The Judgment of Jesus

Jesus once told a story about a grain field. In the story an enemy comes along and throws some kind of weed seeds to grow up all around the planted wheat.

When it was pointed out to the owner that weeds had infiltrated his field, the servants asked him if they should separate the weeds out. The master said that instead they should wait until the harvest. He didn’t want any of the good wheat destroyed in trying to sort out the weeds prematurely.

At the harvest, however, all of the weeds would be removed and torched, while the wheat would be gathered in his barn.

This story portrays the separation that will happen at the final judgment. Although both weeds and wheat look alike for a while and grow up side by side, at the harvest they will be distinguished and treated accordingly.

God has given authority to judge to Jesus Christ (John 5:19-29). You will one day stand before him and give account to him.

Going to court today can be scary. Although our justice system is excellent and filled with wonderful judges, mistakes can be made. Earthly judges do their best to sort through the information that is presented to them and then to compare the evidence to the relevant laws.

But what about those times when the truth can not be proven, or when an attorney discovers a loop hole? What if a judge was personally suffering under the weight of some massive crisis at home, and you reminded him of his wife? There have been enough cases through the years to say that errors can be made in the judicial system.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the ideal judge because he knows everything and he is perfectly just. He doesn’t need the help of attorneys. His character personifies the laws of God. Nothing gets past his precise gaze.

People have remarkable ideas about this final judgment (at least the ones that know enough about the Bible to know it is coming!). The big bad sinners, like murders, rapists, and child molesters will be in big bad trouble with Jesus. The people that ignore God throughout their lives will probably be in trouble as well.

The people that are in religions that basically try to live out moral virtues might be OK. The people that do smaller bad things, but then honestly try to make up for them with good deeds will probably be OK. The Christians are set; of course Jesus will be happy about the ones claiming to be his followers. Right?

Although such ideas are rampant, how do they match up to the Bible’s teaching? Let’s start with the last group—the followers of Jesus.

Is it possible that people who claim to be Christians are really not Christians? Clearly, this is true. Jesus himself said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Even the story of the weeds and the wheat demonstrates that people who look alike and grow up in the same kinds of cultures will be separated out and judged differently on the last day. Jesus said that MANY who claim to be his followers will be horribly surprised in the end.

When it comes to morally upright members of non-Christian religions, stop and think of Jesus’ interactions with the Pharisees of his day. Those men were incredible models of outward morality. They had more zeal for outward obedience to the revealed laws of God, than most who have lived before or after them. One earth, Jesus called them names like hypocrites and a den of snakes. How do you think people like them will do at the Judgment?

While we see differing consequences of big sins and smaller sins, there is a sense that all sin is equally wicked before the Lord. If you break a big part of a window or a small part of a window, you have equally broken the window. The same is true of sinners who break God’s laws.

Jesus’ brother James said, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty” (James 2:10-12).

I agree with those that think the people that live their lives ignoring God will be in trouble. The greatest commandment in the Bible is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). If you have violated the most important command every single day, Jesus isn’t going to be pleased one bit.

Basically, according to the Bible every single person is in trouble! Everyone has sinned, and nobody can get anything past the perfect Judge! What hope is there?

The only hope for surviving the judgment of Jesus is for Jesus to have mercy on you. How is that possible if he is a perfect judge? Perfect judges don’t let the guilty go free.

Jesus, the Son of God, died as a substitute for sinners in his death on the cross. For all who repent of their big sins, small sins, and even their good religious deeds (which are inadequate), God will count Jesus’ death as covering your sins and treat you as if you were righteous.

Here are your great words of hope in dealing with Jesus’ judgment: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Turn from your sins and trust the risen Lord Jesus Christ this very day, for today is one day closer to Judgment Day than yesterday.