Jesus - Saviour? Judge?
We rightly speak of Jesus as Saviour. John 3:16-18 is God’s statement of intent: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its saviour. Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God's only Son.” Want to be spared God’s judgement and have eternal life? Jesus says, believe in Him.
John 12:44-48: Jesus said in a loud voice, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in him who sent me. Whoever sees me sees also him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness. If people hear my message and do not obey it, I will not judge them. I came, not to judge the world, but to save it. Those who reject me and do not accept my message have one who will judge them. The words I have spoken will be their judge on the last day!”
Jesus didn’t come to judge but to save, to free from darkness all who believe in Him. God doesn’t want to judge us. He wants to save and spare us.
But this is only half the story. This was Jesus’ first coming. Our Ephesians reading continues it. “[God] … raised Christ from death and seated him at his right side in the heavenly world. Christ rules there above all heavenly rulers, authorities, powers, and lords; he has a title superior to all titles of authority in this world and in the next. God put all things under Christ's feet and gave him to the church as supreme Lord over all things. The church is Christ's body, the completion of him who himself completes all things everywhere” (Ephesians 1:19-23).
No longer suffering Saviour, He rules over all. Every knee will bow and tongue confess He is Lord. He “will come again to judge the living and the dead” (2 Timothy 4:1). Revelation 1 presents a stunning picture of Christ with “a sharp two-edged sword [coming] out of His mouth”. Remember the Last Day, when those who don’t believe Jesus will be judged by His words. And those who’ve believed? Jesus said (in John 6:40), “For what my Father wants is that all who see the Son and believe in him should have eternal life. And I will raise them to life on the last day.” The Second Coming differs radically from the first.
Last month, Naeem preached from Habbakuk (1:2-4): “O Lord, how long must I call for help before you listen, before you save us from violence? Why do you make me see such trouble? How can you stand to look on such wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are all around me, and there is fighting and quarreling everywhere. The law is weak and useless, and justice is never done. Evil people get the better of the righteous, and so justice is perverted.”
This cry has sounded throughout history. Justice has its victories, but violence, trouble, fighting, quarreling, the triumph of evil, the perversion of justice continue.
Revelation 6:9-11: “I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed because they had proclaimed God's word and had been faithful in their witnessing. They shouted in a loud voice, “Almighty Lord, holy and true! How long will it be until you judge the people on earth and punish them for killing us?” Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little while longer, until the complete number of other servants and believers were killed, as they had been.” Martyred believers, from Abel onwards, including St Stephen and St Paul, still cry out. How long, O Lord? Wait. Until The Last Day. Here is an abridged version of Revelation 19:11-21:
“Then I saw heaven open, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True; it is with justice that he judges and fights his battles. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and he wore many crowns on his head. He had a name written on him, but no one except himself knows what it is. The robe he wore was covered with blood. His name is “The Word of God.” The armies of heaven followed him, riding on white horses and dressed in clean white linen. Out of his mouth came a sharp sword, with which he will defeat the nations. He will rule over them with a rod of iron, and he will trample out the wine in the wine press of the furious anger of the Almighty God. On his robe and on his thigh was written the name: “King of kings and Lord of lords.” … The beast and the false prophet were both thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. Their armies were killed by the sword that comes out of the mouth of the one who was riding the horse; and all the birds ate all they could of their flesh.”
Paul stated the church will judge the world and the angels. Is that the time?
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