Matthew 25:35–40: “For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I was naked and you gave Me clothing, I was sick and you took care of Me, I was in prison and you visited Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ And the King will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’”

This is part of my series exploring this passage, trying to tell you that Jesus Christ is the One—the ultimate, the epitome—of the person who did all these things for us. We have talked about hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and “in prison and you visited Me.”

Last time I spoke about divine visitation, that humanity was visited two thousand years ago by God, and that our business now is proclaiming Him. As I round up this series, I want to draw your attention to the phrase “the righteous.” “Then the righteous will answer Him…”

That phrase interests me: “the righteous.” Who is “the righteous”? Nobody is going to come and say, “I am the righteous,” right? But someone is called “the Righteous One”: Jesus Christ the Righteous. No deceit was found in His mouth. He was tempted in all points, yet without sin. He passed every test. He is the One who is truly righteous.

So when we read “then the righteous,” the only way, in my view, anyone will go to heaven is by being clothed with the righteousness of the One who is the Righteous. I am not saying “do not feed the hungry; do not give water to the thirsty; do not invite strangers in; do not give clothing.”

No. But if, in your mind, you think, “I just need to do these things and I will qualify for heaven,” then you have actually disqualified yourself. Because the only Person through whom you have access to God is Jesus Christ. There is no other way. It is not by works, lest anyone should boast.

So there may be more going on in this passage than first meets the eye. Remember, I have just finished talking about this passage in relation to Jesus Christ as the One who ultimately did all these things for us. To say now, “My good works will take me to heaven,” I am saying you have likely been misinformed.

Think of Cornelius. Cornelius had a lot of good works—prayers, alms, generosity. If Peter, who probably did not have the same record of “good works” as Cornelius in that sense, had not gone to speak to him about Jesus Christ, he and his household would not have been saved. That is the truth. They would not be saved apart from Christ.

“What must we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered, “This is the work of God: that you believe in the One He has sent” (John 6:28–29). You might not see that as “work,” but that is the work—believing in the One He has sent. Once I am in Him, His righteousness is ascribed to me.

And since He is the One who fed the hungry, who gave the thirsty drink, who invited the stranger in, who clothed the naked, who cared for us when we were sick, who visited us when we were in prison—He is the One who did all these things in the name of God for us, because that is what the Father sent Him to do.

He is the Righteous One who did all these things for us. And it is only on the basis of His righteousness that we enter the kingdom of God. That is the truth. That is the gospel truth.

God bless you. See you later.