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 .