Are You Ready to Meet the Bridegroom?

Reflections on the Parable of the Ten Virgins | Matthew 25:1–13

Jesus began His preaching ministry with a powerful announcement: “The kingdom of heaven has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15).

Through His life, miracles, death and resurrection, Jesus demonstrated that God's Kingdom had come into the world. Yet the Kingdom has not arrived in its fullness. We live in the already, but not yet, awaiting the return of Jesus Christ, our King.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the parable of ten virgins waiting for the arrival of a bridegroom. All ten had lamps. All ten expected the bridegroom. All ten became drowsy and fell asleep when he was delayed.

But there was one crucial difference.

Five were wise and had brought extra oil. Five were foolish and had not prepared for the delay. When the bridegroom finally arrived, only those who were ready entered the wedding banquet.

The difference was not in their outward appearance, but in their preparedness.

Being in Church Is Not the Same as Belonging to Christ

This parable presents a searching question for every professing Christian.

We may attend church regularly, sing hymns, listen to sermons, participate in Bible studies and faithfully fulfil our responsibilities. Yet none of these things, by themselves, guarantees that we truly know Jesus Christ.

There is a difference between knowing about someone and knowing them personally.

We may know a great deal about King Charles through newspapers and television. But that does not mean the King knows us personally.

And so we must ask ourselves an even more important question: Does Jesus know me?

In Matthew 7:21–23, Jesus warns that not everyone who calls Him “Lord” will enter the Kingdom of heaven. To some, He will say, “I never knew you.”

These are sobering words, particularly for those who have spent many years within the Church.

You Cannot Live on Borrowed Faith

When the foolish virgins realised they were running out of oil, they asked the wise to share theirs. But the wise could not provide what the others lacked.

There is a spiritual lesson here.

Our parents' faith cannot save us.

Our family's Christian heritage cannot save us.

Our church membership cannot save us.

Each of us must personally respond to the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

And being spiritually prepared does not mean that we will never experience weakness, doubts or struggles. All ten virgins fell asleep. The issue was not their tiredness, but whether they were ready when the bridegroom came.

The Door Will Not Remain Open Forever

One of the most solemn moments in the parable comes when the bridegroom arrives.

Those who were ready enter the wedding banquet, “and the door was shut” (Matthew 25:10).

The others arrive later, crying out to be admitted, but the opportunity has passed.

God is patient. As 2 Peter 3:9 reminds us, He does not want people to perish but to come to repentance.

Every day we are given is another opportunity to turn to Christ and to share His good news with others.

But the call to respond is for today, not for some imagined moment in the distant future.

Saved by Grace, Ready for His Coming

Let us be absolutely clear: we are not saved by good works, religious activity or our ability to prepare ourselves.

Salvation is God's free gift, received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. His death on the cross accomplished what we could never achieve for ourselves.

Genuine faith, however, transforms the way we live. It produces a desire to know Christ, follow Him and remain faithful as we await His return.

The parable ends with a wedding banquet, a picture of the joy awaiting God's redeemed people. Revelation 19 describes the glorious marriage supper of the Lamb, when Christ gathers His people to Himself.

What a wonderful hope for everyone who belongs to Him!

The Kingdom has come. The King is coming again.

The question is not simply whether we are part of a church, but whether we truly belong to Jesus Christ.

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” - Matthew 25:13 (NIV)