“All the nations will be gathering before Him and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:32).

The scene is judgment.  Jesus will judge all nations (that is everyone cf. John 5:22; Acts 17:31; Romans 2:16; 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Timothy 4:1, 8).  The sheep (the righteous) will be separated from the goats (the unrighteous).    

Can you distinguish, in the animal world, between a sheep and a goat?  Some species (varieties) are easy to distinguish, even for an untrained eye.  Other species are not as easy to distinguish.  However, there are difference.  One source listed the following differences: (1) Sheep have 54 chromosomes.  Goats have 60 chromosomes.  (2) A sheep’s tail hangs down.  A goat’s tail goes up (unless it is sick, frightened, or in distress).  (3) Sheep are grazers, preferring to eat short, tender grasses and clover.  Goats eat leaves, twigs, vines and shrubs.  They are very agile and will stand on their hind legs to reach vegetation.  Sheep graze close to the soil surface.  Goats like to eat the tops of plants.  (4) Sheep have a strong flocking instinct.  Goats are more independent.  (5) Most sheep grow wool coats that need to be sheared.  Most goats have hair coats that do not need to be sheared.  (6) Sheep have an upper lip that is divided by a distinct philtrum (groove).  Goats do not.  (7) Many breeds of sheep are naturally hornless.  Most goats are naturally horned.  (8) Sheep horns tend to curl on the side of the head.  Goat horns are more narrow, upright, and less curved.  (9)  Some sheep have manes.  Some goats have beards.  (10) Male goats tend to produce a stronger odor than sheep (Sheep 101: Sheep and Goats, sheep101.info).

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, distinguishes between His sheep and goats.  Specifically mentioned in context is that he observes how we care for one another (Matthew 25:31-46 cf. Galatians 6:10).  Will he count you as one of His sheep?