Albert Barnes Commentary 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:" — Matthew 25:34 (ASV)

The King. That is, the Lord Jesus, the King of Zion and of the universe, now acting as Judge (Luke 19:38; John 18:37; Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16).

Blessed of my Father. Made happy, or raised to felicity by my Father. See Barnes on Matthew 5:3.

Inherit the kingdom. Receive as heirs the kingdom, or be received there as the sons of God. Christians are often called heirs of God (Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:6–7; Hebrews 1:14; 1 John 3:2).

Prepared for you, etc. That is, designed for you, or appointed for you. The phrase from the foundation of the world is used to indicate that this was appointed for them in the beginning. This shows that God has no new plan; the rewards He will now confer on them He always intended to confer.

Christ says to the righteous that the kingdom was prepared for them. Consequently, God meant to confer it on them. They were individuals, and it follows that He intended to bestow His salvation on them as individuals.

Accordingly, the salvation of His people is uniformly represented as the result of the free gift of God, according to His own pleasure, bestowed on individuals, and by a plan which is eternal (Romans 8:29–30; Ephesians 1:4–5, 11-12; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2; John 6:37). This is right and consistent with justice, for:

1. All men are by nature equally undeserving.
2. Bestowing favours on one does not do injustice to another, where neither deserves favour. Pardoning one criminal is not injuring another. Bestowing great talents on Locke, Newton, or Paul, did not injure me.
3. If it is right for God to give eternal life to His people, or to admit them to heaven, it was right to determine to do it. This is simply another way of saying that God resolved from all eternity to do right. Those who perish choose the paths that lead to death and will not be saved by the merits of Jesus. No blame can be charged on God if He does not save them against their will (John 5:40; Mark 16:15–16).