I'd Rather Be a Sheep than a Goat
April 30, 2006 - Matthew 25:31-46
Open It
What are some ways we label or categorize others?
What are some common examples of separating clean from dirty, fresh from spoiled, or good from bad?
Explore It
How did Jesus describe his Second Coming? (25:31)
Where will all the nations be at Christ's return? (25:32)
According to Jesus, how will the people of the earth be divided? (25:32-33)
How will Jesus divide humanity? (25:33)
What will Jesus say to those on his right? (25:34-36)
Why will the group on Jesus' right be blessed? (25:35)
How will the "sheep" respond to Jesus' words on that day? (25:37-39)
By what criterion will people be judged? (25:40)
What will Jesus say to the "goats" on his left? (25:41)
Why will the goats be judged? (25:42)
What will cause the goats to be judged? (25:42-43)
What defense will those on Christ's left use to justify themselves? (25:44)
Get It
How do people usually determine whether they will be nice to somebody?
How would your behavior change if you treated each person in your life as if he or she were Jesus?
How would you counter the idea that this passage teaches salvation by good works?
What change does true faith make in a person's life?
In what specific ways has your faith in Christ changed you?
Who are the needy people around you?
What resources do you have available to you for serving the needs of others?
Apply It
What act of kindness or mercy toward the needy can you do today?
In what practical, realistic way can you begin today to treat each person you meet as though he or she were Jesus himself?
Without being overbearing or pushy, how can you serve your non-Christian friends this week?
Notes
Matthew 25:31-46: God will separate his obedient followers from pretenders and unbelievers. The real evidence of our belief is the way we act. To treat all persons we encounter as if they are Jesus is no easy task. What we do for others demonstrates what we really think about Jesus' words to us-feed the hungry, give the homeless a place to stay, look after the sick.
Matthew 25:32: Jesus used sheep and goats to picture the division between believers and unbelievers. Sheep and goats often grazed together but were separated when it came time to shear the sheep.
Matthew 25:34-40: This parable describes acts of mercy we all can do every day. These acts do not depend on wealth, ability, or intelligence; they are simple acts freely given and freely received.
Matthew 25:40: There has been much discussion about the identity of the "brothers." Some have said they are the Jews; others say they are all Christians; still others say they are suffering people everywhere. Such a debate is much like the lawyer's earlier question to Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:29). The point of this parable is not the who, but the what-the importance of serving where service is needed. The focus of this parable is that we should love every person and serve anyone we can. Such love for others glorifies God by reflecting our love for him.
Matthew 25:46: Eternal punishment takes place in hell (the lake of fire, or Gehenna), the place of punishment after death for all those who refuse to repent. In the Bible, three words are used in connection with eternal punishment.
(1) Sheol, or "the grave," is used in the Old Testament to mean the place of the dead, generally thought to be under the earth. (See Job 24:19; Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 38:10.)
(2) Hades is the Greek word for the underworld, the realm of the dead. It is the word used in the New Testament for Sheol. (See Matthew 16:18; Rev. 1:18; Rev. 20:13-14.)
(3) Gehenna, or hell, was named after the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem where children were sacrificed by fire to the pagan gods. This is the place of the eternal hell When Jesus warns against unbelief, he is trying to save us from total separation from himself.