I know this is a very ominous title. So is the message. Both are intentional. Why? Because Jesus’ words were always intentional—His warnings ominous. Why? Because He loved those in His world and He loves us.
- Help us understand God
- Tell us why He came
- Teaching on the Kingdom of God
- Warning about the consequences of rejecting Him
Who said them and Why?
The Context: Jesus was still teaching – near the end of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) In this part, He was calling attention to false teachers- wolves in sheep’s clothing who devour the naïve. They sounded good but were just useless wind. He spoke about good and bad trees and shrubs that bear fruit if they are good and bad if they do not – thrown into the fire to burn up. He closed by saying you know them by their fruits. He applied that consistently throughout His teaching. Here is a similar verse in John’s gospel.
Jesus explained what it meant then and now to be a true disciple of Christ—how He would know and the world could see visible evidence. Love and Fruit Here are the fruit verses:
“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” John 15: 16
“So then, you will know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7: 20
The Scariest Words in the Bible – What were they?
The prelude leading up to them. Still teaching in Matthew 7…
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them,
Then He delivered the worst consequence for not being a true disciple-believer:
‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7: 21-23
During the last days of His life while He was in Jerusalem teaching, Jesus taught an even harsher lesson that gave the ultimate consequences of those to whom He directed these words:
Unbelievers (goats in the example below and tares in another. They include anyone who outwardly rejected Jesus as the only way to be reconciled to perfect holy God and those who claimed to be disciples like those who claim to be Christians today but whose hearts remain in darkness and lives bear no fruit.
Jesus’ Words get more real and frightening
(This is what the church refers to as His Second Coming – not when He comes in the clouds to rapture the church.) “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’
“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me, either.’ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25: 31-46
Guaranteeing You Never Hear These Words How do I know?
“Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!” 2 Corinthians 13: 5
“Therefore they said to Him, “What are we to do, so that we may accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”…Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty…For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of everything that He has given Me I will lose nothing, but will raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 6: 28-29
“He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not accept Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name…” John 1: 10-13
Jesus could not make it any clearer:
And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.” John 8: 23-24
The Invitation. Believers test yourself to make sure you are in the faith as the Apostle Paul told the church at Corinth. The Holy Spirit will confirm that your salvation.
And if you are still holding, receive Jesus as your Savior today. You have everything to lose and eternal life to gain. Which do you choose?
For Christ’s sake,
