8/28/24 - Matthew 25:31-46
Matthew 25: 31-46 Observation: Jesus is depicted coming in His glory, accompanied by all the angels, and He will be sitting on Hi glorious throne, signifying the majesty and authority of Jesus as the ultimate judge. The gathering of all nations indicates that this judgement will apply to everyone; Jesus will separate people, like a shepherd with sheep and goats. Jesus will place all the righteous (the sheep) on His right and the all the unrighteous (the goats) on His left. The righteous are welcomed into the kingdom as a reward as it was prepared for them long ago. The righteous are commended for their acts of mercy and compassion. This response indicates their humility and unawareness that their actions had such eternal significance hence genuine compassion. Jesus identifies himself with the needy and marginalized, teaching that serving others is equivalent to serving Him. The judgement for the unrighteous is severe--eternal separation from God and punishment. The "eternal fi