Life of Christ part 3 Last Week Lesson

Life of Christ, part 3 Last Week Lesson 6 Matthew 25 -26: 19 Mark 14: 1 -16 Luke 22: 1 -13

Jesus leaves the temple Matthew 24: 1 -2 review o This would be Jesus’ last time in the temple o Disciples call His attention to the great stones of the temple o A great and beautiful structure o Stones 70’lx 12’hx 18’w

Destruction is coming review Matthew 24: 2 -3 o Jesus tells the disciples this great structure would be destroyed o Not one stone would be left upon another o Great and total destruction o As they sat on the Mt of Olives the disciples wanted to know more about this destruction

End of the world? review o What destruction is being discussed? o Option 1 n Matthew 24 (and related passages in Mark and Luke) refers to the destruction of Jerusalem with ‘hints’ of the final destruction while Matthew 25 deals with Christ’s second coming.

End of the world? review o What destruction is being discussed? o Option 2 n There is an intermixing of the two. One question or answer may reference one time or the other or both

End of the world? review o What destruction is being discussed? o Option 3 n The first part of Matthew 24 is destruction of Jerusalem and last part (vs 35 ff) and all of 25 deal with the second coming o “in many respects, the most difficult problem in the evangelic record”

End of the world? review o I choose option 3 o Key verse n Matthew 24: 34 "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. n He reaffirms it in vs 35 n “My words will by no means pass away” [I speak the truth]

End of the world? review o When they get across to the Mt of Olives, the disciples ask two questions n Matthew 24: 3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? ” n “these things” are things Jesus just said in vs 2 (destruction of the temple)

End of the world? review o We should not think the disciples are considering two separate events o They still don’t have complete concept of the new kingdom o They envision the destruction of the temple at the end of time n “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? ”

End of the world? o Events listed in vs 4 -26 are specific n Wars and rumors of wars n Nation against nation n Famines, etc n Tribulation and kill you review n Hated by all nations n False prophets n Lawlessness will abound n False christs

End of the world? review o Events listed in 36 ff are open n No one knows day or hour n As Noah didn’t know when flood was coming n Watch, don’t know hour your Lord is coming n As a thief, time is uncertain n Master came when servant wasn’t expecting

Destruction of Jerusalem review o End of Jewish state o Destruction of temple n God’s presence among His chosen people n Center of Jewish worship o Daily sacrifices o Three great annual feasts

Destruction of Jerusalem review o Punishment for rejecting the Messiah? n To complete God’s plan of redemption it was necessary for Christ to die as our sacrifice n God did not ‘make’ the Jews reject Him n He used their wickedness to complete His purpose

Jewish nation destroyed review o Romans would tear the nation apart ripping it like a dead carcass n n Begun under Nero Vespasian is general in charge Nero dies; Vespasian is made emperor His son Titus completes destruction in Judea o Tried to save temple? ?

Jewish nation destroyed review o Example of the fig tree o ‘near—at the door’ o This generation will not pass away

review Shifts to answer second question o Signs of His coming n No one knows when—only My Father n Like in the days of Noah o Not prepared

Watch and pray review o No one knows when a thief is coming o Be ready o Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect o Blessed is the one who is prepared o Woe to the unprepared n Will be cut in two n Weeping and gnashing of teeth

Life of Christ, part 3 Last Week Lesson 6 Matthew 25 -26: 19 Mark 14: 1 -16 Luke 22: 1 -13

Final Judgment on Mankind Matthew 25 o At Christ’s second coming Being prepared is not a task or a chore, or o Three parables n The virgins n The talents n The judgement (parable? ) o Two main points n Don’t know when n Be prepared something to be feared. If we love Jesus and want to serve Him as our King and our Master then we will be prepared because of love, not fear.

Ten virgins Matthew 25: 1 -13 o It was a custom sometimes used among the Jews on that occasion, that the bridegroom came, attended with his friends, late in the night, to the house of the bride, where she expected him, attended with her brides-maids; who, upon notice given of the bridegrooms' approach, were to go out with lamps in their hands, to light him into the house with ceremony and formality, for the celebrating of the marriage with great mirth (cheerfulness, festivity). Matthew Henry Commentary

Ten virgins o Waiting for the bridegroom o Five had taken extra oil o Five had only the oil in their lamp o The bridegroom comes— they are called to come out to meet him o The virgins get ready o Five realize they do not have enough oil

Ten virgins o They want to borrow from the five with extra oil Each must prepare for himself n Not enough for you and us n Go buy oil for yourselves o While they were gone the bridegroom came o Those who were prepared went with him into the marriage feast o The door was shut << key point

Ten virgins o The five foolish (unprepared) virgins return o They were not allowed to enter the feast (‘the door was shut’) n ‘I do not know you’ o All ten were invited o Only five were admitted n The ones who were prepared when the bridegroom came

n o s s e l Ten virgins o All ten could have entered the feast o There is preparation to be made as we await the coming of the bridegroom o The prepared were admitted o The door was shut on the unprepared o Remember—Jesus is describing His second coming

The talents Matthew 25: 14 -30 o Time of the judgment compared to a man going into a far country o Calls in servants (three mentioned) o Gave his possessions into their care o Each according to his ability n One received five talents n One received two talents n One received one talent

The talents o Talent—a weight of money (silver or gold) n Worth several hundred thousand dollars o In this parable it represents a responsibility n A charge to manage the funds while the landowner is away

The talents o The servant with five talents put his ability to work and gained five more talents o The servant with two talents put his ability (less ability than the servant with five talents) to work and gained two more talents

The talents o The servant who received only one talent (according to his ability) dug a hole and his master’s money o The master returned from his journey and asked for a report n “After a long time” n Indefinite; no time given

Ten talents o The servant with five talents reported that he had gained five more o The master was pleased o The servant with two talents reported that he had gained two more o Again, the master was pleased

Ten talents o To both of these— n ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; servant you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. ’ n The same to both o Each servant maximized the ability he had Remember the Remember— widow giving ‘she has done what she could’ her two mites? ?

The talents Remember, just like the others, o The servant with one talent came making he was given excuses according to his o Excuses were not accepted ability o Take from him and give to servant with ten talents o Cast the wicked and unprofitable servant into outer darkness n Weeping and gnashing of teeth

n o s s e l The talents o We have different abilities n But we all have abilities o Each servant received something o We are expected to return ‘goods’ to the Master based on our abilities Can I begin to imagine myself o We can work and gain abilities standing before o Unused abilities are taken away the Great Judge n Judgment is passed on unused abilities trying to make excuses?

n o s s e l The talents o The servant with one talent came making excuses o Excuses were not accepted o Take from him and give to servant with ten talents o Cast the wicked and unprofitable servant into outer darkness n Weeping and gnashing of teeth

The sheep and the goats Matthew 25: 31 -46 o When the ‘Son of Man’ comes n n n In all His glory Angels with Him Will sit on the throne of His glory All nations gathered before Him A separation will occur o Sheep on the right hand o Goats on the left hand

The sheep e n o g n “servi ” r e h t ano o "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… o He explains why they were chosen o They don’t understand o ‘as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me. '

The goats o "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… o He explains why they were rejected o Again, they don’t understand o ‘you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me. ’

The sheep and the goats o The goats will go away into everlasting punishment, but the sheep (righteous) into eternal life (Matthew 13: 49 -50) o The Son of Man rewards those who are busy caring for the needs of others o Those who did nothing were cast into eternal punishment Had those rejected o Romans 2: 5 -11 done anything wrong?

n o s s e l The sheep and the goats Matthew 7: 21 "Not o Son of Man will return everyone who says o There will be a judgment to Me, 'Lord, ' shall enter the o Righteous will be rewarded kingdom of n Busy doing ‘righteous deeds’ heaven, but he o Wicked will be punished who does the will n Not doing the Lord’s work of My Father in o A clear choice to be righteous heaven. n Work n No excuses

His crucifixion is almost here Matthew 26: 1 -5 o Passover is two days away o Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified o Caiaphas is High Priest o Elders are the Sanhedrin n High court of Jews o They are plotting to kill Jesus, but don’t want a riot during the feast n Large crowd in Jerusalem

Judas steps forth Matthew 26: 14 -16; Mark 14: 12 -16 o Judas goes to chief priest to bargain a price for betraying Jesus o They paid him thirty pieces of silver to help them find the right time to take Jesus without stirring up the people

Preparation for the feast Matthew 26: 17 -19 o Jesus sends the disciples into the city o They are to meet a man with a pitcher of water o He will lead them to a house with a large upper room furnished and ready to use o There they were to prepare the meal o They found it just as He said

n o s s e l Ten virgins o All ten could have entered the feast o There is preparation to be made as we await the coming of the bridegroom o The prepared were admitted o The door was shut on the unprepared

n o s s e l The talents o We have different abilities n But we all have abilities o Each servant received something o We are expected to return ‘goods’ to the Master based on our abilities o We can work and gain abilities o Unused abilities are taken away n Judgment is passed on unused abilities

n o s s e l The sheep and the goats o Son of Man will return o There will be a judgment o Righteous will be rewarded n Busy doing ‘righteous deeds’ o Wicked will be punished n Not doing the Lord’s work o A clear choice to be righteous n Serve others Nothing is said about doing wrong. The point here is ‘cast out’ for failing to do good.

When Jesus comes to reward His servants, Whether it be noon or night, Faithful to Him will He find us watching, With our lamps all trimmed and bright? If, at the dawn of the early morning, He shall call us one by one, When to the Lord we restore our talents, Will He answer thee--“Well done”? Blessed are those whom the Lord finds watching, In His glory they shall share; If He shall come at the dawn or midnight, Will He find us watching there?