Matthew 25:31-33 31“And whenever the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.
The next parable Jesus gives focuses upon after he comes in his glory. The story gives us insight into what good servants should be doing to reflect the motives and approach of the master in the previous parable. Those who know the master will do as the master does. As disciples, our number one goal ought to be imitating Jesus. This story gives a vivid picture of what this means. Like the previous parables, this one serves as both motivation and warning.
The opening word (hotan) of verse 31 expresses the unknown time of when Jesus will come, but he will certainly come. And when he does, it will be with glory. Glory (doxē) is a significant word in the Bible that represents the awesome splendor and power of God. The Son of God comes with the same power as God the Father as the incarnation and visible representation of the holy presence of God that is beyond human comprehension and experience. The lowly wandering itinerant preacher from Galilee will one day come with a glory that will cause all knees to bow and tongues confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:11). The coming of angels with the Son will add even more majesty and awesomeness. There will be no mistake or misinterpretation of these events.
Jesus’ second coming will be cosmic and all-encompassing. Every nation (ethnē), people group, and individual will stand before the throne and give an account for how he or she lived. Everyone will have to give an account before the throne of Jesus Messiah. Jesus is talking about the final judgment, when there will be a great separation of those who are in and those who are out. The scene of a shepherd separating sheep and goats prepares for the rest of the story and teachings. This story offers a surprise for both groups.
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