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It Is Written Canada

Chris Holland

Staying Wide Awake

God's book, the Bible, still relevant in today's complex world.

It is written sharing messages of hope around the world.

Have you ever been waiting for or anticipating something?

Then because of some type of delay, You became distracted and weren't ready anymore.

I remember during my childhood that I loved to go camping.

It was always the highlight of our summer.

Frequently, when I knew that the day had come for us to leave for our camping trip, I would be up early and ready to go.

My mom would have to put the finishing touches on getting the camper loaded.

We would have to wait for my dad to come home from work.

I remember 1 particular occasion that we were going to Copper Harbor, Michigan.

I believe it was a Friday and I was ready early in the morning to make that trip.

I was anxious to go and I kept asking my mom, is it time to go yet?

But as The day wore on, I began to be distracted.

I started playing with toys and doing other things and no longer as anxious as I was before.

Then before you knew it, it was time to go.

I had toys to put away, so I would be ready.

Could it be that many of us, as we have been waiting for the return of Jesus, have drifted in our commitment to be ready for His return?

In Matthew chapter 24, verses 42 to 44, Jesus said these words.

Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.

But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." The Son of Man coming at an hour you do not expect.

Those 2 keys that Jesus mentions in Matthew 24.

We've had 2 programs on these signs in program Signs of Hope Part 1 and Part 2.

And if you miss them, you can log on to our website, itiswrittencanada.ca.

And you can view those programs in our archive.

But in Matthew 25, Jesus gave a series of 3 parables, All whose main point is to teach us how we are to be ready for the return of Jesus.

Today we will study the first of those 3 parables.

Let's read the parable in Matthew chapter 25 verses 1 through 13.

Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to 10 virgins who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Now 5 of them were wise, and 5 were foolish.

Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them.

But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

And at midnight a cry was heard, Behold, the bridegroom is coming, go out to meet him.

Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.

And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.

But the wise answered, saying, No, lest there should not be enough for us and you, but go rather to those who sell and buy for yourselves.

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut.

Afterward, the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

But he answered and said, Assuredly I say to you, I do not know you.

Watch therefore, For you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." As we look at the text, Jesus begins in verse 1 by saying, The kingdom of heaven shall be likened to 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Jesus likens the kingdom of heaven to 10 virgins, or bridesmaids, if you are looking at a different translation.

Jesus points out in this first verse 3 important elements of the parable.

There are 10 virgins, there are lamps, and there is the bridegroom.

Jesus uses imagery that was familiar to his disciples.

Now In that custom, the groom or the bridegroom would go forth from his house and with him some of the wedding party.

Now along the way on their journey, they would pick up various participants in the wedding and finally they would arrive at the father of the bride's home.

It is here where he would pick up his bride and then return to his home for a wedding feast.

These 10 virgins in the parable are all a part of the wedding party to be picked up.

Christ is represented as the bridegroom in this parable.

The people he comes for are represented by the virgins.

Now why does the parable call them virgins?

You know a virgin is pure and in this parable it represents a people that have a faith that is pure and unadulterated.

No doubt that this lamp reference is a reference to the Word of God.

In Psalm 119, 105, the Bible says, I'm sure you have it memorized, your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

These 10 virgins are awaiting the coming bridegroom.

And at first glance, the 10 virgins seemed to be equal or identical.

But in verse 2, the text reveals a different story.

Now 5 of them were wise and 5 were foolish.

Jesus now divides these 10 virgins into 2 classes.

In the original language, the word wise literally means intelligent, prudent, sensible, and mindful of one's interests.

However, the word foolish in the original means to be full of folly, impious, godless and stupid.

Jesus divides the group into 2, those that are wise, intelligent and prudent, and then those that are foolish and full of folly and impious.

But it is verse 3 that reveals the key characteristic of the foolish.

They take no oil with them, but the wise do have oil with them.

Why is it that this distinction is important?

In that time, lamps didn't work like they work today.

A lamp resembled more of a bowl than a lamp.

And if you can picture in your mind a bowl with a brim that is pinched up on 1 side, And in that brim it would make a spout, and in that spout a wick would be inserted that would draw up the olive oil to fuel the flame.

Lamps were kept burning day and night in ancient times.

The reason was is that those lamps served not only to give light, but they also kept fire at hand at all times.

The lamp of Jesus' time would be comparable to today's flashlight.

Just like a lamp needs oil, A flashlight needs batteries.

And in Jesus' time, if you didn't have oil, you did not have any light.

Throughout the scripture, oil is used symbolically, especially olive oil, as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Here in this parable, Jesus made it very clear that all 10 virgins have a pure faith and each of them has a lamp which is the Word of God, but only 5 of them have the fuel of the Holy Spirit.

See friends, having a head knowledge of the Word of God is not enough.

In this parable, Jesus teaches us that a head knowledge of the Word of God without the oil of the Holy spirit is just foolishness and folly.

However, this story reveals that despite their differences, these 2 groups resemble 1 another more than 1 might think.

The Bible states that the bridegroom was delayed and then all of them slumbered and slept.

Both the wise and the foolish, they slumbered.

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Staying Wide Awake

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