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BECOMING A CHRISTIAN
In the Bible, God reveals His truth about how to have eternal life by becoming a believer in the finished work of Jesus Christ. The believer is a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, a true child of God, and one who has been saved by God according to God’s grace (undeserved favor). “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
How does one become a Christian?
The Bible, God’s word, says that eternal life (salvation) is a free gift of God which cannot be earned or deserved (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9).
However, we also find in God’s word that all people are born sinners and cannot save themselves from the penalty of sin, which is eternal death and separation from God. God’s requirement is perfection and no one is perfect (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:3-23; Ephesians 2:1-4).
God tells us in His word that He is holy, meaning that He is perfect and that He is also just, meaning that He gives to sinners what is deserved, and because of His holiness and justice He must punish sinners. But thankfully, the Bible also says that God is loving and merciful and does not take pleasure in punishing sinners (Exodus 34:6-7; Ephesians 2:4-5).
God has mercy on sinners by not giving them what they deserve. This is only possible because He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the God-man, to be the substitute for sinners bearing the penalty for their sin and satisfying God’s justice (John 1:1,14; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 5:8).
Jesus said that in order for anyone to have eternal life there must be repentance of sins and faith placed in His substitutionary death on the cross to pay for the penalty of one’s sins. This faith must be in Jesus Christ alone, not depending on anything else including “good works” (Mark 1:15b; Acts 20:21; Ephesians 2:8-9).
What then is the response to these things if one desires to have eternal life and become a Christian?
1. Pray and ask God to forgive you. The Bible says that you must repent of your sins, being ashamed of them, genuinely regretting and grieving over them, and firmly deciding to make an about-face and turn away from sin and your old lifestyle (Acts 3:19-20).
2. Pray and tell God that you place your faith in Jesus Christ alone to save you. The Bible says that for you to become a Christian, you must place your faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ who died on the cross to become your substitute and who took the penalty for your sin upon Himself once and for all (John 3:36).
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SERIES CONTENT
O C T O B E R 3 1Parable of the Evil Tenants 8
N OV E M B E R 7Parable of the Wedding Banquet 20
N OV E M B E R 1 4
The Greatest Commandment 32
N OV E M B E R 2 1
The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times 44
N OV E M B E R 2 8
Parable of the Ten Virgins 56
D E C E M B E R 5The Sheep and the Goats 68
D E C E M B E R 1 2The Birth of Jesus 80
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G E T T I N G R E A D Y
How would you summarize the Old Testament?
Pray God would help you endure rejection from others because of your faith in Jesus.
Read Mark 12:1–11
K E Y B I B L I C A L T R U T H
Israel has rejected God, His prophets, and His Son.
T H E O L O G Y A P P L I E D
Embrace God’s rule and God’s messengers.
M E D I T A T E
“What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others” (Mark 12:9).
+Use this section to begin considering the main theme of this week’s passage.
THIS IS US
October 31, 2021 | Parable of the Evil Tenants
LIFE OF JESUS
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Q: What recurring patterns do you see in the world?
Q: Why do we need the Old Testament?
When people are given bad news or told something they do not like, they sometimes respond by saying, “That’s the
story of my life.” They do not mean that that particular bit of news encompasses their entire life’s story but that they
feel as though their lives could be characterized as one misfortune after another. In Mark 12:1–11, we encounter
the parable of the evil tenants. This parable is Jesus’s story of Israel’s history. Their entire “life’s story” could be
described as one failure after another to submit to God’s rule, and they did not heed the warnings God sent them.
Their refusal was leading to their eventual condemnation.
This is one of the most Old Testament-saturated lessons Jesus ever taught. In addition to the concluding quote, Jesus
took the subject and the entire frame of this parable from the Old Testament. In doing so, He gave us a summary
of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament. Their history was one rebellious failure after another. Their religious
failures eventually led them into exile. They were deported from their lands by powerful neighboring nations in the
ancient Near East. In the minds of the Jewish people at Jesus’s time, they had learned from their mistakes and were
no longer living in rebellion against God, but with this parable, Jesus challenged their assumption.
Q: Why do generations often fall into the same bad practices?
Q: What is needed to break a chain of negative consequences?
APPLICATION POINT – “The story of my life” can often be explained by “you reap what you sow.” That is, if
your life seems like one struggle after another, it is possible you are making one bad decision after another. Of
course, there are limits to this line of thought. In the gospel of Jesus, none of us reaps what we have sown. We are
all sinners who deserve God’s judgment, but we have been given God’s grace. Nevertheless, many of the difficulties
we encounter arise because of our own poor decisions. This was certainly the case in Old Testament Israel. They
continually struggled with more powerful nations because they consistently refused non-idolatrous worship of
God. Furthermore, their rebellion was often generational. The children often mirrored the disobedience of their
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parents. If you feel you are consistently enduring one spiritual struggle after another, take inventory of your daily
habits and decisions. It is possible that a consistent disregard for prayer or reading God’s Word is becoming more
and more evident in your life. Or perhaps you, like Old Testament Israel, are going through the motions of serving
God but are swept up by idolatry. When you encounter struggles of any kind, do not neglect the opportunity they
provide to evaluate your commitment and faithfulness to God.
U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E T E X T
+In this parable, Jesus summarized the history of Israel in parable form. Since its creation, Israel had consistently rebelled against God and ignored His warnings of repentance. This passage alludes to various
other Old Testament passages.
1. EVIL TENANTS AND WILD GRAPES
2. GUILTY OF ALL THE RIGHTEOUS BLOOD
3. WHY DO THE PEOPLES PLOT IN VAIN?
4. THE REJECTED STONE
+ In order to fully understand the importance of this parable, we must recognize its theological connections to other biblical passages. This lesson will examine the parable in conjunction with several additional biblical passages.
1. EVIL TENANTS AND WILD GRAPES MARK 12:1–2; ISAIAH 5:1–7
Q: What do the vineyard and the tenants represent in this parable?
Q: Why was Jesus’s audience offended by this parable?
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This parable tells the story of a man who built a vineyard and leased it out. The tenants were to watch over the
vineyard and cultivate a crop for the owner. When the owner attempted to collect his crop, the tenants refuse to give
him what he was due. They killed the owner’s messengers and eventually his son. The parable concludes with the
anticipation of the owner’s coming judgment upon them.
The connections between Jesus’s parable and real life are easy enough to see. Even if they were not, they were easy
enough for Jesus’s Jewish audience to see because they understood that He was speaking about them (Mark 12:12).
They were the evil tenants. The vineyard and the crop correspond to the land God gave the nation of Israel. The
idea was that God would give them the promised land, and they would live there in covenantal faithfulness. The
Israelites, however, did not remain faithful to their covenant making God, presented in the parable as a refusal to
give up the crop they had produced. The implications of Jesus’s parable were, of course, offensive to the Jews.
Q: How does your story match the story of these tenants?
Q: How do you react when you are confronted with your unfaithfulness?
APPLICATION POINT – As we will see, this parable had particular significance for the nation of Israel during
biblical times. It tells their story. But the story of Israel is a microcosm of the story of all humanity. All humanity
has been unfaithful to God and misused the gifts He has given us. We are left with only two options. We can
repent and believe in the grace God provides for us in Jesus Christ or continue in our rebellion and encounter
His judgment.
Being confronted with our sin can still be challenging, even after we confess our sinfulness and our need for
Christ. Even when we repent of sin and believe the gospel, we never completely stop sinning while we are alive
on this earth. We must continue to repent of our sin throughout our lives. We do not like to admit our faults and
the ways we fail to live up to what God demands of us, but unconfessed and unrepentant sin always leads to our
downfall. We must always be ready to repent of sin throughout our lives.
Q: How is Isaiah 5:1–7 similar to this parable?
Q: How is Isaiah 5:1–7 different from this parable?
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The wording of Jesus’s parable contains obvious parallels to Isaiah’s parable, and Jesus’s audience would have
certainly made this connection. In Isaiah’s parable, the vineyard produced wild grapes. The word “wild” suggests a
deficiency. The grapes were not suitable for a harvest, and the vineyard was a failure. In Jesus’s parable, it is not the
grapes but the tenants who were deficient. The owner was denied a harvest not because of the quality of the harvest
but because of the wicked people he put in charge of it. This key difference helps us appreciate how Jesus shifted
the message from Isaiah’s original proclamation. His audience would have been offended enough if He had simply
retold the parable. They would have found the changes He made to be intolerable. At the end of Isaiah’s parable,
God, in judgment, reduced the vineyard to a wasteland. Isaiah’s parable alluded to the people’s exile from the land.
In Jesus’s parable, the aggression of the tenants allowed for a closer connection to Jesus’s audience. They were not
passive, wild grapes but agents actively rebelling against God. Furthermore, in Jesus’s story, the vineyard owner did
not simply condemn the tenants and lay waste to the vineyard. The tenants were condemned and replaced. With this
alteration, Jesus alluded to the removal of Israel and the inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s plan. The condemnation
of the Jewish elites allowed for the Gentiles to be included in God’s plan. Such a suggestion would have infuriated
Jesus’s audience.
Q: In what way is Israel’s story the same as the story of the whole world?
Q: How can we guard against deceiving ourselves concerning our standing with God?
APPLICATION POINT – It is crucial for us to see that Israel’s is our story as well. In Genesis 1–2, God placed
a tenant in a garden. In Genesis 3, that tenant rebelled against His authority and was caste out of the garden.
Adam represented all of us when he failed to obey God, and every person since has confirmed Adam’s original
rebellion by personally sinning against God. Apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are all wandering around
in the wasteland outside of God’s garden. Our only hope of avoiding His eternal condemnation is to trust Jesus
for salvation.
Jesus’s audience thought Isaiah’s parable was for their forefathers who endured the exile. By applying this
parable to them, Jesus showed they were involved in a massive act of self-deception. In 2 Peter 1:10, Peter said to
confirm our calling and election. To avoid the fate of Jesus’s audience, we must diligently ensure our calling and
election. We must ensure that our hearts are always seeking to follow God in obedience. We can never be content
to dismiss an act of rebellion as if God would be unconcerned with our actions. Make your calling and election
sure day by day.
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2. GUILTY OF ALL THE RIGHTEOUS BLOOD MARK 12:3–7; MATTHEW 23:29–36
Q: What did Jesus accuse the Jewish elites of in Matthew 23:29–36?
Q: How did the tenants fulfill Jesus’s words?
When the vineyard owner sent a messenger to procure the harvest, the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-
handed. The owner sent additional messengers who were also beaten and/or murdered. These messengers represent
the prophets in the Old Testament. They were sent by God to confront Israel’s disobedience, but Israel refused to
heed their warning and instead abused them. The prophets’ stories are told throughout the Old Testament, in both
the historical books and in the prophetic books bearing their names.
In Matthew 23:29–36, Jesus admonished the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders for following in the pattern of
their fathers. Their fathers refused to listen to the Old Testament prophets and murdered them. The Jewish elites
would follow suit by murdering Jesus. At the conclusion of His admonition, Jesus said they were guilty of all the
righteous blood spilt from Abel to Zechariah. Abel was the first innocent man to be murdered in the Old Testament
and Zechariah was the last, if the Old Testament is arranged to conclude with Chronicles as it sometimes was in
Jesus’s day. Jesus was saying that the entire Old Testament was a witness against Israel for the murder of God’s
prophets. Like the tenants in the vineyard, they had abused or murdered every messenger the Master sent.
Q: Why do people refuse to heed warnings?
Q: What does God’s willingness to send multiple prophets say about His concern for His people and for humanity?
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APPLICATION POINT – The Old Testament prophets were lonely voices crying out in a society that had gone
astray from what God intended. The ensuing conflict between them and their society is indicative of the conflict
that will always come when God’s messengers refuse to be silent in their opposition of the ungodly. If the church
and its members intend to maintain their prophetic voice and warn our society of the coming calamity promised
in Scripture, we need to be ready to face hostility. This is an age-old conflict, and we would be foolish to think it
will not continue in our time. In fact, we should be concerned if it does not.
Q: Who does the son symbolize in the parable?
Q: How does the son’s story differ from Jesus’s story?
After seeing his servants return home beaten or fail to return at all, the vineyard owner decided to send his own
son to restore order in the vineyard and secure the crop. The tenants, however, brutally murdered him. The son
obviously represents Jesus, the culmination of a long series of prophets God sent to warn Israel of their disloyalty
to Him. Just as the son in the parable was killed by the tenants, Jesus was killed by His own rebellious people.
Unlike the son in the parable, Jesus’s story did not end with His death. He rose from the dead three days later
to secure the forgiveness of sins for everyone who would trust in Him. God orchestrated the murder of His Son
to coincide with the substitution we need for our forgiveness. That is why Jesus’s death on the cross condemns
everyone who refuses to believe but saves everyone who puts their faith in Him. God is the great architect of
history.
Q: How should we respond when we do not understand what God is doing in the world?
Q: What implications can you draw from God’s ability to bring good from the most despicable act in human history?
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THIS IS US
APPLICATION POINT – We serve a God who can bring hope out of the most impossible circumstances and
joy out of the deepest despair. When we face challenges and trials in life, we only need to consider the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ to find the courage to persevere. Like the son in the parable, Jesus’s death came at
the hands of murderous, rebellious thugs, but, also like the parable, their actions led to their condemnation. But
this is only half the story. What those who crucified Jesus intended for evil, God intended for good, and from their
wicked deed He brought salvation for all who confess and believe. If God can do that from a murder as heinous as
Jesus’s, He can bring hope out of whatever trials you face if you will only trust in His good work.
3. WHY DO THE PEOPLES PLOT IN VAIN? MARK 12:7–9; PSALM 2
Q: What did the tenants plan to do when they saw the owner’s son?
Q: What did the world rulers plot in Psalm 2?
For the owner’s servants, we are merely told that the tenants beat and/or killed them. But when they saw the
owner’s son, they plotted together to murder him. They thought if they killed the heir, the vineyard would be
theirs. Of course, their plotting was in vain. After killing the son, the owner vowed to destroy them and replace
them with faithful tenants. Again, these wicked tenants correspond to the Jewish leaders who sought Jesus’s
demise. By killing Jesus, they would rid themselves of the burden He created by questioning their authority
among the masses. Like the tenants in the vineyard, they did not want any challenges to their authority. Their
plotting was also in vain. Jesus’s death led to His resurrection and the bringing in of the Gentiles into the
people of God.
Leaders plotting against God and His Son is nothing new. In Psalm 2, world leaders plot in vain against the
Lord and His anointed Son. Their plotting will come to nothing because they must eventually submit to the rule
of the Son or face their own destruction. The plotting of the tenants and the Jewish elites is one instance of a
larger theme present throughout Scripture.
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Q: In what ways do leaders plot against Jesus today?
Q: Why is it helpful to see the struggles around you as a part of a larger story?
APPLICATION POINT – The world will continue to plot against God and His anointed Son by plotting against
His followers. If you struggle when others deny or ridicule your faith, feel encouraged, because you are taking part
in a much older and larger story than just what you see and experience. Furthermore, you can have confidence
that all their plotting will be in vain. Those who wish to deny the authority and rule of Jesus will ultimately see
their plots be brought to nothing and lead to their condemnation. You do not need to despair when the world
ridicules you because of your faith.
4. THE REJECTED STONE MARK 12:10–11; PSALM 118:22–23; ACTS 4:11; 1 PETER 2:7
Q: How is the rejected stone related to the parable?
Q: Why is Psalm 118:22–23 so popular among the biblical writers?
Mark 12:10–11 quotes Psalm 118:22–23. In quoting this passage, Jesus linked these verses to the son of the
vineyard owner. The tenants rejected all of the owner’s messengers, culminating in the rejection of the son. In
utilizing these verses in this manner, Jesus identified Himself as the capstone rejected by many. In a reversal
of expectations, the capstone rejected by many becomes the key architectural piece in the building. Likewise,
although Jesus was rejected by His own people, He became the central figure in all God is doing to restore
humanity. This same theme is picked up elsewhere within Scripture. Peter and John used these verses to justify
their belief in Jesus Christ as the risen Messiah (Acts 4). Peter, writing to Christians enduring suffering and
rejection themselves, identified Jesus as the stone once rejected but now the central piece within the community
of God’s people. By calling attention to the rejection of Jesus, Peter encouraged his audience to endure rejection
and persecution because it identified them as followers of Jesus Christ.
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Q: How does Jesus’s rejection shape our own perspective of the Christian faith?
Q: What does the New Testament’s frequent adoption of Old Testament themes teach us?
APPLICATION – Since Jesus, the central figure of our faith, endured rejection and persecution, we should expect
to encounter persecution as well. The belief in freedom of religion has tempered much of the persecution Christians
endured in the past, at least in most modern Western nations, but there are increasing signs that what was once
understood to be a fundamental element of all free societies is being cast aside to appease the more recent demands
of our quickly devolving culture. Are you ready to endure persecution for your faith?
Even though widespread and government-backed persecution has been largely held at bay for some time, there are
still plenty of instances of isolated persecution. If you maintain a biblical sexual ethic, you will likely find yourself
mocked at work or school. If you stand on the exclusivity of Christ, you will likely be called bigoted and intolerant.
If you refuse to cut corners or look the other way at work, you may be passed over for promotions. Being a Christian
in the midst of a lost world invites struggles and hardship, but true believers are able to face those realities because
they know following Jesus is far better than anything this world can offer.
This lesson focused on what kept the Jewish leaders from repenting. The Pharisees were consumed with external
signs. The lawyers were caught in hypocrisy. These are not mutually exclusive categories. Which one creates the
biggest struggle for you? Take some time to write down some resolutions to help you flee from these two corrupting
influences.
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+Use these prayer points to instill the lessons you learned from God’s Word this week.
-Jesus, thank you for enduring the rejection of others for my sake.
-Father, forgive me for the times I have failed to stand for you before others.
-God, help me to celebrate what this world has rejected.
-Jesus, thank you for bringing hope out of despair.
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G E T T I N G R E A D Y
How would you summarize God’s message to the world?
Read Matthew 22:1–14.
Pray that many in your community would embrace God’s call to salvation.
K E Y B I B L I C A L T R U T H
God has issued both wide and narrow calls to salvation.
T H E O L O G Y A P P L I E D
We must accept God’s call on His terms.
M E D I T A T E
“For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14).
+Use this section to introduce yourself to the key point of this week’s passage.
THIS IS US
November 7, 2021 | Parable of the Wedding BanquetLIFE OF JESUS
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Q: What is a distress call?
Q: Why are distress calls sent so broadly?
“Mayday, mayday! This is ________ in distress seeking immediate aid.” Distress calls are issued when a ship
or airplane is in trouble and in need of assistance from anyone able to give aid. A mayday call is issued broadly
to anyone who can help. The issuer may have some knowledge of who is in the vicinity and could help, but no
particular recipient is addressed. The call is sent out to everyone.
God has issued a mayday call to all of humanity. Of course, the key difference in God’s mayday call is that it is the
recipients who are in need of rescue. All of humanity has sinned and found themselves under God’s condemnation.
We need to be rescued from God’s wrath, and He has provided a way for us to be rescued through the gospel of Jesus
Christ. But to be rescued, we must respond to His call. In Matthew 22:1–14, Jesus explained God’s call to salvation
in parable form. It begins narrowly and then broadens universally. The key for humanity is responding to God’s call.
Q: What does the broadness of God’s call to repentance demonstrate about Him?
Q: What does the widespread refusal of God’s call indicate?
APPLICATION POINT – God’s broad call demonstrates His enduring concern for humanity. He desires for
everyone to seek repentance (1 Timothy 2:4), so He issues a broad call to salvation. Of course, not everyone will
receive this call, but their denial of God’s grace should in no way cause us to question God’s commitment to
restore humanity through Jesus Christ. If you have ever been discouraged or wondered whether God really cared
about you and your needs, remember He has called you to salvation through His Son. If God is faithful to us in
the most important way, we can be assured of His faithfulness to us in every way, even when we cannot see it in
our present circumstances.
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U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E T E X T
+In Matthew 22:1–14, God’s call to salvation is extended to the masses. This passage provides us with several points
to consider concerning our hope in Jesus Christ and God’s invitation to salvation.
1. HAVEN’T I HEARD THIS BEFORE?
2. GOD’S BANQUET
3. BROADENING THE INVITATION
4. FEW ARE CHOSEN
+This section will explore several points stemming from this passage related to Jesus’s mission, God’s call, and our response.
1. HAVEN’T I HEARD THIS BEFORE? MATTHEW 22:1–14; LUKE 14:15–24
Q: How are these parables similar?
Q: How are they different?
As you study the life of Jesus, it is important to keep in mind that most of His ministry was itinerate. Jesus traveled
around Palestine teaching crowds and ministering to their needs. So, He frequently repeated the parables and
illustrations He used to teach His followers. Sometimes this reuse appears within the record preserved for us in the
Gospels. This appears to be the case for Matthew 22:1–14 and Luke 14:15–24. The similarities between these parables
have sometimes been troubling for readers because of differences between them. Some people have suggested that
Mathew, the writer of the Gospel from which this week’s passage is taken, altered and added to Jesus’s words to
further his own agenda. But, given the reality of Jesus’s itinerate ministry, this kind of speculation and suspicion is
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unwarranted. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem but had not arrived yet. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus
had entered Jerusalem and was teaching the crowds in the city. This shift in location shows us two things. First, it
is legitimate to attribute Matthew’s “alterations” to Jesus giving this parable on more than one occasion. Second,
it was entirely appropriate for Him to emphasize the destruction of the city on this occasion (Matthew 22:7) as a
powerful warning for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, where Jesus would soon be crucified. Furthermore, emphasizing
that the invited guests either ignored the invitation or murdered the messengers created further parallels between
the parable and what would take place in Jerusalem later that week.
Q: What does Jesus’s willingness to adapt His parables show us?
Q: How should we approach seeming discrepancies within the Gospels?
APPLICATION POINT – The Bible does contain some potential discrepancies that people have used to discredit
its witness. Since the Gospels frequently cover the same material, they are one of the prime places to which
people look to discredit the Bible. These attempts have multiplied since the Enlightenment in the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries. None of them has proven irrefutable. Given an open mind, it is typically easy to see a
way in which the consistency of the biblical material can be appreciated. The real question for us concerns our
outlook on Scripture. If we see ourselves as subject to the Bible’s teachings, we will have the humility to look for
solutions to the difficulties we find within the biblical text rather than allowing them to make us question the
validity of our faith. Commit yourself to the authority of God’s Word. If you see potential discrepancies within the
Bible’s witness, do the hard work to understand what is being said rather than living with doubt in God’s Word.
2. GOD’S BANQUET MATTHEW 22:2
Q: What invitation does the king extended?
Q: What is the significance of this event within Christian symbolism?
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The weddings of British Princes William (2011) and Harry (2018) garnered international attention. Royal
weddings tend to become spectacles, and this was the imagery Jesus created with His parable. The king’s son
was being married, and the king had planned a marvelous reception and invited all the elites of society to attend.
In Jesus’s parable, this banquet stands for God’s blessings for those who accept His invitation to salvation. A
banquet is a common biblical image used to discuss God’s blessings upon His people at the end of the age.
Revelation 19:9 talks about the wedding supper of the Lamb. Jesus has previously alluded to an end-of-the-age
banquet in Matthew 8:11. The invitation extended in this parable represents an invitation to experience God’s
blessings for eternity.
Q: What does the banquet imagery reveal about God?
Q: What does the banquet imagery reveal about our eternal hope?
APPLICATION POINT – The Bible’s banquet imagery alludes to God’s relational nature and the lavishness of
His gifts to His people. God is completely independent of His creation. He does not need us to be complete. He
does not need the rocks, the trees, or the air to be complete. He exists in perfect fullness apart from anything He
has made, and even though this is the case, God has shown a remarkable willingness to be involved in all that He
has made, even to the point of taking on flesh and entering into creation. The banquet imagery used throughout
the New Testament is a wonderful reminder of God’s desire to enter into a relationship with us. The first thing
we will encounter at the turn of the age will be a great banquet with our God. God cares deeply about His people.
With salvation, you receive far more than just the forgiveness of your sins. You also receive a relationship with a
God who loves to give great gifts to His people.
3. BROADENING THE INVITATION MATTHEW 22:2–10
Q: Who did the king send his messengers to?
Q: What happened to those who were invited but refused to attend the king’s banquet?
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In the ancient world, it was common to send two invitations to special events such as a banquet. The first invitation
announced the banquet and alerted the recipient to be ready for it. The second invitation announced that everything
was ready, and those who were invited should make their way to the event. So, when the king sent his servants to
those who had been invited, he was sending the second invitation to the recipients. They had already been made
aware of the wedding banquet and should have been prepared to attend. Instead, they ignored the second invitation
and even murdered the messengers. Such actions were clearly seen as treasonous by the king and, in response, the
king sent his troops to annihilate the murderers and burn their city.
It is important to remember the essential rules for understanding parables. Sometimes, the parable departs from
reality, but readers must give the speaker enough leeway to tell the parable in the manner needed to make his point.
For example, it is unlikely that all the invited guest who offended the king would have lived in one city that could
be surrounded and burned. Furthermore, this type of military action would obviously take some time, but in the
parable, no time seems to have passed between the siege of the city and the invitation to the additional wedding
guests because the wedding banquet was still ready. Jesus was breaking from reality to make His point.
The initial guests who were invited likely correspond to the Jewish people. God made a covenant with them and
promised they would be His special people. They were “invited” to take part in God’s blessings at the end of the
age, but they rebelled against His rule and thereby “paid no attention” to His invitation. Furthermore, they often
brutalized God’s prophets who called them to repent, culminating in the murder of Jesus Himself. Their rejection of
Jesus will incur God’s judgment. The destruction of the city in the parable is stereotypical of God’s judgment against
a city in the Old Testament (Judges 1:8; Isaiah 5:24–25). Again, we have to provide Jesus some leeway in telling
His parable. In New Testament times, and even since, some Jewish people have recognized Jesus as their Messiah
and embraced Him as king. Not every Jewish person will face God’s judgment, as was apparently the case for those
who were invited to the king’s banquet. Jesus did intend to highlight a shift in God’s plan, however. Those who were
previously included in God’s people would be excluded, and those who were previously excluded would be included.
Paul referred to this as the mystery of Christ (Ephesians 3).
Q: Even though Jesus was likely referring to His own people, how can His warning be more broadly applied today?
Q: How do people ignore God’s invitation to salvation today?
APPLICATION POINT – One key point to remember when thinking theologically about the Old Testament is
that the story of the people of Israel is a microcosm of the story of all of humanity. The Old Testament begins
with the first human couple in a garden. They rejected God’s rule and were exiled from the garden. As God’s
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chosen people, Israel was given a land in which they were to serve and worship Him, but they were exiled from
that land because of their rebellion against Him. Old Testament Israel illustrates the decision we have all made to
reject God. Therefore, it is not inappropriate to apply Jesus’s warning to His own people to the rest of us. Many
people today ignore God’s call to salvation. God will tolerate their rebellion for only so long before He brings His
judgment, just as the king did in Matthew 22:7. If you are ignoring your need to repent from sin and turn to Jesus
for forgiveness, you need to hear the warning in Jesus’s parable. If you have confessed your need for Jesus Christ,
you need to ensure that those around you who have refused His invitation know the judgment they are facing for
eternity if they continue.
Q: After the original recipients declined their invitation, who did the king invite?
Q: What limits did the king place on who and how many were invited?
After the fiasco with those who were originally invited, the king sent his servants to the highways and byways to
invite anyone they encountered to the wedding banquet. The king placed no limits on who or how many could be
invited. The previous invitation was narrow, but this one was broad. The servants invited and gathered everyone
they could find, both bad and good.
The king’s actions correspond to the extension of God’s call beyond the Jewish people and its universal nature.
Everyone, regardless of nationality, race, gender, or economic status receives God’s call to repent and believe. In
theology, this is often referred to as God’s universal call, which must be distinguished from God’s effectual call.
Isaiah 45:22 speaks of God’s universal invitation to receive salvation. God says, “Turn to me and be saved, all the
ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” God’s call is issued to the ends of the earth. Certainly some
people have received this call and failed to respond, but the invitation went to them just as the king’s invitation
to the wedding banquet was issued throughout the land.
Q: What does God’s universal call reveal about His concern for the world?
Q: How does God’s universal call inform our mission?
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THIS IS US
APPLICATION POINT – God’s universal call to salvation means we must share the invitation to receive the
gospel broadly. Not everyone will accept the gospel, but unlike God, we have no way of knowing who will and who
will not. What we do know is that the gospel is for everyone, regardless of culture and status. It is the only hope
for humankind, and God has given us the task of sharing this good news with a lost and dying world.
A few years ago, my pastor held an outreach event during which church members went door-to-door in
neighborhoods that allowed solicitation. Unfortunately, we did not have a great response. I later heard one of the
elders suggesting that our effort was a waste of time and encouraging us to focus more on personal evangelism
with people we had established relationships with. I would not quibble with him concerning the need for personal
and relational evangelism, but I see no reason to discredit the effort of our church to sow the seed of the gospel
broadly. This seems to be exactly what the king did in Jesus’s parable and what God does in Isaiah 45:22.
Furthermore, if we give up the call to share the gospel when it is not received, it would not be long before we
would not practice personal evangelism either. We do not know how God will work to bring people to salvation.
Let us seek more opportunities to spread the good news, no matter the occasion.
4. FEW ARE CHOSEN MATTHEW 22:11–14
Q: Why did the king throw a guest out of his banquet?
Q: What did the king’s actions reveal about the banquet?
After sending a broad invitation along the highways and byways of his kingdom, the king gathered an extensive crowd for the wedding banquet. Given the rejection by those who were originally invited, we might expect the king to be relieved to have anyone attend the banquet. We certainly would not expect him to expel people he just invited, yet when he encountered a guest without the expected attire, the king confronted him and threw him out of the banquet. The king’s actions catch us off guard, but this detail emphasizes an important point. Even though the king issued the invitation widely, the guest could not attend without proper attire. He could not attend on his own terms. He had to follow the expectations of the king.
The same can be said for the kingdom of God. Even though God has issued a broad call to salvation, we cannot come to Him on our own terms. There is only one way to enter God’s kingdom, and that one way is through the gospel
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of Jesus Christ. Just as the guest could not attend it banquet in his own garment, we may not enter the kingdom of God in our own garments. We have to be clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, not our filthy rags. We cannot come on our own terms.
Q: How are you trying to set the terms for entering the kingdom of God?
Q:Why does our culture refuse to accept the terms of the gospel?
APPLICATION POINT – The gospel is God’s free gift of salvation for everyone who will receive it, but receiving
the gospel entails making Jesus Lord of your life. And if Jesus is Lord of your life, you must seek to live by His Word.
The Bible makes real assertions about life and the world in which we live. It makes real demands concerning how
we live under God’s rule. Many people are willing to receive the forgiveness offered in the gospel but do not want
to conform their lives to Scripture. They resent the morality within Scripture and the ways in which it runs against
the grain of modern sensibilities. In refusing to make Jesus our Lord and conform our lives to His Word, we try to
approach Him on our own terms. If this is the case, we are in danger of being “thrown out” of His kingdom, meaning
we were never really part of His kingdom. If you are resisting the teachings of Scripture, seek repentance and
submission to God’s Word. We should not be surprised when the Bible appears out of step with modern culture. If
we confess faith in Jesus Christ, we should be surprised when our loyalties to the world’s system of beliefs outweigh
our commitment to make Jesus Lord of our lives.
Q: What reasoning does Jesus give for the king throwing out the underdressed guest?
Q: If many are called , why are only a few chosen?
Jesus concluded this passage with a succinct summary. Although many people were invited to the king’s banquet, not everyone was chosen. In the parable, we only have one example of someone who was not chosen. The guest without the wedding garment was escorted out of the banquet. Jesus’s statement, however, hints at an escalation from what we see in the parable. Jesus did not elaborate on His summary, but we may assume that many attempt
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THIS IS USto enter the kingdom of God on their own terms. Jesus’s statement likely even includes those who were originally invited but declined. They also suffered outside of the banquet. Although everyone was invited, few were chosen to attend.
Jesus’s language alludes to God’s effectual call, which was distinguished from His universal call above. The offer of salvation has been made to the entire world, both Jew and Gentile. Even though many are called, few are actually chosen for salvation. God’s effectual call is affirmed by other Scriptures. For example, Romans 8:30 states, “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” In this case, and in many others throughout the New Testament, Paul was obviously not speaking of a broad call to salvation which may be rejected. He was referencing a work of God by which He ensures the recipient will receive the gospel. Not everyone who receives the broad call to salvation receives this effectual call ensuring salvation.
Q: How should God’s effectual call inform our mission?
Q: What does God’s effectual call reveal about His concern for the world?
APPLICATION POINT – God’s universal call reveals His compassion and love for lost sinners. God’s effectual call
reveals His compassion and love for lost sinners. Many people would challenge this claim, but the reality of sin in
our lives means that we would never accept God’s universal call apart from His effectual call in our lives. If God did
not act decisively to enliven our hearts to the gospel, we would not be saved.
God’s effectual call also offers us some somber but needed consolation when others reject the gospel. Not everyone
will be open to receiving the gospel. Sometimes this realization comes with great pain. My family shared the gospel
numerous times over the years with my uncle. At one point, he admitted to me that he thought he would accept
the gospel one day, but he was not ready yet. He died unexpectedly in a small plane crash. He never, to anyone’s
knowledge, confessed Christ as Savior. The pain of his loss for eternity is difficult to bear, but it is the sad reality for
the many who, as Jesus stated, are not chosen. My family does not bear the responsibility for my uncle’s refusal to
accept Christ as his Savior. Neither do you bear the responsibility for anyone who refuses the gospel.
God has issued a wide call to salvation in His Son, Jesus Christ. Within whatever sphere is appropriate for you
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(church, Sunday school, small group, etc.), find a way to issue God’s broad call to salvation over the next month. You
may consider canvasing a neighborhood, like my church did. My church also hosted “block” parties at a local park
and invited the community to attend. There are endless possibilities for how you can be involved in issuing God’s
universal call to salvation.
+Use these prayer points to instill the lessons you learned from God’s Word this week.
-Father, thank you for calling me to salvation in your Son, Jesus Christ.
-God, help me to deal with the searing loss of those I know who have died without the gospel.
-Lord Jesus, thank you for suffering rejection from your own to make salvation available for all.
-God, help me to eagerly call others to salvation.
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G E T T I N G R E A D Y
Write a single statement identifying the core goals of the Christian life.
Read Mark 12:28–31.
Ask God to reveal to you specific ways you are failing to love Him and love others
K E Y B I B L I C A L T R U T H
Christians must be guided by their love for God and their love for others.
T H E O L O G Y A P P L I E D
The gospel reverses our priorities from sin and self to God and others.
M E D I T A T E
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).
+Use this section to begin thinking about the main point of this week’s lesson
November 14, 2021 | The Greatest CommandmentLIFE OF JESUS
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Q: What is the mission statement of the company you work for?
Q: Do you have a personal mission statement?
A mission statement encapsulates the essential goals and ethos of an organization or business. For example,
Google’s mission statement is “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
Coca-Cola wants “to refresh the world . . . to inspire moments of optimism and happiness . . . to create value and
make a difference.” Social media giant Facebook’s goal is “to give people the power to build community and bring
the world closer together.” At times, it is impossible to escape the feeling that some mission statements are merely
intended to distract the public with a finely crafted memo giving some semblance of altruism. No company I am
aware of feels at ease enough to make “earning our owners and investors billions of dollars” their mission statement
even though this more closely matches their true purpose. Nevertheless, statements such as these are intended to
anchor an entity’s identity in their core values.
In Mark 12:28–31, Jesus provided a mission statement for the Christian faith. Unlike mission statements from
so many modern companies, there is no pretense in Jesus’s words. These are the core principles every follower of
Jesus must instill within their lives. Every other law, every other calling or conviction can be included in these two
commandments. If you ever wonder whether you have lost your way as a follower of Christ, turning your focus on
these two principles will immediately help you get back on track.
Q: How could the message of this passage be obscured apart from the gospel?
Q: How does the application of these two commandments presume the gospel?
APPLICATION POINT – At the outset of this lesson, it is crucial to discuss how Jesus’s words relate to the
gospel. In this passage, Jesus presented the core values of the Christian faith. From the moment of salvation,
every believer is learning how to set themselves aside in favor of God and others. This is what authentic growth
in the Christian life looks like. We must understand, however, that it would be impossible to do this apart from
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transforming power of the gospel. Before we are transformed by the gospel, we are committed to sin and self.
Our natural inclination is the exact opposite of what Jesus required in this passage. When we confess Jesus as
our Lord and Savior, the penalty of our sin is applied to Him, and we are released from sin’s bondage. Only then
are we able to pursue the core values Jesus set forth in this passage. Apart from the gospel, pursuing these core
values is futile.
U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E T E X T
+This passage’s basic point needs little explanation. Jesus called His followers to love God and to love others. A
closer examination will help us appreciate the nuances of His teaching and create more specific applications. But we
will never move beyond these two simple commands. We never need to.
1. APPROACHING JESUS WITH AUTHENTICITY
2. UNDERSTANDING THE LAW
3. THE IMPORTANCE OF MONOTHEISM
4. UNDERSTANDING LOVE
5. LOVING GOD
6. LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR
+ This section will draw multiple implications from Jesus’s teaching on the greatest commandment and the surrounding context. It will also make personal applications from each point.
1. APPROACHING JESUS WITH AUTHENTICITY MARK 12:13, 28
Q: What was the dispute the scribe overheard when he approached Jesus?
Q: How does the scribe’s question differ from the previous questions addressed to Jesus?
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Throughout His ministry, Jesus grew increasingly unpopular among the religious authorities. After accusing them
of rebelling against God and rejecting His Messiah (Mark 12:1–12), Jesus was no longer a nuisance but a threat to
the religious establishment. They wanted to kill Him, but because of His popularity among the crowds, they first
attempted to do so inconspicuously. They tried to trap Jesus by asking Him loaded questions. Their goal was to
get Him to answer in a way that would either offend the crowds and alienate Him from their support or challenge
the Roman authorities and lead to His swift execution (Mark 12:13–27). Jesus, however, was up to the task and
successfully navigated their treachery.
One onlooker finally recognized the opportunity that was being missed. Despite their attempts to smear His
reputation, Jesus replied to the authorities’ questions with skill and biblical wisdom. This scribe broke from his
ill-intentioned counterparts. By asking Jesus a genuine question, he modeled for others how to seek Jesus with
authenticity. Any other attitude is a missed opportunity.
Q: Do people still approach Jesus with a lack of authenticity today?
Q: How can you encourage others to approach Jesus with authenticity?
APPLICATION POINT – People continue to struggle with approaching Jesus with authenticity today. Most of the
people I work with know I am a committed Christian. It is not uncommon for someone to approach me wanting to
have a religious conversation. I always indulge in these conversations with the hope of sharing the gospel. What I
typically find, however, is that most people have no intention of having a conversation that will change the course
of their lives. Some simply want me to address their random questions. Maybe they feel as though they will gain
some sort of credit with God for speaking to me. Some people just want to see if they can hold their own in some
kind of religious debate. I do not find any of this authentic. They are not trying to trap Jesus in His words like the
religious elites in our passage, but they have no real interest in learning about Him. When such conversations are
coming to a close, I challenge the other person not to put off thinking about eternity, hoping this will help some of
them see that Jesus and Christianity are not a joke or avenues for idle speculation. The things they believe about
Jesus will matter for eternity. I am trying to encourage them to become authentic in their search for Him. If you
find yourself in similar situations, find a way to challenge others to approach Jesus authentically like the scribe
did in this week’s passage.
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2. UNDERSTANDING THE LAW
Q: What commandments was the scribe was inquiring about?
Q: Why should any part of God’s Word be considered more important than the rest?
The commandments the scribe was referring to are the vast number of prohibitions and guidelines found mainly
in the Old Testament books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. There are 613 laws within the Old Testament
covering a wide variety of topics. They were intended to guide the Israelites in faithfully fulfilling their covenantal
commitment to God. The Jewish people commonly distinguished between what they would deem the “weightier”
versus the “lighter” laws in the Old Testament. All were considered important, but it was recognized that some
had a more pervading significance than others. The rabbis frequently debated how best to organize the laws in this
fashion. It was also recognized that this practice could aid in identifying the central concerns of the law.
Q: How did this practice protect the true intent of Old Testament law?
Q: How does this practice protect us from legalism?
APPLICATION POINT – Laws were a necessary part of Israelite society, just as they are today. The problem with
laws, especially those intertwined with religious practice, is the ease with which they lead to legalism. Although
the degree to which Old Testament law continues to apply to the followers of Jesus is debated, every serious
believer recognizes the need to seek godliness, and this quest entails the adoption of moral principles. Thus,
legalism is as great a danger today as ever.
There are at least three problems with legalism. First, it replaces devotion to God with devotion to principles or
morality. Second, it subverts godliness by pitting moral principles against one another. Think, for example, about
when Jesus confronted the Pharisees for using the principle of corbin (a gift to God) to excuse their failure to
care for their aging parents. Third, it fails to apply God’s law widely enough. The Old Testament law could not
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possibly address every situation that could occur in the life of an ancient Israelite. In the same way, the Bible does
not specifically address every matter of life today. The biblical authors could not possibly have foreseen modern
technologies, for instance. The legalist can feel at ease ignoring these issues while holding to the letter of the law,
but true Christian morality seeks to apply biblical principles to every area of life.
3. THE IMPORTANCE OF MONOTHEISM MARK 12:29; DEUTERONOMY 6:4
Q: What is the significance of Deuteronomy 6:4?
Q: Why does God’s oneness underlie everything else Jesus says?
Jesus proposed Deuteronomy 6:4–5 as the most important commandment. These verses, known as the Shema,
were repeated twice daily by Jewish people during Old Testament times and emphasize the oneness of God. Belief
in God’s oneness, also called monotheism, distinguished ancient Israel from every other nation or people around
them. Other nations had laws and religious customs. They made sacrifices to deities and had priests, but all of
them were polytheistic, meaning they believed in more than one god. They may have identified more frequently
with one god than others, but they would never have claimed that a single god ruled over heaven and earth. The
same could be said for ancient Greece, Egypt, and every other ancient civilization. The Old Testament’s emphasis
on one God, not just one God over all others, was utterly unique at that time.
Of the Gospels that reference this event, only Mark includes Deuteronomy 6:4, which is crucial for understanding
what follows in Deuteronomy 6:5. For God to demand absolute allegiance from Israel, there could be no other
legitimate claim for their loyalties. In choosing Deuteronomy 6:4–5 as the greatest commandment, Jesus
proclaimed absolute loyalty to God to be the essential characteristic of Old Testament law.
Q: What additional implications does God’s oneness have for Christianity?
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Q: Why is it important for us to believe in one God?
APPLICATION POINT – God’s oneness takes on addition importance within Christianity because of the doctrine
of the Trinity. We believe in one God who exists eternally in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and
God the Holy Spirit. Each person is distinct, and each person is fully God, yet we still confess the oneness of God.
We still maintain continuity with the Shema. Thus, we recognize and understand God’s demand for our total
allegiance. We cannot love anything or anyone else in the same way we love God.
Absolute allegiance is easy to understand but seemingly impossible for us to practice. We are all idolaters at heart.
An idol is typically associated with an inanimate object, such as a stone, that can be worshipped, but anything we
give god-like allegiance to is an idol. Modern people may not be polytheistic, but we are poly-idolaters. We would
never confess our allegiance to a stone image, but we are, nevertheless, committed materialists. We love our stuff
and will do anything to get it. Just like ancient Israel, we need a daily reminder of God’s oneness to keep us from
idolatry. Consider taking time to reflect upon or recite the two great commandments Jesus identified in these
verses at a specific time throughout the week. These verses will never work like a mantra or magically cure you
of your inclination to idolatry, but prayerful reflection on these verses can help you begin to identify the unseen
idols in your life.
4. UNDERSTANDING LOVE MARK 12:30–31
Q: What is the link between the two commandments Jesus cited?
Q: What is love?
Both commandments Jesus cited contain the word “love.” Our society talks a great deal about love. At times,
we obsess over it. But this obsession should not be confused with a holistic understanding. Our view of love is
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THIS IS USpathetic. We use the word in so many contexts that it has become ubiquitous. We use it as a euphemism for sex,
to express our satisfaction in material possessions such as a cars or clothing, to identify our favorite fast food,
and everything between and beyond. The ubiquity of love is alarming, but what is worse is the growing tendency
to claim love as an excuse to condone any action or behavior we think should be morally acceptable. We use love
as an excuse for divorce. Couples “fall out of love” and cannot stay married. We use love as an excuse to evade
moral judgment. “Loving others” means affirming them in whatever they want to do or be, regardless of whether
it opposes clear biblical teachings or departs wildly from reality. The fact that I often cringe and brace myself for
the worst when I hear the word “love” tells me something is amiss in how our society thinks about it.
For us to understand the greatest two commandments, we need a more faithful understanding of love. It is
frequently noted that the Greek language contains three words— eros, philia, and agape—that are typically
translated into English as “love,” Most Greek scholars agree that the differences between these three words have
been greatly distorted. These words can often be used interchangeably. Nevertheless, much of what is said of the
Greek word agape can help us gain a greater sense of what Jesus meant by love in these commandments. It is
often said that agape refers to sacrificial love or high regard. The love we are to have for God and others is not self-
serving. It transcends our feelings, whether good or bad, at any moment. It is a virtue that demands everything of
us with no guarantee of return. This is how we are to love God and others.
Q: How can you love God in the manner intended here?
Q: How can you love others in the manner intended here?
APPLICATION POINT – The kind of love Jesus was referring to in this passage can be most clearly seen in the
gospel. Jesus loved us when we were absolutely unlovable. He loved us and died for us even while knowing we were
firmly in sin’s grip. He loves us even though we have nothing to give Him in return. Jesus loves us even when we
continue to struggle with sin despite everything He has done for us. If you want to understand love, think deeply
about the gospel.
I’m going to ask you to do one of the most challenging things you will ever be asked to do. Identify someone with
whom you frequently argue. For many of us, this is a spouse or some other family member. It could be a co-worker
or friend. The next time you are on the brink of an argument with this person, let your love diffuse the situation
regardless of who is at fault or how unreasonable the situation is. Love them even when they are unlovable. They
may not notice what you are doing. It does not matter. Christ died for us at all times, even when we are not thinking
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about Him. Loving in this manner may allow them to take advantage of you. It does not matter. Jesus loved us even
when we were opposed to Him. If you can only love others when they are lovable, something is wrong with your love.
Think deeply about the love Jesus showed us in the gospel and be ready to love God and others in the same way.
5. LOVING GOD MARK 12:30
Q: What is the context of the verses Jesus quoted (Deuteronomy 6:4–5)?
Q: What is meant by “heart,” “soul,” “mind,” and “strength”?
Deuteronomy 6:5 commanded the Israelites to love God. The context of this verse adds an important dynamic we
must keep in mind when we consider the love of God. Jesus’s audience would have certainly been familiar with
the surrounding context of this verse. Taken on its own, Deuteronomy 6:5 could be easily misunderstood. Are we
supposed to love God in order to gain His favor? Deuteronomy 6:1–4 reveals this not to be the case. Although in
Deuteronomy Israel had not yet reached the promised land, these verses anticipated their entry into the inheritance
God promised their forefathers. The people already had God’s favor. They did not have to earn it. Love was their
response to what God had already accomplished on their behalf, not something they had to do to win their salvation.
This is another vivid reminder of how central the gospel is in Jesus’s response to the scribe.
It is tempting to think Deuteronomy, and then Jesus, had something specific in mind with the string of terms used
to describe how we are to love God. Certainly nothing less than what is identified in each of these words is in view.
We are certainly, for example, to love God with our minds. Contentment with lazy thoughts about God would be a
poor expression of our love for Him. It is unlikely, however, that each of these words is meant to designate a singular
component of human nature. Instead, this verse is telling us to love God with our whole being.
Q: When is it most challenging for you to love God?
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THIS IS US
Q: How could God show His faithfulness to you in the places of life you reserve for yourself?
APPLICATION POINT – Jesus called us to love God without reservation. We cannot love Him just on Sundays.
We cannot love Him just when there are other believers around. We cannot cease loving Him when no one else is
around. We must love God when everything is going well and when we face challenges. There is no time that we can
neglect God and treat Him as though He were not there. We do not get to hold back anything for ourselves.
Consider when it is most challenging for you to love God. For me, it is often hardest to love God when making
financial plans. I tend to pretend God is not there when I make decisions about money. The bad news is this is an
area of unfaithfulness I am preserving in my life. My family’s finances are my little realm in which I make all the
decisions based on whatever rationale I’m working with at the moment. The good news is that this is where God
is able to prove Himself faithful in my life. I encountered this recently. I was set to take a new job that offered a
substantial pay increase. Due to some situations outside my control, I had to pass up the opportunity. Less than
a month later I saw God’s goodness in the whole situation. I wasn’t offered a better paying job, but I saw that
God had spared me from a lot of hardships that would have prevented me and my family from pursuing some
important opportunities in the future. God is a much better manager of my finances than I am, even though I
continually struggle to love Him in this part of my life. Imagine what God could do in the areas of your life that you
are withholding from Him. Are you keeping God outside of your workplace? Is this where you feel free to put aside
loving Him to focus on business? Continue loving God at work. You have no idea what loving Him at work will do
for you and even those around you.
6. LOVING OTHERS MARK 12:31; LEVITICUS 19:9–18
Q: Where does the command to love others come from?
Q: How does the original context help illuminate the command to love others?
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The command to love others comes from Leviticus 19:18, which concludes a series of commands that begins in verse
9. Many Christians consider Leviticus to be a snooze-fest, but the book has a surprising number of implications for
our lives if we understand what we are looking at. Leviticus 19:18 caps what is said in the remainder of the passage.
Leviticus 19:9–10 commanded the Israelites to seek the well-being of those in need in their community, including
the poor and sojourners. They were to leave part of the harvest for those less fortunate. Leviticus 19:11–16 prohibits
dishonest legal actions and taking advantage of the weakness of others. Leviticus 19:17–18 forbids vindictiveness
among the Israelites. All of these commands fall under the command to love others as ourselves. Jesus expects His
followers to be characterized by loving others in these ways.
Q: How do you currently express love to others?
Q: How can you love others in the manner described in Leviticus 19:9–18?
APPLICATION POINT – I doubt I am alone when I feel like the Bible makes my feeble efforts to love others seem
pathetic. I pass along love by offering a kind smile to cashiers. Not that this is a bad thing, but Leviticus describes
sacrificing to secure the well-being of others, refusing to treat others as pawns to serve my own interests, and setting
aside feelings while bearing the burden of forgiveness. Take time to meditate on Leviticus 19:9–18 over the next
month. Pray that God will work into your heart the vision for loving others found in these verses.
This lesson began with mission statements from several well-known companies. Over the next week, fashion a
mission statement, based on the two great commandments, for you to utilize over the next three months. Get
specific. Identify specific people you need to love in the manner Christ described. Note specific ways you can love
God. Write out your mission statement and leave it where you can reflect on it often. If you take the material in this
lesson to heart, you will likely frequently fail to live up to your mission statement. Do not give up! Remember, Jesus
loved you when you were completely opposed to Him. He will certainly give you the strength needed to obey His
two great commands.
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+Use these prayer points to instill the lessons you learned from God’s Word this week.
-Father, help me to keep the gospel at the center of every thought and every deed.
-God, in my zeal to increase in godliness, keep me from falling into legalism.
-Jesus, help me to love others in a way that challenges me.
-Father, help me love you with every part of myself, wholly, as you deserve.
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G E T T I N G R E A D Y
Why are the end times a popular subject (maybe obsession?) among many Christians?
Read Matthew 24
Pray for contentment in what God has revealed about the future.
K E Y B I B L I C A L T R U T H
Stay ready for Jesus’s return.
T H E O L O G Y A P P L I E D
Never adopt a lifestyle that neglects Jesus’s return.
M E D I T A T E
“Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).
+Use this section to begin thinking about the importance of the end times and how you can orient your life around Jesus’s return.
November 21, 2021 | The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End TimesLIFE OF JESUS
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Q: What are the most universally accepted Christian beliefs regarding the end times?
Q: What causes disagreements among Christians concerning the end times?
The end times has an understandable allure among Christians. Several tributaries feed into it. Most people, believers
and unbelievers alike, yearn to know what the future holds. This is why fortune telling is estimated to be a 2-billion-
dollar industry in the United States. We want to know what is around the corner so we can be prepared for it.
Another tributary is the hope Christians place in the end times. We seek our ultimate joy not in this life but in the
life to come. We want to know as much as we can concerning the joy for which we are waiting. Our witness heavily
emphasizes the end times. We believe everyone faces eternity in heaven or hell. We want to know about the end
times so we can have an accurate and effective witness among non-believers.
The end times, however, present Christians with the challenge of sorting through and interpreting all that the
Scriptures tell us about what is to come. Committed Christians have come to widely divergent views concerning
what the Bible has to say about the end times. There are simply multiple, legitimate ways to interpret what the
Bible tells us. Different conclusions on these matters often lead to serious discussions and sometimes serious
disagreements. Some Christians are drawn to these discussions like a moth to a flame. Many others, however, find
these discussions unhelpful and even harmful for the Christian faith. They prefer to stay a safe distance from these
discussions. Neither approach reflects a healthy outlook on the end times.
Q: Why is it important for Christians to think about the end times?
Q: How can Christians who differ in their beliefs about the end times retain civility?
APPLICATION POINT – At the outset of a lesson covering the end times, it is important to remember the need
for openness, generosity, and civility when discussing the end times. This is not because the topic is unimportant.
The Bible’s teachings about the end of this age have important implications for everyone who believes. A gracious
outlook when studying the end times should be based on the beliefs all Christians hold in common. Jesus is
returning to judge between the righteous and unrighteous. Eternity depends upon one’s embrace or denial of the
gospel. Those who embrace the gospel will enter into everlasting life. Those who deny the gospel will enter into
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everlasting torment. No matter where conversations swirling around the end times lead, it is wise for Christians
to never forget these basic principles.
You may disagree with some points in this lesson. If that is the case, you have special instructions as you read
through what is presented here:
First, consider the validity of the applications presented based on your own understanding of this passage and the
end times. Hopefully, there will be large overlap between the applications in this lesson and how you would seek
to apply the message of the text. But if this is not the case in some instances, write down how you would apply
this passage based on your own interpretation of the text. We want to apply the Bible consistently with how we
interpret it.
Second, use this lesson as a chance to study and affirm your own interpretations. The important thing is to grow
in your understanding of God’s Word regardless of whether you agree with everything presented here.
U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E T E X T
+Matthew 24 is known as the “Olivet Discourse” and is the most substantial teaching we have from Jesus concerning
the end of the age. Jesus alludes to the destruction of the temple (Matthew 24:2), an event His disciples tied to the
end of the age. In response to Jesus’s startling remark, they asked Jesus to speak further about the end.
1. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
2. TRIBULATIONS WILL COME
3. DO NOT BE LED ASTRAY
4. FAITHFULLY ENDURE
+The Olivet Discourse is challenging to understand because of Jesus’s remarks concerning His second coming. This section will provide an interpretation of what Jesus said and discuss several additional themes within this chapter.
1. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER MATTHEW 24:1–51
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Q: How did Jesus relate the timing of these events to His audience?
Q: Why is the timing Jesus gave hard to understand?
The difficulty in interpreting Matthew 24:1–51 concerns the fulfillment of the events described. Some elements
of this passage seem to have been easily fulfilled within the first century. For example, the destruction of the
Jerusalem temple (Matthew 24:2) is easily tied to A. D. 70 when the Romans entered Jerusalem, slaughtered many
of its inhabitants, and demolished the temple. It is easy to see how the flight from Jerusalem (Matthew 24:16–
20) corresponds to the atmosphere of the Roman siege. Furthermore, Jesus said the events He was describing
would occur during the lives of His audience (Matthew 24:34). This has led many interpreters to conclude that
most of what Jesus said in this chapter was fulfilled by the end of the first century. The problem, however, is that
Jesus seemingly tied these events closely to His return (Matthew 24:3, 27–32). Furthermore, other aspects of this
chapter cannot be tied so neatly to the destruction of Jerusalem in A. D. 70, such as Jesus’s remarks concerning
preaching the gospel to all nations (Matthew 24:13) and the multiplication of antichrist figures who would deceive
the followers of Jesus (Matthew 24:5, 23–24). The disciples had asked Jesus about the end of the age and His
return (Matthew 24:3), and although Jesus did not always feel compelled to answer the questions asked of Him,
it is difficult not to see a correlation between His return and the events described in Matthew 24. Thus, many
interpreters have concluded that we are still awaiting the fulfillment of what Jesus described in this chapter. Each
position has generated explanations for the parts of this passage that do not fit neatly into their view.
How can we pull all these things together to understand what Jesus was saying? I find a third option helpful for
merging the concerns of the two positions noted above while avoiding their pitfalls. The events leading up to Jesus’s
return should be understood as cyclical or recurring. Jesus described the events surrounding the fall of Jerusalem
and the destruction of the temple in A. D. 70. These events happened during the lifetimes of most of the people in
His audience. Jesus’s words, however, were not completely fulfilled at that time because a similar series of events
would occur later and will continue to recur until He returns. False prophets and false Christs will continue to
emerge until Jesus does return (Matthew 24:4–5, 11, 24–25). Rumors of His return will continue to swirl until He
returns (Matthew 24:26). Periods of intense persecution will continue to occur until He returns (Matthew 24:9–10).
Thus, Jesus’s words have been fulfilled in the past and will continue to be fulfilled up until the moment of His return.
This explanation helps us make sense of His words, but is there evidence to support it from the text? Jesus began
this discourse by speaking of wars, famines, and earthquakes. Some people may be tempted to associate the end
of the age with the occurrence of one of these events, but Jesus denied that this was the case, specifically with wars
(Matthew 24:6). It would be foolish to assume the end of the age was at hand due to the occurrence of a war, famine,
or earthquake. These things occur all the time. Notice, however, that these events are not completely unrelated to
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the end of the age. Jesus referred to them as the beginning of birth pains (Matthew 24:8). That is, while any one
occurrence of these events does not signal the imminent end of the age, these things do point to the end of the age
and remind us that God will one day draw to a close the times in which we are living. The same principle must be
recognized for the remaining elements in Matthew 24. Persecutions do not signal the end of the age, but they do
point forward to the end of the age. The same could be said of the false prophets and false Christs.
A similar clue can be discerned through the abomination of desolation, which Matthew ties to the prophecies of
Daniel (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11). The abomination of desolation is typically associated with an unclean article
within the holy place. It is an affront to God’s holiness. Jesus anticipated an abomination of desolation to occur in
conjunction with the destruction of the temple (Matthew 24:15). This was fulfilled in A. D. 70 when Gentiles, Romans
soldiers, entered the inner most chambers of the temple. This profaning of the holy place, however, is not an isolated
occurrence but is observable at different points within biblical and even extra-biblical history. This first occurs
within the opening chapters of the Bible. The serpent, which was considered an unclean animal, appeared within
the garden of Eden, a holy place where God walked (Genesis 3). During the intertestamental period, Antiochus
IV, a foreign ruler over Jerusalem, erected a pagan alter in the temple. Many scholars believe this is the reference
of Daniel’s prophecy concerning the abomination of desolation. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4, Paul referred to a man
of lawlessness who takes a seat in the temple of God. Although Paul was writing before the events of A. D. 70, the
link between this action and the return of Jesus at the end of the age is certain (2 Thessalonians 2:8). Thus, the
abomination of desolation appears to refer to a pattern repeated at several significant points throughout history.
The destruction of the temple by the Gentiles in A. D. 70 was one example of this pattern. We are perhaps awaiting
another occurrence in connection with the return of Jesus.
Q: Why did the disciples inquire concerning Jesus’s return?
Q: How should the cyclical nature of Jesus’s response form our expectations of the end times?
APPLICATION POINT –The implications of this cyclical reading will be discussed throughout the remainder
of this lesson. One application to be acknowledged at the outset concerns our perception of events in our own
time. The events we see unfolding in our own times reflect the religious turbulence nearly every generation has
experienced since the time of Jesus. We may sometimes despair at the sight of the rampant immorality and
godlessness in our culture. We can feel as though things have never been this bad or that Jesus must be returning
soon. It has been the same, however, for each passing generation since Jesus. When we witness corruption in our
society and wonder how long Jesus will tarry before He reintervenes in history to stop it, we join countless others
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in yearning for Jesus’s return. We should not despair when we are confronted with the godlessness of this age.
Rather, we must recognize it as part of the cycle of events that will perpetuate until Jesus returns.
2. TRIBULATIONS WILL COME
Q: Why does tribulation come upon the followers of Jesus Christ?
Q: Why is tribulation a common topic in passages discussing the end of time?
Much of the biblical material discussing the time leading up to the end of this age includes persecution. This is
the case in Matthew 24. Again, persecution has been a recurring reality throughout the history of the church.
Instances of persecution have varied in intensity, duration, and geography. Even in a country that recognizes
the freedom of religion, we still endure persecution in the form of condescension and false doctrine. These
persecutions are relatively light in intensity but are nevertheless persecution. In other places in the world
today, Christians are systematically imprisoned and even killed for their faith. This is a much more intense
form of persecution.
Persecution reflects the conflict between the forces of good and evil. As Christians, we have confessed our
allegiance to God, but we live in a world that, for the moment, remains dominated by those aligned with Satan
and the rest of God’s enemies. As followers of Jesus, we should expect persecution. Matthew 24:21 refers to
great tribulation. Again, tribulation and persecution will be recurring events throughout Christian history,
but it appears that, as the end of this age approaches, there will be persecution that exceeds anything seen
beforehand. This will be a time of intense and likely global persecution, when confessing Jesus Christ as Lord
and Savior will put your life in danger.
Q: In what ways have you experienced persecution for your faith?
Q: How can you support fellow believers who are enduring intense persecution right now?
APPLICATION POINT – Religious liberty is a foundational right in this country and has mostly protected
Christians from intense persecution, state-sponsored and otherwise. This foundational right has become
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alarmingly marginalized in recent years, however. It is possible that we are approaching a time when Christians
will no longer be permitted to practice their faith and hold their convictions publicly. Regardless of whether
current circumstances lead to a situation like that described in Matthew 24, we must recognize that Christianity
is ultimately contrary to the powers at work within our world. Persecution will eventually come heavily upon us.
We must be ready to endure until the end, no matter the cost.
What we fear for the future is already a reality for many Christians in the world today. Their faith in Jesus
endangers their lives every day. As Christians who do not face that intense kind of persecution, we should earnestly
pray for those who do to be strengthened in their faith and to endure whatever persecution they encounter. We
also need to recognize the gift we have in religious liberty and defend it vigorously.
3. DO NOT BE LED ASTRAY
Q: What is the goal of the false prophets and false christs?
Q: Why would these false witnesses multiply near the end of the age?
Persecution is one danger Christians will increasingly face as the end of the age draws near. The other is false
teaching. Again, false teaching has been a common occurrence throughout the history of the church, but Jesus
spoke of a proliferation of false teachers as the end of the age approaches. In some respects, this seems counter-
intuitive. If people are persecuted because of the name of Jesus, why would impersonating Jesus be an effective
strategy against the people of God? You would think one strategy would counteract the effectiveness of the other,
that people would be less willing to identify with the name of Jesus because of the high cost of doing so. Yet the
persistence of false teachers and false christs in the midst of persecution highlights the insidious nature of their
message. They will prey upon the desperation of those who are likely suffering persecution. The core of their
message will likely resemble Satan’s message during the temptation of Jesus. “You don’t have to suffer. Just
compromise on these few things and they will leave you alone. God only cares that you are happy and healthy.”
There will be many people at the end of the age who will believe they are following Jesus only to find—after it is
too late to do anything about it—that they were deceived. Their intentions will be noble, but they will nevertheless
be just as lost as those who are persecuting the Christian faith.
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THIS IS US
Q: How could you explain to someone why you refused to take an easy path to avoid persecution?
Q: : How can you protect yourself from being deceived?
APPLICATION – Dangers abound for true believers. Not only must we be wary of those who would persecute us
for believing in the name of Jesus, we must also be wary of those who come to us in the name of Jesus. We must
always be ready to test any teacher and any ministry to see if what they claim coincides with the truth of the gospel
and the teaching of the Scriptures. Just because someone talks about Jesus, spirituality, or the Bible does not mean
they are teaching the truth. You must protect yourself and others from being led astray by their teaching.
Protecting yourself from false teaching entails knowing your own faith thoroughly. Challenge yourself to continue
learning more about the faith you profess. Take notes during church services and small group times. Read your Bible
daily. Read other good books that will challenge you to think through theological concepts and the application of
Christian truth in your life. Develop a relationship with someone more mature in the faith so you can ask questions.
Never forget the basics of the gospel. Regardless of how smart or authoritative something sounds, if it contradicts
the gospel, it is false teaching.
4. FAITHFULLY ENDURE
Q: Why doesn’t Jesus tell us the year, month, and day of His return or anything else in this passage?
Q: Why would God keep the timing of the end times hidden from us?
Matthew 24 warns us of persecution and of being deceived. Christians should protect ourselves from hostile outside
forces. Matthew 24 also warns us to faithfully endure. This is a warning to protect ourselves from hostile internal
tendencies. We must be prepared to endure because no one knows when Jesus will return to inaugurate a new age in
God’s dealing with humanity. To the chagrin of many end-times enthusiasts, no amount of crunching the numbers
or deciphering hidden codes within Scripture will enable us to discover the timing of Jesus’s return. Even Jesus
does not know the timing of His own return. The Father has reserved this information for Himself. Speculation on
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the timing of Jesus’s return is pointless and misses the Bible’s message concerning the end of the age, which is to
provide us hope in the midst of suffering. It is to encourage us to endure. Trying to nail down a timeline of Jesus’s
return is a signal of discontentment with the revelation God has given us and the life of endurance we are called to
live.
Q: Why do people speculate concerning the timing of Jesus’s return?
Q: Why should you avoid speculation concerning Jesus’s return?
APPLICATION POINT – It is hard to say why many Christians have sought to pin down the date of Jesus’s
return or even just engage in speculation concerning the approach of the end of the age. Certainly, more than one
explanation is required, but I suspect the explanation at the root of much of the speculation can be attributed to
an unwillingness to face death. People are eager to correlate current events with the approach of Jesus’s return
because it means God will intervene in history during the reasonable span of their lives. Of course, there is a bit of
irony in this outlook because Scripture consistently presents the time that this age will begin to draw to a close as
particularly dangerous for Christians. Many will likely not survive.
Apprehension over death is completely reasonable. Paul describes death as an enemy which Christ ultimately defeats
(1 Corinthians 15:26). It is, however, unhealthy both spiritually and otherwise to refuse to come to grips with our
own mortality. Every member of every generation since Jesus’s ascension has lived with the possibility of His return
and yet they have all died without Him returning. It is prudent for us to come to grips with this reality for ourselves
as well. Our call as Christians is to faithfully endure while Christ tarries, regardless of whether our endurance will
end with His return or in our death. Rather than distracting yourself with speculation concerning Jesus’s return,
focus on faithfully enduring in the life God has called you to.
Q: What is the difference between the two servants in the concluding parable?
Q: Why did the wicked servant abuse the other servants?
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We must be prepared to endure because we can never presume upon Jesus’s delay. Matthew 24 concludes with
a parable presenting two kinds of servants. The good servant is placed in charge of his master’s house and over
the remaining servants while his master is away. He diligently attends to his duties while his master is away
so everything will be found in order upon his return. The evil servant, however, grows weary from his master’s
delay. He becomes hostile to the other servants under his charge and abuses his master’s property for his own
purposes. Upon his return, the master quickly condemns the evil servant for his unfaithfulness. The problem with
the wicked servant is he began to presume upon his master’s continued delay. He thought he had plenty of time
to live for himself before his master returned. He was wrong. We dare not presume upon Jesus’s continued delay
and assume we have time to live for ourselves while He remains away.
Q: How do people presume upon Jesus’s delay today?
Q: How did the good servant avoid presuming upon the master’s delay?
APPLICATION – The wicked servant became comfortable with his master’s absence. The focus of his joy shifted
from the return of the master to the enjoyment of his master’s goods. One of the greatest dangers for Christians
today is becoming comfortable while we await Jesus’s return. As our faithfulness wanes, we begin finding pleasure
in the comforts of the world, and before long we disregard Jesus’s promise to return, and we look for joy elsewhere.
The key to fighting this tendency is found in waiting actively. The faithful servant did not wait idlily for his master
to return. Instead, he busied himself by carrying out his master’s wishes for the oversight of his household. In the
same way, we must not idlily await Jesus’s return. We need to actively wait for His return by being obedient to the
tasks He assigned us such as the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
Q: What parallels do you see between what Jesus described and the story of Noah in Genesis 6–9?
Q: What are the pairs doing that Jesus mentions in Matthew 24:40–41?
The end of this age will be accompanied by much persecution and hardship for Christians. It is the unbelievers,
however, who will experience the greater calamity upon Jesus’s return. Jesus compared their judgment to the story
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of Noah. Just as in the days of Noah, most people will be going about life as usual, not realizing the coming cataclysm
is just around the bend. By the time they recognize the danger they face, it will be too late to do anything about it.
Jesus further elaborated on this point by describing contrasting pairs involved in regular, day-to-day activities. One
will be left to join Jesus’s kingdom while the other is taken away to suffer God’s judgment. Those who are taken will
wake up and set out for work just as they do every other day. They will have no idea that that will be the day Jesus
returns in judgment. Jesus’s return will come suddenly upon those who are not anticipating it.
Q: Why is it challenging to live for the life to come?
Q: Do you ever feel tempted to envy how unbelievers live?
APPLICATION POINT – We should not make light of what this passage demands of believers. We are told
throughout Scripture not to live for this age but for the age to come. This demands sacrifice on our part. If we are
truly committed to the return of Jesus, we will often appear foolish in the eyes of the world. We may, at times, be
tempted to envy their indulgences and wish we could live as they do, but we should not be fooled by their blithe
outlook on life. They are living in a delusion, and when Christ suddenly appears, their empty outlook on life will be
exposed for what it is. Do not envy the unbeliever in this life. Instead, embrace God’s call to prepare in this life for
what you will encounter in the next.
This passage offers a solemn warning to prepare for the return of Jesus Christ. Have you become comfortable with
what this world has to offer? Are you more concerned with finding joy in this life than in eternity? When Christ
returns, those who are not prepared will endure His judgment. For those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior,
our preparation is not over. We continue to prepare for Jesus’s coming by joining God’s mission and seeking our
personal sanctification. In which area are you lagging behind in preparation? Brainstorm with others about ways you
can continue preparing yourself for Jesus’s return.
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+Use these prayer points to instill the lessons you learned from God’s Word this week.
Father, keep me from being led astray by those who seek to deceive others about you. Make me strong in my faith to resist their message.
Lord Jesus, I yearn for the day when you return and sweep away every resistance to your rule. Help me never to grow complacent waiting for your return.
God, help me prepare for tribulations. Help me not fear the one who can kill only the body but the one who makes my body and soul live.
Father, help me to patiently and faithfully endure in my faith as I await your coming. You offer a greater promise than anything this world can afford. Help me to endure.
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G E T T I N G R E A D Y
What do you think would bring Jesus the most joy to see in His followers upon His return?
Read Matthew 25:1–13
Pray God will reveal areas of your life where you have neglected to prepare for Jesus’s return.
K E Y B I B L I C A L T R U T H
Make sure you are ready for Jesus’s return.
T H E O L O G Y A P P L I E D
Seek meaningful growth in every part of life—intellectual, moral, and spiritual.
M E D I T A T E
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13).
+This section introduces the main theme of this parable and the primary application of this week’s lesson.
November 28, 2021 | Parable of the Ten VirginsLIFE OF JESUS
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Q: Can you describe a situation in which carelessness caused you to be unprepared?
Q: What causes carelessness?
When I was in high school, I attempted to leave for school one morning and found my car would not start. My dad
was a shift worker and had just returned home from working all night. We thought it was probably the battery and
attempted to give the car a jump start, but it wouldn’t work. My dad, in a worked-all-night haze, began fumbling
around with a few more things under the hood. Forty-five minutes later, he still could not understand what was
wrong and determined we would need to have the car towed to a repair shop. He got in the front seat to look up
some information before calling the tow truck, and I saw his head drop. In a low voice, he called me over and told
me something I will never forget. “The car will not start without gas.” I had apparently coasted into the driveway the
night before on fumes, and the tank did not have enough gas to start the car. In under a minute, Dad put some gas
in the car, and I was on my way to the station to fill up. Although I thought I was ready to go to school that morning,
my negligence had left me unprepared.
We see a similar situation unfold in Matthew 25:1–13. Five of the ten virgins thought they were prepared for the
arrival of the bridegroom, but in reality, they were as ready for the bridegroom as I was to leave for school that
morning. They had forgotten the oil to fuel their torches to make a procession for the bridegroom. When they
recognized their mistake, they tried to prepare themselves in the last minute, but they missed the bridegroom and
were left outside the house.
Though not explicit within the parable itself, the context of this parable is the end times. Jesus used it to illustrate
the arrival of the kingdom of heaven and ended by affirming that no one knows the day or hour of its arrival, a
common theme in the eschatological discourse in Matthew 24. Matthew 25:1–13 is also linked with Matthew 24 by
the word “delay,” featured prominently in Matthew 25:5 and Matthew 24:48. These passages also share the word
“door/gate” in Matthew 24:33 and Matthew 25:10. In Matthew 24:33, the word is usually translated “gate,” but this
is not the typical word for gate, suggesting Matthew was linking these two passages.
Q: In what ways could a believer be unprepared for Jesus’s return?
Q: Why is causal Christianity so problematic?
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APPLICATION POINT – My problem when I tried to leave for school—and the problem of the five virgins—was
that we were unprepared because of carelessness. I did not pay attention to the fuel gage in my car. The virgins
did not bring oil to light their torches. When Jesus returns, we do not want to find ourselves unprepared because
of carelessness. Many church goers are careless about their faith. Content with a shallow understanding of their
faith, they do not seek spiritual growth. They are not serious about God’s mission. Such carelessness is evidence
of an inauthentic faith. When Jesus returns, such people will find themselves unprepared and on the outside
looking in, just like the ten virgins. Take your faith seriously. Do not be careless.
U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E T E X T
+The parable of the ten virgins contains a single point—do not be unprepared when Jesus returns— but in making
this point the passage reveals several indicators of true and false disciples. This parable concludes, like many of
Jesus’s other parables, by reminding us of the stark divide coming at the end of history.
1. TRUE DISCIPLES
2. THE GREAT DIVIDE
+This section will investigate the parable of the ten virgins to learn its implications concerning true and false disciples and the great divide at the conclusion of our age. Both themes point toward the parable’s main concern, which is to ensure we are prepared for Jesus’s return.
1. TRUE DISCIPLES MATTHEW 25:1–9
Q: Did any of the virgins expect the bridegroom’s delay?
Q: How did the bridegroom’s delay play into the situation described by the parable?
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The wedding traditions described in this passage differ significantly from those of our time. It is important at the
outset of this lesson to have a clear picture of what is being described, at least to the degree that our knowledge of
this culture’s wedding customs allows. The word translated as “virgin” by the ESV has a wider meaning in Greek.
It refers to a woman who is old enough for marriage. These maidens could be considered either bridesmaids or
“groomsmaids,” depending on what is actually being described in the passage. These maidens were supposed to
meet the groom at a predetermined point to form a procession for his entry into the home. It is possible that the
home was where he would meet and marry his bride, or, perhaps slightly more likely, the groom was returning to
his own home with his new bride. Whatever the case, once the groom entered the home, a party would ensue. It was
a social occasion not to be missed.
One of the most curious aspects of this passage is the bridegroom’s delay. The word translated “lamps” by the ESV
more likely refers to a torch, as indicated by the footnote. The function of these torches help us understand the main
point of this parable. Since the bridegroom arrived at the meeting place without the assistance of the ten maidens,
the purpose of these torches was not to provide light for him to see. He would have needed his own torch. The
maidens’ torches, then, were primarily for his procession to the home. There would have been no need for them to
have lit their torches before the bridegroom’s arrival. Thus, the five foolish maidens were not without oil because
they had not brought enough to account for the bridegroom’s delay. According to Matthew 25:3, they did not bring
any oil at all! Since this was the case, the bridegroom’s delay is not an essential component in the story. The five
foolish maidens would have been just as unprepared had the bridegroom arrived on time.
What then was the purpose of the bridegroom’s delay? As noted above, by including this detail, Matthew provided
an important link between this parable and the preceding one in Matthew 24. The inclusion of this delay also allows
for an important point to be made about counting the cost of being a disciple of Jesus. Just as the bridegroom was
delayed longer than the maidens anticipated, Jesus may also be delayed in returning longer than any of us think.
We need to count the cost of becoming Jesus’s disciple because doing so may have implications for the reminder of
our lives.
Q: What is the cost for you of being a disciple of Jesus Christ?
Q: In what ways have you failed in the past to count the cost of being Jesus’s disciple?
APPLICATION POINT – The cost of following Jesus is lifelong submission to Him. Many people want to remain
in control of certain aspects of their lives. They are willing to let Jesus be in control of some parts of their lives but
not of everything. Others will commit their lives to Him for a time but will not be able to endure. As He continues
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to delay, they become more apathetic, less submissive, or even more disobedient to Him. But genuine faith
remains to the end. Jesus will have none of this! Being His disciple demands submission to Him in every aspect
of life. If you are holding back any part of your life, such as your finances, love life, leisure time, or social values,
you need to repent. If you gave yourself over to Jesus completely at some point in your life but have fallen away
to some degree, you need to repent. Count the cost of becoming Jesus’s disciple and do not be discouraged while
He remains away.
Q: Why didn’t the maidens go get oil before the bridegroom’s arrival?
Q: What is so alarming about the five foolish maidens’ outlook?
One of the most alarming elements of this story is the lack of concern the foolish maidens show about their
situation. A torch without oil would have been just as useless as a car without gas or a flashlight without
batteries, only more obvious. When the foolish maidens saw the wise maidens had brought oil for their torches,
they would have realized their mistake. And they did nothing about it! Rather than running immediately to
the marketplace to buy oil, they just pretended as though there were no problem. Given this, the bridegroom’s
delay takes on a tragic note. There was plenty of time for these maidens to obtain the oil they needed to
welcome the bridegroom, but instead they were completely unconcerned about it.
Q: Do your sins bother you?
Q: What does it show if you know you are unprepared for Jesus’s return and don’t do anything about it?
APPLICATION POINT – Throughout Christian history, many of the most influential Christians have been
known for their brokenness over personal sin. Augustine’s heart broke over his licentious behavior. Martin Luther
believed his sins were so many he could never possibly confess them all. David Brainard, an early American
missionary to Native Americans, could hardly come to grips with how God could save a sinner as wretched as he
believed himself to be. How stark the contrast between these believers and the maidens in Jesus’s parable. They
showed no concern about their predicament until it was too late. True believers are broken by personal sin. They
cannot bear the thought of anything that would separate them from God. Many modern Christians, however,
treat sin as if it were a taboo instead of an assault upon God’s worth. If your heart has become calloused to the
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ugly reality of sin in your own life, pray that God would make you broken over sin. If possible, find a close friend
with whom you feel comfortable confessing sin and praying for repentance.
Q: What is the first thing the foolish maidens did once the announcement of the bridegroom was made?
Q: Did their actions make sense given what we know about their situation?
The foolish maidens must have known they needed oil to light their torches and that they had neglected to bring
any. When the bridegroom’s approach was announced, however, they still refused to acknowledge the peril of
their situation. They attempted to light their torches like the other maidens, but without oil. Again, rather than
acknowledging their mistake and immediately seeking oil for their torches, these foolish maidens persisted in
their delusion. Without oil, their torches quickly burned out, as did their chances for joining the bridegroom’s
procession.
This is the nature of lostness. For some reason, people caught up in their sins persist in their delusion rather than
submitting to their need for Jesus Christ. Even though the warning signs are all around them, they cannot bring
themselves to recognize their need for a Savior.
Q: Are you persisting in specific sins?
Q: How can you tell if your sins have caused a delusion in your mind?
APPLICATION POINT – One of the most tragic things to witness is someone who is caught in sin refuse to repent
and instead dig in deeper. Rather than responding to their sin with brokenness, they deny the magnitude of what
they have done and either seek to excuse it or blame others for their transgressions. Friends and church members
may plead, but the one who refuses to repent will only persist in sin. This persistence is just as real in people whose
sins are more private in nature. Do not persist in sin. What do you hope to gain? Even if you are successful in
vindicating yourself before others, you cannot fool God. Be willing to listen when others confront you concerning
sin. Confess and repent of your sins while you have the chance.
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Q: What did the foolish maidens do after realizing their torches would not stay lit?
Q: Were the wise maidens selfish to refuse to share their oil with the foolish maidens?
Most rational people, when they realize they don’t have things together, recognize that it is time to go to others to
be rescued, which is what the foolish maidens did. After coming to grips with their own carelessness, they asked the
wise maidens to share their oil so they could join in the procession. The wise maidens, however, rightly refused. If
they shared their oil, they ran the risk of everyone running out of oil before the bridegroom’s procession reached
the house. This night was about the bridegroom, not the maidens. As tragic as the situation was for the foolish
maidens, the bigger tragedy would be to fail the bridegroom. This detail is perhaps included to warn us against
thinking righteousness may be caught by association. The preparation of the wise maidens did nothing for the
foolish ones, even though they were all together. Those who were unprepared could not profit from the diligence of
those who were. In the same way, those who remain in their sins and are unprepared for Jesus’s return should not
presume they will benefit by being closely associated with those who are prepared. We do not get to take credit for
the preparation others have made for the kingdom of God.
Q: How do people today seek to profit from being associated with believers?
Q: How is righteousness through association a failure to understand the gospel?
APPLICATION POINT – The idea of righteousness by association remains pervasive among people who recognize
God’s authority but are unwilling to fully submit to Him. They think attending church or having religious discussions
with believers at work may, perhaps, help them catch some amount of righteousness or at least earn the favor of
someone who could advocate on their behalf. As with the foolish maidens, the fate of such people is truly tragic.
They do not intend to live in open rebellion against God, even though that is what they are actually doing. They
recognize the need for God and Jesus Christ in their lives, but they are too wrapped up in their own pursuits to do
anything about it. If you are someone who hopes to benefit from the righteousness of others, seek the righteousness
of Jesus Christ by submitting fully to Him. If you recognize this pattern in others, compassionately warn them of the
impossibility of what they are trying to accomplish.
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THIS IS US
Q: How did the foolish maidens attempt to resolve their mistake?
Q: Why would merchant shops have been open during the middle of the night?
When the wise maidens refused to share their oil, the foolish maidens ran to purchase some from the merchants. Given that the bridegroom had arrived in the middle of the night, we may be surprised to learn merchants were operating their shops at such a late hour. There are several ways to understand what is going on. Some commentators dismiss this concern by noting Jesus is telling a parable and parables often depart from reality. The purpose of a parable is not to tell a true-to-life story but to illustrate a point. As we have seen numerous times throughout this study of the life of Jesus, this is certainly a reasonable conclusion. It is also possible that the maidens would have woken the merchants from their sleep. At that time, and even today in many locations in the world, there was no such thing as “business hours.” If a profit could be made, the merchant would open his store. Given the direness of the situation, the merchants may have even been in a position to profit more because of the urgency of their situation. Other commentators believe merchants would have kept their stores open late into the night on certain
occasions such as a wedding. Even though he arrived at a late hour, the bridegroom was going to a wedding party at
the home. It would make sense for merchants to remain open to serve the needs of the occasion. Whatever the case
may be, the foolish maidens missed the bridegroom’s arrival when they left to buy oil.
Q: Who is promoting or profiting from sin in your life?
Q: Who is drawing your attention away from Christ’s return?
APPLICATION POINT – Whatever the solution to the issue, the foolish maidens missed the bridegroom because
they went out to purchase oil. People will always be willing to cater to our sins. If you want to pursue evil, someone
will gladly help you. They may be seeking to profit from your transgressions, or they may simply be happy to
have someone join them in doing the same things. Whatever the case, we need to be aware that the world is filled
with people who have no regard for God or for our holiness and will seek to influence us for evil, inadvertently
or intentionally. If you are susceptible to this kind of manipulation, avoid these situations. For example, young
men struggling with an addiction to pornography need to consider how they can back away from the technologies
that make it available. That alone will not change their heart, but it will keep opportunity from reinforcing such
behavior and allow the Holy Spirit to do its work without interruption. This morning, I read a Wall Street Journal
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article revealing that social media companies recognize their services are particularly harmful to young women,
fostering opportunity for a large range of social disorders that young women are particularly susceptible to. These
social media engines are not going to stop. They will continue to enable because it is good for their business. They
admitted as much. Although the article I read focuses on young women, the danger is surely real for the rest of us.
You need to recognize whether your social media habits are harmful to yourself or others, and if so, get off! Your
sanctification is more important than your social credibility. These are just two examples of how Christians allow
society’s norms to cater to their sins.
There will also always be people willing to distract us from the reality of Jesus’s return. Our modern, secular world
does not believe in the imminent return of Jesus Christ. That should not come as a shock to us, but we need to
realize how easy it is for us to unwittingly adopt habits and patterns of thought that are inconsistent with Christ’s
return. We need to be wary of how the world influences us both in terms of our thoughts and behaviors. The world
lives as if Jesus will never return, and, if we are not careful, we can involuntarily adopt this mindset as we become
more at home in the world. I’m not suggesting we isolate ourselves from the world but that we pay attention for
when the world’s denial of Jesus’s return could lure us into a false sense of security in the world as we know it.
2. THE GREAT DIVIDE MATTHEW 25:10–13
Q: What did the bridegroom mean when he said he didn’t “know” the foolish maidens?
Q: In what other lessons in this study have we seen a separation between the insiders and the outsiders?
The parable of the ten virgins concludes with a familiar pattern. After Jesus returns, some people will be welcomed
inside to a feast or banquet, but others must remain outside. As we have seen so often through the study of the
Gospels, humanity will eventually be divided between insiders and outsiders. The insiders participate in Jesus’s
kingdom and have immediate access to Him. Outsiders are denied entry to the kingdom and often suffer in agony
apart from God. Furthermore, it is only after this divide has been made that those outsiders regret the foolishness
of their choices.
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THIS IS USThe foolish maidens wished they were allowed in, but it was too late for them. The bridegroom’s response may seem
odd at first. He claimed not to know them, but given their role on his wedding day, of course he would have known
them, and they would have known him. This points to the important sense of “knowing” in how the Bible describes
salvation. In an omniscience sense, God, of course, knows every human being, but being known by God in this sense
is not enough to enter His kingdom. “Knowing” in this passage refers to a kind of intimate knowledge reflected in
the wise maidens’ devotion to the bridegroom.
Q: How can you ensure that your knowledge of God goes beyond an intellectual level?
Q: How would you explain this passage, particularly the divide between those who are inside and those who are outside, to an unbeliever?
APPLICATION POINT – It is crucial for us to maintain this passage’s distinction between an intellectual knowledge
of God and an intimate knowledge of God. It is wonderful for us to know our theology well, quote Scripture, and
hold high ethical standards. All of this, however, can be accomplished apart from knowing God in the sense referred
to in this passage. To truly know God, we must know Him relationally, not just intellectually. We must know more
than mere facts about God. We must be committed to His will for our lives and to seeing Him glorified in this world.
The foolish maidens were careless in their preparation for the bridegroom and did nothing to fix their situation
despite seeing warnings around them. We do not want their situation to describe our faith. We often discuss faith as
if it is one-dimensional, but this is not the case. Our faith encompasses our understanding of morality, our intellect,
and our passions. In which of these areas are you most unprepared for Jesus to return? In light of this week’s lesson,
renew your commitment to strengthen your faith in this area. When Christ returns, may He find His people fully
prepared!
+Use these prayer points to instill the lessons you learned from God’s Word this week.
-
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Father, forgive me for not taking you as seriously as I should have in the past. Keep yourself ever before my mind
and my heart so that I will not neglect preparing for eternity with you.
Lord Jesus, help me to count the cost of becoming your disciple. No matter how long you tarry, I will endure while
I wait patiently for you to return or call me home.
Father, make my heart break because of sin. Help me to never grow comfortable with any part of my life not being
everything you wish it to be.
God, I want to know you and be known by you. Help me throw off everything that might encumber my relationship
with you.
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G E T T I N G R E A D Y
How would you define significance? How do you decide what is significant? Does God have to determine significance?
Read Matthew 25:31–46.
Pray that God will use this lesson to change how you perceive need and generosity.
K E Y B I B L I C A L T R U T H
On the day of judgment, Jesus will know who has been transformed by His teachings by how they cared for others.
T H E O L O G Y A P P L I E D
Sometimes the things we think of as least spiritual are the ones that reveal the most about the condition of our heart
M E D I T A T E
“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” (Matthew 25:34).
+This section will introduce several main concepts from this week’s lesson.
December 5, 2021 | The Sheep and the GoatsLIFE OF JESUS
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Q: Have you ever been surprised to learn your behavior was being observed in secret?
Q: Do you act or behave differently depending on who you are with? Is this ever appropriate?
The television show, Undercover Boss, follows the owners and CEOs of various companies as they attempt to evaluate
their companies as an employee. The wrinkle is that their true identity is kept hidden from other employees. The
undercover bosses often learn of procedural and production deficiencies, but their interaction with employees is by
far more interesting. When the undercover boss is revealed at the end of the show, some unassuming employees
are rewarded extravagantly for their loyalty and sacrifice for the company despite personal hardships. These stories
are usually touching in nature. We love to see integrity and devotion rewarded. Things do not, of course, pan out
so well for everyone. Many undercover bosses discover employees stealing company resources or undermining the
company in other ways.
In Matthew 25:31–46, we see a biblical rendition of Undercover Boss. On the day of judgment, Jesus will praise
those who have unknowingly served Him by ministering to the needs of His followers. In doing so, they have actually
ministered to Jesus’s needs. As in Undercover Boss, however, Jesus will also condemn those who refused to attend
to the needs of His followers for refusing to attend to His own needs. Their response will likely be, “We would have
done differently had it been you in need,” but this parable reveals the alarming error of this false assumption.
Q: What are some routine things Christians can be faithful in on a daily basis?
Q: In what ways do you limit how and when you practice your faith?
APPLICATION POINT – One of the things I appreciate about Undercover Boss is how employees are often
rewarded for what they may consider menial tasks or unimportant details. Although they do not consider what
they are doing to have much significance, their bosses recognize these types of tasks as the building blocks of
a successful company. Matthew 25:31–46 reveals the same principle at work in our spiritual lives. We may be
tempted to think that it is pastors, theology professors, and presidents of Christian organizations who handle
the important stuff within the Christian faith. We may be tempted to think God cares more about the actions
we think of as spiritual than the things we do as part of everyday life. Matthew 25:31–46 undercuts both of
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these assumptions. It is often the things we consider unimportant or unspiritual that reveal the most about our
Christian character. In this passage, those who served Jesus by attending to the needs of others had no idea
how Jesus would respond to them on the day of judgment. They were just doing what they thought anyone
should do in a similar circumstance, but Jesus recognized that ordinary circumstances often reflect extraordinary
obedience. Do not place limits on what you think God will care about. If you do, you will likely be surprised on
the day of judgment.
U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E T E X T
+Matthew 25:31–46 concludes Jesus’s eschatological (end times) teaching. These verses contain numerous allusions
to the Old Testament and several themes which recur throughout Matthew’s Gospel. Together these themes provide
a glimpse of what to expect on the day of judgment.
1. DIVIDING THE FLOCK
2. SERVING JESUS BY MEETING THE NEEDS OF HIS FOLLOWERS
+This section will investigate the two parts noted above in more detail. At times, this passage has the feel of a parable, but the only metaphorical element is the sheep and goats simile in verses 32–33. Instead, this is an apocalyptic discourse, meaning it describes a supernatural interruption of history to draw this age to a close.
1. DIVIDING THE FLOCK DANIEL 7:9–14; JOEL 3:1–12; ZECHARIAH 14:5; MATTHEW 25:31–33
Q: Why is the Old Testament background for these verses important?
Q: In what important Christological, (the person, nature, and role of Christ) aspect does Matthew 25:31–33 differ from the Old Testament passages noted?
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Matthew 25:31–33 begins by describing the Son of Man coming in glory and sitting upon His throne. Readers
familiar with the Old Testament will realize that this scene borrows imagery from Daniel 7. Daniel 7 describes the
inauguration of a new king, the Son of Man, which is a title Jesus applied to Himself on several occasions. The Son of
Man approaches God on His throne and receives glory and dominion over the earth. The inauguration of a new king
was not always a peaceful affair in the ancient Near East. The inauguration of the Son of Man is accompanied by the
judgment of the four beasts described in Daniel 7:1–8. These four beasts represent the former rulers over the Son of
Man’s realm. Verses 31–46 also alludes to a judgment at the coming of the Son of Man, but the judgment is broader
in scope since it includes the nations, meaning all of humankind, rather than just the world leaders as in Daniel 7.
While the allusion to Daniel 7 is apparent, Matthew 25:31 shifts the role of the Son of Man in a significant way.
Rather than receiving dominion from one seated on the throne, the Son of Man sits on the throne Himself. Such a
shift cannot be unintentional. It signifies the divinity of the Son of Man and identifies Him in some respect as the
Ancient of Days seated on the throne in Daniel 7. If this shift from Daniel 7 is not enough to make the point, Matthew
25:31 underlines it with an additional allusion to Zechariah 14:5, which describes an eschatological visit by God with
an accompaniment of angels. Again, the Son of Man fills the role of God in the allusion from Matthew 25:31.
Q: In what context do you normally think of “judgment”?
Q: How can you prepare yourself to face persecution for your faith?
APPLICATION POINT – The judgment at the conclusion of this age marks a resolution to the conflict visible
throughout Scripture between God and all who oppose Him. We are more familiar with “judgment” in a judicial
rather than military setting. In a judicial setting, the conflict revolves around the issue of guilt, but within a
military setting, the conflict revolves around two competing forces vying for control. Whichever side emerges
victorious brings judgment upon its enemies. The Old Testament background of Matthew 25:31–46 is important
because it adds this military context to the judgment we find there. We are spared judgment because we are
declared not guilty of sin in a legal sense, but we are also spared judgment because our side emerged victorious
in the great conflict over the kingdom of the world.
This military context added by the Old Testament also clarifies our role as Christians as the end of the age
approaches. We are not neutral observers in the conflict between God and His enemies. We are on God’s side,
and we should expect the enemies to attack us. As is evident on numerous occasions in Matthew 24–25, we must
be ready to encounter increasingly hostile persecution for our beliefs as this age moves toward its conclusion and
the conflict between God and His enemies intensifies.
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Q: In what other passages have we seen the mixture of believers and unbelievers alluded to?
Q: Why does Jesus stress this concept to His followers?
In the Middle East, sheep and goats were, and often still are, kept in the same flock. Although sheep are generally
lighter in color, it can be challenging to distinguish between them in the dusty fields where they graze, especially
from a distance. But there are several occasions in which the shepherds need to be able to tell them apart, so
separating the sheep and the goats would have been a familiar example for Jesus’s audience. Jesus used this as a
metaphor to refer to the separation of the righteous from the wicked at the end of the age.
This is an appropriate metaphor because humanity is a mixed flock. Some people belong to God, but others are His
enemies. It can often be challenging to differentiate between the two because many of the distinctions we use are
merely superficial. We can only judge a person’s exterior actions. We cannot gage a person’s heart. Jesus, however,
is the great Shepherd and will separate His righteous flock from the unrighteous world.
Q: How is this concern related to the false Christs and false prophets mentioned earlier in Jesus’s eschatological discourse?
Q: What are our best methods for distinguishing between the righteous and unrighteous?
APPLICATION POINT – In Matthew 24 we saw multiple warnings to keep ourselves from being deceived
concerning Jesus’s second coming. Matthew 25:31–46 helps us see why this danger is so prevalent. It is often
difficult to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked. There have always been and will continue to be
people who claim to be followers of Jesus but are not. Some of them may be intentionally deceiving others. Some
of them may be deceiving themselves. Whatever the case, we must recognize the importance of testing what
others say with the witness of God contained in Scripture. Just because someone says they are a Christian does
not mean they are. Just because someone says something with conviction does not mean we can easily believe
them. We must protect ourselves from those who claim to be part of God’s flock but are not.
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2. SERVING JESUS BY MEETING THE NEEDS OF HIS FOLLOWERS
MATTHEW 25:34–46
Q: Who was Jesus referring to when He said the “least of these my brothers” (v. 40)?
Q: What information could you look for to help identify who Jesus was referring to?
Jesus divided the sheep and the goats based on their willingness to meet His needs. Both groups responded
to His evaluation in the same way. They questioned when they ever saw Him in need. The shift in terms Jesus
used to refer to Himself highlights their confusion. Jesus no longer referred to Himself as the Son of Man but
as a king. A king would not have these needs. Jesus could have been referring to a time before He was declared
king, but given His response to their inquiry, this seems unlikely. Jesus responded to their objection by saying
whenever they filled the needs of the least of His brothers, they did it for Him.
Perhaps the most crucial question for us to ask of this passage is who Jesus was calling the least of the brothers?
Perhaps the most natural impulse is for us to see this as referring universally to all humankind. Jesus meant
we must be ready to meet these needs for any member of humanity. This interpretation has a lot of appeal for
people who are enthusiastic about social ministries.
The language of this passage, however, points away from this conclusion. Every other time Matthew used the
word translated in this passage as “least,” he was referring to the disciples (10:42; 18:6, 10, 14; also consider
5:19; 11:11). There is little reason to think the same would not hold true in this case. Furthermore, when the
word “brother” is used in a non-literal sense, as it is in Matthew 25:40, it references spiritual kinship rather
than a generic kinship among all humankind (5:22–24, 47; 7:3–5; 12:48–50; 18:15 (2×), 21, 35; 23:8; 28:10).
Jesus was more likely referring to those who believed in Him. When we provide for the needs of those who
follow Jesus, we are providing for Jesus Himself.
Q: How does limiting the meaning Jesus’s “brothers” to His followers rather than the whole of humanity change how you would apply this passage?
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Q: How are you helping to attend to the needs of the members in your local church?
APPLICATION POINT – The interpretation argued for above does not prohibit ministering to the needs of
wider humanity, but it does emphasize the concern we should have for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We
should show concern for one another because we represent Christ to one another and to the world. Find out what
measures your church has in place to minister to the needs of members. If possible, commit to serving others in
your church through these ministries. Over the past year, my wife became concerned that our church was not
adequately ministering to the needs of expectant mothers, especially because of the pandemic. On behalf of the
church, she organized a plan to ensure that every expectant mother received a baby shower. She also helped
arrange childcare for prenatal appointments. This is just one example of ministering to Jesus by ministering to
the needs of His people.
READ: Job 22:6–7, 9
Q: What is the intent of the acts of compassion Jesus listed?
Q: Is there anything absent from this list you think should be included?
The acts of compassion Jesus noted appear four times within this passage. Only in the last mention are they
abbreviated to any degree. This repetition illustrates the importance Jesus placed on them. These are basic needs
of humanity. A similar list occurs in Job 22:6–7 and 9, in which Eliphaz attacked what he believed to be a false
sense of self-righteousness on Job’s part. If—these accusations are apparently baseless—Job was unwilling to
meet these types of needs for others, then there was no need to go on debating his righteousness. The same is true
for Christians. If we are unconcerned with meeting the basic needs for our brothers and sisters in Christ, it reveals
a heart hardened against the gospel.
Of the six acts of compassion Jesus listed, four are easily recognized as basic human needs for survival. We
cannot live without food or water. We would not make it long if we were overly exposed to the elements or sick
without a caretaker. Receiving a stranger and visiting the prisoner do not appear to fit with the other four, but the
inclusion of these two acts illustrates the importance of companionship. Although we may get along apart from
the company of others, such a life will eventually implode upon itself. We need the companionship of others.
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THIS IS US
Q: Which of these acts of compassion do you see yourself regularly practicing?
Q: Which one do you need to show greater diligence for?
APPLICATION POINT – Of the needs listed within this passage, the need for companionship is the one most
likely to be overlooked. The curious thing about loneliness is that it often crops up in the most unexpected places.
People living in cities are surrounded by others, but studies typically reveal urbanized environments to be the
most likely place for loneliness to occur. Although my wife and I live together and talk regularly, we both have felt
lonely at times during our marriage because it is harder for us to form meaningful friendships now than when we
were single. If you find yourself struggling with loneliness, commit yourself to taking the difficult steps needed to
forge a friendship with others. If you are not struggling with loneliness, commit to searching for people who are
and befriend them. You may have to work to find the lonely people within your church community, but they are
there. And they need you.
Q: How could this passage be understood as teaching salvation by works?
Q: How do faith and works operate within a believer’s life?
One of the most challenging aspects of this passage concerns the role of works in salvation. The distinguishing
factor between those who are offered an inheritance in the kingdom and those who are condemned to eternal
punishment is their acts of compassion toward Jesus and those with whom He identified. This has led many
interpreters to conclude that Jesus taught salvation by works, at least on this occasion.
Based on this passage alone, it is understandable that some interpreters have reached this conclusion, but we
must consider what the rest of Scripture says on this matter. Passages such as Galatians 2:15–21 and Ephesians
2:1–10 argue strongly against salvation by works. We should be hesitant to conclude that this is what Jesus was
teaching if it is not demanded by the passage. Furthermore, at least one aspect of this passage should make us
question how well salvation by works can account for all the details within this passage. Those who meet the
needs of Jesus’s followers have no idea doing so will warrant His favor. They did not do these things to earn
their salvation but out of a heart of compassion for those in need, suggesting a heart already changed by faith in
Christ. Thus, Jesus may have been drawing attention to their good works as evidence of their changed hearts.
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This is similar to what we see in James 2:14–26 and even in Ephesians 2:8–10. While it would be possible to see
salvation by works in this passage if examined in isolation, nothing demands this conclusion, and it can easily be
read as affirming the emphasis of other biblical passages.
Q: Why is it important to demonstrate your faith by good works?
Q: What are you doing to demonstrate your faith to the world?
APPLICATION POINT: Don’t miss the warning Jesus issued in these verses. Lack of concern for the needs of
others, especially those you claim to share faith in Christ with, demonstrates an unchanged heart. Although we
are saved by grace through faith in the work of Christ on our behalf, good works, especially those done on behalf
of the community of faith, matter. When we refuse to serve others, we refuse to serve Jesus. Make the sacrifices
needed to display your faith in Jesus Christ to anyone watching.
Q: What comparisons can be drawn between the fate of the righteous and the fate of the wicked in this passage?
Q: How does the fate of the wicked in this passage compare to other locations in Matthew?
As with many other passages in Matthew, humanity is divided into two groups, those inside and those outside the
kingdom. Matthew 25:46 is unique in the parallel it creates between their fates. The groups are described using
corresponding words. It even reintroduces the righteous at the conclusion of this parable to establish this literary
parallel, drawing the fate of the wicked into clearer focus. Many interpreters have suggested that the wicked do not
suffer in hell for eternity but are simply annihilated. They base this conclusion upon the “destruction” language
frequently found in these passages and argue the word “eternal” is meant to convey that their punishment has
eternal consequences rather than being eternal in duration. The parallel Jesus created in Matthew 25:46 makes
this interpretation unlikely. The fate of the wicked mirrors the fate of the righteous. If our reward is eternal in
duration, their punishment is also eternal in duration.
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THIS IS US
Q: Why did Jesus emphasize these contrasting fates so often?
Q: Why would we be reluctant to tell others this part of the Bible’s message?
APPLICATION POINT – Matthew and the rest of the Gospel writers frequently alluded to the eternal fate of the
wicked. Given their emphasis, this message should form a major part of our testimony to the world around us,
but talking about eternal punishment and hell can often feel awkward around non-Christians. Although they may
not believe the things we do, many of them do not mind the ways in which we practice our faith as long as it does
not interfere with them. They find our faith of little concern. They may even applaud our concern for the hungry,
thirsty, foreign, naked, and imprisoned. But our belief in an eternal punishment for everyone who will not confess
Jesus Christ as Savior intrudes into their personal space. It is at this point that they often realize that our faith
makes claims about them regardless of whether they hold to the same beliefs we do. Some of them will think this
strange. Others will be offended. We should never avoid discussing our beliefs concerning their eternity because
this is one of the main ways we can let them know they have a role in what we believe about the world, regardless
of whether they hold to our faith or not.
There is a principle in government known as subsidiarity. It is the belief that matters can be dealt with most effectively
by the smallest unit possible. If my son will not do his homework, I, as his father and part of his family, can deal
with him more effectively than the United Nations or the United States government can. The main emphasis of this
passage, concern for the welfare of other believers, can operate by the same principle. Make sure you are looking out
for the interests of those closest to you in the body of Christ. In larger churches, many personal matters can often
be dealt with more effectively by smaller groups within the congregation. When you serve others in this way, you
are serving Christ.
+Use these prayer points to instill the lessons you learned from God’s Word this week.
-Jesus, show me ways I can serve you by serving others.
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-Father, help me to guard myself from those who pretend to be part of the flock but are not.
-Jesus, help me to demonstrate to the world my love for you by the way I serve others.
-God, make me concerned for the wellbeing of my brothers and sisters in Christ.
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G E T T I N G R E A D Y
During the Christmas season, what distracts you most from Jesus?
Read Luke 2:1–40.
Ask God to help you seek Jesus during this season.
K E Y B I B L I C A L T R U T H
Jesus was born to take away the sins of the world.
T H E O L O G Y A P P L I E D
Christmas is a time to make missions the center of everything that happens within a church.
M E D I T A T E
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).
+Use this section to begin thinking of how your Christian faith should shape the way you and your family celebrate Christmas.
December 12, 2021 | The Birth of JesusLIFE OF JESUS
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Q: Is there a tradition that signals the beginning of Christmas for you?
Q: Why do we pick certain days to celebrate the most important events in our faith?
Christmas is one of the most traditional times of the year. Tradition is part of what makes the season special for
many people. We visit the same shops, put up the same decorations, and have the same family get-togethers every
year. And it is not all about personal or family traditions. Christmas comes with a special playlist on the radio, a
specific set of movies on TV, and even seasonal drinks at your local coffee stop. For many of us, it is often one of
these traditions that signals the arrival of Christmas more than anything else. It may be a certain song on the radio
or hanging a specific decoration. My family watches A Charlie Brown Christmas during the first week of December
every year. If you don’t know the story, Charlie Brown is depressed because he doesn’t understand the true meaning
of Christmas. There is something unfulfilling in all the presents, lights, and plays, and he realizes that Christmas
must mean more than all he sees. After expressing his frustration to his friend Linus, Linus identifies Jesus as the
true meaning of Christmas by reciting Luke 2:8–14. One thing I appreciate about this short film is that the other
traditions are not jettisoned to make room for Jesus. They are recentered on Jesus so that their true purpose can
be appreciated. The goal of Christmas is for this to happen with us. It is an opportunity to recenter ourselves on the
Savior we confess as Lord.
Q: Have you given into consumerism during the celebration of Christmas?
Q: How can you keep Jesus at the center of Christmas?
APPLICATION POINT – For many Christians, it is often hard not to commiserate with Charlie Brown’s struggle
with the rampant consumerism that strangles our culture, especially during the Christmas season. It seems to
be everywhere we look. Even in many of our own traditions, something vies to shift our attention from the birth
of our Savior to an unyielding materialism or a banal, Christless goodwill among humanity. At the outset of this
lesson, I want to encourage you to persevere in your struggle to keep Jesus at the center of Christmas. If you strive
to keep Him central this season, people will think you are a weirdo. People, even other Christians, will cringe
with awkwardness when you draw attention to Jesus rather than drone on with them about some exorbitant
gift they’ve purchased. You will be “that guy/gal” around the office or even at family dinners. It’s worth it. The
message we have is more wonderful than any gift that can be purchased at a store or online. We have a hope
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stronger than any generic goodwill or Christmas cheer our society wants to teeter upon this time of year. We have
a story that is as relevant any other time of year as it is during December. As many of the recent lessons in this
series have shown, we have a message that has eternal consequences and will not fade to a distant memory in a
month’s time. Keep Jesus at the center of Christmas for yourself and others this year.
U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E T E X T
+Luke’s birth narrative is remarkable because of the cast of characters he assembles to tell the story of Jesus’s birth.
This study will examine these characters and why Luke chose them to tell Jesus’s story.
1. CAESAR AUGUSTUS
2. SHEPHERDS
3. SIMEON
4. ANNA
+This section will look at the characters Luke used to narrate Jesus’s birth and draw applications from his account. It will also consider some additional details from the text.
1. CAESAR AUGUSTUS LUKE 2:1–7
Q: Why did Luke record the timing of this census?
Q: How does this census affect the Christmas story?
Caesar Augustus probably is not the first character that comes to mind when you think of the Christmas story. Of
course, he never actually appears in the story. We only hear of him indirectly because of the census he decreed. But
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this census set in motion events that impacted nearly every aspect of the story. The census was the reason Joseph
and Mary traveled to Bethlehem. It is the only reason we think of a full inn or a manger at Christmas. It is why the
wise men passed through Jerusalem before discovering Jesus in Bethlehem. It is why the boys near Bethlehem at
the time of Jesus’s birth were murdered.
Caesar Augustus is an important character in another way. The census he decreed signified his rule over all the
territories to be counted and his right to tax them. The fact that he decreed a census be taken of “all the world” sends
a clear message. Caesar ruled the world! Or so he thought. It is remarkable that while Caesar was declaring himself
ruler of the world, the world’s true ruler, God Himself, was being born in the far corner of his empire, out of sight of
most of the world. The contrast between God and Caesar could not be greater. While Caesar was exalting himself to
near god-like status, God was humbling Himself to take on human form. One declared himself ruler over the whole
world. The other relinquished His rule on earth, not to pick it up again until millennia later. This comparison helps
us grasp the grandeur of this season. Jesus humbled Himself to take on human form.
Q: How do world leaders today make the same error as Caesar Augustus?
Q: How can you follow Jesus’s humility?
APPLICATION POINT – Paul urged his readers to adopt the mindset Jesus displayed when He was born in the
likeness of man (Philippians 2:5–7). The key element Paul emphasized was Jesus’s willingness to put Himself
aside for the sake of others. This is what makes our salvation possible. Paul’s emphasis in Philippians 2 functions
as the perfect application of Luke 2:1–7 as well. When we consider the miracle of the incarnation, we must
recognize that Jesus became our Savior at an enormous cost to Himself. If we want an effective gospel witness,
we must be prepared to lay aside our own interests for the sake of others.
Q: What was the defining moment in Jesus’s life?
Q: Why is Jesus’s death crucial to understanding why He came?
Luke 2:1–7 shows Jesus condescending to take on human form to become our Savior. The incarnation was only
the beginning. By the end of this Gospel, Jesus descended even lower by giving up His life for our sake. Reading
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retrospectively, we can see Jesus’s death alluded to in the same verse that recounts His birth. Luke 2:7 says “[Mary]
wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger.” Luke 23:53 says “[Joseph] wrapped [Jesus’s body] in a
linen shroud and laid him in a tomb.” The Greek words underlying these similarities differ, but the ESV highlights
the conceptual similarities between these two verses. Jesus came into the world to die for our sins. He did much
more over the course of His life, but His death for our sake was in view from the very beginning.
Q: What do Jesus’s humble beginnings suggest about His followers?
Q: How could you incorporate Jesus’s death into conversations about His life?
APPLICATION POINT – The humble circumstances of Jesus’s birth are plain for everyone to see. Jesus was not
born in a palace or extravagant house. Most scholars agree that the “inn” Luke referred to was likely a two-story
home, with the top level used as living quarters and the lower level functioning as a stable. In these circumstances,
the upper level was too crowded for giving birth, so Joseph and Mary went downstairs when it was time for Jesus
to be born. Many of us don’t mind being humble when we can do so on our own terms, but following in the
footsteps of Jesus demands that we put ourselves completely aside for the sake of serving others. We don’t get to
hold on to what we value most or set limits on how we will serve others.
2. SHEPHERDS LUKE 2:8–21
Q: Who would you expect to have been the first to hear of Jesus’s birth?
Q: How were the wise men and the shepherds alike and how were they different?
During the time of Jesus, land and flocks were typically owned by the wealthy, who hired shepherds to tend
their sheep. Shepherds were looked down on by most people in society. Their lifestyle required long stints
outdoors and left them unprotected from the elements and environment. Not only was their work physically
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taxing, living so close to the animals and the land carried with it an assumed ceremonial uncleanliness. People
avoided them because of this. Shepherds were outcasts in Jewish society. Most people preferred to forget about
them. In a great reversal, however, a group of Jewish shepherds become the first to hear of the Messiah’s birth.
As in Mary’s Magnificat, “[God] has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble
estate” (Luke 1:52). Jesus’s birth signaled the beginning of a new era in God’s creation. Those who are last will
be first, and those who are first will be last.
Q: How can you account for the Bible’s great reversals within your own life?
Q: Who are the outcasts in your community?
APPLICATION POINT – Scripture is filled with wonderful reversals, including the ones seen in Luke 1–2. There
is a certain beauty we can appreciate in this. It is almost as if every underdog story ever told will one day come
true. Although we may delight when we see these reversals, we must admit that this principle is challenging to
apply to our lives. We should certainly model God’s action and care for the forgotten members of society, but
this alone does not seem to exhaust the significance of what this theme entails— a radical reordering of what
we consider to be the good life and how we should go about pursuing it. The good life does not revolve around
authority, wealth, luxury, and leisure. The key to obtaining the good life does not rest in greed, egotism, and
conceit. Instead, the good life revolves around finding God’s favor. The keys to obtaining it include making less of
yourself, being generous to others, and submitting to God’s Word. When you live in this way, finding God’s favor
will certainly appear as a great reversal to those looking on.
Q: Who are some Old Testament figures whose births are told in advance?
Q: In what ways are you failing to follow Jesus?
The angels announced Jesus’s birth to the shepherds. Birth announcements occur frequently in the Old Testament
(Genesis 16:7–13; 17:1–21; 18:1–15; Judges 13:3–20). The announcement to the shepherds follows the same
pattern, as does the announcement to Zechariah in Luke 1:13–20. There is the appearance of an angel (Luke 2:9),
a response in fear (Luke 2:9), a word of reassurance (Luke 2:10), a divine message (Luke 2:11), and the giving of
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a sign (Luke 2:12). Following the pattern from the Old Testament makes the reader anticipate the significant role
the child will have within the nation. The key difference between the shepherds and the Old Testament figures
and Zechariah is that the Old Testament figures and Zechariah expressed disbelief and requested a sign to affirm
God’s word. The shepherds displayed remarkable faith in response to the angel’s message. The shepherds showed
all who came after them how to trust in God’s Messiah.
Q: Why is it hard for us to follow God’s Word?
Q: Why does humility often lead to obedience?
APPLICATION POINT – The humble shepherds exposed the choice everyone must make on being told of Jesus.
You can respond in faith, or you can refuse to believe. The shepherds demonstrated remarkable faith in the angel’s
words. Following the angel’s announcement, they immediately journeyed into Bethlehem to find the baby the angel
had spoken about. Finding Jesus requires faith. It was true for the shepherds, and it is true for us. True faith does
not hold anything in reserve. Many people want to treat Jesus as though He were an insurance policy or “Plan B.”
They want to live for themselves in life and depend on Jesus in death. Such a divided life does not reflect true faith
in Jesus
3. SIMEON LUKE 2:22–35
Q: What is “consolation”?
Q: How would you summarize Simeon’s message?
During a trip to the temple, Jesus was discovered by a man named Simeon. The most remarkable thing about
Simeon was the Holy Spirit. Luke mentioned the Holy Spirit three times in three verses to introduce Simeon.
After Pentecost, the Holy Spirit took residence within the heart of every believer. But during Simeon’s time, before
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THIS IS US
Pentecost, it was rare to hear of the Holy Spirit tied so closely to individuals. This connection with the Holy Spirit
validates the truth of what Simeon proclaimed, and this is important because Simeon made extraordinary claims
concerning the infant Jesus. Simeon associated Jesus with the salvation of their people. This was a remarkable
claim, but even more remarkable to Jews would have been Simeon’s inclusion of the Gentiles among God’s people.
In the Jewish mindset, Gentile rule over their land was everything that was wrong with the world. The idea that the
Jewish Messiah would bring salvation to the Gentiles was unthinkable.
Q: How can you emphasize the importance of missions during Christmas?
Q: What is the nature and extent of the Holy Spirit’s ministry?
APPLICATION POINT – In different ways, both Matthew and Luke emphasized the bringing of the Gentiles
into the people of God in conjunction with Jesus’s birth. Matthew narrated the coming of the Magi. Luke used
the angel’s declaration to the shepherds and Simeon’s speech. This is crucial because it establishes the worldwide
scope of Jesus’s ministry and sacrifice. Missions remains a crucial part of the story of Jesus’s birth even today.
Many missions organizations use the Christmas season as a time to receive special offerings. As a reflection on
the importance of missions within the story of Jesus’s birth, consider giving to one or more of these missions
offerings this year.
4. ANNA LUKE 2:36–38
Q: How does Anna compare with the other ladies mentioned in Luke 1–2?
Q: Why did Luke include the stories of Simeon and Anna?
In addition to Simeon, the prophetess Anna was also waiting for God to act on behalf of His people. She had
lived most of her life as a widow and was well-known for her devotion to worship and prayer. She is described
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in terms similar to the ideal widow in 1 Timothy 5:5. The ideal widow who is devoted to prayer is contrasted
with the one who indulges in herself (1 Timothy 5:6). Anna models for us how to wait for the Messiah. The
key difference is that while Anna awaited the Messiah’s first coming, we await His second coming. In both
circumstances the key is faithfulness in prayer.
Q: What did Anna do upon meeting Jesus?
Q: How can Anna inform our mission as Jesus’s followers?
APPLICATION POINT – After encountering the newborn Messiah, Anna began to tell others about Him. Her
zeal for the Messiah was evident to everyone she came into contact with. She had yearned to encounter the
Messiah all her life, and when she did, she told everyone about Him. This is the way it should be for Christians,
but most of us fail to live up to Anna’s example. I was speaking with a former missionary recently who told me he
has had to change his mission strategy since returning to the United States. When he was overseas, his goal was
to start new churches among the people he convinced to follow Jesus. Since he was returning home to a major
city with multiple solid churches, he said his goal was not plant churches but to connect anyone who accepted the
gospel with a church in the area. After doing this for a few months, he decided it was best to plant new churches
again.
When I asked him what caused the change in strategy, he admitted something that should be tough for any
faithful Christian to hear. He said when people first come to faith in Jesus, they are excited and want to tell
everyone about Him. But after a few months of being in established churches, he noticed that their fervor to
share the gospel with others was greatly diminished. He decided that the worst thing that could happen to a new
believer was to attend a church filled with people who had a lackadaisical attitude toward sharing their faith. That
environment killed the enthusiasm to tell others about Jesus. Instead, he wanted to introduce new believers to an
environment where people were excited to share their faith so that they would continue thinking that was normal
for Christians. If your excitement over Jesus has declined since you accepted Him as Savior, pray for a renewed
enthusiasm to share your faith. If my missionary friend was right, this may be the greatest gift you could give to
others in your church this Christmas.
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This season, you will inevitably be purchasing gifts for children, family, spouses, and friends. Gift-giving is part of
the tradition in our culture, and it can be a wonderful reminder of God’s gift to us. Challenge yourself to give Jesus
your most expensive gift this year. You are part of Jesus’s family. This season celebrates the arrival of God’s greatest
gift to you. It is appropriate that you would include Him and His mission in your gift-giving during Christmas.
This should be something beyond your regular giving to your church. If your church receives a Christmas missions
offering, that is a wonderful way to give Jesus your gift. Missions are the church’s means of making Jesus famous
across the world. If your church does not collect a specific offering for missions, ask one of your pastors to recommend
some strategic ministries to which you could give. You may want to divide your gift to Jesus among several different
entities. Whatever the case, help yourself keep Jesus at the center of Christmas by spending more on Him than
anyone else.
+Use these prayer points to instill the lessons you learned from God’s Word this week.
Lord Jesus, help me to keep you at the center of my celebration this season. Help me resist the tide of materialism and generic goodwill.
God, you are king of this world regardless of what any world power implies. I yearn for the day when you will be recognized as the ruler of this world.
God, thank you for exalting the humble and bringing low the proud. Help me to reorient my life around you.
Jesus, you are worth more than any gift money could buy. Help me to put you first always but especially when we celebrate your birth.