Jesus as Judge

Why will God the Father not be the Judge at the Great White Throne Judgement?  God appointed Jesus as the Judge, 

‘Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son…’  John 5:22

Jesus is perfectly qualified to ensure that the Judgement will be fair.  Isn’t it marvelous that nobody will be able to complain about an inferior Judge because He is God, the Son of God the Father.  After Jesus’ Death and Resurrection, 

‘…God… exalted [Jesus] to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’  Philippians 2:9-11

Incidentally, we believe that it is at the Judgment where all the above will bow before Him –  His followers because of love, awe, respect and thanks for their salvation; the unbelievers because they will finally see Jesus of Nazareth, the One they spat upon, ridiculed and cursed.  Then He will be on the Throne in all His glory.  It will be an awesome sight – enough to make every one fall down and confess He is truly the Lord.

No one at the Judgement will be able to object that God, the Judge, does not know how difficult life on earth was for them.  People experience bad conditions, oppression, setbacks, tears, pain, and all that.  Well, Jesus experienced it all.  He chose and planned His humble life on earth to include what people would experience.  For example, 

• His mother became pregnant ‘outside’ marriage.
• His parents had to lookout for the traps of Herod, who wanted Jesus killed.  The angel warned Joseph to flee to Egypt.
• He lived the humble life of a carpenter in an obviously not wealthy house until He was 30.
• He experienced life under the Romans and the hostile religious community,
• He experienced rejection by His family, His nation, the religious rulers, the Roman rulers and finally by His beloved Father.
• He suffered brutal physical wounds before He died of a broken heart.    

Conclusion

Nobody will accuse Jesus that He does not know what it is like to live life as a human being.  God is absolutely brilliant to stop any criticism of Jesus as Judge.

Greatest battle in history

Tomorrow we again celebrate the single most important event in the history of the world – the battle waged around the Son of God, Son of Man.  The usurper, Satan, intended to kill the Son of God, Son of Man.  Satan thought he had bagged it when Jesus was crucified.  Why was it so important to him to get rid of God’s Son?  

Scripture testifies to how it happened that Satan became ruler of this world,    

1. Earth was given by God to man,

‘The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth He has given to man.’   Psalm 115:16   

2.  God wants man to look after the earth,

‘The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.’  Genesis 2:15 

3.  God gave man authority to rule over creation.  Satan rebelled against God.      He coveted Adam’s rulership and by deceit he got it,  

‘We know that we are children of God and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.’  1 John 5:19

God foreknew it would happen.  Already, at the time that Satan took over the rulership from Adam, God promised that there will be a Seed of the woman who will crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15).  Satan was wary all the time to make sure that Seed did not destroy his reign of destruction, hatred, bloodshed, violence, et cetera.  He recognized that Jesus was the promised Seed of the woman.  It became Satan’s obsession to kill Him.   

The four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John testify about the Son of God who became Son of Man.  Jesus taught and preached and revealed the Kingdom.  Satan had to get rid of Him.  His time came.  After Jesus endured excruciating pain he was crucified.  Jesus was declared dead and buried.  The grave was sealed.  Guards were placed outside to make sure nothing happened to the body.  

Jesus was resurrected and emerged as the eternal Victor.  Satan’s efforts to get rid of Jesus failed and Satan’s loss is permanent.  That is what we once again celebrate this Easter – our Savior’s eternal victory because of His immeasurable love. 

An outsider’s take on America

It is interesting to observe what is happening in the United States of America.  The question I, an outsider, not an American citizen, but very interested in the news from there, ask myself is, do we have a repeat of the Tower of Babel? Genesis 11:1-9    

The people who migrated after the great flood in Noah’s time, travelled east and decided to build a city, 

‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the earth.’  Genesis 11:4

Note that at the basis it was opposition against God’s instructions: 

• They refused to fill the earth as God commanded.  
• They desired to make a name for themselves, not honor God.  
• They began to build a tower that will reach the heavens, God’s dwelling place.  

In short, it was rebellion against God.  What was God’s answer? 

‘Come, let us go down and confuse their language, so they will not understand each other….  So the Lord scattered them from there all over the world, and they stopped building the city.’  Genesis 11:7-8

Do the words ‘division and destruction’ depict what is happening in America?  

Two other words are ‘confusion and scattering.’  Jesus warned, 

‘Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.’  Matthew 12:25 

Conclusion

Nobody denies that there are millions of serious followers of Jesus in America.  The Church in America has been a blessing all over the world for many years.  Despite that, the division, confusion and destruction of Godly values in America is serious.

As we observe, from an imperfect nation, what does Jesus expect?  Prayer for our leaders so we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  1 Timothy 2:1