"Christ the King" Sermon: Matthew 25:31-46

“Christ the King”

[Matthew 25:31-46] 

November 20. 2011 Second Reformed Church

Today is Christ the King Sunday, and the Lectionary text is one that is probably familiar to many of us:  “the sheep and the goats.”

We need to turn back to chapter twenty-four to find out why Jesus gave this portrait of the Judgment.  Understand, this is not a parable, it is future history – it is prophecy.

As chapter twenty-four opens, Jesus and His disciples are leaving the Temple, and Jesus tells them that the Temple is going to be destroyed – not a single stone will be left standing one upon another.  And the disciples reel off three questions for Jesus:  When will the Temple be destroyed?  What are the signs of Jesus’ Return?  And, what are the signs of the close (or end) of the age?

After asking these questions, Jesus tells His disciples a series of parables, interspersed with prophecies.  What He did not do was give them a time that the Temple would be destroyed, nor did He give them any specific signs of Jesus’ Return or the close of the age.  Instead of giving them the information they wanted to know, He gave them the information they needed to know.

One of the things He told them about His Return is the text that we read this morning.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.”

Jesus told them that He would return, not as an infant, but in the full revelation of His Deity.  Jesus Christ – God the Savior – would return in His Glory.  Jesus will come radiating the weight of His Deity.  All of the world will know that He is God the Only Savior.

All the angles will come with Jesus – an entourage of heavenly beings declaring their worship of Jesus before the whole created order.  Jesus will lead His Holy Army to the earth for the purpose of showing His Righteousness – His Holiness – in judgment.

“Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:30-31, ESV).

All the peoples of the earth will see Jesus coming down out of the heavens, and all those who persisted in rejecting Jesus and His Gospel will cry out in anguish and hatred and terror – and those who have believed will also be gathered together.

And as Jesus arrives with all of His angels, He will sit on His Glorious Throne.  The Throne of the Son will be transported to earth, and Jesus will sit on the Throne as a declaration that He – as God – is King and Sovereign over all of Creation.  And He has come to judge.

“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.”

Every human being from throughout history and time will be gathered before the Throne.  And Jesus will separate all of humanity into two groups:  those who believed in the Savior God sent – the sheep, and those who did not believe – the goats.  Nothing will be hidden and no one will be able to deceive our God and Savior – the Sovereign King Who sits on His Throne.  And Jesus will pronounce their destinies.

“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.’”

Notice that Jesus immediately states that salvation – being the blessed of the Father – is not based on anything anyone does or does not do.  It is impossible to earn or lose salvation.  Jesus tells those who will be received into the Kingdom – all those who believe in God’s Savior – that the Kingdom was prepared for them before they existed.  From the moment of Creation, it was set that this group of people would be received into God’s Kingdom.

Paul also tells us that salvation was decided before we existed:  “And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated’” (Romans 9:10-13, ESV).

“But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him’—“(1 Corinthians 2:9, ESV).

And then Jesus tells them something very curious:  “’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.’”

Didn’t Jesus just say that their inheritance of the Kingdom was not based on their actions?  How then does Jesus seem to be saying that they are received into the Kingdom based on their good works?

First, they asked a question more pressing to them:   “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.’”

Is Jesus saying that they earned the inheritance of the Kingdom?  Is Jesus saying that our good works save us?  If He is, then the Bible is self-contradictory, and we might as well go home.

And Jesus says that they did these things “to the least of His brothers” – or, “brothers and sisters.”  Does that mean we don’t have to do good works towards non-Christians?

No, what Jesus is saying is that the proof of their faith – the proof of their believing in Him savingly – is seen in their loving, caring, showing hospitality, providing for Christians in need.  Jesus is not saying that we do not have to give love, care, hospitality, and provision to non-Christians, but He is emphasizing the depth of the relationship we ought to have with other Christians because they are Christians.  Because they are also members of the Body of Christ, when we love and care and show hospitality and provide for them, it is as though we do these things for Jesus.

James says the same thing: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:14-17, ESV).

We must understand James is using rhetoric – neither he, nor Jesus, is saying that we earn our salvation.  James is saying, if a person claims to have faith, and there is no outward show of love by virtue of that faith – that faith is not real – that person is not a Christian.

It is possible to lie; it is possible to be self-deceived.  But it is not possible to be a Christian and not actively care about other Christians – especially – as well as other people – more generally.

Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:1-11, ESV).

Consider the recent storm we had – many branches were broken and were dead.  Consider trees and bushes in your yard – branches die now and then.  The branches are still branches, but they are dead branches.  Dead braches are good for nothing, except to be “burned up in the fire.”  Good branches bear fruit.

Good works do not save us, but good works prove that we are saved.  We cannot do good works except we savingly believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Unless we are in the Vine, we cannot bear fruit.  Only true Christians can do good works – works of obedience and love for Jesus to others.

What Jesus, the King, is saying then, is not that inheritance of the Kingdom is earned by doing good works, but a Christian’s good works prove that the Father chose him before the foundation of the world and gave him the inheritance of the Kingdom.

King Jesus is telling the sheep that He knows they are the ones who God has given the Kingdom as an inheritance because of the evidence of their good works.  They obeyed Jesus and showed love in a way that non-Christians cannot do – loving others for the sake of Jesus.

And then he turned to the goats – to the religious people – to the church goers and others who thought they were good enough, even though they didn’t believe in Jesus Alone for salvation:

“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” (Matthew 25:31-46, ESV).

The goats called Jesus Lord, but they didn’t believe in Him.    Jesus said, “ Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46, ESV).  The goats claimed that they believed in Jesus as their Savior – they called themselves believers – Christians, but they refused to obey Jesus, despite calling Him, “Lord.”    Yet, Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15, ESV).  If we don’t love Jesus, if we don’t keep His Commandments, if we don’t live out that love in good works, no matter what we call ourselves, we are not Christians.  If we don’t live out our love of Jesus, we will not inherit the Kingdom.

The disciples wanted to know when the Temple would be destroyed, and what the signs would be for Jesus’ Return and the end of the age.  Jesus told them that He is God, the King of the Universe, Sovereign over Salvation, and the Judge of humanity.  He told them that salvation is not a matter of what we do, but what we do proves whether we have really believed in Jesus Alone for salvation or not.

Have you fed someone who couldn’t afford a meal?

Have you given someone a drink who had nothing to quench his thirst?

Have you ever clothed anyone who couldn’t afford clothing?

Have you ever visited someone who was sick?

Have you ever visited someone who was in jail?

If you have, have you done these things because you love Jesus and want to obey Him?

Have you told the people you were serving that you are doing what you are doing because Jesus is the Sovereign King and your Savior?

Jesus is the Almighty Sovereign King, our God and Savior.  Let us find ways to live out our belief in that Truth – to love our neighbor at least as much as we love ourselves – and to love God with our entire being.

Let us pray:

            Sovereign King, we praise You for being Sovereign.  We thank You for being our salvation from before the beginning.  We thank You for calling us to a life of love and obedience to prove to the world that You are King and Savior.  Help us to be obedient and loving.  For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.