Sunday School Lesson: Ministering Mightily

By Elder Richard Wayne Wood Scriptures: Matthew 25:31-46  By the end of this lesson, we will:   *Summarize Jesus’ description of what will happen at the final judgment;  *Contrast the behavior of the “sheep” with that of the “goats”;    *Write a plan to serve Jesus in the week ahead as the “sheep” do.  Background: The parables in Matthew 24-25 encourage us to love Christ’s appearing, to look for His appearing, and to labor faithfully until He comes. We should be watching, witnessing and working. The latter part of chapter 25 focuses on the judgment that comes with the coming Kingdom of Christ in His glory. To fully understand Jesus, it is important to see not only His love but also the reality that His coming will be accompanied by judgment. Jesus came so that those who love God may devote their lives to following Him, but His offer has another side: judgment on those who willfully choose to turn their backs on God.   Lesson: The Judge (Matthew 25:31-33). “When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory” (verse 31). This speaks of the...