Matthew Henry Commentary Matthew 25:31-46

"But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats; and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 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: for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink? And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? And when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, [even] these least, ye did it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me. And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life." — Matthew 25:31-46 (ASV)

This is a description of the last judgment, serving as an explanation of the preceding parables. A judgment is coming in which everyone will be sentenced to a state of everlasting happiness or misery. Christ will come, not only in the glory of His Father but also in His own glory as Mediator. The wicked and the godly dwell together here, in the same cities, churches, and families, and cannot always be distinguished from one another; such are the weaknesses of saints, such the hypocrisies of sinners; and death takes both. But on that day, they will be separated forever.

Jesus Christ is the great Shepherd; He will soon distinguish between those who are His and those who are not. All other distinctions will be abolished, but the great one between saints and sinners, holy and unholy, will remain forever. The happiness the saints will possess is very great. It is a kingdom—the most valuable possession on earth—yet this is only a faint resemblance of the blessed state of the saints in heaven.

It is a prepared kingdom. The Father provided it for them in the greatness of His wisdom and power; the Son purchased it for them; and the blessed Spirit, in preparing them for the kingdom, is preparing it for them. It is prepared for them: it is in every respect adapted to the new nature of a sanctified soul. It is prepared from the foundation of the world.

This happiness was for the saints, and they for it, from all eternity. They will come and inherit it. What we inherit is not obtained by our own efforts. It is God who makes heirs of heaven. We should not suppose that acts of generosity will entitle one to eternal happiness.

Good works done for God's sake, through Jesus Christ, are noted here as marking the character of believers made holy by the Spirit of Christ, and as the effects of grace bestowed on those who do them. The wicked in this world were often called to come to Christ for life and rest, but they turned from His calls; and justly, those who would not come to Him are commanded to depart from Christ. Condemned sinners will offer excuses in vain.

The punishment of the wicked will be an everlasting punishment; their state cannot be altered. Thus life and death, good and evil, the blessing and the curse, are set before us, so that we may choose our way, and as our way is, so will our end be.