Read Matthew 24-25 (emphasis on 25:1-13)
He stood there at the door knocking, but no one answered. After a few more tries, the door opened to an 89 year-old man. When the San Francisco Chronicle reporter asked him for a comment he replied, “I don’t understand why. I don’t understand why nothing has happened.” Those words were spoken on May 22nd of this year. They were the words of Harold Camping, the radio evangelist who predicted the return of Christ would occur the day before.
He wasn’t the only one shocked and disappointed. Robert Fitzpatrick, a retired MTA worker spent his life savings in preparation for the event. Adrienne Martinez, 27 and pregnant, dropped out of medical school, spent all of her savings, 1 month before her baby was born. Others sold their homes, quit their jobs, and gave up everything in expectation of Christ’s return.
Harold’s prediction was just the latest in a series of predictions gone wrong. After all, the 2nd Coming was to occur in 1948 when Israel became a state, 1967 when Israeli troops captured Jerusalem, 1973 when a comet was to crash into the earth, in 1978 a group of pastors predicted he would come in 1981, then changed it to 1982. Then it became 1988 (40 years after the founding of Israel), then it was Y2K, they were all wrong!
Let’s face it; we are a people consumed with the end times. In Matthew 24:3, we find the disciples asking the same question. Jesus has been telling his disciples about the destruction of the temple. Such a thought was so astonishing to the disciples; they immediately ask starting playing the REM song on their ipod’s because it’s the end of the world as we know it!
Jesus, sensing their fascination, tells them to go read the Left Behind Series (kidding!). Actually He gives them the Real “Left Behind” Series, namely a series of 4 parables that deal with His future return. (Faithful Servant, 10 Virgins, Talents, Sheep/Goast). I want us to focus on one, namely the parable of the Ten Virgins.
The Explanation of the Parable
A Wedding in those days happened in three stages:
Engagement: a contract was determined between the husband and bride’s father. Once they had agreed, a ceremony would follow in order to seal the contract. The bride and groom would exchange vows and the groom would give a blessing to his bride. The blessing was, “In my father’s house there are many rooms, I go to prepare a place for you and when I do I will come and take you to myself that where I am, you may also be.” [Sound familiar? This is what Jesus quotes identifying Himself as the true bridegroom.] At this point, they are legally bound.
Betrothal: The bride and groom would be a part for up to 12 months, he is preparing a place for her while she is remaining pure, waiting for his return.
Wedding Ceremony: At the end of the 12 months there was a wedding feast. This was the greatest of celebrations. The groom and his family/friends, on an unscheduled night, would make their way to the bride’s house to consummate the marriage in a wedding ceremony that would last up to 2 weeks.
The Groom: the main focus of the wedding. Unlike our weddings today (sorry ladies), the focus of the wedding was on the groom.
The Bridesmaids: main focus of the wedding party in this text. The bride picked out bridesmaids, unmarried virgins. Their job was simple, as the time was drawing near they were to be prepared on the night the groom came, they would take their lamps (torches), go out to meet him, and enter into the wedding processional. In this parable, 5 of them are wise and ready, 5 are foolish are have no oil.
The Intention of the Parable
The point of the parable is how true disciples live in between His first and second coming. These 10 virgins represent the visible church or “professing Christians”. In this parable, 5 virgins are considered wise and enter into the wedding feast and 5 are foolish and do not (vs. 10-11). So that’s the point, namely how do true disciples live during the time waiting for His return.
The Application of the Parable
True disciples are ready anytime!
Go to 24:36-39. Jesus is teaching the disciples that no man knows when He is going to come. Like in the days of Noah, everyone is eating and drinking, normal business until the flood. Just as the flood took the world by surprise, so will the coming of Christ. Though they knew the groom was coming, but they didn’t know when until it was announced (vs. 13). And at the moment it was announced, what separated the wise from the foolish was their readiness. Everything else looked the same; all are waiting, dressed, had lamps, gathered in the same place. If you looked at the 10 you could tell no difference! Yet one group was ready, one was not! You see, you can have the appearance of a Christian and not be ready.
Illustration: A few years ago there was a news story about a photographer who liked to skydive. He jumped from a plane with other skydivers to film the group. On one particular trip, when he reached for his ripcord he realized he was without his parachute. He was so caught up in what he was doing that he was unprepared for the jump to the loss of his own life.
“Heaven will be filled with people who believed in Jesus. Hell will be filled with people who meant to.” (Spurgeon)
True disciples live as though Jesus could return at any time! Does that mean sell everything, hide in a cave, and wait? No, notice that all of the virgins slept (vs. 5). Meaning, they went about their normal daily routine, but 1 group wakes up mindful that today could be the day.
Personal Preparation: when the announcement came they first tried to borrow their way in, but the other virgins only had enough oil from themselves. Listen, God does not have any grandchildren, he only has children. When Jesus comes it won’t matter that you wife or parents believed, it will only matter if you are ready.
Can’t be bought: They then tried to buy their way in, frantically trying to find a market open at night thinking the entire time “better late than never” and yet the failed to realize that when it comes to the return of the groom, late = never! True disciples are ready now!
True disciples are prepared to wait a long time!
The disciples are thinking this is going to happen now, but Jesus (given his soon death) wants to teach his disciples how to be faithful during the delay? So he tells a parable about a faithful servant (45-51), master and tenants (25:19), and the ten virgins (25:5). What do all of these have in common…delay! In other words, JESUS MAY TAKE LONGER THAN YOU THINK. And the difference between the wise and foolish are those who stayed faithful.
4 They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation."…8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (2 Pt 3:4, 8)
“But I think He’s coming soon. I see all these signs coming together. There are wars and earthquakes.”
That may be true, but you are missing the point! (24:4-14) When Jesus speaks of wars and famines, He’s not giving his disciples an end-of-the-world timeline, He’s preparing them to be persecuted. When Jesus speaks of tribulation, He is not talking about some future tribulation period; he’s talking about the tribulation his disciples will face very soon. When Jesus compares this to a woman giving child-birth, He’s is training a group men some of who would be crucified upside down, some boiled to death, don’t lose heart, something new and glorious is coming! This isn’t meant for prophecy debates or to give TV evangelists with ungodly hairpieces something to talk about. It’s meant to prepare the kind of disciple who though the bridegroom tarries, endures to the end!
If your response to an earthquake is to put another check on your prophecy list rather than prayer, if you are spending more time trying to figure out who the anti-Christ will be rather than trying to defeat the spirit of anti-Christ in your own life, if all your hope is thinking you will one day be removed from tribulation rather than putting all your hope in the One who will resurrect those killed for His name sake, if you are more concerned about the timing of His return than loving with all your heart the One who will one day split the sky, I don’t care how many Left Behind books you’ve read, you may already be!
What the disciples want to know is “what are the signs?” What Jesus wants to know is, “are you the kind of disciple who grows tired and weary?” Because true disciples live as though the return of Christ could happen right now, but keep on serving when he doesn’t!
True disciples will be rewarded with a great time!
Jesus is compares heaven and his return to a wedding ceremony and he is doing that intentionally. This is the imagery in many other places in Scripture. John writes, And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb."(Rev 19:9)
The wedding was the largest celebration you could have. In our day, this is like a wedding, Superbowl party, 50-yr anniversary all in one. It was a time of great joy. And when that day comes Jesus says it will be immediate, it will be intimate, “they went in with Him” and it will be eternal!
Are you ready? Not just believe in God or belong to a church, but have you made personal preparation to see Jesus? The Bible is clear in how we can be prepared. Repent of sin. Believe who Jesus is. Surrender to Him. Live for Him. Do not say, “Someday I’ll come to Christ.” Come now. Do not say, “I’ll repent later.” Such were the words of 5 foolish virgins!
Are you awake? Have you grown weary, sluggish, unfocused? Consumed in politics, relationships, deadlines at work, than the things of God? Wake up! Distracted or disinterested disciples will not be sufficient on that Day!
Are you watching/preparing? Worldliness is adultery for we are awaiting a wedding!
If not, you will find yourself like that San Francisco Chronicle reporter some day, standing behind a closed door…knocking, and knocking. Only this time the door never opens and you’re left wondering “I don’t understand.”
Watching for His Return,
Pastor Wes
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