What Jesus Christ Taught Concerning His Return (Part 3)

Jesus Christ: The Lord's Return and His Reward

After a long time, the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. {Matthew 25:19}

The Return: the day of reckoning came, but it was only "after a long time." By the time Jesus Christ returns, it will have been a long time in the eyes of men. However, it will have been only a short time to Jesus Christ: "Lo, I come quickly" (Revelation 3:11).
Please note: Jesus Christ says the Lord did return, and He returned to reckon with His servants, not with the world. Christ is talking about His servants in this passage—professing believers and church members, some genuine believers and some only professing believers, who are making a false profession (Matthew 25:30).

We must always remember this: the Lord is not slack concerning His promise to return. He is ready to judge the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:5). He is ready now, but He is longsuffering, wanting more and more to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

The Reward: the reward for work well done will be more work to do. Note that the experience was the same for the first and second servants.

1) They both acknowledged God's gifts and graces: "Lord, thou delivered unto me." All that the servant had was given to him by Christ. There is appreciation, thankfulness, privilege, and a sense of responsibility expressed. The two servants had counted it a privilege to serve their Lord. He had given them purpose and meaning in life and the greatest privilege in all the world: the privilege of serving the Lord Himself. They were appreciative and thankful.

2) Therefore, they were bold in approaching the Lord: "Behold, I have gained." Their boldness was not in a boastful spirit, but in a spirit that knew it had been faithful in what the Lord had said to do.

3) The Lord commended the two servants and gave them great rewards: rulership and joy, the joy of the Lord. The Lord commended them for being good men (kind, gracious, moral, disciplined) and faithful in the trust (gifts) He had given them. They had worked and worked hard. They had been the kind of men He had wanted them to be and they had done the work He had wanted them to do. They were both good and faithful servants. 

[The point is this: the first two servants worked at full capacity, exerting 100% energy and effort. Both increased the Lord's goods 100%. 

Note the reward: both received responsibility over many things.]

The Lord rewarded both servants greatly. He gave them a twofold reward.
Firstly, they were given rulership: the responsibility and rule over many things after the Lord returned.

Secondly, they were given entrance into the joy of the Lord. The servants were to be ushered into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, where there is nothing but joy. The joy is the joy "of the Lord" Himself—a joy which He Himself possesses within His very being. Joy is the state of the Lord's being because He is perfect; His perfection gives rise to a fulness of joy. Believers also experience this joy because of heaven, for heaven is perfect; and where perfection is, there are no tears, pain, or sorrow. There is only joy.

Thoughts to ponder:
1) Two things are highly commendable among God's servants:

• To acknowledge that their gifts are of God.
• To be so faithful and diligent that they can be bold in the day of judgment.

2) Just how wise we are is shown by how much work we do for God and how well we use our gifts.

3) Our works will follow us.

4)  A precious, precious truth: God will be accepting both our person ("thou good...servant") and our labor ("thou...faithful servant").

What Jesus Christ Taught Concerning His Return (Part 2)

The Parable of the Talents: The Believers Gifts {Matthew 25:14-30}

(Faithfulness— Unfaithfulness: the servants treated the Lord's goods differently)

1. Two servants were responsible, very responsible. They went to work immediately; they wasted no time and began their work immediately - speedily.

a) They were faithful and diligent. They used their abilities and energy immediately. They exerted themselves, expended their energy and effort to use what the Lord had given them.

(Please note: the less gifted servant worked and labored as much as the more gifted servant. He did not have as many gifts, but he exerted the same initiative, energy, and effort. Again, the picture is that of a business transaction, but the point is that the two servants used what the Lord had given them; and they used their gifts faithfully and diligently.)

b) They were successful. Each one gained and doubled what the Lord had given him. Each servant's gifts bore fruit in proportion to his gifts. The one given more (five talents) bore more (ten talents). The one given less (two talents) bore less (four talents). However, they were equally successful, doubling what the Lord had given them.

2. One servant was irresponsible. He simply did not use the Lord's gift. But note: he was somewhat active. He spent time and energy to go out and bury the Lord's gift—he hid it. His days, his time, and his energy were to be the Lord's; but he took his life and days into his own hands. What was he doing? We are not told, however, his efforts were not spent in the Lord's cause. He served only himself. He was worldly, lusting after the flesh and possessions of this world. He was out to serve himself instead of God

Thoughts to Ponder:

1) Immediate work—immediate action—immediate use of God's gifts are expected. Each hesitation—each hour—each day where maximum energy and effort are not given is a lost opportunity. Each lost opportunity equals unfaithfulness and slothfulness. What a strong example the two faithful servants were.

2) The efforts of the faithful and diligent will bear interest (fruit). The servant who uses his or her gifts faithfully and diligently will witness a manifold increase in the goods of their Lord.

3) The person with one talent is as responsible to use their gift as the person with many talents.

4) Too often, a person who is gifted with little feels his or her service matters little, that it is not really worth the time and effort it takes. This attitude forgets something: the gift is not ours; the gift is the Lord's. It is to be used, and full energy and effort are to be exerted in its use. The use of a single gift is to occupy what days and hours we have on earth. We are to be faithful, even in the single gifts—always faithful and always using what we have for the Lord, even if it is a single gift.

5) For the child of God there are two important things:

• Find out what God wants us to do; that is, determine what the talent is that He has given us.
• Be faithful in the use of it.

What Jesus Christ Taught Concerning His Return (Part 1)

The Parable of the Talents: The Believer's Duty to Work (Matthew 25:14-30)

This parable must not be confused with the Parable of the Pounds (Luke 19:11-27) though the two parables do have similarities. Please note that each servant in this parable was given money (a talent was worth about twenty years' wages) according to his ability. The man with much ability was given five talents; the man with average ability received two talents; the man with minimal ability received one talent.

The talents represent opportunities to use our abilities. If five talents were given to a person with minimal ability, he would be destroyed by the heavy responsibility. But if only one talent were given to a man of great ability, he would be disgraced and degraded. God assigns work and opportunity according to ability. 

The three servants fell into two categories: faithful and unfaithful. The faithful servants took their talents and put them to work for their Lord. The unfaithful servant hid his talent in the earth. Instead of using his opportunities, he buried them!

Jesus Christ said that the point of this parable was twofold. First, while He is away, the believer is to do something: work (work faithfully and diligently). Secondly, while He is away, the believer is to know something: his or her work will be greatly rewarded or severely judged.

Again, Jesus Christ was dealing with His return. He went "into a far country" (Matthew 25:14), and "after a long time, the Lord" returned (Matthew 25:19). Jesus Christ was teaching a much-needed lesson: we must be faithful and diligent, for if we are not when He returns there will be severe judgment.

• The Lord went to a far country (verse 14).
• The Lord entrusted His goods to His servants (verses 4-15).
• The servants treated the Lord's goods differently (verses 16-18).
• The day of reckoning came (verse 19).
• The reward for work well done: more work to do (verses 20-23).
• The punishment for work not done: stripping and separation (verses 24-30).

(1) Jesus Christ’s Ascension and Exaltation (Matthew 25:14)

Jesus Christ foretold that He was like a man who was traveling to a far country, and what He foretold happened. He traveled away from the earth and ascended into heaven for a specific purpose: to sit at the right hand of God. He is to sit there until His servants complete the work, He has given them to do. When He returns, it will be the time for reward and for judgment.

(2) Gifts (Matthew 25:14-15)

The Lord has entrusted His goods (gifts, abilities, responsibilities) to His servants. There is a verse that says it all: "Wherefore He saith, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men" (Ephesians 4:8).

In this particular point Jesus Christ says three things:

1) The Lord called His own servants. The word for servant is bond-slave. He called those who were supposedly His own and who were supposedly faithful and responsible to His service. He had bought them. They were to be His own and to serve Him.

Note why He called them: to put His goods (gifts) into their hands while He was away. His property had to be looked after and increased and bettered while He was away. The property of the Lord means the world and the souls of men. The servants are given the very same mission and work that Jesus Christ had: to minister to the souls of men and to the desperate of the world.

2) The Lord gave each servant a different portion of His goods to look after. The point is that each person was given a special talent (gift or responsibility). No one was left out. Each servant was therefore expected to work and serve.

3) The Lord gave to each servant according to his ability.

Four factors are important here:

a. No two servants have the same ability; each one of us is different.

b. God endows His goods (gifts) as He wills, knowing each servant perfectly.

c. Each servant receives all the gifts he or she needs and can use.

d. Each servant has an equal opportunity to be faithful in using what God has given him or her. We are to be judged on our faithfulness, not on the number of gifts or the size of the work we are assigned.

Thoughts to ponder: there are three precious and wonderful facts here:

1) We are "His own." We are God's; we’re His possession.

2) We are taken care of by Jesus Christ. Each one is given "His goods," very special gifts, abilities, and responsibilities to look after for God. God gives us exactly what we need to fulfill our lives and to give us purpose, meaning, and significance in life; to conform us to the very image of Jesus Christ Himself.

3) The church is taken care of by Jesus Christ. During His absence, He has provided all that is necessary to care for and to advance the church.

4) Every believer has at least one gift.