Why Does Jesus Say He Will Separate the Sheep and the Goats?
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When Jesus walked this earth, He went to great lengths to speak truth and stand against deceitfulness. At times, He used parables and metaphors to teach and explain the truths of God. In Matthew’s Gospel, during a long teaching that included many parables, Jesus talked about the sheep and the goats. He used both terms to help people understand what was to come.
“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” (Matthew 25:32).
Jesus is the Shepherd, and in this verse, He said that He will separate sheep (believers) from goats (unbelievers) when He returns. The sheep represent those who have accepted salvation and the goats represent those who have rejected salvation.
What Is Happening in This Passage?
This passage falls in a long discourse that Jesus gave on the end times. In His final days before He went to the cross, He spent time with His disciples and shared with them about His return. They struggled to understand that Jesus would die on a cross, resurrect, and ascend to heaven. Jesus gave them hope, though, that He would come again. He went on to further explain what would happen when He came back – that all nations will be judged.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne” (Matthew 25:31).
Followers of Jesus are told that He will come again and be on His throne to judge all people. This teaching would help the disciples understand the weight of a person’s decision on earth to accept or reject the gift of salvation. Perhaps this served in part as motivation for the disciples to follow wholeheartedly and with dedication the great commission Jesus left them with, to share the Gospel and make disciples in all nations. They knew that the day would come when Jesus would return, and it will be a matter of eternal life and death for all people.
Why Does Jesus Use Sheep and Goats as His Illustrations?
Elsewhere in the Gospels, Jesus referred to humanity as sheep and Himself as the Shepherd. Although sheep have a reputation for being senseless and needy, Jesus did not use this term in a condescending or belittling way when He called His followers sheep. There are other places in Scripture where God referred to Himself as the shepherd and us as the sheep.
“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out” (Ezekiel 34:11).
This example of the shepherd and his sheep demonstrate the care God has for us. The term sheep describes those who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Jesus used this term to highlight the love and concern that a shepherd has for his sheep, which emphasized God’s love and care for His followers.
Jesus’ comparison helps us understand. Sheep are willing to follow, they are made to need a shepherd, and they stick together with other sheep. This term used to describe believers reminds us that we need to be willing to follow God, that we were made to need Him, and that God made us to be in community with other believers for encouragement, support, and spiritual growth. Jesus, our Shepherd, loves His beloved sheep and laid down His life for them. We can count on God’s deep heart for His children.
On the other hand, those who reject salvation in Jesus are referred to as goats in this passage. Goats are stubborn, independent, and unlike sheep, they are not led well or willingly. Using this term to describe unbelievers, Jesus conveyed that unbelievers are stubborn to believe, think that they are fine without God, and overall, do not eagerly come to follow Jesus. Truly, sheep and goats are very different from one another – just as believers and unbelievers are different from one another. Although Jesus came to save all, not all will accept salvation in Him.
Why Will God Separate the Sheep and the Goats, if He Desires All to Be Saved?
God desires that all people be saved. God is a loving creator who declared when He created humankind that it was good. In John 3:16, we are told that God loves the whole world and that’s why He sent His Son. Elsewhere, we find this same message in Scripture that God wants all creation to be saved.
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4).
It is God’s intention that all would know Him and believe. However, sin entered the world when Adam and Eve ate of the tree that they were forbidden to eat from. As a result, humanity’s relationship with God was damaged and the consequence of sinfulness is death. Thus, He sent Jesus to pay the debt of everyone’s sins. God does not force anyone to believe; He desires that His children come to Him freely. Each person is given the choice to accept salvation or reject it. We can have confidence that God works in such a way in each person’s life to give them opportunities to come to believe in Jesus as their Savior.
Unfortunately, we know that many people decide to reject the gift of salvation. Sinfulness and spiritual blindness keep them from coming to the knowledge of God’s truth and acceptance of Jesus as their Lord. Therefore, since some will reject God, this will mean He has to separate believers from nonbelievers when Jesus returns. As promised, those who believe (the sheep) will have everlasting life. Those who reject Jesus (the goats) will experience eternity apart from God.
Why Are the Sheep Blessed?
The sheep are blessed because they have accepted the precious gift of salvation. Though life may be hard for followers of Jesus, they are blessed because God is with them, He has given them peace, and overcome every trouble they will face. They are blessed to be in a relationship with their Creator and Savior. Sheep have the benefit of bearing the fruit of the Spirit and have Christ in their hearts. Furthermore, as this teaching of Jesus found in Matthew’s Gospel explains, the sheep are blessed because they will enter God’s kingdom.
“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).
Surely, to inherit an eternity with the Lord is the most incredible blessing. Our lifetime here on earth will be but a blink of an eye compared to the eternal life that is coming. It is a blessing to spend ones eternity with God in His glory and in His goodness. The Bible promises there will be no more pain and no more sorrow (Revelation 21:4) in God’s eternal kingdom. The sheep are blessed because they will inherit the place Jesus has prepared for them (John 14:3).
Come Willingly to Christ
Scripture includes many promises of an eternal glory with God for those who believe and accept salvation through Jesus Christ! In this passage in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus explained what to expect when He would return. He taught that upon His second coming, God will separate the sheep from the goats. The sheep are those who have accepted salvation in Jesus Christ, and the goats are those who have rejected Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Though God desires that all come to know Him, in reality, God has also given free will for every person to accept or reject Jesus. In His great love for humanity, He wants His children to come willingly to Him.
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