Trinity Sermon


	Return to Sermons \| Home
Last Sunday of the Church Year – November 26^th, 2023 Trinity Lutheran Church, Block, Kansas Rev. Joshua Woelmer Text: Matthew 25:31–46 “The Final Judgment” Theme: God’s final judgment is based on faith, and yet works follow one’s faith and are regarded by God in heaven. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. There is often great heroism in the midst of tragedy. Whether it is firefighters running into a burning building to save humans or pets or a police officer putting his life on the line to protect the innocent, we rightly call these men and women heroes for what they did. And yet, when newscasters get around to interviewing them, what do they say? “I’m not a hero. I was just doing what I needed to do.” What was their motivation behind saving the innocent? It wasn’t to get on TV. It wasn’t to be the hero. Their motivation was to save someone else from death. Motivation sometimes makes all the difference, doesn’t it? If someone does something good for us, we like to know that it was from the heart. They saw something in the store and wanted to buy it for us. Or they made something for us by hand that they knew we would appreciate. Especially as we approach Christmastime, we encourage these self-giving motivations that cause joy in others. Sometimes, though, we can tell when others have ulterior motives. It ruins a gift if you find out that someone is expecting something in return from you. It turns the gift into a form of payment that they’re hoping to use to get something out of you. The same can be said for Judgment Day, and this is what our Gospel text is all about. First, let’s catch up quickly with the text. Jesus here tells us that he will come again. We’ve covered this during the last two Sundays. He will come suddenly and with great glory, and “he will sit on his glorious throne” (31). Everyone will be gathered before Him. He will divide them like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. This is what Judgment means: separation. When you judge between apples, you separate the bruised from the unblemished. The sheep are children of God. The goats are followers of the devil. The sheep have done right. The goats have done wrong. The sheep are righteous. The goats are evil. The sheep inherit the kingdom that God prepared for them before the world began. The goats are sent into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Sheep are not goats. Goats are not sheep. Jesus knows the difference and he is the one who will separate them on the last day. Jesus has this right to judge because it has been given to Him by His Father. Jesus is the one who has redeemed the world. He suffered and died for the win of the world. He took the blame for our sins and gave us the credit for his obedience. He is the Savior of sinners. He is one with the Father and has the right to judge, to divide between sheep and goats. But what is the basis of the judgment? Did the righteous do more good works than the unrighteous? That might be one reaction we have to this text. It seems like Jesus is basing his judgment on the works done. After all he says: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (35–36). However, it then seems strange that the sheep on Jesus’s right do not remember doing these works. The reason for this is in their motivation. They weren’t trying to do good works to please God. They weren’t trying to win his approval or get to heaven by those good works. First, they believed in God that they were saved by grace alone, not by their works. Second, they loved their fellow Christians from their heart, showing them mercy. This passage teaches us that faith saves, and works for the neighbor follow faith. I want to touch on one other point before looking at the goats. When Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (40), he is speaking about other Christians. The least of his brothers are your fellow Christians. The world does not care about them. Showing mercy to Christians in need is showing mercy to Christ himself. He who redeemed you, who rescued you from death, who purchased a place for you where there is no sorrow or pain or death, gives you the opportunity to serve him by serving your fellow Christians in need. Jesus saw what was coming when he spoke these words. When he talked about the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned he wasn’t setting down a social welfare policy for the church or the state. He was talking about how Christians would be treated by this world. They are marginalized. They are persecuted. They are despised, forgotten, and ignored. His brothers and sisters are his very body of which he is the head. Do you love Jesus? Love the least of his brothers. Returning to the goats and those who are unrighteous, we should first notice that their motivations are all wrong. Their response to condemnation by Jesus is this: “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?” (44). They claim to have done all those things. We should take them at their word and acknowledge that those who are accursed have done good things in this life. The problem here is again in the motivations. The sheep did not pay attention to the works they did, but the goats sure eager to mention their own works So why did they do these works? There are two reasons. The first is to be praised by the world. There are many who advertise their good deeds. They want to be known as having done good works. If it’s for religion, all the better. But the important thing is that everyone should know what they have done. It’s like that person having an ulterior motive for their gift. They want something out of these good works, and it’s their name in the paper and in the news for doing such a wonderful thing. The second reason for doing these works is also to justify themselves before God. It’s not enough for other humans to see what they have done, but the human heart is restless, thinking that we must do good things to earn our Father’s love. This is why they bring up their works to Jesus on Judgment Day. Shouldn’t their works count for anything? Shouldn’t they get any merit for what they’ve done? The answer is no. Works that are done without faith do not count before God. If you want to be justified by your works, then God demands that you fill an ocean with a perfected life of works. Your paltry glass of water will make no difference. Only the perfect life and death of Jesus that is given to you and received by faith will make any difference at all. Salvation is by grace alone. Furthermore, there is an ulterior motive here too, trying to use fellow humans in order to earn brownie points from God. It’s kinda messed up. Help others because they’re in need, not because you’ll get to heaven by doing those works. Finally, we should note that the eternal fire was not prepared for man. It was prepared for the devil and his angels. While the sheep are chosen for glory from eternity, there is no election to damnation. Unbelievers are lost, not because God decreed they should be, but because they chose damnation over salvation. Eternal life in heaven will never end. Eternal punishment in hell will never end. Judgment Day is coming. It will come when no one expects it. We prepare for it by finding our spiritual refuge in the wounds of our suffering Savior who was hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, and imprisoned on the cross where he bore the sin of the world. Finding refuge in him ,we serve those who bear his name and he accepts our service even as he accepts us. In the end, we will be like that firefighter who is interviewed on the news and is asked about saving the child. Just as he says, “I’m not a hero. I was just doing what I needed to do,” so too can we answer, “I didn’t earn salvation. I only did what my fellow Christian needed from me.” To that Jesus will answer, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (34). Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen. Return to Top \| Return to Sermons \| Home \| Email Church Office

Return to Sermons | Home

Last Sunday of the Church Year – November 26^th, 2023

Trinity Lutheran Church, Block, Kansas

Rev. Joshua Woelmer

Text: Matthew 25:31–46

“The Final Judgment”

Theme: God’s final judgment is based on faith, and yet works follow one’s faith and are regarded by God in heaven.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

There is often great heroism in the midst of tragedy. Whether it is firefighters running into a burning building to save humans or pets or a police officer putting his life on the line to protect the innocent, we rightly call these men and women heroes for what they did. And yet, when newscasters get around to interviewing them, what do they say? “I’m not a hero. I was just doing what I needed to do.” What was their motivation behind saving the innocent? It wasn’t to get on TV. It wasn’t to be the hero. Their motivation was to save someone else from death.

Motivation sometimes makes all the difference, doesn’t it? If someone does something good for us, we like to know that it was from the heart. They saw something in the store and wanted to buy it for us. Or they made something for us by hand that they knew we would appreciate. Especially as we approach Christmastime, we encourage these self-giving motivations that cause joy in others.

Sometimes, though, we can tell when others have ulterior motives. It ruins a gift if you find out that someone is expecting something in return from you. It turns the gift into a form of payment that they’re hoping to use to get something out of you.

The same can be said for Judgment Day, and this is what our Gospel text is all about. First, let’s catch up quickly with the text. Jesus here tells us that he will come again. We’ve covered this during the last two Sundays. He will come suddenly and with great glory, and “he will sit on his glorious throne” (31). Everyone will be gathered before Him.

He will divide them like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. This is what Judgment means: separation. When you judge between apples, you separate the bruised from the unblemished. The sheep are children of God. The goats are followers of the devil. The sheep have done right. The goats have done wrong. The sheep are righteous. The goats are evil. The sheep inherit the kingdom that God prepared for them before the world began. The goats are sent into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Sheep are not goats. Goats are not sheep. Jesus knows the difference and he is the one who will separate them on the last day.

Jesus has this right to judge because it has been given to Him by His Father. Jesus is the one who has redeemed the world. He suffered and died for the win of the world. He took the blame for our sins and gave us the credit for his obedience. He is the Savior of sinners. He is one with the Father and has the right to judge, to divide between sheep and goats.

But what is the basis of the judgment? Did the righteous do more good works than the unrighteous? That might be one reaction we have to this text. It seems like Jesus is basing his judgment on the works done. After all he says: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (35–36). However, it then seems strange that the sheep on Jesus’s right do not remember doing these works.

The reason for this is in their motivation. They weren’t trying to do good works to please God. They weren’t trying to win his approval or get to heaven by those good works. First, they believed in God that they were saved by grace alone, not by their works. Second, they loved their fellow Christians from their heart, showing them mercy. This passage teaches us that faith saves, and works for the neighbor follow faith.

I want to touch on one other point before looking at the goats. When Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (40), he is speaking about other Christians. The least of his brothers are your fellow Christians. The world does not care about them. Showing mercy to Christians in need is showing mercy to Christ himself. He who redeemed you, who rescued you from death, who purchased a place for you where there is no sorrow or pain or death, gives you the opportunity to serve him by serving your fellow Christians in need.

Jesus saw what was coming when he spoke these words. When he talked about the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned he wasn’t setting down a social welfare policy for the church or the state. He was talking about how Christians would be treated by this world. They are marginalized. They are persecuted. They are despised, forgotten, and ignored. His brothers and sisters are his very body of which he is the head. Do you love Jesus? Love the least of his brothers.

Returning to the goats and those who are unrighteous, we should first notice that their motivations are all wrong. Their response to condemnation by Jesus is this: “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?” (44). They claim to have done all those things. We should take them at their word and acknowledge that those who are accursed have done good things in this life.

The problem here is again in the motivations. The sheep did not pay attention to the works they did, but the goats sure eager to mention their own works So why did they do these works? There are two reasons. The first is to be praised by the world. There are many who advertise their good deeds. They want to be known as having done good works. If it’s for religion, all the better. But the important thing is that everyone should know what they have done. It’s like that person having an ulterior motive for their gift. They want something out of these good works, and it’s their name in the paper and in the news for doing such a wonderful thing.

The second reason for doing these works is also to justify themselves before God. It’s not enough for other humans to see what they have done, but the human heart is restless, thinking that we must do good things to earn our Father’s love. This is why they bring up their works to Jesus on Judgment Day. Shouldn’t their works count for anything? Shouldn’t they get any merit for what they’ve done?

The answer is no. Works that are done without faith do not count before God. If you want to be justified by your works, then God demands that you fill an ocean with a perfected life of works. Your paltry glass of water will make no difference. Only the perfect life and death of Jesus that is given to you and received by faith will make any difference at all. Salvation is by grace alone. Furthermore, there is an ulterior motive here too, trying to use fellow humans in order to earn brownie points from God. It’s kinda messed up. Help others because they’re in need, not because you’ll get to heaven by doing those works.

Finally, we should note that the eternal fire was not prepared for man. It was prepared for the devil and his angels. While the sheep are chosen for glory from eternity, there is no election to damnation. Unbelievers are lost, not because God decreed they should be, but because they chose damnation over salvation.

Eternal life in heaven will never end. Eternal punishment in hell will never end. Judgment Day is coming. It will come when no one expects it. We prepare for it by finding our spiritual refuge in the wounds of our suffering Savior who was hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, and imprisoned on the cross where he bore the sin of the world. Finding refuge in him ,we serve those who bear his name and he accepts our service even as he accepts us. In the end, we will be like that firefighter who is interviewed on the news and is asked about saving the child. Just as he says, “I’m not a hero. I was just doing what I needed to do,” so too can we answer, “I didn’t earn salvation. I only did what my fellow Christian needed from me.” To that Jesus will answer, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (34).

Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Return to Top | Return to Sermons | Home | Email Church Office