Matthew 25:1-13Page 839 in Pew Bibles

1. Then the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.

2. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible.

3. When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take oil with them.

4. But the sensible ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps.

5. Since the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6. In the middle of the night there was a shout: ‘Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him.’

7. Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.

8. But the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’

9. The sensible ones answered, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell, and buy oil for yourselves.’

10. When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived. Then those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.

11. Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us!’

12. But he replied, ‘I assure you: I do not know you!’

13. Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour.

Ten Bridesmaids• Vs. 1 “Then the kingdom of

heaven will be like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.”

• Wedding custom

pic >

The Lamps• Vs. 1 “Then the kingdom of

heaven will be like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.”

pic >

The Focus• Vs. 1 “Then the kingdom of

heaven will be like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.”

• Our custom is to focus on and wait on the bride; their custom was to wait on the groom

. >

Mixture in the Visible Church

• Vs. 2 “Five of them were foolish and five were sensible.”

. >

Unprepared• Vs. 3-4 “When the foolish took their

lamps, they didn’t take oil with them. But the sensible ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps.”

• Not scandalous• Not unfriendly• Just unprepared

. >

The Long Wait• Vs. 5 “Since the groom was

delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.”

• 2nd Peter 3:3-4 “Scoffers… saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’”

• James 5:8 “You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.”

. >

The Groom Appears• Vs. 6 “In the middle of the night there

was a shout: ‘Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him.’”

• I Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God”

. >

Non-Transferrable• Vs. 7-9 “Then all those virgins got

up and trimmed their lamps.• 8 But the foolish ones said to the

sensible ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’

• 9 The sensible ones answered, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell, and buy oil for yourselves.’”

. >

With the Lord• Vs. 10 “When they had gone to buy

some, the groom arrived. Then those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet…”

• I Thessalonians 4:17 “Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will always be with the Lord.”

. >

Shocking Finality• Vs. 10 “When they had gone to buy

some, the groom arrived. Then those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet…

• …and the door was shut.”

. >

Unknown• Vs. 11-12 “Later the rest of the

virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us!’ But he replied, ‘I assure you: I do not know you!’”

• Galatians 4:9 “But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God…”

. >

You Can’t Know When;You Can Only Be Ready

• Vs. 13 “Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour.”

. .