Matthew 25:1-13
When He Returns
We are reading a parable. A parable is an earthly story with a
heavenly meaning. Christ often spoke in parables to separate the
sheep from the goats, the saved from the lost, those who study the
Scriptures from those who were only curious about the Scriptures.
In \\#Matt 25:13\\, the main point of the parable is given. It deals
with the Son of Man (another title for Jesus), coming back to the
earth. Interestingly, I do not think this is the next return of Jesus
to the earth (rapture), but I believe Jesus is primarily speaking
about His last return the earth (advent when Jesus establishes His
kingdom). Regardless, in this parable some truths are given which
apply to both returns.
In order to appreciate the parable, you need to know a bit more about
weddings in this day.
A formal wedding in antiquity, would consist of three parts.
1. The Promise - Here a couple is selected for marriage, usually
by their parents. In some cultures, this could occur at birth.
In most, it was later in life. In some cases, the marriage
partners had nothing to say about who they married. In some
cases, they did. (Ruplesh and Nisha Patel of India were
selected for each other by their parents.)
2. The Betrothal - At some point, the couple is brought together
and introduced. At this time, some sort of exchanges of made.
Abraham sent 10 camels loaded with riches to Rebecca’s
parents \\#Ge 24:10\\. The family of the woman often gave a
like gift, called a dowry, to the husband’s family. This
meeting would end with a great celebration. From this time,
the couple was legally married but would have no physical
relationship. Instead, the wife would begin preparing her
wedding garment and the husband would go build their home.
3. The Wedding - At a general time (within a day or so), they
would return. Exact times were often impossible in that
events could happen which would delay people and
communications were not good. At the general time, those
guests who were invited would begin to wait for the return of
the groom along the road to the bride’s home. I am certain
that different people watched in different ways. Some sent a
child down the road who could run tell them. Others,
apparently most, just got dressed and waited day and night
until the groom came, but there seems to be three conditions
that were required of the guests:
a. The guests had to be present when the groom arrived.
b. The guests had to be dressed in the wedding garments.
\\#Matt 22:11-14\\
c. The guests had to have a lite lamp.
In Jesus’ story, five of the ten maids of honor invited to this
wedding were not ready when the groom arrived. They had no oil in
their lamps and so had to leave to get some, missing the groom’s
arrival. Indeed, the groom answered truthfully in \\#Matt 25:12\\. He
did not know these five maids for he likely was not from there. These
were his wife’s friends but it was a shamefully rude thing not to
have been present when the groom arrived and it was not the custom of
the time for the women to regulate the door, so they were turned
away.
This is the earthly story. What heavenly truths can we learn about
the coming of the Son of Man?
I. When the Son of Man comes, He will find a split group.
A. Some will be ready. Some will not.
1. I am not sure if the numbers in this parable are
particularly important or not.
2. 10 maids in all, 5 ready, 5 not.
3. That means 1/2 were not ready.
4. Does it mean that possibly 1/2 of those that I am
preaching to this morning will not be ready when Jesus
comes?
B. What do we mean by not ready?
1. Well, everyone seemed to have the externals in order.
a. All ten were invited.
b. All ten had the knowledge of the groom’s coming.
c. All ten had a lamp.
d. All ten had a garment.
2. But five were missing what goes on the inside!
a. If you are not ready on the inside, nothing else
matters.
(1) Traditionally people would get some things right
on the outside (go to church, clean up a little,
give a little money) but neglect the inside
all together.
(2) Now, I am not so sure they getting the inside or
the outside ready!
b. \\#Matt 25:2\\ In this parable, our Lord calls these 5
foolish.
(1) The most foolish people in the world are not
those who never hear of Jesus.
(2) The most foolish people in the world are not
those who hear but never investigate Jesus.
(3) The most foolish people in the world are not
those who hear, who investigate, and then reject
Jesus.
(4) The most foolish people in the world are those
who hear, investigate, claim to accept, but
but never realize the internal change that Jesus
has on His followers!
c. You don’t have to wait to find out if you have oil!
(1) If you can’t light your lamp now, don’t expect it
to burn later.
(a) I try to make Bible principals easy to
understand.
(b) Perhaps the most practical thing I have ever
said is, "If your Christianity won’t get
you to church on Sunday morning, don’t
expect it to get you to heaven when you
die."
(c) If you can’t shine like Jesus today, you
have no oil.
(2) But anther thought came to me.
(a) If you can’t light your lamp now, you can
expect to burn later.
(b) I’m afraid it won’t be the kind of burning
that you will like.
C. Remember…
1. Salvation is not an external work but an internal.
2. It is possible that one-half of those sitting in this
building today are not ready for Son of Man’s return.
II. When the Son of Man comes, he finds a surprised five. In fact,
they will have several harsh surprises.
A. The 5 were surprised that their lamps wouldn’t light.
1. We have all been surprised by some things that we did not
expect.
a. How many of you have ever thought you were ready for
something only to realize you forgot the most important
element?
b. Have you ever gone to a birthday party without the
present?
c. Have you ever gone to a ballgame and forgot the
tickets?
d. Have you ever been invited some place and left the
directions. (When I worked at Hampton Inn, a man
called the front desk about 4 AM and asked, "Can you
tell me the name of some churches?" I mentioned a few
names of some local Baptist churches. He said, "No,
I don’t think so. What about some churches with the
word ‘saint’ in it?" I asked, "You mean Catholic
churches?" "Yes." I told him the name of the only one
I knew but he still wasn’t satisfied. He explained.
"I’m here for a 10 AM wedding but I left the name and
address of the church at home. What’s worse is this
isn’t a local wedding and all the wedding party are
staying in different hotels and I can’t reach any of
them." I didn’t ask but I hoped he was the best man.
2. Here, these maidens were standing on the street with a
lamp in their hand and did not realize they had no oil
until they went to light it.
3. What a surprise to realize at the last possible moment
that you aren’t ready!
B. The 5 were surprised that their friends wouldn’t lend.
1. The first thought of these 5 foolish maidens, when they
realized they had no more oil, was to borrow it from
someone else.
2. How surprised they were to learn some things cannot be
borrowed!
a. In the parable, don’t beat up the maids.
(1) They are didn’t want to run out of oil either!
(2) Bottom line - It is not the fault of those who
did prepare that you did not.
b. In life, something just can’t be borrowed.
(1) You cannot borrow salvation.
(2) Not from your parents, your preacher, your
church, your spouse.
3. Some things you just have to have your own.
a. Don’t expect to borrow someone else’s life preserver
on a sinking ship. Bring your own.
b. Some things just can’t be borrowed.
C. When they returned, the 5 were surprised that the door was
closed.
1. The only things worse that being surprised that you
weren’t prepared is the surprise that it is now too late.
2. The maids run back to town to get ready, only to return
and find it is too late.
a. April 15 was yesterday.
b. You go to work at 3 and find out you were supposed to
be at work at 7.
c. The concert was last Friday.
3. None of those will compare to finding out that God’s offer
of salvation has run out.
4. We are blessed to live in this day of grace.
a. In the Old Testament, not everyone had every
privilege.
(1) Everyone could be forgiven.
(2) But only Levites could serve.
(3) Only a priest could handle the sacrifices.
(4) Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of
Holies.
b. When Jesus died, all of that was changed.
(1) Anyone can be saved.
(2) Everyone can find some place to serve.
(3) Every believer is their own high priest with
equal access to God.
c. But these privileges have made us proclaim an easy
gospel.
(1) Many preach no sacrifice, no repentance, just
believe.
(2) Salvation is not that cheap.
i. God must call.
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the
Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will
raise him up at the last day.
ii. At that call, you must respond.
aa. Faith
bb. Repentance
cc. These are internal responses.
iii. You must respond with the time limits.
aa. The ark’s door was shut by God
\\#Gen 7:16\\.
bb. \\#Matt 25:10\\ The groom shut the
door to the maidens.
D. When they asked, the 5 were surprised that the Lord won’t open.
1. Obviously, they never thought that would happen.
2. Some people live on the 2nd changes of others.
3. Preachers have preached God’s mercy for so long, some will
be surprised to find out it will end.
4. But there are deadlines:
a. Death
b. Rapture
c. Jesus Advent
d. And then God sometimes just shuts the window.
5. I notice in the parable that the groom is at the door.
a. That really wouldn’t be the groom’s place but the father
of the bride.
b. However, in this parable, Jesus is the Groom.
c. Not only is Jesus the Groom, Jesus is the Keeper of the
door of life. No one else will be guarding that door
but Jesus!
d. In \\#12\\, Jesus answer that He did not know the 5
unprepared.
(1) If you are the unprepared, Jesus does know you; just
not in the one way that He must to open that door.
(2) He knows you by your sin and by your rejection. He knows
you attitudes, your blasphemies, your lies, and
your evil,
(3) Sadly, the only way that door would open would be if
Jesus knew you in the free pardon of sin!
(4) But He does not know you in that so He does not
know you at all!
III. When the Son of Man comes, He finds a secured five.
A. \\#Matt 25:10\\ The door is closed for both the foolish and
the wise.
B. So far, we have only considered that from the side of the five
foolish maidens.
C. But what about the five prepared maidens?
1. The same door that keeps the unprepared out keeps the
prepared in.
2. For the foolish, it is a curse. For the wise, it is a
blessing.
a. The shutting door means loss for those on the
outside.
b. The shutting door means protection and blessing for
those inside.
3. Those on the inside are protected.
a. Pain, suffering, failure, death, sickness can no
longer get in.
b. Joy, reward, blessing, fellowship are ours forever.
c. When the Son of Man returns, our eternity begins!
As nicely as I can say it, let me say, "As much as we want you to be
prepared today, you will not be our concern then." Today, we love
you. Today, we tell you. Today, we beg you. Today, we weep with
you. In that day, we will be with Him—on the inside.
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