Ready and Waiting (Matthew 25:1-13)

Friends, as of late, have you felt some turbulence? Recently, I flew on a really long flight - with much of it over the ocean. And at times, there was some pretty bumpy air. Nobody likes that - “keep your seatbelt fastened” indicator on. Especially if you have to go to the bathroom, let’s say - more than the average person. Now those bumps, those shakes - they can make you want to go to the bathroom for another reason. And that’s been the American experience - in a lot of ways - over the past few months. A trade war sounded bad. But tariffs? They sound better than missiles. How is tomorrow going to feel worse than today? It’s felt at times like we’re “free fallin.”

Now that’s a good Tom Petty song, for sure. But there’s another one that I think fits even better with this text - “The Waiting.” It’s a great song. By a legend. Hear the lyrics with me.

The waiting is the hardest part

Every day you get one more yard

You take it on faith, you take it to the heart

The waiting is the hardest part

The last few weeks, Aaron has been talking about the return of Jesus from Matthew 24. And he’s done a fabulous job. But doesn’t His return seem so far away? Like a 14 hour flight? You get cramped and cranky. You sleep a little bit, but certainly not well. We knew Tokyo was waiting when we got off the plane. But the wait was still so hard.

Now speaking of waiting. We’re now near the final stretch of this great gospel book. In chapter 26, there’s this turn. Where Jesus the King heads straight to the cross. We reach the conclusion, the epilogue, where the whole book’s been moving. But here in these chapters before, Jesus jumps ahead to the end of God’s story, when He’ll return in glory. Where the Lord flexes His power. And to help us understand that day - to help us prepare for that day - Jesus returns once again to speaking in parables. And we saw a couple of short ones last week.

Parables, you may remember, generally have one main point. And this one’s fairly simple. Though the days be long - and difficult, we have to be ready and waiting when He comes. This is what Jesus says, the “kingdom of heaven” is like. Let’s walk through the parable and be encouraged and challenged by Christ’s words together. There are four truths here that are important for us to hear. That make that big point. Let’s jump in.

The Return of the King

Christ’s picture here is one of a wedding. And in that day, they often went like this. The party would start at the home of the bride - with the ceremony. And then the “bridegroom” would leave - often late at night - and return to his home - with his bride. And they’d be greeted at his home by a wedding party. The “virgins” or bridesmaids are those talked about here. And that’s where the party would get going A big banquet would take place. And it would be a multi-day affair you wouldn’t want to miss.

Jesus, of course, is the “bridegroom” of this story. John the Baptist calls Him this in John chapter 3. The Lord refers to Himself in this way, back in Matthew chapter 9 - when the disciples come to Him, asking why they’re not fasting.

But this title He takes on is rich with significance. Because the Lord in the Old Testament talks of Himself in these ways. Hear just one example, from Isaiah 62.

Isaiah 62:4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,

and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,

but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,

and your land Married;

for the LORD delights in you,

and your land shall be married.

Isaiah 62:5 For as a young man marries a young woman,

so shall your sons marry you,

and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,

so shall your God rejoice over you.

Last week, we looked closely at the humanity of Christ. Today, His divinity is very much on display. He is the Lord. Jesus is this God. And He’ll return one day to set things right. He’ll set up His kingdom on earth - once and for all. The world will be rid of suffering and sin. There will be perfect justice and unending peace. There’s something here that offers us hope. Jesus will return.

But there’s something else offered here. It’s joy. Now the disciples of Jesus - and that includes us - are the “virgins,” the maidens, here in this story. We’re pictured as the bridal party, ready for a feast, excited to celebrate. And we’re awaiting the coming, the return, of the groom. Now there aren’t too many occasions more happy than a wedding. I often tear up, just standing by to the groom. But when our King comes, it will be a time of celebration - unlike anything we could imagine. Jesus, the groom, will welcome His bride. There’ll be a massive feast. That will kick off an eternity of joy. The King will return one day for a wedding.

But you might be thinking this: aren’t we, the church, in God’s word, the bride? And yes, you’d be right. This parable’s emphasis is placed somewhere else. Where we’ll get soon. There’s not even a mention of the bride in the story. But that reality from Scripture - that raises the joy even higher for sure.

When we look in the eyes of the one who gave Himself for us, dressed in white garments that He’s gifted to us, we’ll be overwhelmed. Overjoyed. By the one who “delights” in us. Who “rejoices over us.”

There’s this cry from a herald, here in verse 6: “Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” We’re the bridegroom’s friends. Those of us who are disciples. And my first question today is: are we ready for that? As John the Baptist put it, do we “rejoice greatly at the bridegroom’s voice?” (John 3:29). Do we long for His appearing? Are we excited for that day? To run out and meet Him, as He rides in on the clouds? Karis, do we welcome His return?

The Delay of the Return

But we all know that excitement can wane. Why? Because His return doesn’t come as soon as we’d like. Now I end up doing a fair amount of weddings. And one way I advise couples is to keep things moving. I’m not talking about keeping a ceremony short. I think my wedding to Amy - now 24 years ago - set a world record for length. I’m talking about not making people wait too long for the reception. Don’t work in a photo with your childhood neighbor - or your third-cousin once removed - whatever that means - at least not before the reception. Unless, of course, you want your guests to get bored. And to be tempted to leave. That’s just our nature as humans. We’re impatient. The waiting. It’s really, really hard for us.

And that’s what we see here. It’s the primary thrust of this parable. Look at verse 5. We’ll get to all the talk about the virgins and their lamps. But here’s what causes their crisis. “As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.” The groom and his bride - end up taking a long time. They go on until midnight, says verse 6, which apparently wasn’t that uncommon.

But some of the bridesmaids aren’t ready when they come. Now it’s tempting to make a big deal out of the fact they go to sleep But notice that all ten virgins get “drowsy” and nap. The point is that the couple takes a really long time. Much longer than anybody there wants or expects. And folks get distracted and dismayed. And lose focus, lose faith. His coming will take longer than expected.

Now this story reminds me of another Christ told. The Parable of the Soils. A sower sows some seed. Some of it hits good ground and bears much fruit. But some of the seed is sewn among the rocks. Other seeds get tossed and sprout among thorns. And Jesus explains the story in this way:

Matthew 13:20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,

Matthew 13:21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

Matthew 13:22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Our lives get hard. Our faith gets mocked. So we walk away. Because things got rocky. Or we get sucked into riches. Living for the things of this world. And our faith gets choked out. That’s what Jesus warns about there. Those twin dangers.

Now we all have seen the dramatic examples. The megachurch celebrities who go down in flames. There have been people up here, who’ve preached and sung - who’ve led us well at the time - who’ve leapt from the ship. But on the other extreme, what about those who’ve just grown lukewarm? Who got sick of waiting. Of walking by faith. The trials of life tempted them to move their eyes to the pleasures, the idols, that they wanted all along. We must guard ourselves, Karis.

You might ask, “So why does the Lord choose to delay?” Perhaps the clearest explanation is found in 2 Peter 3. The apostle addresses the reality of skeptics, who scoff, “Whatever happened to that promise?” And Peter reaffirms Christ’s second coming. The judgment that will come. The new heavens and new earth. And he says this:

2Peter 3:8 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.

2Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

It sounds like He delays His coming to give even more opportunity for sinners like us to experience His great love.

Amy and I went with the Schembres to see Phoebe Bridgers in St. Louis several years ago. And after the opening act played, it took forever for her to come out. I started to wonder if she’d decided not to show up. But I heard later she was battling some anxiety. She’d had a panic attack. And it was a wonder she ever took the stage that night at all. But what kept people there, waiting for the show? Their love for her, and for her music.

Karis, what keeps us going? Yes, it’s the trust that He’ll make everything right. We want His justice. We long for His peace. It’s hope. But it’s our love for our King, for our bridegroom, Jesus. That’s what keeps us from resting on our laurels. If the sun gets hot, if the winds start to blow, if the rains pick up, we’ll keep waiting because we believe He’s worth it. It’s joy.

And the fact that we stay eager and ready, it displays that we’re truly His disciples, friends. As we saw a couple of weeks ago, from Matthew 24, verse 13, “The one who endures to the end will be saved.” We have to persevere. When He returns, the Lord wants to find us ready. But the waiting, for sure, is the hardest part. Karis, do we expect a delay?

The Need to Be Ready

That leads to our next point we see. How is it that we’re prepared for that day? And here’s where we finally get to the “virgins” and their “lamps.” Apparently, the wedding party would go out in the street and meet the couple in the night. And then they’d escort them back to his house for the party. And they’d carry these “lamps” - more like torches - to illuminate their way. At the end of poles were rags soaked in oil.  Their flames would give off light, but they wouldn’t last long. Soon, you’d have to dip it in more oil. Or you’d find yourself in the dark. Five virgins are “wise,” and they come with extra oil. But the “foolish” maidens don’t. The “bridegroom” comes. Theirs has all burned out, says verse 8. And suddenly they have to run out for more. They aren’t ready when He comes. We have to be ready when He returns. That’s the third thing here we see.

So we’ve got to carry plenty of oil? Ok? What does that mean? Some have tried to make the oil correspond with something. The Holy Spirit? Our godly works? Maybe our faith? Holiness perhaps? But I don’t think it’s helpful to press the details that far. They’re unprepared spiritually. They’re distracted. They’ve grown lax. But how do we know if we’re really prepared? And what do we do to get in that place ourselves?

We’ll learn more about that, as we take on the next two parables. But we already know so much from all our time in Matthew. But no matter what the world says, being “wise” is being about our King’s work while we wait for Him to return.

“Readiness,” writes Klyde Snodgrass, is an “attitude, a commitment, and a lifestyle. It means living in ways that comport with the character of the kingdom and being faithful at all times.” It’s about carrying His gospel - in word and in deed. It’s about speaking His words of hope and joy - while living holy, different lives before a watching world. All we’ve seen in Matthew. The Sermon on the Mount. As Richard Bauckham states, “The delay of the parousia is filled with the mission of the church.” It’s being about our Lord’s kingdom business. Until He returns.

Now what’s the deal, you might ask, about the fact the “wise” women don’t share. Think about those oxygen masks they talk about on the plane. If the plane loses cabin pressure, and they suddenly hang there from the bin. What are you supposed to do? Put the mask on first so you can help the person next to you. But imagine if everyone was supposed to bring their own? And the cabin pressure drops, and someone asks you to share. Try to do that, and both you, your neighbor die. That’s what’s going on here. Share the oil and then you both run out. And neither of you are ready for the bridegroom to come.

Ok, you say, but then, what does that mean? I think it means that we each have to pull our own weight. We talk here so much about how we live our faith in community. We need each other to still be standing on that day. There’s no hope of being prepared without your brothers and sisters. But when that herald cries, when that trumpet sounds, you can’t point to your parents or friends. You can’t ride the coattails. Of your pastors or your leaders. You can’t point to their faith. And they can’t lean on yours - then. You have to have oil left for yourself. Your faith has to be real. It has to have impacted your life. It takes a village. But we’re each judged as citizens.

But you also might say this: “Kevin, I’ve been to this church a lot. And it sure doesn’t sound like grace. More like salvation by works. More like, keep busy, work hard, so when Jesus shows up, He’ll give us a thumbs-up.”

Our works are not what make us right with our God. But His Spirit produces them in and through us. And without a changed life, no one will join Him on that day. We have no right to assurance of salvation if we aren’t living lives of obedience.

Notice that all the bridesmaids look alike. They all have torches that produce a flame. Some just aren’t prepared. They’re not ready for the King. This is a warning to all of us in the gathered, visible church. Many won’t be ready. Many won’t have true faith. And changed lives as a result. And the consequences will be devastating. And that’s where we’ll turn now. Karis, will we make ourselves ready?

The Point of No Return

Aaron and I will be heading in early August to see our partners down in Brazil. I’ve not been back since our first trip down there - in 2011. But on that trip, we were heading out for the day. We were about ready to leave. And I went back in to, yes, use the bathroom once again.

And I got ready to leave, to run and get in the van, when I tried to open my room, and I found myself locked in. I have no idea how that happened. Sure wouldn’t pass fire code here. But I looked out the window and could see everyone out there, ready to go. I didn’t know what to do, so I just yelled out at them. And tried to get them to come help. And, of course, everybody roared. Someone did come to the rescue! But that’s not the picture we see in this passage. If we’re not ready, we’ll surely miss out.

Here in verse 10, the foolish girls go buy oil. And while they’re gone, the door gets shut. But not only will that bridegroom not let them in. He says these tough words there in verse 12, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.”

There are all kinds of excuses we make for not being prepared. We’ll wait until we have our fun, and then settle down. Or maybe until our work gets less busy. Or we get through finals, or instead, when we finish our degree. Or maybe we’ll come to church when we have kids. They need to be raised in the church. Everyone knows that. But how do we know that those days will come? And when they do come around, that we’ll still want that at all? I always start my weddings just a few minutes late, but that will not happen when the Lord comes on that day. That’s because those who truly love Him will be ready to meet Him. They’ll be excited. They’ll be prepared. But for those who aren’t, they’ll be righteous judgment.

As Jesus puts it, in verse 13, we have to “watch.” We don’t know “the day nor the hour.” And once the door is shut, we’re outside His presence, His goodness, His joy. We wanted the party, the food, but not the groom Himself. We end up without both. What does the Lord say, there in verse 12? “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.” The Lord knows His people. This is rich Old Testament language. He knows His own - and intimately. He says of His covenant people in Amos 3:2: “You only have I known of all the families of the earth.”

This gets carried over into the new. The beautiful statement in Galatians 4:9 is a good example. “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God… how can you turn back again…?

At the last day, when He comes, the Lord will say, “I don’t know who you are.” As R.T. France explains, this isn’t just a statement of fact. It’s a statement of rejection. It hearkens back to Matthew 7, where Jesus says to those who’ve walked among His people, but haven’t done His will, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” A time will come when there’s no turning back. That’s the last thing that needs to grip us this morning.

Check out the attitude of the foolish virgins here. They make demands of the others here in verse 8: “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” And when they’re shut out, they make demands of the Lord. In verse 11, they cry out, “Lord, lord open to us.” There’s a sense of entitlement. When they’ve had every opportunity.

But you might ask, “Isn’t the Lord being cruel? He’s keeping out those who want to be in!” Rather, He’s shutting people out that wanted Him on their own terms. The crisis has revealed where their hearts truly were. Built on sand, not rock. Trusting in idols, not the Lord. Wanting the gifts, but not the Giver Himself.

We know from Scripture that people can turn to Him at the end. Think the thief on the cross. But we can’t bank on that. We must be prepared. Once, we pass from life to death. Or on the day He returns from glory. It’ll be the point of no return. So are we taking our faith seriously now? Karis, will we presume we’ll be welcomed? We can’t afford to do that.

To the Cynics, the Dreamers

Though the days be long - and difficult, we have to be ready and waiting when He comes. Karis, that’s what Jesus communicates to us here. In our next couple of sections of Matthew, Darren first, and then Gbenga, will show us more about what we need to know about the return of Jesus. And more about how to be prepared.

But as I close, I want to think a bit more about application. And I want to address two groups of people with the glory we see here. Some have been saying of late, that the culture is changing - not just here but in other places in the world. They’re describing what they call a “vibe shift,” where young people especially are lashing out at all the cynicism of our world and are reaching out for hope and joy.

Much of the talk in evangelicalism the past several years has been about deconstruction. About people turning away from the faith of their parents. Getting sick of waiting. Bailing out of the plane. But lately Christian leaders have been noticing renewal. Here in America, and especially in Great Britain.

Aaron has been throwing up the graphics the past few weeks. Here’s mine. Maybe the time of the cynics has given way to the dreamers. Maybe deconstruction will be eclipsed by renewal and revival. But I know we’re probably in an overlap of both seasons, so I just briefly want to address each camp.

To the cynics, who are sick of waiting, you’re looking at a compromised church, in bed with corrupt politicians. And you just don’t think you can endure it anymore. Or you’re tired of standing with the church’s view on sex and marriage. You’re sick of, as they say, being on the “wrong side of history.”

Try to imagine Paul talking to you here. Think of what he might say. “You think your politicians are bad. Have you heard of our kings? Who liked to feed us to lions - or light us up like torches - if we didn’t say ‘Caesar is Lord?’ Ever heard of Nero, my friend? And, maybe you’ve also heard of Caligula. You think anything goes sexually in your culture? You should have seen mine. Just read 1 Corinthians 5 to hear about a church I planted. It’ll make you blush, bro. And that was in the church. Seriously.”

Hear me: when it comes to deconstruction, what people are doing isn’t at all new. And again, what we’re going through isn’t new either. Things were hard then. People couldn’t hang on. There have always been people committing apostasy - that is, walking away from Jesus. The Bible mentions many folks by name. Obviously, Judas comes to mind - who betrayed the Lord Jesus. But Paul mentions a duo - “Hymenaeus and Alexander” - who have rejected the Lord, who’ve “made a shipwreck of their faith” (1 Tim. 1:19-20).

The book of Hebrews is written in big part to warn people from going down that road. This has always been happening. It’s not sexy. It’s not cool. It’s truly tragic. It’ll lead to our destruction. That’s my word to cynics.

To the dreamers, maybe you’re sick of running after joy - in all the wrong places. Maybe you look around and yearn for more. Maybe there’s more than just this life we see. Perhaps this world could one day be restored. Justice could come. Peace will reign. Perhaps you were created. You have a purpose. There’s meaning. And you could have a relationship with the One who will redeem you out of love. It could be there’s truly a reason for hope.

Try to hear the apostle John telling you these words:

Revelation 19:1 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,

“Hallelujah!

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,

Revelation 19:2 for his judgments are true and just;

for he has judged the great prostitute

who corrupted the earth with her immorality,

and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

Revelation 19:3 Once more they cried out,

“Hallelujah!

The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”

Revelation 19:4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”

Revelation 19:5 And from the throne came a voice saying,

“Praise our God,

all you his servants,

you who fear him,

small and great.”

Revelation 19:6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God

the Almighty reigns.

Revelation 19:7 Let us rejoice and exult

and give him the glory,

for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

and his Bride has made herself ready;

Revelation 19:8 it was granted her to clothe herself

with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

Revelation 19:9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

These are some of the final words of a story that tells of a Savior who’s been changing lives for over 2000 years. Reach out to Him. Be known by Him, friend.

Though the days be long - and difficult, we have to be ready and waiting when He comes. It’ll all be worth it, church. We’ll be with our King and our Bridegroom. Who brings hope and joy. Let’s pray.