Matthew 25:31-46

The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is always the Judge.  For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son (Jn. 5:22).  He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.  He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead (Acts 17:31).  God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ (Rom. 2:16).

When Jesus returns with His Bride the Bride will have been made ready by appearing before the Judgment Seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10).  His coming with His Bride will reveal who in Israel is ready and who is not (Parable of the Virgins).  Jesus is the Man travelling to a far country who will hold His servants to account as to the use of their talents (Parable of the Talents).  In today’s passage we see that Jesus is the Judge of the nations.

This judgment is most often used as sermon material to encourage good works to the poor and needy.  God certainly has a heart for the poor and needy; that is clearly taught in Old and New Testament alike.  But both the context and details of this passage require we understand this as the judgment of the nations that occurs in connection with Jesus’ return.  It is a judgment spoken of elsewhere in Scripture, notably Joel 3 (also note Psalm 2, 96-98; Isa. 34; Rev. 19:17-21).

1.     When will this judgment take place?

a.     Mt. 25:31: when the Son of Man comes in all His glory.

b.     Mt. 25:31: when the Son of Man sits on His throne.

c.      Jl. 3:1: When the Lord brings back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem.

d.     Jl. 3:14-16: in the day of the Lord.

These refer to the same time.  When Jesus returns He will sit on the throne of David in Zion (Psalm 2:6 and many other passages).  The saved nation of Israel will be brought back from the place of refuge where God has protected them (Rev. 12:13-17).  This is the end of the darkness of that future day of the Lord.

2.     Who will be judged?

Matt. 25:32 says all the nations will be gathered before Him (the Son of Man referred to in v31).  The Greek ethnos refers in Scripture to all non-Jews.  It is often translated Gentiles, a term translators use to indicate that one nation is not being judged at this time.  When Jesus returns He will defeat the armies of the earth that are gathered against Him as well as all the others who allowed themselves to be duped by the antichrist (Rev. 19:17-21).  But there will be others from the nations, still alive, who were not deceived.  These will join Christ in His Millennial Kingdom along with the saved nation of Israel.

3.     Who will be the judge?

It is Jesus the Messiah, the Son of Man (Mt. 25:31), the King (Mt. 25:34), the LORD (Yahweh, Joel 3:2).  As Revelation says, they will be judged with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse (19:21).