Day 36- The End Times Parables of Jesus

Sitting with the twelve on the Mount of Olives, Jesus has been teaching them Kingdom truths about what the signs will be in the end of the age. Now He illustrates with three parables. He warns them the Kingdom will come when they do not know so they must be on the alert and ready. When the King returns He will expect His servants to have been faithful and productive while He was away. For those He finds busy about the Master's work will be rewarded and "inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." But eternal punishment is reserved for the foolish and lazy.

READ: Matthew 25:1-46

Major Events

Sitting on the Mount of Olives Jesus illustrates His teachings on the end of the age with three parables
- Parable of the 10 Virgins
- Parable of the Talents
- Parable of the Sheep and the Goats

Major Topics

Parable
Kingdom of Heaven
Imminent return of Christ
Eternal Life
Hell
Judgment
Second Coming
Waiting
Accountability
Excuses
Laziness
Serving
Rewards
Angels
Devil
Demons
Eternal Punishment
Mercy
Righteousness

Video

Matthew 25

Key Verses & Words

The Teachings of Jesus

Matthew 25:13 "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.
Matthew 25:29 "For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
Matthew 25:31-34 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Matthew 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
Matthew 25:44-46 "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' 45 "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Questions for Reflection

Parable of the 10 Virgins

In what ways do you tend to count on more mature Christians or try to ride their coattails?
What responsibility does each Christian have before God?
Why do we tend to think we have all the time in the world to get ready for Christ's return?
What spiritual preparation do you need to make today in order to "keep watch"?

Parable of the Talents

With what gifts or talents has God entrusted you?
What are the risks of investing our gifts for God's service?
What are the rewards of investing our gifts for God's service?
In what ways can you be a "good and faithful servant"?

Parable of the Sheep and the Goats

How would your behavior change if you treated each person in your life as if he or she were Jesus?
In what ways does this parable motivate you to tell others about Christ?
What change does true faith make in a person's life?
In what specific ways has your faith in Christ changed you?
What act of kindness or mercy toward the needy can you do today?

Digging Deeper

Chuck Smith commentary Matthew 25-26
David Guzik commentary Matthew 25

Curious Christians

What is Eternal Punishment?

Matthew 25:45-46 "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Will the Unbelieving Dead Become Non-Existent?

Will wicked who reject Christ go to a place of eternal torment called hell?

Living the Lesson

Here is where the Holy Spirit has opportunity to bring great revelation and transformation in your life--in reflection and obedience to what you have been reading and studying in God's Word today. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how you can respond in obedience to the devotion today. Use the following acronym to prompt you.

Is there a...

SIN to confess?
PROMISE to claim?
ATTITUDE to change?
COMMAND to obey?
EXAMPLE to follow?
PRAYER to pray?
ERROR to avoid?
TRUTH to believe?
SOMETHING for which to praise God?