
Rev 13:8; 17:8
25:35 t Job 31:32; Isa 58:7; Eze 18:7; Heb 13:2
25:36 u Isa 58:7; Eze 18:7; Jas 2:15, 16 v Jas 1:27 w 2Ti 1:16
25:40 x Pr 19:17; Mt 10:40, 42; Heb 6:10; 13:2
25:41 y Mt 7:23 z Isa 66:24; Mt 3:12;
5:22; Mk 9:43, 48; Lk 3:17; Jude 7 a 2Pe 2:4
25:45 b Pr 14:31; 17:5
25:46 c Mt 19:29; Jn 3:15, 16, 36; 17:2, 3; Ro 2:7; Gal 6:8; 5:11, 13, 20 d Da 12:2; Jn 5:29; Ac 24:15; Ro 2:7, 8; Gal 6:8
26:1 e Mt 7:28 26:2 f Jn 11:55; 13:1
26:3 g Ps 2:2 h ver 57; Jn 11:47-53; 18:13, 14, 24, 28
26:4 i Mt 12:14 26:5 j Mt 27:24
25:31 – 46 The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. This describes in more detail the final judgment that the end of the last two parables depict. Some interpreters view this occurring when Christ returns, just before an earthly, millennial kingdom( Rev 20:4); others equate it with the great white throne judgment( Rev 20:11 – 15) just prior to the eternal state. 25:32 All the nations. Both Jews and Gentiles. nations. Greek ethnē( neuter plural) sounds at first as if ethnic or people groups will be judged as a whole. But Jesus will actually“ separate the people”( Greek autous,“ them” [ masculine plural ])“ one from another,” referring to the personal judgment of each individual. Palestinian sheep and goats often looked similar from a distance and often grazed together. But they needed to be separated at nighttime because the goats required a warmer place to rest. 25:33 right... left. The right hand or side of an individual was considered the more honorable; the left, more disgraceful. 25:34 – 36 Those who are“ blessed” by God( v. 34) are those who have ministered to Jesus. The examples Jesus gives all involve the works of mercy needed by the socially and economically destitute. This is not salvation by works but the fruit of repentance that demonstrates an individual’ s right relationship with God through Christ. 25:37 – 40 The“ righteous”( v. 37) are surprised not because they are said to have known
Jesus but because Jesus says they have ministered directly to him. Jesus explains that whenever they did these acts of kindness“ for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine”( v. 40; see note there), they were doing it for him. 25:40 least of these brothers and sisters of mine. Everywhere else in Matthew“ brothers and sisters”( Greek adelphoi) means either biological siblings or spiritual kin.“ Least” is the superlative form of“ little,” and“ little ones” in Matthew always means either literal children or fellow believers. So while other biblical texts teach the need to help needy people of all religious persuasions( e. g., Luke 10:25 – 37; Gal 6:10), here the focus is most likely on ministering to the Christian needy. The logic is identical to that of Matt 10:40 – 42: welcoming the Christian messenger implies welcoming the message. 25:41 you... cursed. Those who have not done any of the previously mentioned acts of mercy( vv. 42 – 43) toward Christians in need. They show thereby that they have never welcomed the Christian message, i. e., accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior( despite mouthing the title“ Lord” in v. 44). the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. The destiny of the“ cursed”: eternal separation from God and all things good. his angels. Demons. 25:46 eternal. Jesus parallels“ eternal punishment” and“ eternal life.” While the Hebrew underlying the Greek aiōnios(“ eternal”) can sometimes mean“ to the end of the age,” it is clear throughout Jesus’ teaching that he expects everlasting life for his followers. Unbelievers, therefore, can expect unending punishment too, not merely some limited period of purgatory or a finite hell.
26:1— 28:20 Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection. From here on, Matthew swiftly narrates the events that put Jesus on the cross to die but which could not keep him in his tomb( see map, pp. 1876 – 1877). 26:1 – 75 Ch. 26 describes the preparations for Jesus’ death. Most of the events of this chapter take place on the Thursday night before Jesus’ Friday crucifixion. Matthew also includes the plot to betray Jesus begun“ two days” earlier( v. 2) and the anointing at Bethany six days earlier( vv. 6 – 13; cf. John 12:1), because these also directly anticipate Jesus’ execution. 26:1 – 16 These verses describe Jesus’ arrest and anointing for burial. Jesus reminds his followers one last time of his upcoming crucifixion( vv. 1 – 2). Although it appears others are in charge of his destiny, his predictions and voluntary surrender( vv. 52 – 56) demonstrate that he gives his life freely. Judas, who aids Caiaphas and his henchmen in the arrest( vv. 3 – 5,14 – 16), and Mary of Bethany, who pours perfume on Jesus’ head( vv. 6 – 13; cf. John 12:1 – 8), may have been the first two to believe that Jesus was really going to die. But they reacted in diametrically opposite ways.