Love and Judgement

Death Row

Imagine with me for a bit this morning that we are all inmates on death row awaiting our final meal and our final day. The trial has been had. The guilty verdict rendered. The judgement handed down by the judge, and condemned to death. All appeals have been exhausted all you have is time to sit in your cell. No more judgements to be rendered, you are condemned already.

This is the state we are in at this moment this the state the world is in condemned to die. This is the helpless estate the world finds itself in, but the LORD has regarded our helpless estate.

John 3:16 NLT

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

God saw the judged state of his beloved creation and did something about it.

Today as we sit in our cell how have you responded to the love God has poured out on the world? How has it changed and how does it continue to change you? How do we proclaim this love to a world sitting on death row?

That He Sent His Son

Why did God Send his Son?

Genesis 3:20–24 NLT

20 Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. 21 And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife. 22 Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” 23 So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. 24 After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

With the fall of humanity in Genesis 3 God already banished us from his presence, because we know both good and evil. Unfortunately as we look at our world today the deeds of the world are still evil.

The world as a whole still sits in its Genesis 3 state. Already judged, already condemned, already banished from God’s presence, already in their cell on death row.

God loved the world he created so much that he sent his one and only son that WHOSOEVER believes in him will not perish on death row but have eternal life.

God sent his son into this world of sin and darkness. He was rejected by the world, judged and condemned to die. He died a criminals death on the cross. He was buried, and defeated sin death and the grave.

Why the judgement?

John 1–12: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition In the Text

Finally, refusing to believe in God’s one and only Son results in judgment. But belief in his name remains an option; all may believe and become God’s children

Jesus didn’t come into the world to condemn or judge the world but in order that the world would be saved through him. Humanity was judged and condemned in Genesis 3. God in his love and mercy sent Jesus Christ to take our place on death row. To take our place on the cross. To take our place in the tomb. To blow open the doors of our cells through his resurrection. It is because of this we can join Christ in his jail break.

Hebrews 10:19–20 NRSV

19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh),

The Cell Is Open

Brothers and Sisters the good news of the gospel is God saw our separated, judged, condemned state and sent his son to take our place. Jesus was condemned to die a criminals death. He hung on the cross, bled and died for us. He took our sentence, and bore the death penalty for us. He was barried and rose from the dead for us that our cell doors would be open. With his resurrection Jesus started a jail break that continues to this day. God paid the price in his son to free you, from the judgement and condemnation already rendered. We can take the steps out of our cell and off death row, only through believing in Jesus Christ.

For those of us who have followed Christ out of our cell, it is our job to proclaim loudly the good news, and help others out of the darkness of their cell and into the glorious light of Christ.

In Christ there is one final appeal and a new verdict to be rendered.

Romans 8:1–2 NRSV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

Romans 8:33–34 NLT

33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.