The Rejected King Looks to the Future, Part 2 (Matthew 25:1–46)

One can learn a great deal from reading the letters written by soldiers to their families during World War I and World War II. Scanning these preserved messages can grow in us a compassion for those who suffer, provide insights into the horrors of battle, and inspire gratitude for the many men and women who have given their lives for the safety and security of others. And all of this and more can be gleaned in spite of the fact that the letters were not written to us and that they describe particular conflicts we ourselves have not had to endure.

In many ways, Jesus’s teaching recorded for us in Matthew 24 and 25 functions similarly. The discourse itself is not directed at the church and it describes a terrible time of global tribulation that the church will not have to endure. (Thank God!) Yet, just like wartime communique, the church is still able to extract from these prophetic chapters—with the help of the Holy Spirit—much needed lessons and reminders.