Of Sheep and Goats

There are several passages of scripture which describe the final day of judgment, when God will require an accounting of all people. One such memorable scene comes directly from the mouth of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 25:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 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. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”

“The Son of Man” is a title which Jesus frequently used to describe himself. This term comes from Daniel chapter 7, which records the contents of a dream that the prophet experienced. Daniel’s vision involved a human figure (“one like a son of man”) who comes before God (“the Ancient of Days”) and is given sovereignty over all the earth. Jews who studied this passage understood the Son of Man as the Messiah, the king of Israel, who would be God’s agent in establishing his eternal kingdom.

Jesus describes how the Messiah/Son of Man will one day sit upon his throne in glory. People of every nation will be gathered before him so that judgment can be rendered.

“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. 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, 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.’”

What does this passage teach us?

(1) The text explicitly identifies the Son of Man as “the King.” Evangelical churches place a huge emphasis on Jesus’ divinity, which is altogether fitting and proper. However, a startling number of Christians do not comprehend the term Messiah. This is a serious flaw which desperately needs to be remedied. The Messiah is a title denoting the anointed king of Israel. The theme of Jesus’ Messianic identity dominates the gospels and is deeply rooted in the Old Testament history of Israel. Yet this vital concept is largely ignored by evangelical pastors. (For more about this subject, see “First Things First” https://whyseekthelivingamongthedead.com/?p=5920 & “The King of Israel & the Rescue of the World” https://whyseekthelivingamongthedead.com/?p=5959)

(2) We’re given a brief description of eternal life: “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.”

We’re told that the righteous will enjoy God’s blessing. Blessing is another key theme which pervades the scriptures. In the creation account, God pronounced his blessing upon humanity. Although divine favor was lost because of human rebellion, God promised Abraham that blessing would be restored through Abraham’s “seed.” God also pledged to bless the people of Israel if they remained faithful to his covenant. God’s blessing ultimately comes to the true Israel – people of every nation who follow Jesus the Messiah in loyal obedience.

The Old Testament often speaks of Israel’s inheritance as the promised land, flowing with milk and honey. But there are clear indications that the coming kingdom of the Messiah will transcend the boundaries of Israel. For instance, Psalm 2 famously prophecies that the dominion of the Messiah will incorporate the whole world: “I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” Psalm 72 speaks of the king of Israel ruling “from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth…May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him.” As the result of the Messiah’s reign, “the whole earth” will be filled with God’s glory (v19).

Once more, we find that the ultimate Christian hope is not to escape and go to heaven when we die. Rather, our hope is to be raised from the dead so that we can share in God’s rule over the redeemed world.

(3) Jesus’ words about the sheep and the goats clearly depict a courtroom scene, with the Messiah presiding as judge. The King’s verdict determines the final destiny of all human beings. The passage concludes with the wicked consigned to “eternal punishment” while “the righteous” are rewarded with “eternal life” (v46)

This passage closely parallels other Biblical passages about God’s final judgment.

The Apostle Paul describes the exact same scenario in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of the Messiah, so that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

In Romans 2:5-11, Paul provides an extended description of God’s final judgment. Paul solemnly warns that people who refuse to repent of their wickedness are “storing up wrath” against themselves “for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.” The basis of God’s judgment is clear: “God will repay each person according to what they have done.” Those who stubbornly persist in evil will suffer God’s anger. Conversely, those persons who consistently do what is good will be rewarded with eternal life. (“The Final Judgment” https://whyseekthelivingamongthedead.com/?p=728)

The book of Revelation also portrays the final judgment, with all humanity standing before God’s great white throne: “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.” (“The Great White Throne” https://whyseekthelivingamongthedead.com/?p=3734)

These scriptures make it very clear that God’s final judgment will be based upon what we have done. Entry into God’s kingdom will hinge upon our conduct and behavior.

This conclusion is difficult for evangelicals to grasp. Yet this is clearly what these texts indicate.

The sheep are “the righteous” – the ones who’ve fed the hungry, given the thirsty something to drink, welcomed the stranger and clothed the naked. Their care for “the least of these” is ultimately credited to them as service rendered to the King himself (v40). There is absolutely no indication that the righteousness of the sheep is anything other than the deeds they have performed in obedience to the King. Specifically, there is no suggestion that the King gives them his own righteous status despite the fact that they’ve persisted in disobedience.

This passage severely challenges the misguided theology which prevails in evangelical circles. I’ve often heard Christians confidently proclaim, “It’s not about what you do, but about what Christ has done!” But it’s quite simply a huge mistake to think that Christianity does not require a radical change in human behavior.

It is darkly fascinating to observe how some pastors approach passages such as judgment scene involving the sheep and the goats. Driven by the deep discordance between this passage and their theology, many (consciously or unconsciously?) avoid this text (and others like it). Those pastors who do address it engage in all kinds of hermeneutical gymnastics in order to avoid the obvious conclusion: final judgment will depend upon what we have done.

This tension can be resolved by recognizing several key principles about which I have written at length before.

The Greek word often translated as “belief” or “faith” also incorporates the concepts of “loyalty” or “allegiance.” (“What Is Faith?” https://whyseekthelivingamongthedead.com/?p=1596) The gospel announces Jesus as the Messiah, God’s anointed king over all creation. The appropriate response is to submit to him in loyal obedience. Allegiance to King Jesus demands a re-orientation of the whole-person. It requires a change, not just in our beliefs, but in our words and actions. This radical transformation does not arise from purely human effort, but comes about through the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.

Make no mistake: all people will one day face God’s judgment. Those who have been loyal to King Jesus and obedient to his commands will receive a rich welcome into his eternal kingdom.