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		The Ten Virgins

KINGDOM PARABLES OF JESUS
MATTHEW 25:1-13
The Parable of the Ten Virgins

INTRODUCTION
The parable of the ten virgins is found only in Matthew’s Gospel and comes immediately after Jesus’ teaching on the signs of His coming and the end of the age.
At the end of Jesus’ teaching on the signs of His coming and the end of the age, He speaks of a separation between those who are chosen, alert, and faithful; and those who are not.

THE PARABLE ITSELF
Jesus tells a true-to-life story of ten bridesmaids who were waiting for the arrival of the bridegroom.

The purpose of the parable is to teach the eternal importance of being prepared for the Lord’s return.

It was not uncommon for travelers to take with them their own personal lamps for light. In this parable all ten brought lamps with them to the wedding.

Five of the ten virgins (bridesmaids) had brought extra oil with them (they were wise), and five had neglected to take extra oil along (they were foolish).

The five foolish bridesmaids had arrived at the home of the bride completely unprepared. They thought they would have enough oil to last them and didn’t realize their folly until it was too late.

Both the wise and the foolish bridesmaids slept as the time for the bridegroom’s arrival quickly approached.

The five foolish virgins asked the five wise virgins for oil, but there was not enough and they refused to share their oil. Instead, they advised the five foolish virgins to go to an oil merchant and buy extra oil.

The five foolish virgins, who had spent their time waiting and sleeping, now had to rush to an oil merchant, wake him, and buy the needed oil. In the meantime, the bridegroom arrived and the wedding procession started without them.

After everyone in the wedding party and all the quests had entered the wedding hall the door was shut.

THE LESSON OF THE PARABLE
The end stress of the parable is a warning to all: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour,” (of His return). The obvious lesson: if you’re not ready (prepared spiritually) for My coming, the door will be shut and you will be left out.

When speaking of the bridegroom Jesus is speaking of Himself. He is the bridegroom; he is the one who is coming.

At the return of Jesus Christ (the bridegroom) many will call to Him to let them in the kingdom, pointing to their religious deeds, but because of their failure to do the Father’s will they will be shut out.

Five of the virgins in the parable are called wise. They are the ones who come prepared. Not knowing exacting when the bridegroom was going to arrive, they made sure they had enough oil to keep their lamps burning, so as not to miss him. When the bridegroom arrived they could see him clearly, and obeyed his call to enter the wedding hall so the wedding procession could begin.

The five virgins who are called foolish, and who occupy the center of attention in the parable, do not seem guilty of anything evil. They come with the best intentions and seem eager for the appearance of the bridegroom. But when the bridegroom came they could not answer his call to come into the wedding hall and begin the wedding procession because their lamps had run out of oil.

The foolish virgins thought that their carelessness and neglect would not cost them entrance into the wedding. They knew that they were not prepared and that they would be late, but surely the bridegroom would let them enter.

To the shock of the foolish virgins their carelessness and neglect had cost them entrance into the wedding hall.

No amount of pleading with the bridegroom could get him to open the door and let them in.

The bridegroom would have nothing to do with them and treated them as if they were imposters trying to crash the wedding, “I tell you the truth, I do not know you.” They were too late and they were shut out.

APPLICATION
As the bridegroom in the time and culture of Jesus’ day might come anytime during the long hours of the night, so Jesus will come suddenly on the day of His return.

Those who truly belong to the heavenly wedding party will be watchful for the Bridegroom appearing and will be found doing the will of God the Father. They will hear the words from the heavenly Bridegroom, “Well done good and faithful servant! Come and share your Master’s happiness.” Matthew 25:23

Concerning His return, Jesus taught clearly that those who profess faith in Him must prove the genuineness of their faith by being ready and prepared for His coming.

By means of the parable of the ten virgins Jesus teaches that those who say they are His followers are to be prepared for His return.

Those who are unprepared, that is, those who do not have true saving faith and are trusting in their own self-righteousness to get them into the kingdom, will be excluded forever from the kingdom when Jesus returns. They are the ones who hear Jesus say, “I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.”

The foolish virgins represent those who profess faith in Christ but live as if He doesn’t exist and is not returning. For them, the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly while they are completely unprepared.

If you are not ready (clothed in the righteousness of Christ alone) at death or at His coming, (which ever comes first) no amount of pleading for mercy will get you into His kingdom. It will be eternally too late. And you will be shut out.