Every Day

Matthew 25 follows on in theme from Mt 24. The Lord Jesus is coming again, how are we to live every day until he comes?

1-13 - Be Prepared
The contrast between the wise and the foolish is in the preparations they make. Neither know how long the bridegroom will be, the wise bring extra oil, just in case.
We don't know how long the Lord Jesus will be, so we are to live prepared, as though he might be a long time but will come suddenly and we need to be ready when he comes.

14-30 - Love God
The contrast between the two faithful servants and the one wicked servant is in their love for God. The two love God and so serve their Master without delay and making good use of the generous gifts he has given them. The wicked servant turns God's generosity into cause for blame because he doesn't love God.
How will you display your love for God? Will you receive his gifts? Will you use his gifts in his service? This is what we are to do every day until Jesus comes again.

31-46 - Love your neighbour
The sheep are commended for loving others in the same way as Jesus has loved. The goats are condemned because their is no evidence of love for others in their lives. To not love and care for all in need is to disobey the Lord Jesus and reject his love for you.
I think Carson's comments in his Matthew 13 to 28, in The Expositor's Bible Commentary are plain wrong. Which is surprising since Carson notes that the deeds of the sheep are not the cause of salvation, but the evidence of salvation. How then can you limit the deeds of salvation to those shown to Christian brothers? Carson appears too concerned in his comments to prevent any hint of salvation by works that he mistreats the parable and misses the point.
The second command is that we love our neighbour, whoever needs our care, our help, our love. This is what we are to do every day until Jesus comes again, love as he has loved us.

In The Story

Matthew 24 is one of those chapters that has been very badly handled by literalist and dispensationalist interpretations over many years (curiously the same fate has befallen most of Daniel).

Context
The Lord Jesus is in Jerusalem, he has been teaching in the Temple (ch. 22) and has warned the crowd/disciples, Pharisees and Jerusalem (ch. 23). Leaving the Temple, city, the disciples like google-eyed tourists are awestruck by the large stones of the Temple (v. 1). When the Lord Jesus prophetically (that is before it happened) speaks of the destruction of the Temple (v. 2) this leads to two questions which shape the rest of chapter 24 and 25: when will this happen (v. 3a) and what will the signs be of your returning (v. 3b)?
The disciples, and it is not explained how, correctly connect the destruction of the Temple and the coming again of the Lord Jesus.

Endings and Beginnings
It turns out that the destruction of the Temple is one of the signs of the return of the Lord Jesus in glory. The return of the Lord Jesus is at the end of this age. There is a human curiosity about the end: when will it be, what will it be like, will I be ok when it happens? The Lord Jesus responds to the question by not speaking about the end, but about the story up to the end.
We know the beginning of the story: God created all things, humanity rebels against God, God annoints Jesus as Christ and Lord and his death on the cross is the redemption and renewal of all things. We now know something of the end: the Lord Jesus will return and God's Kingdom will be fully established.
Today we do not live in either the beginning or the ending of the story - we live in the story. Matthew 24 and 25 are designed to instruct us in how to live in the story.

Live in the story
a) live with eyes wide open. Don't be deceived by liars claiming to be Christ, or by those who say the end is not coming. Recognise this present tribulation: wars, disasters, persecution as guarantees of the end.
b) live as people of hope. God is in control, the present state of the world is not the final word and is not out with the control of our God.
c) let God be God. v. 36. There are things God has not told us and will not tell us. Do not believe liars who tell you when the end will be, even the Lord Jesus does not know. Resist your inquisitive spirit, do not pry into the things God has not revealed, there is enough to be going on with if you focus upon what he has revealed.
d) because you know the end is coming, live in the light of that end.
e) Share the story of Jesus with everyone, they too need to know that the Lord Jesus is coming again.
f) vv. 45-51. Live doing the will of the Lord, serve him and serve others.

To whom Jesus speaks

Matthew 23

The Lord Jesus speaks to:
1. the crowds/disciples, vv. 1-12
2. the Pharisees, vv. 13-36
3. Jerusalem, vv. 37-39

We do not need to use this to source critically or form critically divide this united chapter. Our Lord Jesus is well able to speak to these groups, all of whom we find in our congregations, communities today.

1. To the crowds/disciples, vv. 1-12
There is a strong warning against the pride displayed by those who think they know how to live better than God's word teaches us. We need not only know God's word, teach God's word, but we must live God's word.
Humility is learned by reflecting upon our being sinners in need of a Saviour, by submitting ourselves to God's opinion of us - dead in our tresspasses and sins. Such humility should teach us the obedience of faith.

2. To the Pharisees, vv. 13-36
A perfection of condemnation, seven woes!
The central focus of this chiastic structure is vv. 23-24. The Pharisees are good at performing the externals of religion, the externals of God's commands while ignoring what God's commands aim at. It is better to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with God than to measure out your tithe.
We must be genuine with God, serious about his word. It is not enough to know the word, it must change us deep inside.

3. To Jerusalem, vv. 37-39
God has been gracious and will be gracious again. Jesus is the Saviour, the Lord who is to be trusted in all he teaches of God and his Kingdom. Let Jesus be Jesus: Immanuel - God with us, Jesus - who will save his people from their sins.

That God speaks to us is grace.
What God speaks to us is grace. Even when it is a warning, it is aimed at our salvation and the blessing of the world.

The Jewel: The way of the cross (Matthew 16:21-28)

An example
Children are copycats. Unfortunately when we grow up we stop copying those wiser than ourselves and start make our own mistakes. And then we copy ourselves, repeating our mistakes. Almost always these are mistakes others have made before us and we could have avoided, but we’re such copycats.
The Lord Jesus is our example as he tells us in John chapter 13:15 in relation to feet washing, but surely he is an example to us in many other ways also. He is an example for us in his work on the cross.

The way Christ walked
The Lord Jesus kept his eyes fixed upon the cross. He taught his disciples that his way was the way of the cross.
Knowing what lies before him the Lord Jesus lives in obedience to his Father’s will. This is what he must do; this is what he does.
In all that he suffered he was personally innocent and suffered unjustly. And yet he endured patiently this unjust suffering. He could have escaped and avoided this suffering, but he did not.
He really was crucified, dead and buried. There is no greater self-denial than dying for another. He gave up everything for us.
This is the way of Christ that he calls us to follow.

The way we follow
In Matthew 16:24 the Lord Jesus takes each of these three examples and directs them to his disciples.
Disciples don’t lead, they follow. This is self-denial. Serving others first is the way we must follow our Servant King.
Disciples patiently endure unjust suffering, there is no plotting revenge, no exploding with rage. ‘Father forgive them’ is the prayer of the disciple following the Servant King.
Disciples obey their Lord and master. Learning what the Lord Jesus says disciples commit themselves to obedience, to learning the way of the Servant King.

The way of the cross
This is the example Christ has set us, this is the only way anyone can follow as his disciple. Will you follow him today?