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.” (Matthew 25:31-46)
The Son of Man here is the Lord Jesus, and the above parable is about what will happen when the Lord Jesus comes again. From the prophecies in the Bible and what is happening in the world, we know that the day of the Lord’s return is near. At that time, all nations will be gathered before Him. He will separate them, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep are those who help their brothers when they are in need, and the goats are those who do not help their brothers when they are in need. The Lord Jesus said that what you do to the least of your brothers is what you do to Him. When the least of your brothers is in need, what we do to them is what we do to the Lord, and we will receive the blessings and reward from the Heavenly Father.
40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” (Matthew 10:40-42)
Here we see that anyone who welcomes the disciples welcomes the Lord, and anyone who welcomes the Lord welcomes the Heavenly Father. Whoever welcomes a prophet or a righteous person will receive their rewards. Doing things for one of the little ones who is the Lord’s disciple, is doing things for the Lord. Even if you do small things, like giving a cup
Author: michael
The Parable of the Talents
Parable of the Ten Virgins
The day of the Lord Jesus’ return
The Great Tribulation in the Last Days
Signs of Jesus’ Second Coming
About Jerusalem
Seven Woes to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees
Warning people not to imitate the Pharisees
1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. 8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:1-12)
Here the Lord Jesus told the crowds and his disciples not to imitate the behavior of the scribes and Pharisees, who could talk but could not do. They gave heavy burdens to others, but they themselves would not lift a finger to move them, and did nothing.
38 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. 39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. (Numbers 15:38-39)
The Book of Numbers in the Old Testament required the Israelites to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel so that they could see and remember to obey all the commandments of God. However, they made their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long in order for others to see.
1“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4)
Here the Lord Jesus said that we should not do good deeds in front of people, deliberately for them to see. Here the Lord Jesus did not mean that we should not do good deeds in front of people, but that the motive for doing good deeds should not be for people to see. If the motive is for people to see, you have received rewards from people, you cannot receive rewards from the Father in heaven.
The scribes and Pharisees also loved the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues, and being called rabbi in the streets. Rabbi means teacher.
The Lord Jesus continued: Whoever is greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Whoever is great must serve others, and whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. God gives grace to the humble.
May God bless you and your family!
The Greatest Commandment
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:34-40)
A Pharisee, an expert in the law came to ask the Lord Jesus: “Which is the greatest commandment in the law? ” The Lord Jesus told him two great commandments:
The first great commandment is in the Book of Deuteronomy of the Old Testament:
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
Here it talks about loving God with all your heart, soul, and strength.
The second greatest commandment is in the book of Leviticus of the Old Testament,
18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:18)
Here it talks about loving your neighbor as yourself.
In the parallel passage in the New Testament, the Gospel of Mark, Lord Jesus also talks about the two great commandments
30 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. ’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ’ There is no greater commandment than these. ”
(Mark 12:30-31)
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:8-10)
Here the Apostle Paul says that the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself”. If you love your neighbor, you will not do harm to him, and love has fulfilled the law.
9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9)
Here it says that what God has prepared for those who love him in heaven in the future are wonders, what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived.
May God bless you and your family!
Sadducees questioned about the Resurrection
23 That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 24 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27 Finally, the woman died. 28 Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?” 29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” 33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching. (Matthew 22:23-33)
The Sadducees and the Pharisees were both Jewish sects. The Sadducees were centered around the chief priests. They did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, but the Pharisees did. So the Sadducees came to question the Lord Jesus about the resurrection.
5 If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. 6 The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. (Deuteronomy 25:5-6)
According to the Old Testament law: “If a man dies and has no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother”
The Lord Jesus told them that God’s power can resurrect people. When resurrected, people will not marry, just like the angels. The Lord Jesus continued to say: “God is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” That is to say, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are still alive.
The Bible says that the Lord Jesus resurrected Lazarus who had been dead for four days. I have read testimonies that the dead are still being raised nowadays.
The Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross and resurrected from the dead three days later. His resurrection gives us hope of resurrection.
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
Here the Apostle Paul tells us that when the Lord Jesus comes again, the dead in Christ will be resurrected first, and then we who are still alive in Christ will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord and be with the Lord forever.
51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)
Here Paul says that when the Lord Jesus comes again, the dead in Christ will be resurrected and have an incorruptible body, and we will also be changed, and our bodies will be changed into glorious and incorruptible bodies.
I hope more people will come to believe in the Lord, become new person in Christ, and have
Pay taxes to Caesar
15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” 18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” 21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. (Matthew 22:15-22)
Here we see that the Pharisees and the Herodians came to test the Lord Jesus, asking him: “Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” The Herodians were a Jewish sect, supporters of King Herod, the king of Judah. At that time, the Jews were under the rule of Rome, and Caesar was the emperor of Rome. Here the Pharisees wanted to trap Jesus in his words. If the Lord Jesus said not to pay taxes to Caesar, they would accuse him of inciting rebellion. The Lord Jesus is the Son of God, and he knows everything. He knew that they came to tempt him, so he answered: “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” That is, pay tax what is due to Caesar, and offer to God what is due to God.
Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”(Luke 23:1-2)
Here we see that later the Lord Jesus was arrested by them and brought before Pilate, they falsely accused him of forbidding the payment of taxes to Caesar. The Lord Jesus did not do so, but they still falsely accused him. If he had done so, it would have been even worse. They did not believe that he was the Christ and the King, and this became the reason for their accusation.
Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (Romans 13:7)
Here the Apostle Paul said that we should pay taxes if we own tax, we should be law-abiding people.
I hope more people will believe in the Lord Jesus and accept him as the Lord and Savior of their lives.
May God bless you and your family!