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Matthew 25:31-46 (Sheep and the goats)

INTRODUCTION: Today is the last message in our series on Jesus in Jerusalem, and it is also the last message in our mini-series on Christ’s return. So far, we have looked at the signs of Christ’s return, being ready for Christ’s return, waiting for Christ’s return and preparing for Christ’s return. Today we come to judgment when Christ returns. (Read Matthew 25:31-33 and pray.)

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First, Jesus taught us the signs of his return. Then, we saw that those signs are all around us, so we need to be ready for his return at any time. But then we learned that God keeps time differently than us, so we also need to be ready to wait for his return if necessary. Then, Jesus taught us what we should do while we are waiting. We should prepare for his return by being good stewards of the gifts God has given us.

In this final passage, now Jesus tells us why we need to prepare for Christ’s return. We need to prepare for Christ’s return because the final judgment will take place when Christ returns. Here Jesus teaches us about the final judgment, and we learn the answers to many questions from this last passage in our series.

There will be judgment when Christ returns. Here comes the judge! Are you prepared?

I. Who is our judge? – Jesus, the Son of Man (31)
   – John 5:22-23

The first question this section answers for us is, “Who is our judge?” Jesus has been saying all along that there will be some type of judgment when he returns, but who exactly is our judge? We find the answer to that in verse 31:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.” (Matthew 25:31)

Who is our judge? Jesus himself will sit on the throne for judgment. As the Son of Man and Son of God, Jesus will preside on the day of judgment. Jesus said about himself in John 5:22-23: “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.” (John 5:22-23)

Who is our judge? Jesus, the Son of Man is our judge.

II. Who will be judged? – All people from all nations (32)
   – Revelation 20:12-13

That leads us to our next question, which is, “Who will be judged?” We find the answer to this question in verse 32:

“All the nations will be gathered before him….” (Matthew 25:32)

Who will be judged? All people from all nations. Just as Jesus comes with all his angels for judgment, so all the nations are gathered for judgment. All in heaven and earth gather together for the final judgment.

This is in accordance with what we read in Revelation 20 where John says, “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne … and each person was judged according to what he had done.” (Revelation 20:12-13) Who will be judged in that day? All people from all nations will stand before Jesus for judgment.

III. How will we be judged? – Jesus will separate us into two groups: the sheep and the goats (32-33)

The next question this section answers for us is, “How will we be judged?” We find the answer to this question in verses 32-33:

“All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.” (Matthew 25:32-33)

How will we be judged? Jesus will separate us into two distinct groups, here pictured as the sheep and the goats. Jesus will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left, the right hand being the side of honor and blessing in Scripture

The sheep represent those who are saved in the final judgment, and the goats represent those who are not. In other places in the Bible these two groups are pictured as the wheat and the weeds (Matthew 13:36-43) or good fish and bad fish (Matthew 13:47-50), but the most common designation in Scripture is simply the righteous and the wicked. (Genesis 18:23; Psalm 1:5; Proverbs 11:21; Malachi 3:18; Matthew 13:49; Acts 24:15).

Notice how Jesus separates the people “one from another.” Each individual person will be singled out and assigned either to the sheep or the goats. Charles Spurgeon comments: “Not one goat will be left among the sheep, nor one sheep with the goats. The division will be very close and personal: ‘one from another.; They will not be separated into nations, nor even into families; but each individual will be allotted his or her proper place among the sheep or among the goats.” (Charles Spurgeon; The Gospel of the Kingdom: An Exposition of the Gospel of Matthew)

IV. On what basis will we be judged? – Jesus will judge us according to how we treated “the least of these” (34-46)

And then the fourth and biggest question this section answers for us is this: “On what basis will we be judged?” We have learned that Jesus is our judge. We have learned that all people from all nations will be judged. We have learned that Jesus will separate us into two distinct groups, putting the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. But on what basis will Jesus make this distinction? We find the answer to this question in the remaining verses of our passage.

This is the bulk of our passage today, and I am going to read it all the way through so we can fully hear Jesus’ words in their original context. Listen now as we read verses 34-46:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:34-46)

So, on what basis will Jesus separate people into one group or another? Here in Matthew 25 Jesus makes the distinction based on a single criterion. The sheep and the goats were separated according to how they treated what Jesus calls “the least of these brothers of mine.” (Matthew 25:40).

This raises two questions. 1) Who are “the least of these?” And 2) Are we saved by faith or by works? Knowing the answers to these questions is vital in interpreting this passage correctly, so let’s look at each of these question in turn.

   A. Who are “the least of these?” – Fellow believers, but we should still help anyone in need (Matthew 10:40-42; Galatians 6:10)

First of all, who are the least of these? There are two main interpretations offered for this designation. Does Jesus refer here to all those who are in need, or does he refer specifically to fellow believers who are in need? There are good arguments to be made for both interpretations.

Many people interpret Jesus as speaking of fellow believers because in verse 40 he designates the least of these as “the least of these brothers of mine.” We only become brothers and sisters of Jesus when we are adopted into God’s family as believers in Jesus. This would be consistent with passages such as Matthew 10:40-42 where Jesus says to his disciples: “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me…. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:40-42)

However, others interpret Jesus as speaking of anyone who is in need, whether they are believers or not. Although they agree that we are only adopted into God’s family when we believe in Christ, they interpret Jesus’ phrase “the least of these brothers of mine” in a more general way. They see this as an example of Jesus identifying with all of humanity and the common brotherhood of man rather than speaking specifically of those who have been adopted into God’s family by faith in Christ. This would be consistent with passages such as Luke 10:25-37 where Jesus shares the parable of the Good Samaritan. The whole point of that particular parable is that we should help those who are not like us rather than only those who share our culture or beliefs.

So, which is it? Does Jesus refer here to all those in need or is he referring more specifically to believers in need? I believe he is referring specifically to believers here. Notice that Jesus uses the word “brothers” when talking to the sheep, but not when talking to the goats. When Jesus speaks to the sheep on his right, you can picture him gesturing with his hands to all the sheep on his right, ‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine.” And when Jesus turns and speaks to the goats on his left, you can picture him directing their attention to the sheep on his right saying, “Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these.”

And so, I believe Jesus is referring specifically to believers here, but that doesn’t mean we are not to help others as well. Galatians 6:10 provides us with a good guideline to follow. Galatians 6:10 says, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:10) In other words, you should help everyone you can, whether they’re a believer or not. But you can’t help everyone, so you should especially do good to fellow believers. You do good anytime you help anyone, but it is wrong not to help family. So, you do good to all people as you have opportunity, but especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

So, that’s the answer to our first question. Who are the least of these? Specifically, they are fellow believers, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t help others as well.

   B. Are we saved by faith or by works? – We are saved by faith as evidenced by our works (Ephesians 2:8-10; James 2:14-17)

How about the second question now? Are we saved by faith or by works? The only difference between the sheep and the goats is what they did or didn’t do, and so it almost looks as though Jesus is saying we are saved by works rather than faith.

Here is where we need to be careful to interpret Matthew 25 in harmony with the rest of Scripture. If we only had this passage of Scripture to work with, we could interpret it in one of two ways: 1) that these good works Jesus speaks about are the basis of our salvation, or 2) that these good works Jesus speaks of are the evidence of our salvation.

However, fortunately we have more than just this passage, and we can look to the other Scriptures to help us with our interpretation. Comparing Scripture to Scripture, it becomes clear that we must choose option two: that these works are not the basis for our salvation but rather the evidence for our salvation. Faith comes first, then works.

For example, we read in Ephesians 2:8-10: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) This passage is important because Paul says first of all that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works. But then he goes on to say, now that you have become a Christian, God has created you in Christ to do good works. Once again, faith comes first, and then works.

The book of James says the same thing. We read in James 2:14-17: “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:14-17) We are saved by faith, but our faith is evidenced by our good works. Without works there is no evidence that you have true faith. Some people phrase it this way: “Faith alone saves, but faith that saves is not alone.”

So, that’s the answer to our second question. Are we saved by faith or by works? The Scriptures are clear: we are saved by faith alone, not by works. So, on what basis does Jesus separate the people into one group or the other? Not on the basis of their works but rather on the basis of their faith as evidenced by their works. Those who truly believe demonstrate their faith by practical love and care to other believers.

Notice also how Jesus welcomes believers into their inheritance, which was prepared for them before the creation of the world. This is also grace language, because an inheritance is given, not earned.

We are saved by faith, but that faith is evidenced by our works. We should never separate faith from works, and we should never separate works from works of mercy towards those in need. Those who are truly saved demonstrate their faith by reaching out to those in need, ministering to the basic needs of food, shelter and visitation. As Galatians 6:10 says, we do good to all people as we have opportunity, but especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

V. Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for Jesus (40,45)
   – Acts 9:4

Now we come to probably the most important teaching of this whole section: whatever you do for the least of these, you do for Jesus. Notice there is an element of surprise when Jesus gets to this teaching, both with the sheep and the goats! When the King tells those on his right all the things they did for him, they reply, “When, Lord, did we do all of these things for you?” And the King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 23:40) And when the King tells those on his left all the things they did not do for him, they reply, “When, Lord, did we ever see you in need and not help you?” He will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” (Matthew 23:45)

Jesus’ teaching here is clear. Whatever you do for other believers, you do for Christ. And whatever you do not do for other believers, you do not do for Christ. This is because we are all part of the body of Christ and Christ is the head of his body, the church. So, when you minister to other believers, you are also ministering to Christ. When you neglect or mistreat other believers, you are also neglecting or mistreating Christ.

Paul learned this truth on the road to Damascus. He had been persecuting Christians, but Jesus asked him in Acts 9:4, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4) We are all part of the body of Christ, and so in persecuting other believers, Paul was also persecuting Jesus.

You see, it all comes back to Jesus. In the long run, we are judged according to how we treated Jesus, because whatever we do for the least of these, we do for Jesus; and whatever we do not do for the least of these, we do not do for Jesus. In the final judgment people are judged according to their relationship with Jesus as demonstrated by how they have treated his people.

VI. The wicked will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life (34, 41, 46)

Finally, Jesus teaches us that at the final judgment the wicked will go away to eternal punishment but the righteous to eternal life. We read in Matthew 25:34: “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34) We read in Matthew 25:41: “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41) Notice that heaven was prepared for God’s people since the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34), whereas hell was originally prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).

We read in Matthew 25:46: “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46) The separation that takes place at the final judgment continues throughout all of eternity. It is a separation based on how you responded to Jesus in this life. How did you respond to Jesus as evidenced by your love and care for others, especially those belonging to the family of God?

CONCLUSION: Jesus told us we need to be ready for his return, and we need to prepare for his return. Why? Because there will be judgment when Christ returns. When Jesus returns, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory and judge all people from all nations. Jesus will separate all of humanity into two groups. One group will go away to eternal punishment and the other to eternal life.

You need to make sure that your faith is in Jesus so you will be saved. And you need to make sure that your faith is genuine by doing what God tells you. You prepare for Christ’s return by using the gifts God has given you for God and for others, and you prepare for Christ’s return by helping those who are in need, especially those who belong to the family of believers.

On that final day, you will end up either on Jesus’ right or his left. There are no other options. Choose wisely, and choose today.

© Ray Fowler

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