Final Judgement

Jesus as King, Judge, and Shepherd

God’s son is here, the inheritance has arrived as well as the sentencing.

Not a parable, a real event coming in the future.

Sheep vs Goats

They suffer all these things because of the Lord. In the same way, because of the saints the Lord suffers all these things with them. - Epiphanius the Latin

When Jesus says that in helping them you did it for me, this moving identification of Jesus with his ‘brothers’ recalls the principle of 10:40–42, where to receive the disciples is to receive Jesus, and it is a cup of water given to ‘one of these little ones because he is my disciple’ which will be rewarded. In that case, the criterion of judgment is not mere philanthropy (good as that is), but people’s response to the kingdom of heaven as they have met it in the person of Jesus’ ‘brothers’. D.A. Carson

Married Gloria - 6 siblings - 2 parents - clothed both parents and gave them a drink at wedding - if I cut them out, cared not, then when her father is dying I roll up and am like, “where’s my money?” Where were you? How you treat my kids is how you treat me. And I don’t know you.

Kingdom Encouragement

Jesus is with the church, one to one.

Galatians 6:9–10 ESV

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

The New International Version Chapter 6

9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

We have an opportunity to do good.

I want you to try and imagine this amazing seen at the end of time before us today. Jesus foretells of an actual event that is to come when all the nations will be gathered before him in final judgement.

Picture: Glorious Jesus, sitting on his glorious throne. Power, majesty simply emanating from him, so glorious you feel you have the need to look away it’s so spectacular but he’s so beautiful and perfect you remain transfixed. As he sits on his glorious throne in complete command as king.

Angels, whose names are too wonderful for us to pronounce flank his right and left, terrifyingly glorious in their own right but no comparison to the Son of God who is consummating his reign on earth as king. Before him lies the task of welcoming those who are righteous into his kingdom forever, and condemning those who are not unrighteous. Everyone will be judged, and we will either be accepted or condemned.

Before him and his angels are “all the nations,” literally every person who has ever lived. Demographers estimate that there has been 117 billion people who have ever lived on earth. There are 8 billion now, but total is estimated to be 117 billion people. If each person took up roughly 3ft by 3 ft square, 117 billion people would roughly fill all of Chesapeake and Virginia beach. All those people, from every time period, pre-historic nomads, ancient Egyptians, Romans, Chinese from every dynasty, Africans, Norwegians, Americans, Virginians, Norfolk. Who would you be standing next to? Weather you believed in God or not, here he is, and here you are. It’s not our version of events that will come to pass, it’s God’s and this is it. You’re before him now.

What criteria will the king of heaven and earth use to seperate righteous “sheep” from unrighteous “goats.”Will it be how many people fought in battle for him? How much land or coin or people you added to the kingdom? Would it be how much you contributed to the overall GDP of heaven in your life time? How many times you voted for him? No, unlike most rulers in human history your worthiness of God’s kingdom will not be your political, military, or economic contributions. It will not be how much you added, but how much you gave away. Not how much you give, but how you were willing to give up in order to receive Jesus.

Jesus says very simply- if you received me in your life I will receive you in the life to come. In whatever kingdom you found yourself, if you cared for me I will care for you. If you identified with me, Jesus says, in my suffering on earth, I will identify you as my own in glory. If you gave up your food, drink, clothes, time, money to receive, help, suffer with me, I will receive you in my glorious kingdom for all eternity.

The twist is: when did we see you? Both the righteous and unrighteous say! His answer: As you did for my brothers and the least of these, you did for me. “When Jesus says that in helping them you did it for me, this moving identification of Jesus with his ‘brothers’ recalls the principle of 10:40–42, where to receive the disciples is to receive Jesus, and it is a cup of water given to ‘one of these little ones because he is my disciple’ which will be rewarded. In that case, the criterion of judgment is not mere philanthropy (good as that is), but people’s response to the kingdom of heaven as they have met it in the person of Jesus’ ‘brothers’. D.A. Carson” “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.” Jesus says.

This passage has three take away: Church as heavenly delegation, he is with us, love one another and the world

When people receive us they receive Jesus and his kingdom. How does that change your thinking of church? Friends we are a delegation sent from the Kingdom of heaven to the world. Whoever would receive and join us will be recieved and joined to Christ himself. We have such good news to share as his kingdom delegation.

Jesus is with his people - Jesus say to his apostles at the great commission “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded, and surly I will be with you always, to the end of the age.” Well here’s the end of the age, here are all the nations, and Jesus is reviewing how he has been with them the whole time. When you suffered for my sake, I suffered. When you were cared for, I was cared for. Friends as we make disciples and suffer-and give up our money, our time, our clothes, food....ect, he is with us. He is with us as we share.

We are to love one another and the world. “By this the world will know you are my disciples,” Jesus says, “if you have love for one another.” And yet “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” The king who is judging the righteous and condemning the wicked is the same king who died for all of them. We love one another as Christ has loved us.

The apostles Paul says in Galatians 6: 9-10

9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Friends, we have so many opportunities to do good to “all people” and “the family of believers.” Yet we focus on one opportunity today. As it has been mentioned, today is compassion Sunday. We will learn how we can support kids in need in Guatemala and Rwanda. As ambassadors of Christ, we will be ministering to Christ, and receiving the ministry of Christ, who is with us always, even to the end of the age .