When I was a kid I was really interested in telling the future. I read a lot of comic books when they were just 12 cents and one of the superpowers I wanted was to be able to tell the future. I was interested in Nostradamus and Edgar Cayce and astrology. As a teenager, when I came to Christ, I was still pretty captivated with the future so Hal Lindsey’s Late Great Planet Earth had a big impact on me. Frankly, I still think that would be a kind of cool super power. It would make betting on sports a lot easier. That is not a hobby suggestion!

I’m not alone! In the world of Christian thought, there is a lot of discussion about what is going to happen when Christ returns to finally establish His eternal Kingdom and to set all things right. The world seems pretty goofed up right now with wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes and the like. It does seem that the love of most has grown cold and lies fill the air. Those are all ‘signs’ that Jesus gave as evidence that they time is growing short for His return.

You have entered into a Backyard Conversation blog hosted by One Hundred Fold Ministries. We have been making our way through the Kingdom Parables and up to this point in our series we have put our attention on the stories Jesus told about the Kingdom of God breaking into our world. That all started with the coming of King Jesus as a tiny infant. And His Kingdom has been growing ever since!

The last time here at Backyard Conversations though we looked at the parable of the Dragnet (Matthew 13) and it is a parable about the final Kingdom to come. At the end of that blog I promised to look another end-times parable – The Sheep and the Goats found in Matthew 25.

First, it is important as you begin reading to understand that Jesus is using his favorite self-title, “the Son of Man.” He is speaking in the third person so don’t be confused. This story has Jesus at the center!

Matthew 25:31-46
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Second, we need to understand that many scholars believe that this is not our story! This is a parable that takes place after the rapture, the gathering of the believers that also happens near the end of time. We aren’t going to get into the various theories of the tribulation and the rapture just now. No matter when the Tribulation occurs, during that dreadful time, multitudes of Gentiles (find that in Revelations 7 verses 9 and 14), as well as all surviving Jews (Romans 11:26) will be brought to faith in Christ.

As Jesus makes clear later in this passage, those who are alive on earth when He returns will include both saved and unsaved, represented by the sheep and the goats. And those two separate peoples will have two separate destinies. The believers will be ushered into the kingdom and the unbelievers into eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46).

When all the nations and peoples (a euphemism for everyone one earth) have been gathered before Him at His return, the Lord Jesus Christ will separate them from one another, as a shepherd might separate the sheep from the goats.

A little history lesson in ancient sheep and goat husbandry here might help! In the ancient Near East, sheep and goats are frequently herded together (see our picture at the top of our page. Sheep are docile, gentle creatures, and tend to play follow the leader a lot. Goats can have a bit of an attitude and present a mean streak, easily upsetting the sheep (and the shepherd for that matter). They do not feed or rest well together, the shepherd often separates them for grazing and for sleeping at night. This story helps us picture what is called “the Final Judgement.”

I want to close with two themes presented in this parable:

1. Notice that neither the sheep nor the goats actually remember doing good deeds in the name of Jesus or failing to do good deeds in the name of Jesus. What is on display is genuine caring on the part of the “Sheep” unmotivated by rewards. On the other hand, it is indifference that is on display with the “Goats.” You can almost hear the defensive tone of voice in their excuse – “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?” The test at the end of time is not only our behaviors but also our attitudes on display in our actions.


2. And second, notice the justice theme in action in this judgement room. The expectation is that Kingdom Citizens will sacrificially care for those in need. One of the non-negotiable values of the Kingdom of God is that His justice always prevails! And God expects us, now – today – to participate in His Kingdom priorities. Our daily lives should have a top of the mind awareness that we are to be intervening with His love and His truth on behalf of the hungry and thirsty and strangers and the naked (poor) and the imprisoned.

So, what’s the point?

As I post this, we have just started Holy Week here in 2025. This parable was told this very week, 2000 years ago. In His final days before He went to the cross, He knew that it was important to encourage the disciples by explaining to them about His return. They struggled then to understand that Jesus would die on a cross, resurrect, and ascend to heaven. This story, as they reflected on it for years to come, gave them hope, though, that He would come again.

Now, 2000 years later, we still struggle to understand the deep theology of the resurrection and the so called end times (eschatology as the scholars define it). What we want to take forward from this story of sheep and goats is that we are to engage in genuine caring for the less fortunate, we must understand that Jesus is King over all people and situations, and that one day, Jesus will make all things ‘right’ to the glory of the Triune God!

If you have a moment, connect with me by email at Dave@100foldministries.org. I’d love to continue the conversation. And whenever you are experiencing Holy Week – remember – “He is Risen! He is risen indeed!”