Judgment is a Topic From Which Some Walk Away Or Recoil But Jesus Christ Taught About Its Reality

When Jesus Christ walks onto the scene he demonstrates leadership that is different and positive and practical and profoundly radical.

Jesus Christ has claimed equality with God His heavenly Father and that immediately causes upset and distress among the religious leaders of his day.

We read of this conflict and conversation In John chapter 5 in the New Testament.

Jesus speaks of God as My Father, and Jesus teaches us to pray Our Father, but He can say "My Father".

Jesus is the Son of God and is making himself equal with God. Jesus is God in the flesh, coming personally to rescue lost sinful men.

Jesus is seeing what God His Father is doing and works alongside Him, and this is a pattern and example for us.

See what Jesus is doing and minister in that way. See how Jesus is moving and follow Him and minster in the area where he is moving and pouring out the Holy Spirit.

This is how practical spiritual leadership should work. This is how disciples of Jesus Christ should willingly serve.

The Jews hated Jesus not just for what He did but also for what He said. Jesus goes on to say, I am telling you the truth, Amen and Amen. All this is true, and he repeats it.

The Father loves me so He shows me what to do and how to do it.

As we read on in verse 28 of John Chapter 5, Jesus goes on from healing the sick to raising the dead.

Jesus was able to give life to the physically dead as well as to the spiritually dead. He is the Saviour who rescues and forgives, and the Lord who gives life.

No wonder it is the identity of Jesus that becomes one of the main issues in this passage in John's Gospel.

His Word gives life. Awake. Arise from the dead.

Another thing Jesus says to the Jews in this passage is that God is not going to judge the world by Himself. He has revealed to Jesus that He is going to do it.

The Father began the judgment but He is going to finish and complete it.

Honour me as you honour God. Imagine Jesus saying that to these critics. Here is the perfect leader who thought they were spiritual leaders, but they had much to learn and understand, but did not want to. That is often the way.

Jesus is going to decide their eternal destiny. Therefore would it not be wise to honour Him?

Do not be amazed at this. When you bury a person in a grave that is not their last resting place, and people need to hear this today. Jesus saw the physical and the spiritual. Many see only the physical.

Whether you return to the dust slowly or to ashes quickly, that is not your final resting place.

One day the dead will hear and come out to judgment and face Jesus Christ and answer Jesus.

Judgment is never a popular topic and it is a subject from which many turn away. To some it is not even an acceptable possibility, but according to the Scriptures and the words of Jesus Christ it just happen to be true, and Jesus claims to have authority to judge.

Jesus demolishes the view that death is the end. The dead will hear His voice calling "COME". Jesus also demolishes the view that all hear the same verdict.

He will judge as the God the Father wants Him to judge, righteously and faithfully. Jesus will be perfectly fair.

Listen to Him. "I am telling you the truth." What I say is true, because the Father told me to say it. These are remarkable and penetrating words but they are also so reassuring to those who believe and to those who are disciples of Jesus Christ.

Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.
He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.
His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

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