“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” – 2 Timothy 4:1-2
The living God who created you and all things is the living God who chose you before time began. (Colossians 1:16, Ephesians 1:4-6) The living God who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light in Christ is the God who disciplines you out of His great love, chastening and sanctifying you as His sons and daughters. (1 Peter 2:9, Hebrews 12:5-7) It’s this same God, and specifically the Lord Jesus Christ who rules as the Just Judge on His throne now and will return bringing final judgment as the Judge over all His creation at His second coming.
Reminders and growth in knowledge about this truth were important for Timothy as he considered the great need for him to be faithful in preaching the pure Word and Gospel of Christ, especially to those who didn’t want to listen to biblical preaching. Similarly, reminders and growth in your knowing Jesus as Judge are important for your sitting under preachers and preaching, as well as your faithfulness in your walk in your calling and station as you seek to know your God, know Him more, and serve Him well. Many today are happy to think about God as one of love, mercy, and compassion. However, they become uncomfortable when you continue to present the fullness of His attributes that include perfect wrath, justice, holiness, and righteousness. They shake their heads when you declare Christ to be the just Judge who will return to judge the living and the dead. And yet, it’s all true and His people praise and worship Him for all that He is and all He will do!
As you consider and study more about Christ as Judge, what’s involved in the details? Let’s look at four things briefly:
- The Judge has authority- This is true of Christ. God the Father has given Him, as the victorious King, all authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:19). The Father has committed all judgment to the Son (John 5:22). “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.” (John 5:26-27) Remember why Jesus called Himself the Son of Man in Scripture. We can often tend to think that Jesus’ calling Himself the Son of Man was an expression of humility, when, in fact, it was an exalted title as it was His claiming divine authority. (Daniel 7:13-14) Therefore, as the Son of Man, as the perfect Lawgiver and Judge, Jesus will be faithful in executing judgment.
- The just Judge knows what is good and right- There are plenty of unjust judges in this world. Whether this can be seen through their turning a blind eye to sin and evil, or whether they overtly love evil and promote it through wicked judgments, when you know Jesus and His love for true justice and righteousness, you see the stark contrast as He has a desire to see what is true, good, and beautiful triumph over sin and evil- and it does and will. (Psalm 33:5, Psalm 37:28, Luke 18:7-8) Jesus intimately knows what’s good and right for He is the definition of them. You find this gloriously true as your Advocate before the Father is Jesus Christ, the Righteous. (1 John 2:1) This is gloriously true as what’s good and right is perfectly fulfilled in Him!
- The just Judge is wise and discerns truth- The judge who has godly wisdom is one who sorts through the testimonies, facts, and evidence in a case and correctly discerns what is true. In His omniscience and wisdom, God is the divine searcher of hearts. He finds all of the facts and sees them clearly. Christ is truth, and therefore rightly distinguishes the truth from a lie every single time. He knows. (Genesis 18:20) What will happen when Jesus returns? The Apostle Paul teaches you in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
- The Judge has power to execute- It’s true that judges today pronounce sentences for crimes committed. However, they have no power to execute the judgment. Others do that. This isn’t true of Christ. He made the law, tries the case, pronounces the sentence against lawbreakers, and punishes them for their crime(s). As you think about this, know that Jesus won’t have to wait for someone to execute His final judgment. No, He will sovereignly bring the judgment to pass promptly.
The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 33, Of the Last Judgment, provides you with a helpful summary of what God reveals about Christ’s work as Judge at His return.
- God hath appointed a day, wherein he will judge the world, in righteousness, by Jesus Christ, to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father. In which day, not only the apostate angels shall be judged, but likewise all persons that have lived upon earth shall appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds; and to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil.
- The end of God’s appointing this day is for the manifestation of the glory of his mercy, in the eternal salvation of the elect; and of his justice, in the damnation of the reprobate, who are wicked and disobedient. For then shall the righteous go into everlasting life, and receive that fullness of joy and refreshing, which shall come from the presence of the Lord; but the wicked who know not God, and obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ, shall be cast into eternal torments, and be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.
- As Christ would have us to be certainly persuaded that there shall be a day of judgment, both to deter all men from sin; and for the greater consolation of the godly in their adversity: so will he have that day unknown to men, that they may shake off all carnal security, and be always watchful, because they know not at what hour the Lord will come; and may be ever prepared to say, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly, Amen.
Meditate on these things this week, Beloved. Jesus as Judge is a solemn and serious reality. May it affect your humility and zeal to be faithful in obeying Him, as well as encouraging one another now. As all will stand before Him, may it also give you even greater zeal to share the Gospel today. Look for opportunities and follow through on them. As Timothy was to preach the Word in season and out of season, you too be ready for the opportunities God brings across your path to encourage one another with the salve of Christ, as well as share it with those who are lost.
Take joy and look forward with anticipation and hope at the coming judgment of Christ. For you have been bought with His blood, redeemed, adopted into His family, and are clothed in the righteous robes of your righteous King. It will be a humbling and glorious day to stand before Him. Praise the Lord!