EXPLORE THE TEXT
We can trust that Jesus will have the final word and that He will judge righteously.
40 “Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire,
so it will be at the end of the age.
41 The Son of Man will send out his angels,
and they will gather from his kingdom all who cause sin
and those guilty of lawlessness.
42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom.
Let anyone who has ears listen.”
The word picture created by the burning weeds.
Discuss the implications for both believers and unbelievers.
The human response to separation from God for eternity.
Emphasize the reality of hell and its terrors:
Scripture pictures hell as “the unquenchable fire” (Mark 9:43).
It will also be an “eternal punishment” (Matt. 25:46).
The anguish of this never-ending place of torment and punishment
is seen in the reaction of those thrown into the blazing furnace: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is a vivid picture of anguish and despair. The Bible teaches that hell is a literal place, not figurative (10:28); the suffering of the lost in hell will be eternal not temporal (25:46).
Briefly walk through the Plan of Salvation on the inside front cover of the PSG. Point out that each session during this quarter has highlighted Jesus as Messiah and Savior. Challenge adults who have not accepted His offer of salvation to talk with you or another trusted leader about becoming a Christ follower and avoiding the coming judgment.
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 126 of the Personal Study Guide:
On the board, list the images Jesus used in the parable (wheat, weeds, enemy, landowner, harvest, and so forth). Allow adults to explain what each image symbolizes and why that image is important. Direct attention to the summary statement for this session: Faith in Jesus determines our eternal destiny. Encourage the group to discuss the statement and share what God might be saying to them through that truth.
Direct attention to the second set of questions on page 126 of the PSG. Challenge adults to reflect silently on the fruit from their own lives and how they can point others toward Jesus more effectively.
Close the session in prayer, asking God to help each adult move deeper in their relationship with Him, including those who may be reaching out to Him for the first time. Pray that the group will have discernment as they act as wheat and seek to minister to weeds before Jesus comes back.
Send a text or email to the group, encouraging them to read and reflect on the first set of questions on page 126 of the PSG. Also remind them that you are available to talk with anyone who wants to know more about becoming a follower of Jesus. Share that the group will be starting a series of studies on the second half of Matthew’s Gospel (chaps. 14-28) during the next session.
God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. (See Matthew 16:27; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3.)
Read, reflect on, and react emotionally to a Bible verse.
Focus on Matthew 13:40-42. Read the verses aloud, emphasizing the actions of the angels. Then read the verses again, emphasizing the responses of those “guilty of lawlessness.” How do these .verses make you feel? How do they motivate you to share Christ’s gospel?