INTRODUCTION
When Derek was twelve years old, he had to stand before a judge.1 He was shaking in his shoes. His knees were knocking together. And he hadn’t even done anything wrong! He was simply called into court because someone had stolen his bicycle from the parking lot of the local swimming pool.
Many of us have grown up with similar thoughts of anxiety and fear about the final judgment. Perhaps we have heard the Three Angels’ Messages recorded in Revelation 14, which begin with these words: “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come” (Rev 14:7).2 We may have heard the solemn warning of the apostle Paul that “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” (2 Cor 5:10). It all sounds very troubling, doesn’t it?
Today I want to consider with you what Jesus taught about the judgment. We’ll discover that for those who belong to Jesus, the judgment is good news. Jesus clearly taught that there will be a day of judgment. (Read Matt 11:21–24.) Jesus also taught that “for every idle word men [and women] may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment” (Matt 12:36). But Jesus also taught three pieces of good news about the judgment.
I. JESUS IS THE JUDGE
Let’s begin our search in John 5. (Read John 5:22.) “For the Father judges . . .” how many? “The Father judges no one.” Who, then, does the judging? “But has committed all judgment to the Son.” The first piece of good news that Jesus teaches about the judgment is that Jesus Himself is the judge.
Remember Derek’s anxious encounter with that judge who was perched up behind the huge wooden desk?3 Do you think he would have experienced different emotions if that judge had been his friend? Absolutely! Derek wouldn’t have been shaking in his shoes if he had known that the judge was his friend, that the judge cared for him, that the judge loved him.
Do you get my point? Jesus tells us, “There’s something very important that I want to tell you about the judgment: I’m the judge. I’m in charge! I render the verdicts.” That’s good news, my friends! Our precious Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who loves us and gave Himself for us—He is the judge! The Father has committed all judgment to the Son.
II. JESUS WILL IDENTIFY ALL THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIM
There is a second piece of good news Jesus taught about the judgment. It is embedded in a story Jesus told about the time when the Son of Man will perform that work of judgment. (Read Matt 25:31–46.)
Now we need to be careful that we don’t read too much into this story. This story is not teaching us how to be saved. We are saved when we look in faith to Jesus as our Savior and Lord. This story is not addressing the issue of how we are saved, but we can learn what happens in the final judgment. Jesus—the Son of Man, Son of God, the One to whom the Father has committed all judgment—identifies those who belong to Him. It’s true that those who belong to Him have certain identifying characteristics. But that’s not the reason they belong to Jesus. Rather, those characteristics reveal that they do indeed belong to Jesus. This story of the sheep and the goats teaches us that in the judgment, Jesus will identify those who belong to Him. Jesus knows those who belong to Him.
Imagine that I brought a pack of one hundred dogs up here on the platform. Don’t worry! I’m not going to do it! But just imagine. How many of you here have a dog as a pet? Imagine your dog was part of the pack. Would you be able to identify which dog belonged to you? You say, “Of course!” How? Why, you know your dog. You know what your dog looks like, and your dog responds to your voice. If you called your dog by name, what would happen?
Do you get the point? Jesus knows those who belong to Him! Jesus won’t make any mistakes. He will identify all those who belong to Him. That’s good news. What do you say?
III. FOR THOSE WHO BELONG TO JESUS, THE OUTCOME OF THE JUDGMENT IS ALREADY SETTLED
There is a third piece of good news Jesus taught about the judgment—and it’s the best news of all. (Read John 5:24a.) You say, “Now, that is good news!” We can know with certainty that through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord we have everlasting life! Amen. But Jesus isn’t finished. “He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24b).
For the person who belongs to Jesus, the outcome of the judgment is already settled. We don’t have to be anxious. We don’t have to be afraid. Jesus, our precious Savior, who loves us and gave Himself for us—He is the judge. And in the judgment, Jesus will identify all those who belong to Him. And for those who belong to Him, the outcome of the judgment is already settled. That, my friends, is good news.
Perhaps there is someone here who is thinking, “Wait a minute! How is that possible that those who belong to Jesus can pass through the judgment that easily? How can a just and holy God just pass over all our sins that are worthy of condemnation and death?” (see: Rom 6:23). The Gospel prophet Isaiah answered that question seven hundred years before the Son of God came to this earth. Speaking of the Messiah who was to come, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the prophet Isaiah shared this revelation. (Read Isa 53:5–6.) Jesus was treated as we deserve that we might be treated as He deserves. What amazing grace!
CONCLUSION
So, what have we learned today? When you belong to Jesus, the judgment is good news! We discovered three pieces of good news Jesus taught about the judgment: Jesus is the Judge, He will identify all those who belong to Him, and for those who belong to Jesus the outcome of the judgment is already settled. Isn’t that good news, my friends?
I’m wondering if there is someone here today who has been afraid of the final judgment. Maybe it’s because you have never personally accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord. You know that if you must stand alone in the day of judgment, you are in deep trouble. You realize that you need a Savior. You need Jesus. You need to know that He will be your Judge. You need to know that He will identify you as one of those who belong to Him. You need the assurance that because you belong to Jesus, the outcome of the judgment is already settled for you. Do you long for that assurance today? Then I want to invite you to receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord today. When you do that, the Bible says, you can know that you have everlasting life, and you can also know that you will not come into judgment, but have passed from death into life. Remember, for those who belong to Jesus, the judgment is good news.
And for those of us who have received Jesus as our personal Savior, but we’ve been anxious about the judgment, accept the good news that Jesus taught. There is no need to be anxious or afraid about the judgment. Praise your Savior, Judge, and soon-coming King today. For those who belong to Jesus, the judgment is good news.
1 Use your own experience before a judge or police officer, if you have one.
2 All Scripture references are from the NKJV.
3 If you used your own opening illustration, put your character into this paragraph.
Derek J. Morris, DMin, is the former president of Hope Channel International, Inc., Silver Spring, MD, USA.
