Who Are the Sheep and Who Are the Goats and What Does That Mean for a Christian? Matthew 25:31-46

 The Sheep and the Goats

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

If there is a more frightening or challening parable than this one, I don't know about it.  The fact that Jesus is uttering these words to his disciples not too long before his death makes it even more foreboding.  Remember the two previous parables in chapter 25 and the teaching on the end times in chapter 24 were all part of Jesus' teaching his disciples at the Mount of Olives. Chapters 24 and 25 are called the "Olivet Discourse" for this reason.  It is really the last signicant teaching Jesus gives before he arrested, tried, and crucified. 

As Jesus starts out, he states that this will happen when he returns in glory and is on his glorious throne. This judgment is different than the final judgment in Revelation 20, which clearly happens after the 1,000 year reign of Christ, also called the "Millenial Reign of Christ".  The final judgment happens in heaven while this judgment happens on earth.  The term "nations" usually means Gentile nations.  

This is a helpful commentary on the context for Jesus' teaching here. 

"Jesus begins the parable by saying it concerns His return in glory to set up His kingdom (Matthew 25:31). Therefore, the setting of this event is at the beginning of the millennium, after the tribulation. All those on earth at that time will be brought before the Lord, and He will separate them “as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left” (verses 32–33). The sheep are those who were saved during the tribulation; the goats are the unsaved who survived the tribulation." (Guzik)

Where confusion abounds in the passage is that some people use it to justify that good works are needed to be saved.  After all it is the people who clothed, fed,  provided water and shelter who are the good sheep who are saved. And those who didn't go do these good works cast away to eternal punishment. 

This is where a very important principle of biblical intepretation is needed so we don't make these verses mean something they don't. I.e. We are saved by righteous works not faith.  

We know from the other 99% of scripture, we are saved by grace through faith based on Jesus death on the cross for us and his subsequent resurrection from the dead.  To make our salvation about works even as necessary as the ones Jesus mentions completely negates the sacrifice Jesus made on behalf of us. As Paul says, "If righteousness could be obtained by works of the law, then Christ died for nothing." Galatians 2:21

So what is the point then of the good works Jesus mentions in this parable.

"The good works mentioned in the parable are not the cause of salvation but the effect of salvation." (GotQuestions.org)

The good deeds the good sheep do are DESCRIPTIVE of a true believer, not PRESCRIPTIVE for earning salvation.  

The bottom line is if you are a believer filled with the Holy Spirit, you will do the things that Jesus did.  You will care for strangers.  You will care for orphans.  You will care for the homeless and the addicted.  You will have a heart for lost people who are spiritually bankrupt, hungry, thirsty and looking for a home.  

Many people criticize Christians for not doing these things and they are right in some cases.  If a Christian is never helping the poor, the oppressed, and those without the basic needs of life, we are not exhibiting the very essence of what it means to be a Christ follower.  We only need to look to Jesus who was always reaching out to the least and the lost! 

Where is God calling you to reach out to those less fortunate?

How can it be a way to show Christ's love for them?

When you reach out to those in need what are some other ways you can minister to them?