Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Matthew 25:34 ESV
The parable of the sheep and the goats (Matt. 25:31-46) describes the coming of the Son of Man in his glory. The Son of Man is Jesus’ favorite term for himself and alludes to Daniel 7:13-14. This parable pictures Jesus coming, sitting on his throne to execute judgment. He gathers the nations together and divides them, putting the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
In this parable, the sheep are identified as those who have cared for the needs of others. And in so doing, have cared for Jesus. In contrast, the goats did not care for others. And Jesus told them that in failing to care for his people, they had failed to care for him. And because of their failure, they were cast into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41).
Inheriting a Kingdom
The sheep, on the other hand, are called blessed by the Father and invited to inherit a kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. The word “blessed” in this verse differs from what was used in the Beatitudes. There, it meant happy. But in this verse, the word means “to speak well of.” The Father above speaks well of the sheep, commending them for what they have done.
Kingdom, in this verse, can be translated as royalty. The sheep are not just included as kingdom citizens. They will be inheriting a kingship. Ruling with Jesus.
And this is something that was prepared for them from the foundation of the world. This was God’s original plan for creation. It is what we were created for. To reign with Christ in his kingdom.
Are you a sheep? Are you walking with Jesus now, living in obedience to him? If so, this is the glorious future that awaits you.
