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Series 4:
Lesson 68: |
PARABLES
THE TEN VIRGINS |
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Passage to Study: Matt. 25:1-13.
Read with the class: Matt. 25:1-13.
Memorization Text: Younger children --- Matt. 25:6 "Behold ... to meet
Him."
Older children - Matt. 25:6.
OBJECTIVES: To teach:
1. That the Lord is coming, although we do not know when.
2. The outstanding point of this parable: the importance of being ready for the coming of
the Lord: "... and they that were ready went in with him. (v.10)
3. What it means to be ready.
4. That heaven is a place of happiness and joy.
SCENE No. 1. VISUAL AIDS: Figures that suggest the coming of the Lord.
For example, on a nocturnal background, place some clouds and a figure of Christ
with the words, "The Lord is coming". Underneath, using the figures of a
boy and girl, put a large question mark and the written words, "Will you be going
with Him?" Others figures that make the child think about the coming of the Lord will
help to direct attention to the fact it may be very soon.
DEVELOPMENT:
Sug. Talk about travelling, which most enjoy doing. Mention that some have gone into
outer space, to the moon and how there are plans to go to Mars.
- Some of us are going to travel much farther than the moon and beyond the galaxies.
- This will happen when the Lord comes to the air, to take His own away to Heaven.
Cns. When one goes on a trip, preparation must be made before leaving.
- To be ready for the coming of the Lord, it is necessary to begin making preparations,
starting immediately, for we do not know when He will come.
Cmt. Details that normally are included when teaching the coming of the Lord Jesus, such
as His coming to the air, the resurrection of the dead, etc., are not part of this lesson.
The main point to be stressed is the need to be ready when Christ comes.
SCENE No. 2 VISUAL AIDS: Inside a house, ten young women prepare for an
important occasion. In a space apart, the figure of a lamp and close by another
figure with oil in a container, showing the preparation needed, that of oil being put into
the lamp.
DEVELOPMENT:
- Ten young women are preparing to attend a wedding feast.
- According to the customs of those times, they had to wait for the bridegroom to arrive
and then light his way to the house where the wedding feast would take place.
- The lamps were an important part of their preparation, for the bridegroom arrived at
night.
- The young women were to go in to the wedding feast together with the bridegroom.
- The girls would be concerned about their dress and making themselves attractive for the
occasion.
- Seen from their outward appearance, there would be little difference between one and
another of them.
Cns. Ask the students what differences might be seen amongst the girls to show who were
wise and who were foolish. Later on the application will be made to emphasize that
the outward appearance made little difference
Cmt. The correct preparation for the coming of the bridegroom was to have complied with
his wishes and to be in condition to enter in with him.
Apl. What is expected by God of the sinner so he/she might be in condition to enter into
Heaven when the Lord returns? 2 Peter 3:9, " ... The Lord is not slack
concerning his promise, ... but is longsuffering to us-ward, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
Cmt. The lighted lamp would show who were the wise, for they had obtained the oil to have
it burning, according to what they knew was required.
Ilu. Timothy was one who was wise. See 2 Timothy 3:15 "And that from a
child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."
Cmt. The lamp is a figure of the Christian life fed and maintained by the presence of the
Holy Spirit.
Cns. Since the oil is a figure of the Holy Spirit, His presence is essential to have the
light shining as evidence that He is dwelling within. See Romans 8:9, "Now if any man
have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
- It was the Lord Jesus Himself who said that five were wise and five were foolish, and
not bad or good.
Cns. Wisdom is seen in paying attention to what is required in any given situation and
includes the idea of being prudent in applying good judgment so that nothing is left
undone.
Cmt. In the original, the word wise means to perceive or understand correctly what must be
done and then do it. This is seen in what the five wise virgins did.
- The difference was internal and not visible to the eye of the onlooker.
- It was not external preparation that determined whether they entered the wedding feast
or not, but something inside their lamps that was the decisive factor.
- When they went to the street where they were to await the bridegroom, all behaved alike.
- While the bridegroom tarried, they all fell asleep.
Apl. There can be a lack of faith in the carnal Christian who lives as if the coming of
the Lord is not going to occur very soon.
- At midnight the shout of alarm is heard, "Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye
out to meet him."
- All the virgins heard the warning, awakened and began to attend to their lamps.
- At this point it became apparent which were the wise and which were the foolish virgins.
Lsn. This will happen at the very moment the Lord comes, at which point a person's true
condition will become evident.
- The prudent virgins were not being selfish when asked to contribute from their oil, for
it was not possible to share it.
Cmt. The lamp is a figure of the Christian life, fed and maintained by the presence of the
Holy Spirit.
Cns. As the oil within the vessel provides fuel for the flame, so the presence of the Holy
Spirit in the life of a person enables one to give evidence that he/she is truly saved.
Apl. The presence of the Holy Spirit is not something that can be shared or passed on to
another.
- The foolish virgins did not enter in to the feast because they were not prepared.
SCENE No. 3 VISUAL AIDS: Figures of two groups with five young women in each
one, a lamp with a flame and one without a flame, and a picture of a dove, representing
the Holy Spirit. Below the dove, the figure of a young person reading the Bible.
DEVELOPMENT:
Cns. It was not enough to have a lamp, a kind of Christian testimony. It is not
enough to say one believes in Christ. Neither is it enough to live a good life, if one
does not have the Holy Spirit living within.
- The Holy Spirit is received when a person is converted to Christ and is not something
that is obtained on demand or comes from time to time when one wishes.
- The lamp had to contain the oil to be useful.
- Once it was prepared, the lamp would give light as required.
- The lamp which is lit represents the outward testimony of the believer in Christ, and
gives evidence of the Holy Spirit's power within in order to adequately serve God.
- Just as the oil was necessary to feed the flame of the wick, so also the Holy Spirit is
necessary for any spiritual activity
- The wise virgins were able to rise to the occasion and serve the bridegroom when he
arrived.
- The foolish virgins could not be useful to him due to having been careless about
obtaining something essential.
- The Holy Spirit in combination with the Word of God is like the oil, and invigorates the
life of the Christian.
SCENE No. 4 VISUAL AIDS: Figures of a closed door and five young women
outside. Inside, figures of people happy and rejoicing together.
DEVELOPMENT:
- The five virgins who did not have oil when the bridegroom came find the door closed.
- It was not possible to be admitted later, as if given a second chance.
- The happiness of the ones who entered the feast is in sharp contrast to the unhappiness
and desperation of those on the outside.
SUMMARY:
Sug. Start a conversation among the students about the things that all the young women
shared in common: For example,
1) Knowledge of the coming event;
2) Similarity to each other;
3) Intentions of entering;
4) Knowledge of the one requirement, a lamp with oil, etc.
Cmt. Many of the students in the class know about the coming of the Lord and about what is
required to be ready. Several or perhaps all of them have a Bible, and all of them
look quite similar.
Qsn: If the Lord were to come suddenly, how many would find themselves outside of Heaven
and be unable to enter? |
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