Matthew 25

The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (25:1-13)

A. This chapter is a continuation of Jesus’ discourse with His disciples about the Second Coming. There should have been no break between
chapters 24 and 25. The design of this parable is to give emphasis to the importance of being prepared at all times before the coming of
Christ.
B. Analogies in the Parable of the Ten Virgins:
1. The bridegroom is Christ.
a. The bride is taken to the bridegroom’s house to await his arrival. When he arrived, there would be a celebration, a wedding feast.
2. The virgins are the church members.
a. Virgins were young, female, unmarried servants. These virgins were part of the welcoming committee to escort the bridegroom
upon his arrival.
b. The wise virgins are the prepared Christians; the foolish virgins are the unprepared Christians.
3. Their lamps suggest the faith of Christians; the extra oil represents the good works that accompany faith.
4. The coming of the bridegroom refers to the second coming of Christ.
a. The bridegroom’s delay is the delay of Christ’s coming.
1. As a result of the delay, the lamps begun to run out of oil.
2. They all slept (some say the sleep refers to death and the waking refers to resurrection).
b. The bridegroom came at midnight. The midnight call refers to the call to judgment.
c. The refusal of the wise virgins to give oil to the foolish virgins means that merit is not transferable.
1. Thus, the Catholic doctrine of purgatory and the Mormon doctrine of baptism for the dead are false.
5. The shutting of the door refers to the impossibility of last minute preparation.
a. The phrase “I know you not” is applied to the church members while the phrase “I never knew you” (7:23) is applied to aliens.
C. The parable bids us to imitate the wise and take warning from the foolish.

The Parable of the Talents (25:14-30)

A. This parable is a complement to the preceding parable. It shows that the disciple must work while waiting in readiness for the coming of
Christ.
B. Analogies in the Parable of the Talents:
1. The man traveling to a far country is Christ. The far country is heaven (Jn 14:1-3).
2. The servants are the disciples.
3. The goods represent the entrusted responsibilities (i.e. offices, abilities, opportunities to do good).
a. The different distribution of talents (five, two and one) stresses upon the individual ability.
b. Talent was a monetary unit of a certain amount of precious metal (26.4 kg. to 37.8 kg.). A talent was normally equivalent to
6,000 denarii and a workman would take 1,000 weeks to earn one talent.
4. The return of the man is the second coming of Christ.
a. It was a long time before He came. Some results of this:
1. The Thessalonians stopped working (2 Th).
2. Some become hardened in unbelief (2 Pe 3:3ff).
3. Others practice wickedness without restraint (Matt. 24:48-49).
5. The settling of accounts refers to the judgment.
6. The two faithful servants who earned refer to the faithful Christians.
a. They actively engaged in work during their lord’s absence.
b. They approached the master with boldness (cf. 1 Th 2:19). Both were applauded with “well done.”
7. The unfaithful servant who did not work refers to the unfaithful Christians.
a. Because of his fear, he failed in his obligation to his lord while the latter was away.
1. The wrong kind of fear which will condemn us (Re 21:8).
b. He charged the lord with many things for his own failure. There is a temptation for those with limited ability to excuse themselves
on that basis.
C. The Divine formula: ability + opportunity = responsibility.

The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations (25:31-46)

A. Jesus indicated that His return would be followed immediately by the Judgment (v.31, 32).
1. In contrast with the belief that Christ will return to establish a physical kingdom and reign on earth for 1,000 years. Some believe that
there will be multiple judgments and Mt 25:31-46 is “the judgment of the nations.”
2. Three specifications described here in the final coming of Christ:
a. He will “come in His glory.”
b. All the holy angels with Him.
c. Then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
3. All nations would be gathered and be separated as a shepherd separates the sheep and goat.
a. The custom was to let the goats and the sheep gaze together, but to separate them at the close of the day because the goats are
more susceptible to colds than sheep.
b. The sheep represents the righteous and the goats for the wicked.
c. The right side is a place of honor in Jewish literature.
B. The acts mentioned by Jesus from the righteous are all deeds of benevolence; all belong to the category of good works.
1. Benevolence is one of the conditions of salvation in judgment.
2. But salvation is not based only on good works. The Scriptures teach the essentiality of being right in doctrine (Ti 2:1) and life (Ja 1:27).
3. The passage shows that all deeds of benevolence to the brethren of Jesus are accepted by Him as if done to Himself.
a. We can minister to Jesus by ministering to His people.
b. The emphasis is on helping fellow disciples (v.40) but application can be made to all people (Ga 6:10).
C. The other group of persons who neglected the performance of good works.
1. The sin of neglecting to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, and to minister to the sick and the imprisoned is enough to let one to the
fate of the devil and his angels. Their guilt does not lie in the commission of gross sins, but in the omission of good deeds.
D. Hell is not a symbol of annihilation; it is a place of punishment and will last as heaven will last. The punishment of the wicked will involve:
1. Eternal separation—“Depart…”
2. Painful sensation—“eternal fire.”
3. Evil association—“devil and his angels.”
 Matthew 26
The Plot to Kill Jesus (26:1-5)
A. This event happened on Wednesday since “after two days is the Passover” (Friday).
1. We have no record of how He spent most of Wednesday other than the brief statement of Christ. It was the calm before the storm.
2. Passover was a yearly feast reminding the Jews of the death angel that had “passed over” their homes in Egypt (Ex 12:21-28).
a. It was the greatest annual feast of the Jews. Observed on the 14 th day of Nisan.
b. It was a family meal. There had to be 10-20 persons to observe the feast together.
c. The Passover was one day and was followed by the feast of the unleavened bread which lasted for 7 days.
B. The chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest.
A. High priest was the highest office of the priesthood.
1. Luke lists Annas as the high priest while Matthew and Mark have Caiaphas.
2. Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas. The Romans ousted Annas in A.D. 15 while Caiaphas took the office on 18 to 36 A.D.
Since Annas was still alive many continued to view him as the high priest.
B. They wanted to kill Jesus but not during the feast for there are too many people (about 3M) which might cause riot.

The Anointing at Bethany (26:6-13)

A. The woman poured oil from alabaster flask.
1. The woman was Mary of Bethany (Jn 12:3).
2. The oil was in the jar made of alabaster, a translucent marble. Mk says it costs 300 denarii (Mk 14:5).
3. It was of this price that Judas was filled with indignation (Jn 12:4, 5).
4. It was considered a good work by Jesus for it was a manifestation of devotion and gratitude. Jesus said it was done for His burial.
B. There are two predictions here:
1. “The poor with you always.”
2. Mary’s act is “as a memorial to her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus (26:14-16)

A. Judas became the solution for the dilemma of Sanhedrin. He was familiar with Jesus’ schedule and the meeting place (Jn 18:2).
B. 30 pieces of silver (120 denarii) was equivalent to 4 months of work. It was also the price of a slave.
1. This was the fulfillment of a prophecy from Zech 11:12.
2. Reasons for betrayal: greed (Jn 12:6); probably disappointment from his expectation to Jesus.

Jesus Celebrates Passover with His Disciples (26:17-25)

A. “The Feast of Unleavened Bread” was an annual feast when unleavened bread was eaten. It lasted 7 days (Le 23:4-8). Passover would
start at 14 Nisan to be followed by the feast of unleavened bread 15 to 21 Nisan.
B. An upper room was ready for them; we are not told if there were prearrangements between Jesus and the house owner. The preparations
included slaying and roasting the lamb, giving unleavened bread and bitter herbs (Nu 9:11).
1. Jesus seated at the table with the Passover meal. This was His last supper before His death. John was on His right (Jn 13:23), perhaps
Judas was on His left, and the rest was around the table.
2. He began to foretell the betrayer. He identifies the betrayer as the one who dipped his hand in the bowl with Him.
a. It was a common bowl which everyone would dip on it. Every apostle shared to it, but Jesus would later identify to John that Judas
was the betrayer.
b. This was the prophecy from Ps 41:9. But this prophecy was not understood by the disciples.
c. During the supper Judas had left Jesus and the apostles (Jn 13:27).
3. The fact that He told them in advance would reconfirm that He was divine (Jn 13:19).

Jesus Institutes the Lord's Supper (26:26-30)

A. The Lord’s Supper was to be a memorial feast. Jesus instituted this, which was to replace the Passover.
1. The Jews thought of commemorating past deliverance, and a guarantee of future deliverance by the Passover.
2. Now Christians think of their deliverance from sin and the future deliverance in heaven by the Lord’s Supper.
3. Two emblems used:
a. The bread which represents the body.
b. The fruit of the vine which represents the blood.
4. Christ would not drink with this meal again until He drinks them in the kingdom. It refers to the church; as we observe the Lord’s
Supper we commune with Christ (1 Co 10:16, 17).
B. They concluded the meal with a song service and after singing they went to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial (26:31-35)

The Prayer in the Garden (26:36-46)

A. Now the group arrived at the garden of Gethsemane.
1. Gethsemane means the place of olive presses. This was the favorite place of Jesus to pray (Lk 22:39).The lesson of Gethsemane is the
lesson of prayer.
2. Jesus brought with Him farther Peter, James and John. He was in anguish, suffering from both physical and spiritual agony ahead. He
sought encouragement from the disciples, but, unfortunately, their actions were discouraging.
B. Three times Jesus prays the same prayer to the Father.
1. He prayed that if there was any way other than His death to save mankind, for God to do it (v.39).
2. Each time He returns to find His disciples asleep.
a. The apostles were tired plus the fact that they did not realize the closeness of His death.
b. Christ rebuked them and asked them to stay awake for a few hours.

Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane (26:47-56)

A. The crowd that arrived to arrest Jesus was the temple guard of the Sanhedrin not the Roman guard.
1. Judas led the crowd to Jesus and gave them a sign of kiss to designate the target.
2. The kiss of a Rabbi’s disciple was on the hand or foot and was a kiss of honor.
B. The scene demonstrates that Jesus was in charge of all that was happening.
1. He even invited Judas to hurry and finish the work (v.50).
 2. He could call 12 legions of angels1 for rescue at any moment. He was not trapped (v.53).
3. He affirmed that the events taking place were the fulfillment of the prophecy (v.56).
C. The army came probably in hundreds (Jn 18:12). The impulsive Peter drew a sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant.
1. Jesus shamed them by saying they came out in force, as if He were a deadly criminal.
2. But Jesus willingly went to the cross.

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin (26:57-68)

A. This trial was labeled as a “mock trial,” because the Jewish authorities did not adhere to legal regulations of a hearing.
1. It was illegal for them to try a capital case at night.
2. The charge of blasphemy did not meet the legal criteria of the charge; no pronouncement of “God.”
3. To execute someone the testimony of every eye witness had to agree. They did not find 2 witnesses agreed.
4. The trial should not been at Caiaphas’ house. It should be in the meeting place, the Royal Stoa.
5. Jesus was not given a defense attorney.
6. A minimum of two days was required to decide a capital offense.
B. The Sanhedrin2 could not execute criminals only the Romans.
1. So they needed to take the case to the Romans with two witnesses.
2. But even false witnesses could not get two agree until finally two arrived on the same story, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the
temple of God and to build it in three days’” (recorded in Jn 2:18-22).
C. The high priest put Jesus under oath to answer if He was “the Christ the Son of God.”
1. The answer “it is as you said” was an idiomatic form of “yes.”
2. The high priest took the statement of Jesus as blasphemy, liable of death.
3. When He was labeled a “blasphemer” the Jews unleashed their fury against Him.

Peter Denies Jesus, and Weeps Bitterly (26:69-75)

A. As Jesus was led away when arrested, Peter and John followed Him at a distance up to Sanhedrin’s trial.
1. John, who was known to the high priest, was permitted to enter the courtyard (Jn 18:15, 16).
2. Through John’s influence, Peter was allowed to enter (Jn 18:16, 17).
B. As Jesus predicted, Peter would deny Him 3x before the rooster crows (a.m.).
1. First denial (vs.69-70).
a. When the female servant, who admitted him, out of curiosity, asked him.
b. This happened beside the small charcoal fire in the courtyard (Jn 18:18)
2. Second denial (vs.71-72).
a. When another female accused him of associating with Jesus of Nazareth.
b. This happened on the gateway.
3. Third denial (vs.73-74).
a. When a kinsman of Malchus, whose ear Peter had cut off, asked him (Jn 18:26).
b. He was recognized by his voice. Galileans spoke with a different accent.
C. Immediately, while Peter was speaking, a rooster crowed. Then the Lord Jesus turned and looked into Peter’s eyes. And Peter remembered
what the Lord had said of him: “Before the rooster crows in the morning, you will say that you don’t even know me three times.” Then
Peter went outside, and cried bitterly. (Lk 22:60-62 PEB).

1
A legion consisted of 6, 000 soldiers; thus 12 legions is equal to 72,000 soldiers. 2
Sanhedrin was the Supreme Court of the Jews composed of 71 members.