The International Bible Lesson (Uniform Sunday School Lessons Series) for Sunday, February 15, 2015, is from Matthew 25:31-46, and this posting includes both the International Bible Lesson Commentary and the International Bible Lesson. The International Bible Lesson Commentary is now available in four Bible translations on the International Bible Lessons Commentary website: these versions are the English Standard Version, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, and the New Revised Standard Version.  Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further follow the verse-by-verse International Bible Lesson Commentary. The Study Hints for Discussion and Thinking Further discusses each of the Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further to help with class preparation and in conducting class discussion: these hints are available on the  International Bible Lessons Commentary website along with the International Bible Lesson that you may want to read to your class as part of your Bible study. To help your class review the lesson, a Word Search Puzzle, a Crossword Puzzle, and a True and False Test are also available below. To listen to this commentary a podcast is available by subscribing and by clicking on the audio links here on the International Bible Lesson Forum.

(Matthew 25:31)  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.

Jesus Christ identified himself as the Son of Man. He said He would come again after His death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. When He comes again everyone (sheep and goats) will see Him in His glory as King of kings. He will come and visibly show himself as the Great King upon His throne, as He truly is in glorious splendor forever. His angels will come with Him to do His will and carry out His promised plans.

(Matthew 25:32)  All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,

Jesus Christ is now and will visibly show himself to be the Lord and King over all the nations of the earth. Many worldly leaders in all nations are goats, and Jesus will deal with these evil leaders when He comes again. He will set the evil goats to one side so they can never afflict or persecute His followers (the sheep) again. The sheep will inherit eternal life and joyous celebrations in heaven forever.

(Matthew 25:33)  and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.

The right hand of God is sometimes described as the authority and power of God. The loyal and loving followers of Jesus Christ will be placed at the right hand of God to exercise His authority and power as God directs. The evil leaders and people of the world will be replaced by the followers of Jesus to reign with Him. Notice: Jesus did not say that He would kill the goats. Sheep and goats will live forever, but in different places.

(Matthew 25:34)  Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

The Father and Jesus prepared a kingdom for the followers of Jesus before they ever created this world. Jesus was, is, and will be the King of this kingdom. His followers will inherit eternal life in His eternal kingdom, because Jesus the King died and rose again for them. They are blessed because of God’s many gifts. Jesus told His disciples that He was going to heaven to prepare a place for them: imagine what a place this will be!

(Matthew 25:35)  for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

Those who love God and others as the Scriptures teach will live, love, and act in ways similar to Jesus and the Good Samaritan in Jesus’ parable. Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit indwell every one of His faithful followers and enable them to live as He directs. When His followers love and help one another, they are showing love and helping Him. Jesus’ followers will meet the needs of one another and others as Jesus leads them.

(Matthew 25:36)  I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’

Food, drink, compassionate companionship, clothing, medicine offered with personal concern and tenderness, are all needed and will be needed by everyone. The New Testament and 2000 years of history show Christians being persecuted, imprisoned, and killed for following Jesus. The goats try to destroy the lives and testimony of God’s sheep; therefore, believers seek to help one another especially. When they do so, they are helping Christ, who indwells His followers.

(Matthew 25:37)  Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?

The sheep, the righteous people, are righteous because of their faith in Jesus Christ, who leads them in their daily lives as Lord and Savior. The supernatural loving power of the Holy Spirit within them leads them to do as Christ without any self-righteous concern or focus on themselves. They do not even remember all the good they are doing or have done, because their focus is on following Christ and not on their achievements or on their rewards from God for doing good deeds.

(Matthew 25:38)  And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing?

Some people see the list that Jesus gave as “duties,†as something they must be sure to do to earn eternal life, as a check list of duties to complete before they see Jesus. However, as much as it is true that Christians must do their duty and obey God, the list Jesus gives actually describes the attitude and perspective of one of His true followers. His followers will seek to love and serve others because of their new character as born-again believers and their love for their Savior.

(Matthew 25:39)  And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’

Christians will suffer physical needs and even from neglect, from sickness and persecution. Jesus as our Great King did not say that He would prevent our suffering in this world; rather, He promised to be with us in our suffering and time of need. One of the ways He is with us is by living His life within us. Another way He is with us is when our brothers and sisters in Christ draw near us to bless and help us, to offer us encouragement and support when truly needed. When we as Christians draw near to help others, Jesus himself is reaching out to them through us to meet their needs.

(Matthew 25:40)  And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

Jesus answered or will answer someday, that the righteous in Christ did this for the righteous in Christ. That does not mean that Christians only help one another, because Jesus commanded His followers to love their enemies (our enemies are also our neighbors). He did not tell His followers to restrict their service to true Christians only. However, true Christians will love and serve one another, and show special concern for their brothers and sisters in Christ.

(Matthew 25:41)  Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;

Sheep and goats are two different species of animals that act very differently. Sheep and goats are fitting descriptions of different types of people who naturally act according to their nature. We all like sheep have gone astray, but those who trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior are born again. Christians have a new nature, quite unlike the nature of goats. The goats are the accursed. As Jesus once said to some, your father is the devil. There are some (even some powerful leaders in business, church, and government), who act like the devil and oppose Christ and His people. They promote ungodliness and wickedness and specific sins that the Bible especially condemns. God prepared a place for the devil and his angels, and God will send their followers to join them in a place of eternal punishment. The goats do not die; they are only separated from the sheep forever. Jesus, who died on the cross to save them, will send them away because they refused the salvation and new life that He offered them after He rose from the dead.

(Matthew 25:42)  for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,

Jesus indwells His followers. Goats either ignore those who follow Jesus, disparage them, or do horrible things to them. When goats see one of Jesus’ followers in need, they refuse to help them. They especially refuse to help them because they follow Jesus. The right way of living by the sheep brings feelings of self-condemnation and other feelings to the unrighteous, so they want to destroy or live as far away from the sheep as possible. Rather than destroy the goats, Jesus will give them what they chose: He will send them away as far as possible from the sheep.

(Matthew 25:43)  I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

Jesus listed the same opportunities to love and serve others that both the sheep and the goats had and have. The sheep, when presented with the opportunities, helped those in need. The goats, when presented with the same opportunities, did not help others. If they ever helped anyone, it was because they wanted to serve their own or the devil’s selfish purposes. They had no real care or love for others.

(Matthew 25:44)  Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’

The goats will ask Jesus the same question as the sheep, but the reason they did not serve others was because they were so selfish and self-centered they did not see or care about the needs of others. Their sins were sins of omission for lack of love for God and others. They had a supreme love only for themselves, and they only helped others if they perceived the possibility of some selfish benefit.

(Matthew 25:45)  Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’

The goats, as children of the devil, will either afflict Christians or refuse to help Christians, especially Christians in need. Jesus expressed deep love and concern for “the least†of His followers, and His followers should do the same. The goats will, or will try to, take advantage of “the least,†and they will often look for “the least†so they can take unjust advantage of them.

(Matthew 25:46)  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.â€

This is the second time in this lesson that Jesus mentioned eternal fire or eternal punishment. He was seriously making an important point. The goats did not find happiness living with the sheep; they hated it. God will not force them to live with the sheep or try to get along with them. God will send them far away from the sheep and himself. They will suffer there because they are going to a place that was originally prepared for the devil and the devil’s angels that rebelled against God. Here, the goats experience many of God’s good gifts and good gifts from God’s people. They will be going to a place where they will experience no good at all. This should not surprise us, because our loving God did and will do the most loving thing for the goats – He will send them to their desired and deserved place forever, but make no mistake, it will be a place of punishment, but perhaps less of a place of punishment than the goats spending eternity with those they hate in heaven. The righteous, those who have come to love and serve God and others through faith in Jesus Christ, will spend a joyful eternity with the ones they love and the One who loves them.

1. 
   
2. Jesus has told us some of His plans upon His return to earth as our glorious King. Who are those who will rejoice when he comes?
   
3. For what group did God prepare the place of eternal fire for eternal punishment?
   
4. Based upon the way they act and have acted, with which group will the goats be the happiest: the sheep or other goats? Which group forever?
   
5. What might you say to someone who says they do not believe in hell, and a loving God would never send anyone to hell?
   
6. When Christians help other Christians in need, how are they helping Jesus? How is Jesus helping those in need?
   

Study Hints for Discussion and Thinking Further, a study guide for teachers, discusses the questions above to help with class preparation and in conducting class discussion. These hints are available on the International Bible Lessons Commentary website.

The Word Search Puzzle, the True and False Test, and the Crossword Puzzle below are provided from the International Bible Lessons Commentary website to help teachers provide a simple review game or quiz for their students. May you find them helpful.

Matthew 25:31-46

An Educational Take Home Review and Handout using Key Bible Lesson Words.

Matthew 25:31-46

An Easy Review Test to Help Students Remember the Bible Lesson

Matthew 25:31-46

An Easy Review or Handout to End Your Class

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats†(Matthew 25:31-32—KJV).

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats†(Matthew 25:31-32—NRSV).

The more we learn about some world events the more appalled we become. Jesus Christ promised to take away the sin of the world (to solve the world’s problems). For two thousand years Jesus has done this when people have come to believe in Him and obey Him. Unhappily, some people hate Jesus and His followers; furthermore, they do not want to have anything to do with His way of life. Jesus promised to come again someday and solve this problem too. Surprisingly, perhaps, Jesus will not solve the world’s problems by killing those who do evil. When He comes, He will separate those who love God from those who do not, the sheep from the goats. Interestingly, the devil is often pictured as a goat, but Jesus will not kill the devil and those who live like the devil. Jesus promised He would bring peace to the world by separating the sheep from the goats. Jesus said that He would send those He characterized as goats to the place originally prepared for the devil and his angels (those who rebelled against God). Jesus will never compel a goat (someone who does not want to love God and live with Him and His followers) to live with sheep; however, those who do not want to live with His sheep will live forever in a place not prepared for them; therefore, people must choose wisely where they want to live forever. – L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.

Begin or close your class by reading the short weekly International Bible Lesson. To print the International Bible Lesson in three different sizes (including large print size and bulletin size) and for the Teacher’s Study Hints for Five Discussion Questions andThinking Further, go to the International Bible Lessons Commentary website.

See the recommended Bible study, Recovery, and Worship Resources at SmallChurchResources.com.

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