Matthew 25:34: Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come…”

Reread a book. Unless it's a very simple book you probably noticed something new on your second reading. This happens because we are physically limited and how much information we can process at one time. On the first reading, we are taking in the basic story and ideas. On the second reading, since we already know some things, we can pay attention to things we missed, or make new connections. Our understanding deepens.

Something similar happens when we read Scripture for the second, third, or fourth time. There is a natural reason for this: God has given us minds with which to read, think, remember, and understand. But there is also something more. The Holy Spirit works through God's Word to enlighten us and bring us to a deeper understanding of what God has already revealed.

This reality was brought home to me yesterday when I was reading Matthew 25—the passage commonly called the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. (Matthew 25:31-46) But is it really a parable?

Jesus has been teaching His disciples about the Last Day. He says that THE SON OF MAN will come in His glory, accompanied by the angels, and will sit upon HIS GLORIOUS THRONE. Then He uses the picture of a shepherd separating sheep from goats.

Then comes a detail I had not noticed before. Jesus says, “Then the KING will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father…’” (Matthew 25:34) And to those on His left, “Depart from me…” (Matthew 25:41)

The Son of Man IS the King— the One sitting on the throne and speaking the final verdict.

That connection is easy to miss because Jesus does not directly state, “I am the King.” But the connection is there. The Son of Man is the One seated on the throne, exercising the authority of the King and judging the nations.

Perhaps that doesn't seem like news to you because we are so well taught that Jesus is king of heaven and earth. We know this from Old Testament passages like Zechariah 9:9, “Behold, your king is coming to you…” And Paul speaks of Christ Jesus as “the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:14–15).

Jesus also presents Himself as a royal figure in several of His parables, such as the Parable of the Wedding Banquet. And He acknowledges that He is a King before Pilate. But Matthew 25 gives us a particularly direct and striking picture: Jesus uses the title of King for Himself as He teaches His disciples that He will come in glory to judge the nations.

I certainly cannot claim to be the first person to notice this. Christians have been reading this passage for nearly two thousand years! But this is the first time I noticed it. And it made me wonder whether Jesus’ teaching inspired the disciples to ask Him after His resurrection, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6) Were they expecting the promised Messiah to establish His kingdom in an earthly way they could see and understand?

Did you ever notice this?

We've read and heard the story of creation, David and Goliath, Jesus feeding the five thousand, the Nativity and the crucifixion so many times, we may think we know everything there is to know. But there’s always more. Not because God’s Word changes, but because the Holy Spirit opens our hearts and minds to see how much more He has put into the Scriptures.

So don't let familiarity keep you from reading the familiar passages again, and again.

I often like to start Bible study by asking, after we have read the passage, “What struck you this time?” May I suggest you try something similar in your own daily reading. Before you begin, ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten the eyes of your heart to His Word—to help you understand it, believe it. You may discover something you had never noticed before, and this may help you see Christ more clearly.

✝️ Pastor Deming

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