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🐑 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 will stand before Christ at His return.

Divine Separation
Jesus Himself makes a perfect, final distinction between the righteous and unrighteous—not based on nationality or religion, but on how they treated “the least of these” (often understood as the vulnerable or suffering believers).

Symbolism of Right and Left
In biblical culture, the right hand signifies honor and blessing; the left, disfavor. This placement determines eternal destiny: eternal life for the sheep, eternal punishment for the goats (Matthew 25:46). It prompts the question: Am I a sheep or a goat?
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