Our sermon text for this morning is taken from the Gospel of Matthew. If you would like to remain standing and follow along, please turn to Matthew chapter 25, reading verses 1 through 13. It is found on page 987 in the Pew Bibles. Here now, the Word of God taken from Matthew chapter 25.

Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them. But the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.

As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry: “Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise answered, “Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.” And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward, the other virgins came also, saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us.” But he answered, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.” Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Amen. This is God’s inspired word. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, Lord God, you have breathed out this inspired word for us to hear, know, understand, and receive life from. Lord, we ask that you would send your Spirit, who inspired the writing of this word, so that we might receive the life that is here. Open our eyes and ears to see and hear, that you might be present with the preaching of your word. May this be to your glory and to our blessing. We pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

You may be seated. There were some outlines in the bulletins this morning in case you missed them. If you would like to find them, please look for them now. The title of the message is “Waiting for the Kingdom, Maintaining Lamps.” We are doing a series on parables. The key words to listen for in the points, for children of all ages, are reality, difference, and finality. Good morning, church. Happy Mother’s Day. Does anyone have difficulty with waiting? Yesterday, many of you were at my home for a baby shower for one of the expectant mothers in our congregation.

There are a few people who understand waiting better than mothers. You wait nine months to meet your child. You wait through sleepless nights until they finally learn to sleep. You wait years, sometimes decades, to see the fruit of all the prayers, tears, discipline, and love you have poured into them. Some of you may still be waiting for a prodigal child to come to his senses and return home. Motherhood is one long, beautiful, exhausting lesson in waiting.

This morning we come to a parable that is also about waiting. While the kingdom has come in some ways, Jesus has arrived. Yet there is also a significant sense in which we await the full coming of the kingdom. Jesus tells us a story of ten young women waiting for the bridegroom, who was delayed. Some were prepared for the long wait, and others were not. The difference between them was eternally significant.

Jesus tells this parable at the end of his ministry, as he prepares his disciples for his departure and his eventual return. In Matthew 24, the disciples asked him about the end of the age and his coming. He responds with teaching about the trials they will endure, and then gives several parables about how his followers should live while they wait for him. This is one of those parables.

And the main message is clear: be ready. Stay spiritually prepared, because the bridegroom will come at an hour that you do not expect. We will look at our passage this morning under three headings. First, the shared reality of waiting. Second, the critical difference—some were prepared. Third, the final outcome—included or shut out.

First, the shared reality: waiting. Look at verse one. Then Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.” We must begin with a brief orientation.

As you may have already noticed from the reading, first-century Jewish wedding customs differed from modern Western traditions. In our modern Western traditions, people typically wait for the bride to arrive at the ceremony. The ceremony does not begin until the groom and his attendants are in place and ready. Only then do the bride and her attendants enter, drawing everyone’s attention. We have no detailed records of how Jewish weddings were conducted in a typical first-century context.

Scholars therefore speculate about the exact details. They only mention that a wedding took place. Everyone assumed they knew how it worked. But fortunately, we do not need to know the exact details of how weddings were conducted in that time to understand this parable. Whether typical or not for the period, the scene is described in sufficient detail for us to grasp its intended meaning. What is clear is that there was an evening wedding celebration that could not begin until the crucial guest—the groom—arrived.

Most English Bible translations refer to these individuals as virgins who waited for the groom’s arrival. The Greek word is *parthenos*, from which we derive the term the Parthenon, the building in Greece. This term is broad enough to refer simply to a relatively young, unmarried woman. In this context, they are serving as bridesmaids.

In verse two, five of them were foolish and five were wise. We quickly learn that these bridesmaids, who were waiting, are divided into two groups. One group is described as wise, prudent, or thoughtful. The other group is called foolish. The reason for their classification becomes clear in verses three and four.

When the foolish bridesmaids took their lamps, they took no oil with them. But the wise bridesmaids took flasks of oil along with their lamps. One group was thinking ahead, beyond the present moment. They had made preparations so that if events did not unfold according to their schedule, they would still be ready. At first, there would have been little noticeable difference between the two groups. However, in terms of what they were actually carrying, there is some disagreement among Bible scholars.

Although the Greek word is *lampos*, which likely gives us the English word “lamp,” some scholars argue that in this context, these were more accurately torches. In other passages where this word appears, it is translated as “torches” in the New Testament. For example, the Jews came to arrest Jesus in the garden with torches. In the book of Revelation, there are references to torches being cast into lakes and torches burning before God’s throne. All of these uses involve the same Greek word.

So it makes sense here for the girls to be carrying more than a small oil lamp to welcome the groom, which would have been a candle to the wedding party. These were probably much larger torches that the girls were carrying. But the main point, of course, is that the girls were prepared with extra oil. The wise ones were prepared, and the foolish ones were not. While this difference was unnoticeable at first, by the end, the difference became absolutely monumental.

Verse five says, as the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. While we find in the rest of Matthew 24, and in other places, including at the end of this parable, Jesus warning people to stay awake and be watchful. In this case, there does not seem to be any indictment of the bridesmaids for falling asleep during the delay. Both the wise and the foolish slept alike. The wise slept alongside the foolish, indicating that the sleeping in this case was not the problem. Whether they were sleeping or not was not the distinguishing mark of being foolish or wise. All the bridesmaids grew tired because of the delay and eventually fell asleep.

So as we consider this story, we see many commonalities. All ten virgins took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. They were all invited. They all had lamps or torches. They all expected him. And when he was delayed, all of them became drowsy and fell asleep.

Jesus is painting here a picture of the Christian life. We are all waiting. Christ has come, died, risen, and ascended. The next great event in terms of redemptive history is his return to judge the world and to fully establish his kingdom. And we live in the in-between time, the time of waiting. We wait in history. Two thousand years have passed since Jesus promised to return. That is a long delay. We also wait personally.

Even though we have been born again, sin and suffering still remain, even for Christians. The world is broken. We see it all around us. Things are not as they should be. Even within ourselves, our hearts are still waiting to be fully sanctified. The night often feels long and dark. Waiting is difficult for everyone, and it is difficult for Christians. It is hard because we desire to see, not only to believe.

It is hard because our culture trains us to expect immediate results, while the Kingdom of God operates according to God’s own timetable. I struggle with waiting myself, and the Psalms are full of calls for God’s people to wait upon the Lord. The alternative we see in the history of the kings of Israel and Judah is the example of those who relied on their own strength, their own timing, and their own resources rather than on the Lord. And frankly, I believe we are often tempted to do the same. If God does not bring about what we desire according to our schedule, perhaps we will try to force it. We may attempt to make it happen through our own resources, our own influence, or our own strength, or through some other means.

Waiting is hard because doubt begins to whisper when the delay continues. One of my greatest temptations is to think that God has become distracted or has forgotten about me. It is easy to begin to believe that God did not foresee all the challenges I am currently facing. Then it becomes easy to lose hope. It is hard when prayers go unanswered for years, when faithfulness brings cost, when our own sins weigh us down, and when we see the evil in the world.

And yet, here we are—just like the ten bridesmaids waiting, waiting for the groom to appear. We share this common experience of waiting. But as we continue our story, the second point, we see the critical difference—the critical difference. Some were prepared for the bridegroom’s arrival.

But at midnight, there was a cry: “Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” In the middle of the night, the cry came that the groom was finally arriving. The moment had come that the bridesmaids had been waiting for all night. This was their time to shine. Verse seven: Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. The girls woke up, both wise and foolish, and began preparing to welcome the groom.

The word “trimmed” here refers to the need to adjust the wick of a lamp, but the Greek word is more general and can be translated as “put in order” or “straighten up.” In a different context, one might say “get ready,” but for a torch, it simply means to prepare it and light it.

Verse eight: And the foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” Here we finally see the contrast between the bridesmaids as it becomes significant. As they attempt to relight their torches, the foolish discover that their lack of extra oil means their torches cannot remain lit. They naturally turn to their companions, seeking assistance. This is the most immediate source of oil available for their torches.

They simply request the wise ones to provide some of their extra oil. That should be possible. But this is not an option, verse nine: “But the wise answered, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ What might have appeared initially to be a reasonable solution proves to be impossible.

The wise have not brought enough oil for two torches. Each has brought only enough to keep one torch lit long enough to welcome the groom. If they share the oil, then all ten torches will burn for only half the time, and all will go out before the groom arrives. They have only enough oil for themselves to each have a burning torch the entire time.

But being wise, of course, they offer a sensible solution: run out and purchase more oil right now. This is clearly something the foolish ones should have thought of before. But it is not until now that they realize their urgent need for extra oil. The foolish bridesmaids take this advice and rush off. But it is already too late. As we see in this parable, some things cannot be obtained at the last minute.

And spiritual readiness is one of those things. At the end of the day, you and I, and you, will alone have to give an account for our lives before a holy God. We see this point brought out in the letter to the Galatians. Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he states this at the end, Galatians chapter 6, verses 3 through 5:

For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. Each one will have to bear his own load. The boasting that Paul refers to in this passage is not about thinking of yourself better than others, as he makes clear in verse three, but rather whether you are relying on the faith of someone else or your own faith.

When we speak of a shared faith, what we mean is that we are all trusting the same person, Jesus Christ, to save us, not that we can actually borrow someone else’s faith. I knew a young man several years ago who thought that he was a believer while his mother was alive because he was so close to her and she was such a devout follower of Christ. But it was not until after her early death, leaving him feeling hopeless, that he realized how much he had been borrowing—or trying to borrow—her faith. And it was at that point that he realized he had to make her faith his own. Faith is not something that can be had vicariously. You must have faith yourself. The foolish bridesmaids had to learn this the hard way.

As we see next in number three, the final outcome. The final outcome included or shut out. Verse 10. And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. The foolish bridesmaids had departed, but they were too late. While they were on the way, the groom arrived. The bridesmaids were still in the middle of their preparations. They were following the advice of the wise bridesmaids, but they were too late. The moment arrived and passed, and the girls missed their opportunity. Only those who were present—the wise bridesmaids with fully burning torches—were there to welcome the groom and to go with him into the celebration. Those ready for the groom’s arrival entered, and then the door was shut. But eventually the absent bridesmaids returned from their mission. Verse 11. Afterwards, the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

They had been delayed in their timing, and their mission had become irrelevant. They had been absent and unprepared for the groom’s arrival. They had completely missed the reason for waiting in the first place. But better late than never, right? Perhaps they could still enter the party despite being late.

So they came knocking and calling out to the locked door. They addressed the groom directly, asking for entrance into the celebration that they had assumed they were part of. But they heard an answer that was utterly dreadful. Verse 12. But he answered, truly I say to you, I do not know you. They had assumed they had a place in the wedding party, that they had some kind of relationship with the groom. But from inside the locked door, he told them that he did not know them.

The foolish bridesmaids were not merely late to the party. They were completely excluded and disowned. Not because they left to prepare, but because they were unprepared at the final hour. There is no room for second chances or do-overs in this case.

Sometimes when I am doing street evangelism and I ask people where they expect to spend eternity, or if they have thought about it, I sometimes hear the answer, “I’ll figure it out when I get there.” Jesus tells this parable to warn against that kind of thinking. Earlier in the Gospel of Matthew, in the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew chapter 5, verse 25, Jesus says: “Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the guard, and you be put in prison.” Jesus is not merely giving legal advice or encouraging general arbitration. He is making a spiritual point.

Just as in our parable this morning, Jesus is saying that when the time comes, there will be no opportunity to prepare further. The time to prepare is now. The foolish bridesmaids had all night, but they waited until the moment the groom was announced. The lesson is clear in the next verse: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” Jesus repeats this point, which he had already stated twice in the previous chapter. The hour is unknown.

We must not delay becoming ready, and we must not lose our readiness. So the question is, how do you become ready so that even if you fall asleep, you will still be ready at a moment’s notice to welcome the groom? The wise and the foolish both fell asleep. You and I may and very likely will pass through death while waiting for the groom’s arrival. How do we prepare so that even if we die, we are ready to meet him when he comes?

Very simply, you cling to Christ now and depend on him daily. Faithfulness to the Lord is not about what you are keeping up with, but who you are clinging to. Being prepared and ready is entirely about fully depending on Christ. It is not about looking within to see if you have extra stores of oil. Being ready for the groom’s arrival, Jesus’s return, is measured by your dependence on him. Are you trusting him?

The wise bridesmaids knew they did not have what was needed to be ready on their own. So they made preparations. You do not need to wait until the last moment to be ready. In fact, as we have seen, this parable was told specifically to keep you from putting anything off. Jesus is saying the time to be ready is now. The wise bridesmaids made provision for the future. They prepared themselves. And you too can prepare yourself by fully relying on Christ.

Being ready is not about having your life in order, not about the amount of insurance coverage you have, the adequacy of your retirement savings, a record of charitable contributions and donations, or an accumulation of admirable actions.

Genuine personal faith is the inward work of the Holy Spirit that sustains us in a real relationship with Christ. It is not enough to have the outward appearance of faith, as the foolish bridesmaids did. It is not enough to grow up in a Christian home, attend church, or have a mother who prayed for you. You must have your own living, sustaining relationship with Jesus.

Mothers, this is relevant today. Many of you have spent years providing oil for your children, teaching them the Scriptures, bringing them to church, modeling faithfulness, and praying without ceasing. We thank you. Your labor is not in vain in the Lord, but you cannot believe for your children or give them oil. That must come from the Lord. Each person must receive their own supply from the Lord. So, mothers, we honor you, even as we remember you this day, and many of you have been wise bridesmaids.

You have kept your lamps burning through long, dark nights, and you have shown us what faithful waiting looks like. Keep it up. Keep filling your own lamp every day through God’s Word, prayer, and dependence on the Spirit. In fact, all of us, because your faithful waiting has eternal value. To all of us, old and young, mothers and fathers, singles and children, Jesus is calling us to be those who are wise. Is your faith genuine and personal, or are you relying on someone else’s?

Maintain your lamp daily. This means regular time in the Scriptures, honest confession of sin when the Holy Spirit brings it to your mind, even through the words of others, prayer, obedience, and fellowship with other believers. And of course, remember that the waiting is hard, but the wise prepare for the long night. The good news is this: we do not have to manufacture our own oil.

Jesus freely gives His Spirit to all who come to Him in faith. The same Bridegroom who will one day shut the door is today inviting us to come in and receive everything we need. To recognize that Christ has done everything you need, and to grab hold of Him, embrace Him, call out to Him for mercy, and trust in Him and depend on Him hourly to be your supply.

Amen. Let’s pray. Our Lord Jesus Christ, we wait for your coming. We are those who wait wisely in dependence upon you, not in independence upon ourselves. So Lord, we ask you to pour out your Spirit, to give us faith, grace, and hope, that we might wait faithfully and wisely until the end, that we might endure, and that we might be ready. At the very moment that you come again, welcome us into the wedding feast. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Well, in response, let us continue our worship and turn, in this case, to hymn 390. It is not what is written in your bulletin, but number 390: “Christ is Coming.” And let us stand as we sing.