“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 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.” Matthew 25:31-32 ESV1
Read Matthew 25:31-46
This morning, as I was working from a hotel room, pondering how to best put in writing what is on my heart and mind, I glanced over and read the words on a small sign next to me on the desk. It detailed the hotel’s policy for changing towels and bed linens as it related to their commitment to positively impacting the environment. The notice contained a quote from an unknown influencer.
“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”
I know the hotel included this quote as a motivation for their guests to join them in their commitment to reduce their carbon footprint but I couldn’t help but think about how the truth of that statement applies to us as Christians and how it connects to the passage of Scripture I wish to highlight today.
The passage to which I am referring is part of Jesus’ Olivet Discourse. Jesus’ earthly ministry was nearing its conclusion. He had just taught His closest disciples about the End Times. Jesus detailed a series of disturbing and difficult future events and gave instructions on how His followers should respond to each specific circumstance.2 He ended that discussion with these words:
“‘Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man’” (Luke 21:36 NKJV3).
After all the trouble and tribulation about which Jesus had just shared, this statement had to be extremely encouraging. But Jesus’ comment would have left His disciples wondering: If they were to escape all that was to come to pass, what exactly would qualify them to be found worthy to stand before the Son of Man?
Over the ages, as this Scripture has been read and pondered, I imagine the same question has arisen in the minds of many who wish to whole-heartedly follow Christ. For the sake of such Believers, it is a good thing Jesus didn’t end the conversation there. To read the conclusion of Jesus’ discourse, we need to turn to what Matthew recorded.
“‘When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 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. And He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left. (Matthew 25:31-33).
The Necessary Separation
Let’s stop right here for a bit. To help explain what is necessary to be found worthy to stand before Him, Jesus used the illustration of a shepherd separating his sheep from his goats. Since this activity was familiar to His disciples, it would have helped them understand what Jesus was about to teach. However, the reasoning behind creating such a division is not common knowledge to most of today’s readers.
We may see sheep and goats mingling together in the same pastures and assume that they are meant to be together. From our limited exposure and observation, we can recognize that sheep and goats look similar and sound much alike. We may even know that they are both raised for their meat and that goat’s hair and sheep’s wool are both used in making garments. But, from my study on the subject, the similarities end there.
I have discovered that sheep and goats are quite different and that experienced and knowledgeable shepherds separate sheep and goats for several reasons.
Sheep and goats eat different things:
“Goats are browsers and will eat just about anything, including poisonous plants. Sheep, on the other hand, are grazers and will only eat grass. This difference in diet means that sheep and goats can’t share the same pasture without coming into conflict … Sheep and goats have similar nutrient requirements, though goats have higher maintenance requirements because they are not able to digest the cellulose of plant cell walls as well as sheep … [Therefore], lambs tend to grow much faster than kids, … [because] sheep convert feeds more efficiently.”4
Sheep and goats behave differently:
“Goats are naturally curious and independent … Sheep have a stronger flocking instinct and become very agitated if they are separated from the rest of the flock … It is easier to keep sheep inside a fence than goats. Sheep are easier to handle than goats … Goats … are generally more aggressive than sheep and will sometimes attack and kill their smaller counterparts … In a fight, a ram will back up and charge to butt heads. A goat will rear up on his hind legs and come downforce ably to butt heads. During the confrontation, such fighting behavior favors the ram.”4
Sheep and goats can make each other critically ill:
“Another practical reason for separating sheep and goats is to prevent the spread of disease. Different diseases affect sheep and goats, and by keeping them separate, the risk of illness spreading between the two groups is significantly reduced.”5
Sheep and goats are different species:
“It’s possible [for goats and sheep to interbreed] because they are both members of the Bovidae family, which includes cows, buffalo, and bison. Though they are different species, goats and sheep can breed and produce offspring … The resulting offspring is called a geep. Geeps are very rare, and they usually have the head of a goat and the body of a sheep … Geeps are also sterile, which means they cannot reproduce. This is because goats and sheep have different numbers of chromosomes, so their offspring cannot inherit a full set from both parents.”6
One expert put the difference between sheep and goats this way:
“A sheep is led by its shepherd. A goatherd is led by his goats. Literally! Sheep follow the voice of their shepherd and trust him to lead them to food, water, and safety. If they wander, which some do, the shepherd will go out and rescue them and bring them back to the safety of the flock. Sheep separated from their shepherd and flock are nervous and vulnerable because they have no defensive or offensive survival abilities. A goat, however, doesn’t follow anyone. A herd of goats goes where it wants, and the goatherd follows behind. Instead of grazing, goats “browse”—foraging for whatever strikes their fancy … So, I would boil all that down this way: Shepherds protect sheep from their environment, whereas goatherds protect the environment from their goats.”7
Taking the Illustration to the Next Level
Considering the extensive knowledge Jesus’ disciples would have had concerning sheep and goats, they would have been able to make spiritual applications in the comparison. With only the information we have above, we can make spiritual connections as well.
First, those whom Jesus compares to sheep are drawn to a pure spiritual diet. They can effectively digest what they eat and experience abundant growth from it. Whereas, those whom Jesus compares to goats are willing to eat anything, have trouble digesting what would be beneficial for them, and do not experience rapid growth.
Second, those who are considered sheep are dependent upon and compliant with their Shepherd. They want to be with other sheep and are willing to stay within set boundaries. It is not so with those who are considered goats. They are self-centered. They want to make their own decisions and they don’t care whom they hurt in their pursuit of getting what they want. Yet, even though sheep are characterized by gentleness toward others and their environment, when it comes to spiritual warfare, the sheep have the decided advantage!
Third, there is something deadly sheep can catch from being too closely associated with goats. Similarly, the spiritual health of those Jesus calls sheep can suffer greatly if they mingle with the unrighteousness and entertain the false doctrine of those Christ calls goats. Faith is empowered as it looks to Truth but it becomes emaciated when it focuses on lies.
Fourth, lasting spiritual fruit will not be produced if righteousness mixes with unrighteousness. Nothing pure and worthy of Christ can take place if the world is allowed to overpower and push its agenda onto the Church. And nothing could be more dangerous for God’s people than to mingle with those who appear to be sheep but think like goats.
No wonder the Scriptures often refer to God’s people as sheep. It also makes complete sense why Satan and his followers have grabbed up the goat as their symbol.
Getting More Specific
Jesus didn’t conclude the discussion with the illustration of separating sheep from goats and leave the disciples to continue to wonder if they would be worthy to stand before the judgment seat of Christ. He made some further and more specific comments that defined the difference and applied it to the daily lives of His followers. Jesus continued:
“‘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. 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, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.” Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? And when did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? And when did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?” 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.”’”
“‘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. For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, 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.” 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?” 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.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life’” (Matthew 25:31-46).
Sheep Do Something with What They Are Given
Those whom Jesus considers righteous and worthy of eternal rewards are characterized by meeting the needs of those who were suffering. Whereas, those who are considered evil and deserving of eternal damnation are characterized by ignoring those same needs.
Let me be clear, one does not earn salvation by doing good deeds! But good works are an indication that one is saved.
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:14-17).
The distinguishing quality of those who are worthy to stand before the Son of Man and inherit a place in His Kingdom is that they do the things Jesus would do. They care for the people Jesus cares about.
The command to do good works was nothing new. It is a common theme throughout Scripture:
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8)?
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27).
But what was new was the realization of how the command to do good works can be accomplished. Remember, this whole discussion culminated around discovering what was necessary to be worthy to stand before the judgment seat of Christ. This idea of being worthy is also found throughout Scripture:
“I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1).
“We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own Kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:12).
“Worthy” is a business term referring to both sides of a scale matching in weight. We are called to match Christ.
“Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked” (1 John 2:6).
But the Scriptures also make it clear that we cannot match Christ with human power.
“[He] who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2 Timothy 1:9, emphasis added).
“To this end, we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:11, emphasis added).
“So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light” (Colossians 1:10-12, emphasis added).
Those deemed righteous perform righteous deeds because the Spirit of Christ dwells in them. Their good works, then, seem spontaneous. These good deeds are not premeditated and are not carried out by human initiative. Those who are right with God simply do the next right thing because it is the Holy Spirit who does those good works through them. Jesus explained it this way:
“‘Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing’” (John 15:4-5).
Without submitting to the leading of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, one cannot do the works that qualify him/her as worthy to remain in Christ’s presence for eternity.
Judgment is Coming
I believe the purpose of the tumultuous events that lead up to the End of the Age is to help people decide as to whether they will follow Christ or not. After God gives humans ample opportunity to make their choices, judgment will come.
“‘For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay each person according to what he has done” (Matthew 16:27).
“Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” (Jude 1:14b-15).
“Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen” (Revelation 1:7-8).
“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in Heaven and on Earth and under the Earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).
Judgment is coming and no one will escape the scrutiny. Everyone will be held accountable for how he/she lived on Earth. People will not be judged based on how they see themselves. Notice how both the righteous and the unrighteous in Jesus’ parable gave the same testimony:
“‘The righteous will answer Him, saying, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? And when did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? And when did we see You sick or in prison and visit You”’” (Matthew 25:37-39)?
“‘[The unrighteous] 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”’” (Matthew 25:44)?
Elsewhere, Jesus warned that not all who think they are right with Him actually are:
“‘Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven. On [Judgment] Day many will say to Me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?” And then will I declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness”’” (Matthew 7:21-23).
Entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven is based on a relationship with Christ. Ultimately, humans will be judged by what they did with Jesus. Did they know Jesus and did Jesus know them? Did they act like Jesus because they intimately knew Jesus and were enabled by His power? Did they, like sheep, follow His lead or, like goats, go their own way? Did they, like sheep, feed on the pure food of truth that He gave them or, like goats, crave what was contaminated and promote what was diseased? Did they, through the Holy Spirit’s power, produce pure-bred, fertile fruit? Did they, in Christ, do good to the “least of these”? Or, did they, through self-effort and Satan’s influence, take advantage of the vulnerable, and did their works miscarry and become sterile?
Those who choose to follow Jesus will have proved their worthiness.
“‘One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much’” (Luke 16:10a)
These will be given authority like that of their Master because they will have already faithfully stewarded what He had given them.
“‘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”’” (Matthew 25:34).
Those who chose not to follow Jesus and didn’t take advantage of what He provided for them will have proven their unworthiness and will receive a just punishment.
“‘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”’” (Matthew 25:41).
Hell was never intended for humans. But people choose to go there when they reject Christ. Satan knows where he will spend eternity and he desires to take as many people with him as possible. Unfortunately, many, because of their own selfishness, will fall for the devil’s claim that they can indeed live for themselves. But there is no such thing as spiritual independence. If one does not live for Christ, he/she is in actuality living for Satan. Those who are Christ’s do what Christ does and receive Christ’s reward. Those who are Satan’s will do what Satan does and receive Satan’s punishment.
Changing the World and Being Found Worthy
If I am right that the purpose of the tumultuous End Time events is to motivate people to turn to God before it is too late, then it would only make sense that those who are already right with God would be able to escape some, if not all, of the difficulty. One who has already been proven does not need to be retested. Add to that the fact that Jesus Himself said that His disciples should “‘pray always that [they] may be counted worthy to escape all these things … and to stand before the Son of Man’” (Luke 21:36 NKJV3).
From my understanding of the Gospel, one is only able to be counted worthy when he/she stands before the judgment seat of Christ if he/she is in Christ. Because when one is in an intimate relationship with Christ it is not his/her righteousness that is taken into account at judgment time but the righteousness of Christ.
“For our sake He [the Father] made Him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin so that, in Him, we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
It is only in Christ that humans are considered to be the Sheep of His Pasture (see Psalm 100:3). And it is only through submitting to Jesus that–
“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”
Indeed, in Christ, you can partake in transforming the world. You can make a greater impact on this world than would be made if every hotel on Earth successfully reduced its carbon footprint. By performing seemingly random acts of kindness in Christ’s power, you can make an eternal difference. You can build the Kingdom of God one right action at a time. When the final judgment comes, it will be evident to all that you are a sheep and those acts of kindness you performed weren’t random at all but planned and executed by Christ Himself for the glory of God and the good of all humankind.
“Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent [in confirming] your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way, there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:10-11).
“When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4).
1 Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted. To aid in understanding, I have capitalized references to God.
2 To read my commentary on this teaching, check out: http://www.blueturtletrails.com/the-signs-of-the-times/
3 Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the Holy Bible, New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers
6 https://goatsauthority.com/can-a-goat-breed-with-sheep/
7 https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/what-is-the-difference-between-sheep-and-goats