Matthew 25:31–46 discusses the sheep and goats judgment as a metaphor for the final judgment.
There will come a day when the King separates—not by what we say, but by how we love. This separation is the essence of the sheep and goats judgment.
Matthew 25:31–46 (NASB 2020)
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation 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 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to 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 And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’ 41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been 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; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me, either.’ 46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Who Was Jesus Speaking To?
- His disciples, finishing His final set of parables before His crucifixion
- The future Church, warning that true righteousness will bear fruit in love
- Every believer today, calling us to compassion in action
What Happened?
- Jesus gives a vision of the final judgment when He returns in glory, known as the sheep and goats judgment.
- Humanity is separated into two groups: sheep (righteous) and goats (unrighteous)
- The King affirms those who love others by meeting basic needs
- Others are condemned for failing to act with compassion
The Mood: Majestic, Sobering, Revealing
- The image of Jesus as King and Judge creates reverence during this moment of sheep and goats judgment.
- The realization of eternal consequences inspires reflection
- It’s a moment of divine accountability
The Principle: Love Reveals Lordship
- True faith expresses itself in compassionate action
- Ignoring need is equivalent to neglecting Christ Himself during the sheep and goats judgment.
- Judgment is not based on religious appearance, but on self-giving love
Audience Response (Then)
- Jesus’ role would strike the disciples as the glorious Judge
- It challenged their understanding of what righteousness looks like
- It likely inspired holy fear and personal evaluation
What This Means for Us in 2025
- Serving others isn’t optional—it’s how we serve Jesus
- There’s no neutrality—our choices have eternal weight in the sheep and goats judgment.
- We must live now in light of that coming day
Action Steps for Today
- Look for the “least of these” in your life
- Give intentionally—time, resources, love
- Serve without expecting recognition
- See Jesus in the broken and overlooked
- Ask God to develop a compassionate heart in you
Final Prayer
Jesus, You are the King who sees every act of love. Let me not miss a single opportunity to serve You in others. Help me to live with eternity in mind and compassion in hand. In Your name, Amen.
What we do for others is ultimately what we do for Jesus. May our lives show that we recognize the King through our understanding of the sheep and goats judgment.
