Return Of The King (Part 2)

It's clear, then, that the kingdom of heaven is not for those who simply respond to an invitation. All of these bridesmaids had done that, so to speak. Similarly, the kingdom of heaven is not for those who simply make a confession. Each of these bridesmaids would have said they were a part of the bridal party. Their cry in verse 11 as they stand outside the wedding feast sounds eerily similar to the cry of the damned in Matthew 7: "Lord, Lord!" We also need to keep in mind that these bridesmaids were not indifferent to the bridegroom. This was a happy occasion that they were glad to be a part of, but the kingdom of heaven is not for those who merely express some affection. Positive sentiments toward Jesus won't be enough on the last day.

At this point, you may be left wondering who is fit for the kingdom of heaven. These chapters speak to this as well. The kingdom of heaven is only for those who endure in salvation. Earlier, in Matthew 24, Jesus warned the disciples about the danger of falling away. Speaking of those who looked like and claimed to be disciples, Jesus says,

Some people will look like followers of Jesus—they may have responded to an invitation, made a confession, and expressed some affection toward Christ—but they will not endure to the end. This is prevalent in our day, as many would call themselves Christians because of something that happened in the past, but their hearts are now far from God. They aren't trusting in Christ today. The issue is not what you did a long time ago, but right now, in your heart, amid the difficulties and inevitable trials that are sure to test you, are you trusting Christ in the present? Ligon Duncan has said of the foolish virgins,

So are you trusting in Christ today? The question is not whether we've responded to an invitation to Christ or expressed some affection toward Him in the past, but whether we are trusting in Christ at this moment for our salvation. This is how we prepare for Jesus' coming, by persevering in faith and trusting Him at all times.

The fourth major question in this section comes in verses 14-30 of Matthew 25. The parable of the Talents should prompt the question, Am I serving Christ with what He has given me? This story is unique because it goes beyond simply watching and waiting for Jesus to return and focuses primarily on working until Jesus comes back. D. A. Carson has put it this way:

Jesus speaks of servants entrusted with varying amounts of talents. To feel the force of the illustration, realize that a talent could be, according to some, worth several hundred thousand dollars in terms of today's money. And the overall parallel is clear: Jesus is our Master who has given us much. We are His stewards, responsible for that which has been entrusted to us. We are to work diligently, and so honor our Master by maximizing His resources.

Key to understanding Jesus' point in this parable is the realization that this is not simply about an employee-employer relationship that is cold, hard, and focused on the bottom line. See, for example, the joy in the relationship between these first two servants and their master. Hear the excitement in the first servant's voice: "Look, I've earned five more talents" (v. 20). One commentator imagined the scene this way, "The man's eyes are sparkling. He is bubbling over with enthusiasm, is thoroughly thrilled, and, as it were, invites his master to start counting" (Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew, 881). And then his master says to him, "Well done, good and faithful slave!... Share your master's joy!" (v. 23). There is intimacy between the master and the servant, and this is God's design for us as well. The question becomes, Will you be commended for your love? Do you keep watch for Christ in such a way that love is the overflow of your waiting for Him?334

When my wife goes out of town, I don't become so preoccupied with other things that I forget about her. I can't wait for her to come back! I love her so much that I talk to her about when she's coming back. This is the kind of anticipation we ought to have for Christ, our Master. This is what Jesus is getting at in John 15:10-11: "If you keep My commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in His love. I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete." Are you trusting in and serving Him because you love Him? Or is your service mere routine and loveless duty?

Unlike the first two slaves, the third slave was not commended by the master. This slave was not condemned for what he did, but for what he didn't do; he was lazy. When we apply this part of the parable, the question becomes, Will you be condemned in your laziness? Don't miss the reason the third slave gives for his inaction. In verse 24 he refers to the master as a "difficult man" who unjustly expects to gather where he hasn't sown. Do you see the lack of joy and intimacy? He blamed the master for his own lack of responsibility. In the end, he was condemned, and his relationship with the master was severed. As a steward, a failure to serve and honor the master with the mercy he has entrusted to you indicates a lack of love and desire for the master. This truth is at the heart of what it means to be Jesus' disciple.

So, what are you doing with what God has entrusted to you? To be sure, this is not an attempt to "earn your keep" before Jesus returns; rather, this is a demonstration of your love for Christ and your gratitude for what He has given you. Will you be commended for your love, or condemned for your laziness?

The fifth and final question from Jesus' discourse in chapters 24-25 is this: Am I serving Christians whom God has put around me? Many people are confused about this passage (25:31-46), taking the point to be that whenever we do something good for someone, it's the same as doing it for Jesus. That line of thinking misses part of Jesus' point. Verse 40 helps us to understand this passage rightly, as Jesus says, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me" (emphasis added). The point is that Jesus is identifying Himself with His followers, His brothers, those who have trusted in Him. There are other examples in the New Testament where we see Jesus identify Himself in the closest possible terms with Christians. For instance, when Paul was blinded on the road to Damascus in Acts 9, Jesus appeared to this335 persecutor of Christians and said, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (v. 4; emphasis added). In other words, Jesus says, "You mess with them, and you're messing with Me." Similarly, in Matthew 25:40 Jesus counts service to His followers as service to Him.

It would be wrong to think that Jesus' close identification with His followers means that we should not help people who aren't Christians. Throughout Scripture we're encouraged to love and serve non-Christians;58 Jesus has even told us to love our enemies (Matt 5:43-48). However, that's not the specific point of this passage. This passage calls us to examine whether we are serving Christians in need whom God has put around us.

There's another misunderstanding of this passage that we need to avoid. You serve Christians God has put around you not because you want to get to heaven, as if you could earn your right standing before God. These saints who are welcomed into heaven in this passage are surprised at what Jesus says: "Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink?" (v. 37). Clearly, their acts of service—giving away food and clothes, welcoming strangers, visiting the sick and the imprisoned—were not done in order to get to heaven, for they were shocked to hear that these works had been noticed. You serve Christians whom God has put around you not because you want to get to heaven, but because Jesus has changed your heart.

Our love for other believers is constantly held out in Scripture as a mark that God has made us His own. In John 15:12, Jesus told His disciples, "Love one another as I have loved you." Likewise, the book of 1 John is all about love—love for God and love for the children of God. Consider several passages in John's epistle that speak to the love Jesus calls for in Matthew 25:

These are much-needed reminders for people (like us) who have so much of the world's goods. We are surrounded by brothers and sisters in Christ who are in need, so let us not close our hearts to them. Rather, let us give extravagantly to them, and in the process, show extravagant love to Him! We should make sacrifices in ministries and comforts here in our church culture so that our brothers and sisters who are starving can live over there. This is the fruit of a heart that's been changed by Christ, and it's a fundamental way we prepare for the coming of Christ. We serve Christians that God has put around us. Again, we do this knowing that sacrificial service is not a means of earning salvation. We don't serve other people, specifically our brothers and sisters in Christ, in order to gain enough favor from God so that we can enter heaven. Instead, sacrificial service is necessary evidence of salvation. A heart that has truly trusted in Christ and a life that is truly longing for Christ will be consumed with serving men and women who are in Christ.

What is obvious from every one of these stories in Matthew 24-25 is that when we die, or when Jesus comes back (whichever comes first), all of us will be divided between two destinations. Every individual ever created will stand alone before God at the judgment.

For some of us, heaven will be our destination, a place where people will experience unhindered enjoyment of the Father's love. This is what we read about in Matthew 25:34: "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.'" These will enter a kingdom filled with delight, limitless joy, and everlasting satisfaction. That's the beautiful imagery we've seen all over these stories—a blessed slave (24:45-46), a wedding feast (25:10), servants entering into the joy of their master (25:21, 23), and now the righteous entering into eternal life (25:46). Why would we not long for this day? Oh, how we should keep watch for Christ, faithfully following Him until He returns! Let's trust Him, serve Him, and serve those children of His who are in need337 around us. It won't be long until we're together in the Father's kingdom enjoying the Son's reward.

Every person will either experience this glorious reward in heaven, or hell will be their destination. Hell is the polar opposite of the rewards mentioned in this passage. Those who have not trusted in Christ and are not prepared for His coming will hear the words, "Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!" (25:41). Jesus speaks of total separation from the Father's love, and this will be in a place prepared for demons. Hell is not a place where the Devil torments sinners; hell is a place where he is tormented alongside sinners. One writer said, "What a destiny! To spend eternity shoulder to shoulder with an evil being whose one goal has been to defy God and bring others to share in suffering forever." Hell is a place of unquenchable agony. Consider the imagery Jesus uses for the fate of unbelievers: "cut him to pieces... weeping and gnashing of teeth" (24:51), "outer darkness" (25:30), and "eternal fire" (25:41).

People have wondered, based on these images, how hell can be darkness and have fire at the same time? But this misses the point: these are words and images to depict agony and misery that will mark all who are destined for this place. In one writer's words, "The purpose of imagery is to point beyond what literal language can convey. If a literal burning by fire is bad, the reality of hell's suffering must be immeasurably and inexpressibly worse." Worst of all, hell is a place of never-ending suffering. The same word—"eternal"—that is used to describe life with God in heaven is now used to describe the horror of punishment from God in hell (25:46).

If we're honest, these truths about heaven and hell are a little overwhelming. Thinking about such weighty topics goes against the grain of what we're used to. We wonder, "Is this really true?" Of course, if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then we don't have to worry about believing such difficult truths. However, if Jesus was who He said He was, and if He did conquer death, then we must embrace everything He said. He is our Lord and we gladly submit.

In light of the authority of Jesus and the truth of His Word, we need to ask ourselves, "Am I ready for His return?" Even if Jesus doesn't return today, we may take our last breath in the coming hours. We must, therefore, be prepared to meet God. And how do we do that? By clinging to Christ today. By repenting of sin and trusting in the gospel. Jesus died on a cross to pay the price for your sins, and He has risen from the grave in victory over death. All who repent and believe in Him338 will be reconciled to God (John 3:16). The words of John Owen serve as a fitting conclusion: