The Final Judgment

Good to meet with you guys this Sunday and worship our Lord this morning.

Like Paul said, my name is Andrew.

Matthew 25, verse 31 to 46.

Matthew 25:31–46

Let me pray for the reading and preaching of the Lord.

Heavenly Father, we thank you so much that your Word, the Scripture, is active, living,

and breathing.

And as we encounter your Word, it comes to life in our own lives.

Lord, this morning I feel so much inadequacy, so much weakness.

And ask for your help and power of your Holy Spirit.

Lord, won't your Word come alive this morning to speak to your people,

to clutch at our heartstrings,

to convict us of any sin,

and to fill us with encouragement and hope of the future that is yet to come.

Be with us this morning, Lord, by the power of your Holy Spirit.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Won't you please rise with me for the reading of God's Word.

Matthew chapter 25, verse 31 to 46.

Matthew 25:31–46

When the Son of Man comes in His glory,

and all the angels with Him,

then He will sit on His glorious throne.

Before Him will be gathered all the nations,

and He will separate people, one from another,

as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

And He will place the sheep on His right,

but the goats on the left.

Then the King will say to those on His right,

Come, you who are blessed by my Father,

inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry, and you gave me food.

I was thirsty, and you gave me drink.

I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.

I was naked, and you clothed me.

I was sick, and you visited me.

I was in prison, and you came to me.

Then the righteous will answer Him, saying,

Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,

or thirsty and give you drink?

And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you,

or naked and clothe you?

And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?

And the King will answer them,

Truly I say to you,

as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,

you did it to me.

Then He will say to those on His left,

Depart from me, you cursed.

Into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

For I was hungry, and you gave me no food.

I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink.

I was a stranger, and you did not welcome me.

Naked, and you did not clothe me.

Sick and in prison, and you did not visit me.

Then they also will answer, saying,

Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty,

or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison,

and did not minister to you?

Then He will answer them, saying,

Truly I say to you,

as you did not do it to one of the least of these,

you did not do it to me.

And these will go away into eternal punishment,

but the righteous into eternal life.

This is God's holy and authoritative word.

You may be seated.

Do you love Jesus?

Eight years ago, I was on a church missions trip

to Baja California, Mexico,

when I was confronted by a little boy

who sprang this question up to me.

Do you love Jesus?

I was taken aback by his eagerness with the question,

but I confidently replied,

Yes, of course I do.

The boy then gave me a skeptical look.

And yelled,

Prove it.

He proceeded to run off,

and I was left dumbfounded and bewildered,

partly because I didn't have the Spanish vocabulary

to prove it.

And also partly,

I didn't know if I had the English vocabulary

to prove it either.

Fast forward to May 2026, two months ago.

I was attending my wife's graduation ceremony

for a master's program

at Gordon-Connacle Theological Seminary.

During the Bachelorette service,

one of our New Testament professors

gave a sermon of exhortation.

And his main piece was this.

The most important question

that we will ever have to answer

is this.

Do you love Jesus?

Do you love Jesus?

This question is so important

that Jesus asks it three consecutive times to Peter.

Peter, the chief disciple

who denied Jesus three times

and left him to be crucified and killed.

Jesus, after having resurrected from the dead,

approaches Peter,

his deeply ashamed disciple,

and asks him,

Peter,

Peter,

do you love me?

Do you love me?

Do you love me?

And Peter replies,

Christ,

you know that I love you.

You know that I love you.

You know that I love you.

And each time Peter replies,

yes, I love you,

Jesus commands Peter

to feed his sheep.

If Peter truly loves his master, Jesus,

he will tend to and shepherd

those who Christ calls his sheep

sheep for the rest of his life.

It's more than Peter's words.

It's his entire life going forward.

It's actions

that will be the evidence

for his love for Jesus.

Do you love Jesus?

If so, then you prove it.

Jesus doesn't ask this question

and issue this commandment here

as a mere mental and moral exercise.

And in that same way,

our answer to this question

and the evidence behind this

is more than just amusing,

a mere thought.

How we answer this question

with our words,

not just our words,

our actions

and with our entire lives

has eternal implications

for each and every one of us here.

Our passage in Matthew 25

this morning reveals that

Jesus,

the Son of Man,

who died on the cross

and resurrected from the dead,

and ascended into heaven,

he will come again.

In the second coming,

Jesus will bring

the final judgment

to the eternal,

to the entire world.

And he will judge

each and every person

based on their conduct

of how they have lived their lives.

Do you love Jesus?

On the final day,

on the final judgment day,

your life,

it will be truth

of whether you truly

loved him or not.

And whether your final verdict

is eternal life

with the Lord God

or eternal punishment

away from him.

And so this is our main point

for our passage this morning.

Be ready

for the final judgment

of the Son of Man

when he returns.

I'll put some four

different parts this morning.

First,

the authority

of the Son of Man.

Second,

the reward

of the righteous sheep.

Third,

the curse

of the unrighteous goats.

And fourth,

the eternal consequences.

First,

the authority

of the Son of Man.

We are in

the final part

of what is called

the Olivet Discourse

in the Gospel of Matthew,

where Jesus speaks

of the end times

and his second coming

to the earth.

In the past week's passages,

Jesus said that

when the end

of the age arrives,

it's unknown to us.

But when Jesus

does return,

we will be judged

for our preparedness,

making the most

of what God

has entrusted to us

in a Christ-centered

and gospel-driven life.

Our passage this morning,

then,

concludes this Olivet Discourse

with Jesus explaining

what exactly

will happen

on this day

of the final judgment

and the criteria

in which Jesus

will judge

all the world.

But first,

we must examine

on what grounds

does the Son of Man

have the authority

to do this?

Who is he

to separate

and sort

all the nations

and peoples?

In verse 31,

Jesus says

that the Son of Man

will come in glory,

accompanied by angels,

and he will sit

on his glorious throne.

The term Son of Man,

as we have seen

in Jesus'

referred to himself

many times

throughout the Gospel

of Matthew,

is referential

to the prophecy

in Daniel 7,

where one,

like a Son of Man,

comes to the Ancient

of days,

and is given

an everlasting dominion

that all peoples,

nations,

and languages

should serve him.

That title,

Son of Man,

highlights Jesus'

kingship and authority

based on this

Daniel 7 prophecy.

Jesus' authority

as the Son of Man

is also displayed

that when he comes

in glory,

all the angels

will accompany him.

The entire army

of angels,

spiritual beings

created by God

to worship him

and accomplish his will,

will leave their posts

in heaven

to follow up to Jesus,

not as his equals,

but as his subjects.

1 Peter 3.22

says that Jesus,

when he had resurrected

and had gone into heaven,

has angels,

authorities,

and powers

subjected to him.

Here in our passage,

Jesus says that he will

return with all

of these celestial beings

leading them to earth

in his final return.

And once he returns,

Jesus will sit

on his glorious throne

with all the nations

gathered around him.

Just the throne imagery,

it evokes

kingly authority.

Though here and now,

Jesus sits at the right hand

of the throne of God

the Father in heaven,

reigning over heaven

and earth.

In his second coming,

when Jesus comes again,

Jesus will return

to establish his kingdom

and throne on earth

so that his kingship

will be in plain sight

to everyone

in the world.

It's remarkable to think

that as Jesus is foretelling

this glorious return,

this glorious return,

that future one,

who will sit

on his glorious throne

surrounded by his angels

and all the nations,

he sits in this passage,

perhaps on a little stone,

a meager stone

on the Mount of Olives,

surrounded by his

motley crew of disciples,

knowing that one disciple

will betray him,

another will deny him

three times,

and all will forsake him,

leaving him to be crucified

over the three days.

This is Jesus,

the Son of God,

who humbled himself

in the form of man,

that the Son of Man

would be delivered

to earthly authorities

to be rejected,

to be mocked,

to be flogged,

to be crucified.

And yet,

even in the humblest,

perhaps most humiliating

of situations,

Jesus looks towards

the eternal realities

of the day

when he will return

in glory

and power

and majesty

as the supreme king

and judge of all.

And so when he returns,

he sits enthroned

with all nations,

all people

coming before him.

When an official,

a governor,

or a king

arrives to the city,

the citizens

are expected

to greet him

and gather before him,

a symbol of their loyalty

and subjugation.

When a king is crowned,

the people are called

to gather

in commemoration

and celebration

of his coronation.

The king is at

the center

of his people's attention.

For example,

during the 2023

coronation

of King Charles III

of the United Kingdom,

there were over

2,000 guests

who were invited

to view the ceremony

at Westminster Avenue,

representing over

200 countries

and including

other nations'

royalties,

world leaders,

religious leaders,

and other prominent

figures of power

and influence.

Let's blow this number

up just a little bit more.

Within the United Kingdom,

over 20 million people

on that day

viewed the ceremony

on television.

Let's blow that figure

out even more.

Within the entire world,

globally,

there was an audience

of approximately

2 billion people

across 125 countries

that tuned in

to King Charles III's

coronation.

One-fourth

of the entire world

had their eyes

on King Charles.

Church,

when Jesus returns,

it will be exceedingly

more than that.

All nations,

all people

will be gathered

before him

as he sits

on his throne.

This is not just

all present

living people,

but all nations,

kingdoms,

civilizations

that ever existed

in the world.

Revelation 20

says that even

the dead

will be brought

forward to the throne

of Jesus

to be judged.

Billions upon

billions

of people.

And Jesus commands

their attention,

authority over all,

whether they believe

in him or not.

Philippians 2,

9-11 says,

Therefore God

has highly exalted

him and has

sowed on him

the name that is

above every name,

so that at the name

of Jesus

every name should

bow,

in heaven and on earth

and under the earth

and every tongue

confess that Jesus

Christ is Lord.

Revelation 1-7

says,

Behold,

he is coming

with the clouds

and every eye

will see him,

even those

who pierce him.

And all tribes

of the earth

will wail

on countenance.

Every person,

whether or not

they acknowledge

the Son of Man

before,

whether they embrace

Jesus

or pierce him,

will see Jesus

and they won't

be able to help

but confess

that he is Lord

over all things,

all people,

when he returns.

And so,

this is the great

authority that Jesus

has over all the earth

and it is by

his authority

that Jesus

judges the nations

and separates

the sheep

and goats

from one another.

And so,

when he returns,

the Son of Man

will separate people

one from another

as a shepherd

separates the sheep

and the goats.

The people listening

to Jesus at this time

would have been

very familiar

with the image

of the shepherd,

sheep and goats

that Jesus presents

here.

In ancient Palestine,

shepherds would keep

their sheep and goats

together in the same

pastures during the day

since their grazing

habits were pretty much

the same.

However,

because goats

tend to require

warmer temperatures

to rest in the evening,

before nightfall,

the shepherds

would bring the flock

to the resting quarters

and would separate

the sheep and goats

from one another

by hand.

The sheep and goats

would walk

single file

through a mare of sheep

and the shepherd

would swing a gaze,

sorting the sheep

or goats

one by one,

ensuring that

each animal

ends up

with this appropriate

long time.

And let me tell you,

I went down

this unnecessary

rabbit hole

trying to search

what do Palestinian

sheep and goats

look like.

It's so hard

to tell them

they look so

good for them.

And just the thought

of having the shepherds

swinging the egg

right and left

and trying to pinpoint

with their eyes,

okay, this one's a sheep,

this one's a goat,

this one's a sheep.

Oh, no, no, no,

go, go, go, go, go,

you gotta look.

It's a strenuous,

it's a painstaking process

of being so careful

in sorting

the sheep and goats

their properties.

Just as painstakingly

and personally

the shepherd

sorts his sheep

and goats

one after another,

so will our Lord Jesus

closely and personally

place each individual

person in his

or her properties,

whether that is

among their fellow sheep

or among their fellow goats.

And Jesus says

in verse 33,

the shepherd places

the sheep on his right

but the goats

on the left.

There will be

no middle group,

no third group,

no goat among sheep,

no sheep among goats,

only two rigid categories.

Those who are the sheep

and those who are the goats,

right and left.

From here, Jesus,

reveals what exactly

these cattle is.

Sheep to his right

goes to his left.

Verse 3,

verse 34,

the son of man,

now the king

who sits upon

his glorious throne

says to those

on his right,

come,

you are blessed

by my father,

inherit the kingdom

prepared for you

from the foundation

of the world.

Come,

inherit the kingdom.

Jesus continues to describe

some of the things

these people have done.

Verse 35 to 36,

they gave Jesus food

when he was hungry.

They give him drink

when he was thirsty.

When he was a stranger,

would that home or shelter

be welcomed him?

When Jesus was naked,

they clothed him.

And when he was sick

or imprisoned,

they visited him.

When Jesus was in physical need

or misfortune,

these blessed ones

attended to him

and cared for him

as their own.

And Jesus calls them

blessed by my father

and calls them

to inherit the kingdom

into eternal life

and fellowship

with the Lord.

Jesus preaches

this most twice

only to be met

with confusion.

The righteous

will answer him

and say,

Lord,

when did we see you

hungry,

thirsty,

a stranger,

naked,

sick,

or in prison

and when did we care

of him?

Imagine the bewilderment

of these people.

They received

this glowing commendation

from the most glorious

Jesus.

They're called blessed.

They're told that

they will inherit

the kingdom

of the Heavenly Father.

They're told that

they attended

to Jesus' needs

on earth.

But they can't seem

to recall

for the life of them

when they did

any of their sins.

They must have

looked so timidly

at Jesus.

This is the glorious

Jesus,

enthroned

in all this glory,

wondering if he's

made a mistake

if he's got

the wrong guy.

Jesus,

my Lord,

pardon me.

My memory

might be a little

spotty

around the door.

I don't think

I've ever

did any of these

things for you.

Lord Jesus,

quite frankly,

I don't even know

if I've ever

met you in person.

Jesus answers

their bewilderment

so patiently

and says,

truly,

I say to you,

as you did it

to one of the

beasts of these,

my brothers,

you did it to me.

Anyone who cared

for the beasts

of Jesus' brothers

has done the same

to Jesus.

Jesus.

What Jesus

says here

bears resemblance

to what he told

the disciples

in Matthew 10,

Matthew 10:40–42

verse 40 to 42.

Whoever receives you,

receives me.

And whoever receives me,

receives him

who sends me.

And whoever gives

one of these

little ones

even a cup

of cold water

to receive his

disciple,

truly,

I say to you,

he will by no means

lose this reward.

These little ones,

as Matthew 10 says,

are Jesus' disciples.

In Matthew 12,

Jesus stretches out

his hand

towards these

same disciples

and says,

here are my brothers.

For whoever does

the will of my

Father in heaven

is my brother

and sister

and mother.

And so whoever

receives these

little brothers

of Jesus,

his disciples,

whoever clothes them,

feeds them,

shelters them,

gives them even

a cup of cold water,

also does so

to Jesus.

Why does Jesus

specifically highlight

the actions of

feeding these brothers

who are so hungry,

those who are thirsty,

those who needed

shelter, clothing,

comfort, companionship,

because each of

these actions

requires great

sacrifice

and selflessness

of time,

resources,

energy.

Church,

it takes time,

it takes resources,

it takes energy

for us

to provide

meals

for fellow

brothers and sisters

through the meal

train,

just like Todd

has said.

It takes time

to trek to the

hospital to visit

our sick friends

and family.

It requires

sacrifice for us

to go out of our

way to comfort,

encourage,

and uplift

heartbroken

brothers and sisters.

But we are

willing to sacrifice

because we see

that there is a need

amongst our

brothers and sisters

and we're stirred

up by Christ's

love to serve

them.

The disciples

were among

the lowliest

of men,

without home,

without secure

food or drink

on the day by day,

with barely a

cloak to cover

them from the

elements.

They were so

severely in need,

but I'm sure

that many people

would have seen

them in their

poverty and hear

them talking so

boldly about

the Messiah as

Jesus,

whose fears of

controversy in the

public,

and they would

have just

dunked their

heads and

hurried away

by making

excuses about

why they are

not able to

provide

their least

examples.

However,

if anyone

were to be

stirred up

by the love

of Christ,

they will

pay heed

to the

least of

these.

Jesus

brought us

and care for

them and

receive their

words,

and doing so

also care for

Jesus and

receive his

words.

And that is

what Jesus

commends these

chiefs for,

for paying

heed to the

needs of his

disciples and

receiving them

welcomingly,

and thereby

receiving Jesus

as their own

as well.

What Jesus

is not saying,

mind you,

is that our

kindness and

generosity should

be closed off

to unbelievers.

Galatians 5.10

exhorts us to

do good first

to the household

of faith,

but then also

to love our

needless as

ourselves by

doing good to

them.

God,

whether it's

the homeless

or the sick,

our neediest

friend or our

harshest enemy,

we are called

to honor even

the least of

these neighbors

because they

have been created

in the image

of God and

bear that dignity

to be treated

as such.

However,

the way we

treat and

receive fellow

believers has

an important

significance because

it reflects how

we treat Jesus

himself.

Whoever receives

the words of

Jesus'

disciples and

accepts them

also receives

and accepts

Jesus and

is saved by

faith.

And Jesus

commends them

and rewards

them and

says,

come,

inherit the

kingdom.

Now,

some people

will read this

passage and

come to the

conclusion that

these people

of Jesus'

right received

the kingdom

of God because

they fit the

home, because

they helped

the poor,

because they

sheltered the

homeless,

visited and

imprisoned.

some will

conclude that

eternal rewards

for the

righteous hinge

on their

concern for

and the

prioritization of

the social

welfare of the

world.

The hungry

need to be

fed.

The disenfranchised

and marginalized

need to be

restored.

Wealth needs

to be redistributed

in order for

God's kingdom

to manifest.

The way we

love others

certainly has

eternal

significance.

However,

we cannot

conclude that

our salvation

depends on

our inactive

peace acts

of mercy.

There will

be a fatal

mistake and

the conclusion

itself is

not consistent

with what

Jesus says

all throughout

his life

and ministry

and what

God's word

says.

Jesus is

not suggesting

that anyone

can inherit

the kingdom

of his

father based

on their

works.

Within our

passage, there

are several

clues that

indicate that

Jesus is

not saying

that those

on his

right will

inherit the

kingdom because

of their

good works.

Let's go

back to

verse 34

for a moment.

It says,

Come, you

who are

blessed by

my father,

inherit the

kingdom prepared

for you from

the foundation

of the world.

First, the

verb inherit

is not used

for something

that is

earned.

When you

inherit something,

it does not

come at a

price.

It is freely

given as a

son inherits

his father's

laws.

The son

doesn't have

to toil

away in

order to

receive his

father's

position.

He simply

receives it

because he

is the

son of

his father.

In the

same way,

the inheritance

of God's

kingdom is a

gift that

cannot be

earned, but

is given

freely to

those whom

the father

calls his

own children.

Secondly,

the kingdom

is not just

haphazardly

given to

those blessed

ones.

After Jesus

sees that,

they do all

these good

deeds.

Rather,

the kingdom

was prepared

for them

from the

foundation

of the

world.

From the

very beginning,

it was God's

plan that

these people

would receive

his kingdom.

Their God

elect,

as it says

in Ephesians

1,

for those

whom he

chose in

him before

the foundation

of the world,

that they

should be

holy and

blameless

before him.

God already

knew that

these people

would inherit

his kingdom,

and the way

he cared for

the least of

Jesus'

disciples was

a testimony

of this.

And third,

Jesus'

description of

the good

deeds that

the people

on his

right hand

had done,

in verse

35 and

36,

should be

viewed as

a statement

of evidence,

not

causation.

In other

words,

Jesus is not

saying that

these people

have inherited

the kingdom

because of

their good

works,

but rather

that their

inheritance of

the kingdom,

their salvation,

is evidenced

by their

good works.

Lutheran

theologian

H.D.

Haman provides

a hopeful

illustration in

his commentary

of the gospel

according to

Matthew.

I can say,

it has

raining for

the atmospheric

conditions were

right for

raining,

or it has

raining for

the streets

are wet.

The for in

one case gives

the reason

for the rain,

and in the

other case,

the evidence

for it.

It is in

the second

sentence that

the for of

verse 35

is understood.

The judge

points to

the works

of verses

35 and 36

as evidence

for the

position assigned

to the

sheep.

The people

to the right

of Jesus

are called

righteous by

him.

They're called

blessed.

They're called

inheritors of the

kingdom for

their good deeds

give evidence

that they have

been saved by

Jesus on the

cross and

transformed by

the Holy Spirit

dwelling inside

them.

by grace,

it has

become part

of their

DNA,

their inner

being,

as sheep

who belong

to Jesus

that they

desire to

do good

works.

In other

parts of

scripture,

we'll find

that same

idea that

we are not

saved by

our human

strivings and

deeds.

Just as we

read in our

assurance of

pardon,

Ephesians 2,

8 says,

by grace,

you have been

saved for

faith.

This is not

your own

doing.

It is the

gift of God,

not the

result of works

so that no

one may

boast.

Romans 11,

6,

but if it

is by grace,

it is no

longer on the

basis of

works,

otherwise grace

would no

longer be

grace.

Or Titus 3,

5,

God our

Savior saves

us not

because of

works done

by us in

righteousness,

but according

to his own

mercy.

Our salvation

does not

depend on our

good works

or our

meaning of

certain quota

of good deeds

and service.

salvation is

fully by

grace and

grace alone

through faith.

It is by

grace through

faith that

the woman

with the

alabaster jar

was saved

in Luke 7,

not because

she broke

the perfume

jar and

kissed Jesus'

feet,

but because

she was

given faith

to believe

that Jesus

was her

Lord and

King and

treat him

like

sin.

It is by

the Lord's

mercy that

the Samaritan

leper in

Luke 17

was saved,

not because

he followed

Jesus'

directions

perfectly to

be healed

of his

leprosy,

but because

he came

to believe

that Jesus

was the

promised

Messiah and

ran back

to Jesus

to bow

before him

in prison.

It is by

the grace

of Jesus

dying on

the cross

for our

sins that

whoever

believes in

him is

saved.

Not because

we earned

such sacrificial

love by any

marriage,

but because

God was so

rich in

mercy to

look at

our sorry

and sinful

sins and

still say,

you are

my blessed

ones,

and for

your sake

my son

will die.

Notice

how

impregulous

the sheep

on the

right were

to receive

this

commendation.

Their

kindness and

generosity to

Jesus'

little ones,

it wasn't

premedicated.

They weren't

scheming for

their salvation.

Their

surprise was

genuine.

They were

not expecting

any reward

for their

deeds and

were acting

out of

genuine

faith and

love in

their hearts.

When they

selflessly and

joyfully received

and cared for

the least of

Jesus'

brothers,

they were

also selflessly

and joyfully

receiving the

Lord Jesus

unbeknownst to

them.

Such good

works were

not what

caused for

salvation,

but rather

the fruit of

evidence that

was born from

their salvation

and sanctification.

God

is

God

is

dead.

God

is

dead.

Someone who

is saved by

the Lord Jesus

Christ will

show evidence of

their salvation

naturally by the

way that they

conduct themselves,

by the way that

they restrain and

discipline themselves,

by the way that

they sacrifice their

own interests for

the interests of

others.

themselves.

And rather than

coming from a

place of anxiety

and nervousness,

of having to

work for their

salvation,

try to earn it,

these works will

instead come from

a fullness of

joy and gratitude

evidence that the

Holy Spirit is

indwelling.

And this is a

decisive factor of

the sheep that

God, that Jesus

calls to on his

right side.

They have faith in

Jesus Christ.

They have a

relationship with

Jesus.

And their joyful

and self-forgetful

desire to care for

even the least of

Jesus' brothers,

his disciples, is

evidence of this

relationship and

their salvation.

And these sheep,

who themselves have

become Jesus'

little ones, are

giving commendation

to the eternal

kingdom.

Brothers and

sisters, with

what sort of

attitude do we

go about serving

God and his

people?

Do we go about

our service and

create anxiety and

fear that we're

not doing enough

to win God's

favor?

Do we see

ourselves as too

little, too

unable, too

unpopular, too

unnoticed, too

unworthy, too

broken, to serve

God, let alone be

in his presence?

us.

Do we

want to

join in

freedom,

knowing that

our salvation has

already been

purchased by the

blood of Christ?

hearts?

I'd like to say

that I do

this myself, but

if I'm being

legally honest,

well, not even

legally honest, if

I'm being just

being honest, my

wife Kathy knows

it much better

than I do.

She notices that

sometimes my heart

isn't in the right

place when I serve.

Sometimes my heart

is just so self-absorbed

in itself, and I'm

looking at the work

set before me.

When I am most

self-absorbed with

myself, my thoughts

are this.

I need to pick

some good songs

for some service.

I need to figure

out some good

talking songs for

CT.

I need to cook

a delicious meal

for my life.

I need to deliver

the serving

well.

I need to

cook.

there's this

pressure of needing

to perform well,

to do things

right, that we

can voluntarily

stack on through

the works set

before us, that

actually takes

away the glorifying

God, and instead

makes it about

ourselves.

However, when we

remind ourselves

that we are already

counted as righteous

by God through

Jesus' sacrifice

on the cross, our

posture will

lie, our attitude

will change, and the

works set before us

will be done out of

the joy of being

able to serve our

Lord Jesus and his

disciples.

Wow.

I get to worship

God with these

songs that we sing.

I get to delve

into God's word with

my fellow brothers

and sisters at CT

and pray with me.

I get to love and

care for my family

by God's provision

and grace.

grace.

I get to delight in

God's word and

deliver it to his

people.

What on the

Father?

And over time, we

won't need to remind

ourselves so

constantly.

The Holy Spirit will

sanctify us more and

more that the joy of

the Lord will so

naturally ingrained in

our work and be a

part of our identity

with Christ.

Christ.

And so my prayer is

that we would all

surely transform in

this way by the

power of the Holy

Spirit, that this

would be the evidence

of our salvation in

the eyes of the

Supreme Judge, Jesus.

And now we turn to

the ghost on the

other side of Jesus.

Verse 42.

The Son of Man then

turns to those on

his left and says,

depart from me,

you cursed.

Into the eternal

fire prepared for the

devil and his

angels.

While Jesus beckons

the sheep on his

right to come, he

now says to the

ghost on his left

to depart from me.

He calls the right

blessed by my

Father, but he

calls the left

cursed.

And while those

on the right will

inherit the kingdom

prepared for them

from the foundation

of the world, those

on the left will

instead be cast into

the eternal fire

prepared for the

devil and his

angels.

In Revelation 20.

10, the devil is

cast into the lake

of fire and then

after the final

judgment, everyone

whose name is not

written in the book

of life is thrown

into the lake of

fire.

The eternal fire

of punishment was

prepared specifically

for the devil and

his angels, spiritual

forces who rebelled

against God.

God.

But now, those

who participate in

those same acts of

spiritual rebellion

against God, who

continue to be in

unrepentant and

unbelieving sin, they

participate in the

work of the devil.

And they are cast into

the eternal fire because

they are children of the

devil, crucified in

1 John 3.

10.

And Jesus describes in

detail the deeds of

those who are cursed

into the eternal fire.

In verse 42 to 43, they

did not give Jesus food

when he was angry.

They did not give him

drink when he was

thirsty.

They did not welcome

him as a stranger,

clothe his nakedness,

nor visit him his

sickness and

imprisonment.

Essentially, the

opposite of what the

sheep have done.

Those to the left of

Jesus will be confused

and bewildered as

well.

They ask him, Lord,

when did we not see

you and not minister

to you?

They cannot recall

times when they saw

Jesus in need and not

take care of him.

Like the sheep on the

right, they may not

even recall ever

encountering Jesus in

person.

Jesus, like he did with

the sheep, is so

patient to answer that

go over the minute in

verse 45.

Truly, I say to you,

as you did not do it to

one of the least of these,

you did not do it to me.

Again, Jesus is not

teaching here that these

people will be condemned

for being uncharitable

to the poor and needy,

since that would be the

same principle as

salvation by works.

However, the fact that

these people did not

receive and care for the

least of Jesus' brothers,

his disciples, means that

they also did not receive

and care for Jesus

himself.

Because they rejected

his disciples and the

word, they have also

rejected Jesus.

peace and his word.

And just as the faithful

disciples' deeds of care

was the evidence of

their salvation, the

unfaithful one's lack of

care was the evidence

of their demise.

When a king sends a

messenger to a foreign

country for diplomacy, the

messenger is an emissary, a

representative, an

ambassador to the king.

Whatever way the messenger

is treated translates in the

same way to the king

himself.

If another ruler is polite

and kind when directly with

the king, but then is

secretly cruel and hateful to

the king's messenger, he has

dishonored the king also.

To reject the king's lowly

messenger is to reject the

king himself.

Those who neglected Jesus did

exactly that.

By neglecting to care for the

least of these brothers of

Jesus, they also neglected to

care for Jesus himself.

Perhaps if they saw Jesus face to

face in their lifetime, out of

self-preservation and pride, they

would have received him readily

intended to his knees.

But when they are in the most

private of moments and they

encounter his unassumably made,

lowly disciples, they turn their

hands away, refusing to care for

them or to receive whatever

they may have to say on behalf

of their master.

Notice also that Jesus is not

pulling out those on the

south for atrocious sins and

wrongs they have committed before

neglecting to do right and

neglecting to do good specifically

towards Jesus' disciples.

These people could have countered

Jesus and said, Lord, we never

murdered your disciples.

We never stole or coveted from

them.

We never lied to them.

However, their neglect to care for

Jesus' disciples was also a

rejection of Jesus.

And this was evidence for their

spiritual unbelief.

Even if they had been righteous

indeed all their life, even if

they were the most philanthropic

and generous speakers in society,

even if they had a clean record

to their name, they did not

accept Jesus.

And they did not receive Jesus'

disciples.

This is evidence for their

spiritual death, for their

unbelief in Jesus as their Lord

and Savior, and their decisive

seal for the eternal flames of

punishment on the final judgment.

To my fellow brothers and sisters,

though we do not earn our

salvation by works, we still need

to keep our hearts in check.

Do we follow God's commandments

like a two-do list, marking off

all the sins that we have not