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Jesus Parable of Ten Bridesmaids

Matthew 25:1-13 NLT
[1]  “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. [2] Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. [3] The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, [4] but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. [5] When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. [6]  “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’ [7]  “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. [8] Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ [9]  “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’ [10]  “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. [11] Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ [12]  “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’ [13]  “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.25.1-13.NLT

Keeping oil in our lamps means being filled with the Spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit testifies that you belong to Him. The Holy Spirit is the promise to those who believe in His name; who repent and believe in the Gospel, the good news.

The parable of ten virgins. Five were foolish and weren’t paying attention. They were preoccupied with this world and its ways. They were busy partying and living the good life. They weren’t prepared or paying attention to the bridegroom. He wasn’t their first priority. So often we think we have forever, and the thought of Christ returning doesn’t seem to have a major effect on how we live our lives.

Having our lamps filled with oil, with our flasks filled as well, means we’re ready and waiting, because he could return at any moment. No person knows the day or the hour. But when he does return, how will he find those who belong to Him? By the state of their “lamp.”

You are the light of the world, sitting on a lampstand for all to see. Others won’t see a lamp that is slowly fading. Lamps fade unless they are properly trimmed and there is a constant supply of oil to fuel them. Don’t let your flame flicker, fade, or burn out. God will supply the oil we need, as we continue to make him our first and foremost priority over everything else. (Matthew 6:33)

The five wise virgins were prepared. Their lamps have plenty of oil to last them until the bridegroom returns. Are they being greedy and selfish by refusing to share their resources? No they’re not. We all must be prepared for the bridegroom’s return. Others can’t save us, we must have our own oil; our own filling of the Holy Spirit. God has provided all of heaven’s resources for us to remain in Him and He in us. We cannot ride into his kingdom on the coattails of others. We must have our own garment and our own lamp filled with oil.

Matthew 7:22-23 NLT
[22] On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ [23] But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.7.22-23.NLT

Psalms 5:4-5 NLT
[4] O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness; you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked. [5] Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence, for you hate all who do evil.

https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.5.4-5.NLT

Our first “works” is to remain in His word, to be filled with the Spirit. Then we’ll be properly prepared to do every good deed. Doing good deeds alone, without His Holy Spirit guiding us is merely works without faith. Faith and works must be simultaneous. Faith without works is a dead faith. Works alone without faith is the equivalent of serving religion. Many people go to church, donate their time, money and resources, but so often it’s for the recognition or the personal benefits of being benevolent and philanthropic.

Those who have a Kingdom mentality, who serve God and others through their good works, do it because of their faith, love and obedience to God, in response to His grace and mercy, and His great love for them. Those who have experienced His love firsthand will respond by seeking His Kingdom and His righteousness first and foremost.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 NLT
[3] We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. [4] We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. [5] We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. [6] And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient.

https://bible.com/bible/116/2co.10.3-6.NLT

Our battle is not with our flesh, but with every thought that enters our heart in an effort to take up space in our minds and attempting to control our actions, making us do whatever the flesh and human nature want. The flesh wants what it wants, but I’m no longer a slave to my flesh with its lusts and desires, because I’m filled with and walking in the spirit. If I belong to Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me through the Holy Spirit. He loves me and gave His life for me. Now my fitting response is to offer myself; heart, mind, soul and strength, to Him as a living sacrifice. Daily denying myself, taking up my cross and following Him.

Taking every thought captive; bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. My sinful thoughts need not control me. In Christ, it’s the other way around. Walking in the Spirit, I have the authority to tell my thoughts what to do. When a thought  comes my way, in an effort to give birth to temptation, and eventually sin, I don’t have to obey it. Wisdom, discernment and discipline are God given gifts. I will know the truth and reality of what comes next. His light in me allows me to see the dark corners in my soul, and to expose and extinguish those fiery darts aimed at my soul. The enemy’s efforts to take me down from the inside is where it starts. Before the actions of sin are completed, the thoughts were conceived and gave birth. We often don’t even think much in our sinful nature. We just act on impulse. But with the living power of God’s word within us, we come to know the truth that sets us free from the wiles of the enemy, Satan, the master of deception and trickery.

When we walk in the Spirit, we are able to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ within us. He gives us a spirit of wisdom, of understanding and knowledge, to know and obey His word, the scriptures, as Christ, the living and eternal Word of God lives in and through us, and we yield daily to His abiding presence.

The shield of faith is our weapon against the fiery darts of the enemy, along with the full armor of God, with which we are able to stand firm. Walk in the Spirit and you will not carry out the lusts of your flesh. (Galatians 5:16-18) This way you can truly live your life as a living sacrifice to God, honoring Him who loves you and gave His life for you .

You didn’t choose to be born imperfect, or even to be conceived or born at all. You are the product of someone else’s choice, a mom and dad, and the will of God. (Psalms 139)  But now you do have a choice, freewill, to repent and believe in the good news, or not. But God ultimately wins and has won, once for all time!

Choosing to love and worship God is a hard choice because we can’t see him. However, we can see His love through other people, as well as through the heavens (Psalms 19) and through the works of His hands.

Adam is the only man created without sin, except for Jesus Christ. We know the story in Genesis ch.3 regarding creation and the fall of man and the fall out from there. One of the most frequently asked questions about all of this is:

Did God intend for that to happen from the beginning or was it simply a matter of freewill and the propensity of man to rebel against God and commit sin?

Was it intentional on God’s part? Was this some sort of test of the prototype of mankind?

The answers to these deep probing questions have never been answered by religion or by any particular man, except for in Jesus Christ the second Adam (Romans 5). In Christ we have redemption and reconciliation.

I suspect that you may have heard all of this, but still question, or perhaps misunderstand God’s motives and purpose in allowing things to go the way they did in the garden of Eden, with that slippery serpent filled with deception and trickery and the fall of man, and the first promise and prophecy of redemption, grace and forgiveness in Genesis ch 3.

Repent and believe in the good news, aka the Gospel. Is it a blind faith? Or is it a deeper, heart probing issue between God and man, on a personal, one on one, Mano e Mano level?

One thing we can know and start with is the written word of God as recorded in the Bible, the holy scriptures, inspired by God, written by men as God has appointed.

The end of the matter, for me anyway, is just that; God’s word, through which we come to know the true, eternal Word of God, who took on flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1-14). True faith is not a blind faith, but the inner willingness to believe in a God we cannot see with our eyes, but like so many people in the Bible, we’ve experienced His grace, mercy and blessings on the inside of our hearts, at the core of our being.

The deep, probing questions that many of us ask are answered in Christ. But there are still great mysteries that remain .

One of my favorite verses in the Bible sums it up:

Deuteronomy 29:29 NLT
[29] “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.

https://bible.com/bible/116/deu.29.29.NLT

Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later

Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 MSG
[1] Be generous: Invest in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns. [2] Don’t hoard your goods; spread them around. Be a blessing to others. This could be your last night.

https://bible.com/bible/97/ecc.11.1-2.MSG

Ecclesiastes 11:1 NLT
[1] Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you.

https://bible.com/bible/116/ecc.11.1.NLT

Ecclesiastes 11:1 NKJV
[1] Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days.

https://bible.com/bible/114/ecc.11.1.NKJV

Galatians 6:9-10 NLT
[9] So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. [10] Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

https://bible.com/bible/116/gal.6.9-10.NLT

I heard this verse, Ecclesiastes 11:1, quoted on a TV show. A character playing a crime victim quoted this Bible verse when asked why she was giving money to prostitutes. She stated that she was trying to help these girls by giving them the night off. Her efforts were rewarded by becoming a victim of the pimp who was in charge of the prostitute she was trying to help. Upon being interviewed by police she said she was “casting her bread upon the waters, as the good book says” believing that her act of kindness and generosity will one day return to her. she had escaped a life of prostitution and was attempting to help others escape that lifestyle and har experienced the wrath of those who exploit women for profit; sex traffickers.

As the Message translation puts it,
Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 MSG
[1] Be generous: Invest in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns. [2] Don’t hoard your goods; spread them around. Be a blessing to others. This could be your last night.

https://bible.com/bible/97/ecc.11.1-2.MSG

There is great profit beyond material or monetary compensation when we help and serve others with our resources, financially, materially or simply supplying their need. This is the true meaning of living your neighbor as yourself. They may never be able to repay your act of kindness, but God sees and will reward you openly as you do your acts of kindness and charity in secret; not to draw attention or praise to yourself, but simply because you saw someone destitute and in great need, and you quickly came to their aid.

The Lord is my Shepherd. He is the door of the sheep. We must go through Him. In Christ we find true and everlasting peace, joy, rest and comfort .

Psalms 23:2 NKJV
[2] He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.23.2.NKJV

Psalms 23:2 NLT
[2] He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.

https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.23.2.NLT

John 10:9 NLT
[9] Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.

https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.10.9.NLT

Psalms 65:9-13 NLT
[9] You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so. [10] You drench the plowed ground with rain, melting the clods and leveling the ridges. You soften the earth with showers and bless its abundant crops. [11] You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance. [12] The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy. [13] The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain. They all shout and sing for joy!

https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.65.9-13.NLT

Ezekiel 34:14-15 NLT
[14] Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills. [15] I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord.

https://bible.com/bible/116/ezk.34.14-15.NLT

Revelation 7:17 NLT
[17] For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

https://bible.com/bible/116/rev.7.17.NLT

So often we hear the 23rd Psalm recited at funeral services, and with good reason; this Psalm brings great comfort, peace, and strength to those who are mourning the passing of a loved one. As much as this Psalm serves in that capacity, Psalm 23 is also a great source of living power from the word of God. In his word we do draw strength and encouragement for today and every day, when we’re feeling overwhelmed and heavily burdened with the ordinary pressures of life that can rob us of our spiritual, mental, physical and emotional health.

Whenever we find ourselves lost in the shuffle of daily life, trying our best to stay the course, turning to the Psalms, which are prayers written mostly to music; prayer songs, songs of worship, thanksgiving, and praise, we are able to tap into the living power that flows like a river in our soul.

Whenever we’re feeling sad or stressed about various people, places and things, and the random events of life, including the deaths of people we are close to; family, friends, loved ones, coworkers, etc, the living power that transcends the written pages of scripture penetrates our hearts and ministers to us on the inside where real grief and depression can set in and take hold out our soul, gripping it with worldly, even demonic forces and influences.

He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters, as opposed to pastures that are overgrown and overwhelmed by the weeds and waters that are turbulent and polluted with sin and unrighteousness.

When the Lord God of heaven and earth is your shepherd, you will have everything you need, the pasture and field of your heart and mind will be at peace with God and  His peace which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind, as you look to Him in faith and trust.

The world above us, the world around us, and the world within us!

God’s personal revelation of Himself to mankind through His Word, the scriptures

God has revealed Himself personally through the person and eternal Word of God, Jesus Christ, and through His written word as recorded in the Bible, aka, the scriptures.

Psalm 19:7-11 ESV
[7]  The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; [8]  the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; [9] the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. [10] More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. [11] Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.19.7-11.ESV

Although we can see God’s handiwork in the heavens above; the sun, moon, stars, constellations and distant galaxies, along with the weather patterns and how the earth and the universe that surrounds us and stretches beyond our ability to see, grasp or comprehend, the evidence of God’s existence and of His creative hand in everything that exists, both in heaven as well as on Earth and beneath the earth’s surface, leaves us wanting to know more and searching deeper and farther for answers to the questions of how our inner life connects with God and the world around us. There is the world that exists around us, on the outside. But there is also a world within each and every one of us.

Where do these two worlds meet and connect with one another? What does God want on the inside of us, in our hearts? What can we know about our Creator?

This brings us to Psalms 19:7-11.

God has not only revealed Himself through His handiwork in the heavens above, but through His Word, the Scriptures, aka, Holy Bible.

Before God’s word was ever written by men, chosen by God, to be filled with and inspired by His Holy Spirit to write down these God breathed words and revelation of Himself (2 Timothy 3:16-17), there was the true and eternal Word of God, who became flesh and dwelt among us.

John 1:1-4, 14 NLT
[1] In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He existed in the beginning with God. [3] God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. [4] The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
[14] So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.1.1-14.NLT

God’s eternal Word, known to us through His personal revelation, the scriptures, as the Lord Jesus Christ, had come into the world to reveal God the Father through Himself, and to bring the Holy Spirit to men, to reside in them and be with them forever. The triune God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who existed in the form of the Holy Trinity for eternity, both before the beginning of creation, now, and forever after, was coming into the world to redeem fallen man from sin (Galatians 4:4-5) and to reconcile God and man (Romans 5:14-19; 2 Corinthians 5:18-18).

I the Old Testament, we are presented with the Law and the Prophets, all of which prophesy of and point to God’s eternal and final Word, Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us.

The New Testament is the written revelation and  testimony of the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament; the Law and the Prophets, in the person of Jesus Christ. The New Testament testifies through the four Gospels, of Christ’s coming into the world, and of his life, ministry, teachings, and to His whole purpose in coming into the world, and the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world; the propitiation and perfect, eternal sacrifice, bringing salvation and redemption to mankind.

The rest of the New Testament reveals the outcome of the Gospels, which is the birth of the new creation, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and the beginning of the Church, which is the body of Christ, also referred to as the bride of Christ; Jesus Christ is the groom and we the Church, the body of Christ collectively are the  bride. The book of revelation presents the culmination of God’s creation and presenting the bride and groom to the Father, at the marriage supper of the Lamb; the presentation of once fallen, but now reconciled mankind to God, the way God originally intended when He created man in His image (Genesis 1:26-27)

We can know God externally through the heavens and creation around us, on the outside. But we can also come to know Him personally through the Bible, God’s inspired and written word, which reveals the person and work of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16)

What may be known of  God is revealed through His handiwork in the heavens.

Psalms 19:1-6 NKJV
[1] The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. [2] Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. [3] There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. [4] Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, [5] Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. [6] Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.19.1-6.NKJV

If all we had was the heavens and the skies above, proclaiming God’s glory through His handiwork; the sun, moon, stars, planets, constellations, distant galaxies, and infinite, vast expanse known as the universe, it would be more than enough evidence to speak volumes and testify, not only of His existence, but to His unsearchable greatness as well. Every day the skies above speak to us and give us proof of God’s existence and provides us with the assurance that God takes great care of all that He has created.

Psalms 19 provides us with a poetic declaration of God’s glorious revelation of Himself to mankind. He’s there. All we need to do is to look up and truly explore the heavens with our eyes, our imaginations and our hearts. The same God who spoke the universe into existence, created you and me. We can know Him, first, through this external revelation of Himself.

Then, as we begin to see His handiwork and Glory in the heavens, we will be open to receive God’s personal revelation of Himself through His word, the scriptures. Jesus is the word of God, who took on flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1-14)

As we come to know God externally through creation, the work of his hands, and personally through His Word; written in the Bible, spoken to us through His son, Jesus Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit within, we will then come to know Him internally and intimately, as His Word, Jesus Christ, is sown in our hearts through faith.

As of 2025, with all of the vast resources mankind has spent on space exploration, we have yet to barely scratch the surface of what we know about the universe, how far and deep outer space actually goes. With every new discovery we learn more about our universe, but we also learn that there is so much more out there to explore.

This infinite greatness of our world around us leaves us with many deep and probing questions:

Will we ever find the edges of our universe?

Will we ever come to know how far and deep our Creator has made this place called Earth and the worlds that surround us?

Will we every see God in His eternal glory?

Every culture has a certain belief in God, expressed through various religious traditions, but religion is not enough. Religion doesn’t address the deepest need within everyone of us. There is a deeper, more personal connection that we’re all searching for at the core of our lives, in our hearts. We’re created with an instinctive sense that there is more to our existence than what we can see, know and understand from creation outside of us and the universe that surrounds us.

Let’s explore Psalm 19 together and we’ll see some amazing truths about God and how He continually reveals himself to us externally, personally through His word, both written and as He speaks to us in our hearts. This is His internal revelation of Himself to each of us, in our hearts. This is where we become convinced of our need for Him as we’re convicted by the Spirit of God, that we cannot live without Him. We become well aware of the fact that, without God, we are nothing more than earthly bodies filled with dead man’s bones.

By His stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:3-6 NKJV
[3] He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. [4] Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. [5] But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. [6] All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

https://bible.com/bible/114/isa.53.3-6.NKJV

Good Friday is all about the price Jesus paid on the cross for the sin of the world. It is the day that the Church recognizes and commemorates as the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. Easter Sunday commemorates His resurrection from the dead, but good Friday is just as important in the resurrection celebration that we partake of every spring. Without the events that took place on Good Friday, there would be no redemption. If it had just been Christ crucified, with no resurrection, there would be no redemption or salvation. His resurrection; being raised from the dead, is the proof that God has redeemed mankind from the grip of sin and death and raised us to new life; eternal life through Christ. As John wrote in the gospel that bears his name;

John 3:16 NKJV
[16] For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

https://bible.com/bible/114/jhn.3.16.NKJV

John 3:16 is referred to as “the Gospel in a nutshell.”

Hundreds of years before Jesus Christ came into this world to die for the  sins of the world (Galatians 4:4&5) as the propitiation; the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the Prophet Isaiah foretold of this event. The four Gospels present the fulfillment of all that the Law and the Prophets had spoken of and pointed to. From the Garden of Eden to the Garden of Gethsemane, the Bible predicts and fulfills all that God had promised when Adam transgressed, partaking of the forbidden fruit and setting in motion God’s plan of redemption.

The day that we call Easter is the day when all of the prophesies that pointed to the coming Messiah, culminated in the arrest, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Christ. This is the Day that history was split in half, dividing time as B.C. and A.C.

The four Gospels and the rest of the New Testament God has given to us as a written testimony. His word is the living power and proof within us, as we read, meditate and pray. The coming of the Holy Spirit illuminates within us and testifies to the truth of the Gospel and the reality and presence of the resurrection in the lives of those who have received Christ as their Lord and Savior and have been born again of the Spirit. All of this had to happen, so that we might become the children of God.

This is why we call it “Good Friday.”