Sermon Notes; a Daily Devotional

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you gave to ME

Matthew 25:35&36 "35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me. In this passage, Jesus describes the final judgment at His return. He will come in glory with His holy angels, sit on His throne, and separate all nations: sheep on His right (symbolizing honor and blessing) and goats on His left (disfavor). Those on the right—blessed by faith in Christ—are favored through God’s grace and election, not personal merit (Ephesians 1:3–4). Eternal life is a gift, an inheritance prepared before creation as part of God’s eternal purpose. Jesus praises His followers for serving the hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, sick, and imprisoned. Remarkably, He declares that what they did for “the least of these,” they did for Him. This reveals a profound truth: serving people in need is serving God Himself. Every act of care b...

we are sheep 🐑

Matthew 25:34 "Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:" We are sheep! When Jesus returns, He will come with all His holy angels in majestic splendor, sit on His glorious throne, and begin the final judgment as supreme Judge of all humanity. Nations will stand before Him and be divided: sheep on the right, goats on the left. Jesus draws the perfect, final line between righteous and unrighteous—not by nationality or religion, but by how we treated “the least of these.” In biblical symbolism, the right hand represents honor and blessing, the left disfavor. Placement by the King determines eternal destiny: life for the sheep, punishment for the goats. In today’s verse: “Come”: A gracious, personal invitation to eternal life, echoing Jesus’ earthly calls (e.g., Matthew 11:28). “Blessed by My Father”: Favored by God through divine grace and election, not personal meri...

🐑 sheep and goats 🐐

Matthew 25:32&33 "32 And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth His sheep from the goats: 33 And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left." In our series Gathering in the Name of Jesus, we continue exploring Jesus’s promises to be with us. As events build toward the crucifixion in Matthew 25, Jesus assures His disciples that He will return to make all things right for eternity. We love hearing this promise. Jesus calls Himself the “Son of Man,” signifying divine authority and kingship. When He returns, He will come with all the holy angels in a vast, majestic entourage and sit on “His glorious throne” to begin the final judgment as supreme Judge of humanity. This image can stir fear—we know we fall short. Yet we remember: Jesus paid the price for our sins. Today’s verses heighten that tension, like awaiting a final exam with pass-or-fail stakes. All people from every nation w...

champion of thrones

Matthew 25:31 "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory:" We continue our series, Gathering in the Name of Jesus, exploring Jesus's promises to be with us. Last week, in John's Gospel, we were encouraged by Jesus's words: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” We closed with Paul's declaration in Romans that salvation is God's work from start to finish—eternally secure. No sin, trial, or attack can undo what Christ has accomplished. Believers are secure now and forever. Today we turn to Matthew 25 for another perspective on Jesus's presence with us. As events build toward the crucifixion, Jesus assures His disciples that He will return to make all things right for eternity. We love hearing this promise. Jesus calls Himself the “Son of Man,” a title from Daniel 7:13 denoting divine authority and kingship. His first coming was in humility; His second will be in full di...

now and forever

Romans 8:38&39 "38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." In John 14, as Jesus prepared His disciples for His departure, Thomas asked, "How can we know the way?" (v. 5). Jesus answered: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." The way: Access to the Father comes only through Christ's sacrificial death, resurrection, and ongoing mediation (1 Timothy 2:5; Acts 4:12). The truth: He fully reveals God's nature, will, and character (John 1:14, 17). The life: He is the source of physical, spiritual, and eternal life. (See yesterday's devotional for key implications.) Today, Paul's words in Romans 8 add unshakeable confidence to Jesus' declaration. Paul declares, "I am persuaded"—a settled certainty bor...

I Am the Way

John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." Thomas asked, "How can we know the way?" (John 14:5). Jesus used this question—seemingly unsolvable to the disciples—to draw out their confusion and lead them to deeper understanding. He answered: "I am the way" Jesus is not merely showing a path to God—He is the path. Access to the Father comes only through His sacrificial death, resurrection, and ongoing mediation as the exclusive mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5; Acts 4:12). "the truth" Jesus is not just a teacher of truth—He embodies divine truth, fully revealing God's nature, will, and character (John 1:14, 17). In a world of spiritual confusion, He is the ultimate revelation of God. "the life" Jesus is the source of all life—physical, spiritual, and eternal. He conquered death and offers eternal life to believers (John 11:25; 1 John 5:12). Union wi...