One day, Jesus will return. He will take His place on the throne of David in Jerusalem and rule over the earth. This will be a day of ultimate rejoicing – for those who have put their faith in Jesus, but a terrible day of judgement for the rest. That’s what Jesus is speaking about in this unusual parable about sheep and goats.

On that final day, people will no longer be known by nationality, language, race, or ethnicity. Rather, Jesus will divide mankind into two groups. The “sheep” group (verse 34) refer to the heirs of God’s Kingdom. In other words, anyone who has given their life to God through faith in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished for us on the cross, has been adopted into the Kingdom of God as sons and daughters. These “sheep,” as Jesus calls them, are full recipients to all their heavenly Father’s blessings – in this case, eternity with God in heaven.

To those in the “goat” category, well, the parable doesn’t end well. This is everyone else; those who choose their OWN will over God’s. They will be damned, facing eternal separation from God.

But there’s good news! Jesus shared this parable so that we might choose faith. He is giving everyone the opportunity to be adopted into our heavenly Father’s kingdom. It’s an incredible gift that we simply have to accept through faith in Jesus Christ.

So, are you a sheep or a goat? The GOAT of this world may be the “Greatest of all time,” but the true goats in Jesus’ story will be the ultimate losers. When mankind faces God’s ultimate judgement day, in which group will you be?