Focus: Don’t be afraid! As the Son of Man, Jesus is the Judge over all, who reveals himself as the Redeemer of his people.
Function: To comfort and to encourage and to warn all present of Christ’s coming as the Son of Man.
Text: Matthew 25:31-46
Lord’s Day 19
“From there he will come to judge the living and the dead,” so we say without blinking an eye as we recite the story of the Christian faith summarized in the Apostles’ Creed. How many of us have a tinge of fear when we think of God’s judgment? How many of us find any comfort in the Bible’s teaching that Christ will come again and judge the world?
The idea of a judgment day brings to mind all kinds of catastrophic pictures. In the 50’s and 60’s the world was on edge, as it feared a power confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States. Cubans aimed rockets at America, capable of carrying nuclear bombs, and Americans were creating bomb shelters and nuclear stockpiles. The super powers were in an arms race and the world feared the terror of an apocalypse—a nuclear day of judgment.
Today, the world is on edge again. In our war on terror, we worry about so-called rogue nations—Iran and North Korea—who are or might be capable of shooting nuclear missiles onto other nations. The axis of evil is real, and the judgment day scenarios these rogue nations can create are just as real. Some fear the apocalyptic terror of nuclear judgment; others are oblivious or just don’t care.
And then again, we have other judgment day scenarios as well. These scenarios relate to the “natural” world and include catastrophic impacts of meteorites on planet earth; global warning where the waters of the oceans will flood the earth; and a possible coming ice age, due to volcanic ashes darkening the world for months to come. All of these scenarios have the power to cause fear and “angst” in the hearts of many.
And then we have the Christian church, declaring to the world the story of God’s salvation in Christ Jesus, who has ascended into heaven and who “…will come to judge the living and the dead.” There is no question that the Bible speaks about the final judgment day in tones of warning and exhortation. For judgment may lead to eternal punishment and fiery condemnation.
So, is it right, is it smart, is it necessary, is it edifying for the church to emphasize this teaching that Jesus will “come to judge the living and the dead”? My answer is simple: Yes! As the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus Christ is the judge over all, who reveals himself as the Redeemer of his people.
Therefore, listen up all you who ignore the Lord Jesus! Fear the Son of Man! And therefore, listen up all you who know the Lord Christ! Do not be afraid!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Matthew 25, we find the Lord Jesus preparing his contemporaries and disciples for things to come. He speaks about the end of time, when there shall be a final judgment and separation taking place: The Judge will separate the sheep from the goats, and the goats will be consigned to a place of torment and eternal perdition.
I want to respond to a widespread notion, especially among our Catholic Christian friends—a notion that says: we must do good works to earn our salvation. A quick reading of this passage may leave us with the impression that good works and loving deeds give us access to eternal life, and the absence of doing good works leads to the road of eternal punishment and hell.
But such a conclusion works against other biblical texts
and it also works against careful observations from Jesus’ words in this text.
For example, Jesus refers to a figure called the “Son of Man.” That figure appears in one of the O.T. prophet Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7:13) “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Now Jesus has taken this figure of the Son of Man in Daniel’s vision, and he applies that figure to himself.
Also, in the text, we learn that the Son of Man is also called “the King” (vs. 34), and this King is in relationship with God the Father (vs. 34). And we learn that this Jesus, this Son of Man, this King sits on his throne in heavenly glory. That is, Jesus is seated as judge. And all the nations of the world are gathered before him.
Among the peoples of the world, we also find the holy nation, the church, the elect, the righteous, the people of God, the household of faith, or the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. They stand out as the sheep. All those who have lived in rebellion against God’s Son, who have ignored him, mocked him, or offended him by their obstinate unbelief are the goats: they are (using biblical language) the wicked, the unrighteous, the unjust, the unfaithful. They are unbelievers and thus enemies of God.
Both the sheep and the goats receive their rewards for works of love and service either done or omitted. The King says to the sheep: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”
And to the goats he says, “Depart from me, you who are
cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
Now here is the POINT to notice in Jesus’ words: The
sheep are standing before the judgment seat as “the people of God,” as people
known by God, as people who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; they stand
before the judge in a right relationship. They stand before God longing to
receive their inheritance—eternal life, God’s heavenly rule to be lived on a
restored creation. That inheritance cannot be earned by anyone with good works.
That inheritance or salvation is entirely God’s gift of salvation.
So, we must not conclude from Jesus’ words that salvation
or eternal life and glory can be earned with good deeds; rather, we must see
good deeds done by God’s people as an obvious response of gratitude and duty
toward Christ for his work of salvation offered to the world.
The sheep are the redeemed; and they think nothing of it
to serve the downtrodden, or the poor, or the disadvantaged, the sick, the
hungry or the prisoner. Christians, who are the redeemed, are to live
Christ-like lives; love and service to our neighbor are the elements that ought
to characterize our lives.
In
this story of the final judgment, then, the Lord Jesus spurs his disciples onto
good works—NOT because we can earn our salvation, but because good works and
loving deeds reflect Christ within us and through us. Unbelief, rebellion, the
goat-life that characterizes sinful selfishness and hostility or ignorance
toward the person and work of Christ—these are factors that lead to eternal
punishment and damnation.
Those of us who close our
eyes to Jesus and all he stands for—beware! There is reason for fearing the Son
of Man’s final verdict on Judgment Day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, how should Christians take the Bible’s teaching on
the final judgment? Should we fear this coming of the Son of Man? Should we
shake in our boots? And should we live with a tinge of “angst” in our dying
days?
The Heidelberg Catechism helps us to take the right
posture. In Lord’s Day 1 the Catechism asks: “What is your only comfort in
life and in death?” And the answer is: that we “belong, body and soul,
in life and in death to our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ….”
Reflecting
upon the Bible’s teaching of Jesus being our ascended Lord and Judge over all,
the Catechism asks in L.D. 19 “How does Christ’s return ‘to judge the living
and the dead’ comfort you?” Note: it does NOT say, “terrify you,” or “puts
you off balance” or “makes you ill at ease.” No, the Catechism speaks of
comfort—an assurance, a hidden heart-felt, internal peace that passes all
understanding.
Listen to the voice of faith: “In all my distress
and persecution I turn my eyes to the heavens and confidently await as judge
the very One who has already stood trial in my place before God and so has
removed the whole curse from me.” Congregation, this is vintage
biblical faith in Jesus Christ. This is gospel at its deepest level. That
judge, that Son of Man, that King, that Jesus who is seated on the Judgment
Seat is our Redeemer.
He
is the One who has already stood trial in our place before God. Jesus is our
Mediator and Substitute: he took our place; he died our death; he conquered
sin, Satan, and hell; he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven; he comes
again. And anyone who turns to him in faith and trust receives ALREADY TODAY
that verdict that says: “Not Guilty!” For “There is now no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Therefore, we shall not fear the
Judge over all, for he is our Savior. In him we have life—forevermore!
So,
what do we do? We focus our eyes to the heavens—in good times and in bad times.
For our Savior King is coming from heaven in all his glory. And he will bring
with him his angels, his kingdom for us to inherit. And he will make all things
new. That’s the comfort we draw from the Bible’s teaching on the Son of Man.
What do we do? Shall we shake in our boots
and fear that day of judgment? No, says the voice of faith in tune with Scripture.
No, “All his enemies and mine (Christ) will condemn to everlasting
punishment: but me and all his chosen ones he will take along with him into the
joy and the glory of heaven.”
No
fear! But confidence! No dread! But comfort! This is gospel—good news! Do you
have this comfort? Do you know Jesus?