Lesson: Five Wise Virgins
Matthew
25:1-13
We all desire to make wise choices. Our best choice is to follow
Jesus Christ and His teachings. Five of the virgins in Matthew 25 proved
themselves wise by preparing for what lay ahead. We are also wise to prepare
for the future while on this earth, for after this life comes eternity.
Ecclesiastes
12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth
as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
God put us here to make wise choices before we come to the judgement.
All we will have on that day will be the treasures we’ve laid up in Heaven,
because we came to earth with nothing and will leave with nothing.
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten
virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
Luke
12:35-36
35 Let your
loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
36 And ye
yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the
wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and
took no oil with them:
They were not preparing ahead. When their oil is gone, they will
have lamps but no oil. Oil is symbolic of the Spirit of God.
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
The wise had oil in their vessels – ready to keep their lamps
burning.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and
slept.
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Notice that both the wise and the foolish slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the
bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
Now, with the news of the bridegroom coming there was an urgency
to prepare.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil;
for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there
be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for
yourselves.
The wise virgins couldn’t share their oil because there wasn’t
enough.
Just like we can’t share our salvation or borrow another’s.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and
they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
The foolish virgins had waited too long to prepare. Instead of
being ready like the wise virgins, they were now rushing to find oil, and they
ran out of time.
There’s no better time to prepare for the wedding (Christ &
the church) than now. These virgins had one job to do – keep their lamps
burning.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord,
Lord, open to us.
Psalm
5:5 The foolish
shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know
you not.
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13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the
hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
The parable of the ten virgins is a call to steward our time
wisely while we wait. The foolish just didn’t think about the future. They live
in the moment, forgetting there’s something they need to prepare for. Jesus has
been saying, “Stay awake! Don’t be lulled to sleep by the world and its
priorities.” But the foolish virgins did not prepare. In scripture, oil often represents
the Holy Spirit. This parable is essentially saying the only way to be prepared
for the return of Christ our bridegroom is to have the Holy Spirit (the oil).
At this point in scripture, the Holy Spirit hasn’t come to dwell inside
believers- that happened after Jesus died, resurrected, and ascended to heaven.
Jesus shared parables to teach His listeners to be prepared for
what is to come.
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