6
Stay Prepared and Ready
Question 1:
When have you been caught unprepared?
THE POINT
Grow in Christ as you wait for His return.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
When I was a teenager, I worked at a fast-food restaurant in a mall. The owner often left teenagers alone to run the store at night. The main thing he asked was for someone to always be near the cash register, which I faithfully did. After all, we knew the boss could stop by anytime unannounced.
One slow night I was working with two other teenagers who were in the back laughing hilariously. They called out for me to join them, but I persistently kept telling them no—and they persistently kept calling to me. Finally, I sheepishly left my post at the register and went in the back. Literally seconds later the boss came in. I quickly darted back to the front, but it was clear the boss was not happy.
I was not at my post, which meant I was not prepared for the boss’s arrival. The same can be true in our spiritual lives. We are to live our lives so that when Christ returns, we will be unashamed before Him (1 John 2:28). In Matthew 25, Jesus used a parable to show us how to be prepared.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Matthew 25:1-5
1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take oil with them; 4 but the wise ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. 5 When the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.”
The parable of the ten virgins is one of several parables Jesus used to describe what the kingdom of heaven will be like. (See also Matt. 13.) The kingdom of heaven is the state of things under the gospel and under the reign of God. It is God’s current reign over the lives of redeemed people that will become fully realized in His ultimate reign over all the earth.
The cultural background of this parable concerns Jewish wedding customs of the first century. Before a couple was married, they went through a period of betrothal. They were not fully married yet, but they were viewed as husband and wife. After about a year of a couple’s binding betrothal, the groom went to the bride’s home to bring her to his home for a seven-day feast. The groom didn’t do this alone. He was accompanied by a wedding party that escorted the couple to the bridegroom’s home. In Jesus’ parable, the wedding party included ten virgins. The virgins are young women of marriageable age. Here, the word virgin is used not so much to highlight their virginity or lack of sexual experience but to highlight their relationship to the bride.
Question 2:
How would you describe a person who’s prepared for Christ’s return?
A central part of Jesus’ parable involves lamps. Part of the bridesmaids’ responsibility was to light the path for the processional. To keep the lamps lit, one needed a good supply of oil. Since the wedding was typically an evening ceremony, people would know that you needed to bring extra oil for your lamp.
The bridesmaids in Jesus’ parable were divided into two groups, and which group they were in depended on their level of preparation. The level of their preparation classed them as either “wise” or “foolish.”
The foolish virgins truly seemed to want to go to the wedding celebration; however, they didn’t respect the groom enough to think about the necessary preparations involved. On the other hand, the wise virgins show what a life of faith should look like. They have the opposite mindset of foolish virgins in that they thought ahead with clarity.
Jesus told this parable in the context of His teaching about His second coming, so we can see that the bridegroom represents Christ. The wise virgins reflect true believers. The foolish virgins reflect those who may profess a belief in Jesus, but they have not prepared for the end of life by seeking a real relationship with Christ.
The “twist” in Jesus’ parable came “when the groom was delayed.” This may refer to the stretch of history between Christ’s first coming and His return. Christ wanted His followers to wait patiently for His return but also to be prepared for the unexpected.
The delay of the bridegroom led to the bridesmaids falling asleep. We shouldn’t read this detail with a negative connotation. Jesus included no condemnation of their sleeping. After all, it was nighttime. In fact, the wise virgins could rest because they were fully prepared. It’s the foolish virgins who shouldn’t have slept until they were fully prepared.
Matthew 25:6-9
6 “In the middle of the night there was a shout: ‘Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 “Then all the virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9 “The wise ones answered, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell oil, and buy some for yourselves.’”
“In the middle of the night,” most people are deep in sleep. Since the bridegroom came at such a late, unexpected hour, it reinforces the principle that Christ’s return will be a surprise.
All ten bridesmaids were called out to meet the groom. It was during this time that the foolish virgins realized they hadn’t prepared adequately for this moment. After they “trimmed their lamps,” they had to add more oil to keep them lit.
The story is unfortunate because the foolish virgins knew they didn’t have extra oil. They had just not been concerned enough to take the necessary steps to avoid their predicament. No specific reason was given for their negligence, but their negligence in this matter was foolish. Now they had run out of time; it was too late to prepare. Nevertheless, the foolish virgins tried unsuccessfully to light their torches. The dry, ragged cloths would merely smolder as soon they were lit. You can sense the panic setting in as the foolish bridesmaids begin to beg the wise virgins, “Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.” Understandably, the wise virgins had brought enough oil for their own lamps, but they had no oil to spare or share.
Being prepared to meet Christ when He returns is an individual matter. That preparedness cannot be transferred or shared. Parents do their best to prepare their kids for adulthood. They help them, provide for them, teach them, and encourage them—but they cannot do their living for them. We cannot make choices for them.
Lack of spiritual preparation has eternal consequences. People tend to put preparation for other things above their spiritual lives. Many prepare well for their careers, their finances, and their relationships, yet they ignore spiritual things. It’s the individual’s response to the call of Christ that will determine his or her eternal future. No one has a second chance after Christ comes back (or one dies). The time is now.
Question 3:
What causes some people not to be prepared for Christ’s return?
Matthew 25:10-13
10 “When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. 11 Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us!’ 12 “He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you!’ 13 “Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour.”
Everyone likes a happy ending to a story. Unfortunately, this parable has an abrupt and sad ending. When the foolish bridesmaids left to go buy more oil, “the groom arrived.”
The door was shut and remained shut even to these bridesmaids who were initially a part of the wedding party because their lack of preparation was a grave insult to the bride and groom. The virgins were most likely friends of the family who had been honored by the opportunity to serve in the wedding party. The problem was that the five foolish virgins did not return that honor.
Question 4:
What are the consequences of putting off preparation for Christ’s return?
The shut door pictures unbelievers being shut out of the kingdom of God. Many people assume that if you are not too horrible a person, you’ll go to heaven when you die. Their assumption is that most people will get into heaven, but the Bible is clear: those who don’t know Christ won’t enter God’s kingdom.
As the foolish virgins begged for entrance, they called out, “Master, master.” This was a forced attempt to show intimacy that did not exist. Sometimes we use words to imply a depth of relationship that is not actually there.
The foolish virgins were firmly denied entrance. The groom was about to say something that wasn’t up for negotiation. What was non-negotiable was the reality of the groom’s relationship with these five foolish virgins: “‘I don’t know you!’”
Since the time of entrance had passed, the master wouldn’t be changing his mind. Once Christ returns (or we experience physical death), we will have no last-minute attempts to make things right with God. The Christian, though, is to stay continually awake, constantly keeping watch. Let’s walk with Him, fully prepared and watching for the return of the One who loves us.
Question 5:
What can we do as a group to increase our sense of urgency as we await Christ’s return?
Engage
BE PREPARED
Create a personal “top ten” list by numbering the following actions in order of priority according to your personal plan for being prepared for Jesus’ return:
____ Study the Scripture____ Be sure of salvation
____ Treat other people justly____ Witness for Christ
____ Live ethically____ Serve Christ by serving people
____ Worship corporately____ Support the church financially
____ Pray fervently____ Be on mission for Jesus
Note additional actions you would add to this list:
“The Christian who has stopped repenting has stopped growing.”
A. W. PINK
LIVE IT OUT
We are to grow in Christ as we wait for His return. Choose one of the following applications:
Check your salvation. Think about your salvation experience. Do you have assurance that you know God personally? What are you trusting in for your salvation? Prayerfully read 2 Corinthians 13:5 as you consider if you truly have a relationship with Christ.
Be on guard. Discipline your mind to accept that God knows your future . . . and that His knowledge of that is sufficient. Listen to no one who would lead you astray.
Strengthen your faith. Target an area in your own spiritual life that needs more attention. Maybe it’s a limp prayer life. Possibly it’s a fear of sharing the gospel. Whatever it may be for you, prepare to grow in that area in the days ahead by praying specifically for a breakthrough. Ask God to teach you how to say no to that sin and yes to Him.
It’s one thing to be caught unaware by your earthly boss, but it’s another thing altogether when we’re talking about the Lord of the universe. Let’s be prepared as we await Christ’s return! [LifeWay Adults (2020). (p. 121). Bible Studies for Life: Adult Personal Study Guide - CSB - Spring 2022. LifeWay Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
Stay Prepared and Ready
Question 1:
When have you been caught unprepared?
THE POINT
Grow in Christ as you wait for His return.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
When I was a teenager, I worked at a fast-food restaurant in a mall. The owner often left teenagers alone to run the store at night. The main thing he asked was for someone to always be near the cash register, which I faithfully did. After all, we knew the boss could stop by anytime unannounced.
One slow night I was working with two other teenagers who were in the back laughing hilariously. They called out for me to join them, but I persistently kept telling them no—and they persistently kept calling to me. Finally, I sheepishly left my post at the register and went in the back. Literally seconds later the boss came in. I quickly darted back to the front, but it was clear the boss was not happy.
I was not at my post, which meant I was not prepared for the boss’s arrival. The same can be true in our spiritual lives. We are to live our lives so that when Christ returns, we will be unashamed before Him (1 John 2:28). In Matthew 25, Jesus used a parable to show us how to be prepared.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Matthew 25:1-5
1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take oil with them; 4 but the wise ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. 5 When the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.”
The parable of the ten virgins is one of several parables Jesus used to describe what the kingdom of heaven will be like. (See also Matt. 13.) The kingdom of heaven is the state of things under the gospel and under the reign of God. It is God’s current reign over the lives of redeemed people that will become fully realized in His ultimate reign over all the earth.
The cultural background of this parable concerns Jewish wedding customs of the first century. Before a couple was married, they went through a period of betrothal. They were not fully married yet, but they were viewed as husband and wife. After about a year of a couple’s binding betrothal, the groom went to the bride’s home to bring her to his home for a seven-day feast. The groom didn’t do this alone. He was accompanied by a wedding party that escorted the couple to the bridegroom’s home. In Jesus’ parable, the wedding party included ten virgins. The virgins are young women of marriageable age. Here, the word virgin is used not so much to highlight their virginity or lack of sexual experience but to highlight their relationship to the bride.
Question 2:
How would you describe a person who’s prepared for Christ’s return?
A central part of Jesus’ parable involves lamps. Part of the bridesmaids’ responsibility was to light the path for the processional. To keep the lamps lit, one needed a good supply of oil. Since the wedding was typically an evening ceremony, people would know that you needed to bring extra oil for your lamp.
The bridesmaids in Jesus’ parable were divided into two groups, and which group they were in depended on their level of preparation. The level of their preparation classed them as either “wise” or “foolish.”
The foolish virgins truly seemed to want to go to the wedding celebration; however, they didn’t respect the groom enough to think about the necessary preparations involved. On the other hand, the wise virgins show what a life of faith should look like. They have the opposite mindset of foolish virgins in that they thought ahead with clarity.
Jesus told this parable in the context of His teaching about His second coming, so we can see that the bridegroom represents Christ. The wise virgins reflect true believers. The foolish virgins reflect those who may profess a belief in Jesus, but they have not prepared for the end of life by seeking a real relationship with Christ.
The “twist” in Jesus’ parable came “when the groom was delayed.” This may refer to the stretch of history between Christ’s first coming and His return. Christ wanted His followers to wait patiently for His return but also to be prepared for the unexpected.
The delay of the bridegroom led to the bridesmaids falling asleep. We shouldn’t read this detail with a negative connotation. Jesus included no condemnation of their sleeping. After all, it was nighttime. In fact, the wise virgins could rest because they were fully prepared. It’s the foolish virgins who shouldn’t have slept until they were fully prepared.
Matthew 25:6-9
6 “In the middle of the night there was a shout: ‘Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 “Then all the virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9 “The wise ones answered, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell oil, and buy some for yourselves.’”
“In the middle of the night,” most people are deep in sleep. Since the bridegroom came at such a late, unexpected hour, it reinforces the principle that Christ’s return will be a surprise.
All ten bridesmaids were called out to meet the groom. It was during this time that the foolish virgins realized they hadn’t prepared adequately for this moment. After they “trimmed their lamps,” they had to add more oil to keep them lit.
The story is unfortunate because the foolish virgins knew they didn’t have extra oil. They had just not been concerned enough to take the necessary steps to avoid their predicament. No specific reason was given for their negligence, but their negligence in this matter was foolish. Now they had run out of time; it was too late to prepare. Nevertheless, the foolish virgins tried unsuccessfully to light their torches. The dry, ragged cloths would merely smolder as soon they were lit. You can sense the panic setting in as the foolish bridesmaids begin to beg the wise virgins, “Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.” Understandably, the wise virgins had brought enough oil for their own lamps, but they had no oil to spare or share.
Being prepared to meet Christ when He returns is an individual matter. That preparedness cannot be transferred or shared. Parents do their best to prepare their kids for adulthood. They help them, provide for them, teach them, and encourage them—but they cannot do their living for them. We cannot make choices for them.
Lack of spiritual preparation has eternal consequences. People tend to put preparation for other things above their spiritual lives. Many prepare well for their careers, their finances, and their relationships, yet they ignore spiritual things. It’s the individual’s response to the call of Christ that will determine his or her eternal future. No one has a second chance after Christ comes back (or one dies). The time is now.
Question 3:
What causes some people not to be prepared for Christ’s return?
Matthew 25:10-13
10 “When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. 11 Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us!’ 12 “He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you!’ 13 “Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour.”
Everyone likes a happy ending to a story. Unfortunately, this parable has an abrupt and sad ending. When the foolish bridesmaids left to go buy more oil, “the groom arrived.”
The door was shut and remained shut even to these bridesmaids who were initially a part of the wedding party because their lack of preparation was a grave insult to the bride and groom. The virgins were most likely friends of the family who had been honored by the opportunity to serve in the wedding party. The problem was that the five foolish virgins did not return that honor.
Question 4:
What are the consequences of putting off preparation for Christ’s return?
The shut door pictures unbelievers being shut out of the kingdom of God. Many people assume that if you are not too horrible a person, you’ll go to heaven when you die. Their assumption is that most people will get into heaven, but the Bible is clear: those who don’t know Christ won’t enter God’s kingdom.
As the foolish virgins begged for entrance, they called out, “Master, master.” This was a forced attempt to show intimacy that did not exist. Sometimes we use words to imply a depth of relationship that is not actually there.
The foolish virgins were firmly denied entrance. The groom was about to say something that wasn’t up for negotiation. What was non-negotiable was the reality of the groom’s relationship with these five foolish virgins: “‘I don’t know you!’”
Since the time of entrance had passed, the master wouldn’t be changing his mind. Once Christ returns (or we experience physical death), we will have no last-minute attempts to make things right with God. The Christian, though, is to stay continually awake, constantly keeping watch. Let’s walk with Him, fully prepared and watching for the return of the One who loves us.
Question 5:
What can we do as a group to increase our sense of urgency as we await Christ’s return?
Engage
BE PREPARED
Create a personal “top ten” list by numbering the following actions in order of priority according to your personal plan for being prepared for Jesus’ return:
____ Study the Scripture____ Be sure of salvation
____ Treat other people justly____ Witness for Christ
____ Live ethically____ Serve Christ by serving people
____ Worship corporately____ Support the church financially
____ Pray fervently____ Be on mission for Jesus
Note additional actions you would add to this list:
“The Christian who has stopped repenting has stopped growing.”
A. W. PINK
LIVE IT OUT
We are to grow in Christ as we wait for His return. Choose one of the following applications:
Check your salvation. Think about your salvation experience. Do you have assurance that you know God personally? What are you trusting in for your salvation? Prayerfully read 2 Corinthians 13:5 as you consider if you truly have a relationship with Christ.
Be on guard. Discipline your mind to accept that God knows your future . . . and that His knowledge of that is sufficient. Listen to no one who would lead you astray.
Strengthen your faith. Target an area in your own spiritual life that needs more attention. Maybe it’s a limp prayer life. Possibly it’s a fear of sharing the gospel. Whatever it may be for you, prepare to grow in that area in the days ahead by praying specifically for a breakthrough. Ask God to teach you how to say no to that sin and yes to Him.
It’s one thing to be caught unaware by your earthly boss, but it’s another thing altogether when we’re talking about the Lord of the universe. Let’s be prepared as we await Christ’s return! [LifeWay Adults (2020). (p. 121). Bible Studies for Life: Adult Personal Study Guide - CSB - Spring 2022. LifeWay Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]