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14. Christ is the Eternal Judge (Matthew 25:31-33)
MATTHEW 25:31-33
31 But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 232 Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. (Ezekiel 34:17, Matthew 13:49, 16:27, Romans 14:10, Revelation 20:11-13)
Are you actually waiting for the coming of Christ, your Savior and your Judge? All authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth. He is sitting at the right hand of His Father, and will come with His great majesty and glory, as King, Judge, and Lord. All eyes will see Him, and all men will recognize the glory of God's love incarnate in His crucified Son, our Redeemer. Thus, we testify to the glory of God, the Father, and that of His Son, the slain Lamb of God. He calls every believer to proclaim His glory by serving Him in holiness. The plea of the Lord's Prayer, "Hallowed be Your name", will be realized in us.
Christ will come again as the Son of Man. After His Resurrection, His disciples recognized Him from His features, movements, words, and the nail prints in His hands. We, too, will recognize Him as one of us, as a real man. We shall cheer and rejoice for He is our faithful Intercessor, and the intermediary for all men before God. He bore our sins on the cross, and conquered death for us. He quenched God's flaming anger at our sins and reconciled the world with Him. As part of this unique reconciliation, the Spirit of His Father entered repentant sinners, working out in them the salvation obtained on the cross.
He who rejects Christ's atonement for the remission of his sins will perish, having no access to Grace. He will face the Son of Man, who will judge the living and the dead. His judgment is certain. Christ will gather all the peoples before His judgment seat; and as He died to redeem them all, so he will judge them all. All mankind must appear before the Son of Man and he will judge them one by one.
The wicked and godly dwell together but the Lord knows all that are His, and He will separate them. Christ is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep. His sheep know His voice and follow Him. He gave them eternal life and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of His hand. Whoever follows Christ is established in the communion of God's love. All those who are followers of the Lamb of God will stand at His right hand.
He who hardens His mind against Christ's love and His redemption is like an unruly goat, who spends his day butting his head against people instead of listening to the voice of the good shepherd. Christ will distinguish between the sheep and the goats at the beginning of His judgment. Do you look like one of Christ's sheep, or one of Satan's goats?
PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, we worship You and glorify You because You will be the sole Judge over all nations. You are the Holy One, the Just One that is filled with love. You were a man, and You understand our weak nature and temptations. You forgave us our sins by Your substitutive death for all of us. You are our Savior who cleansed us through Your precious blood. We have the certain hope that You will protect and select us in the great day with the power of Your righteousness and truth. Give those among whom we live the opportunity and will to repent and believe before Your return.
QUESTION:
- How will the Son of Man appear on Judgment Day?
QUIZ
Dear reader,
having studied our comments on the Gospel of Christ according to Matthew in this booklet, you are now able to answer the following questions. If you answer 90% of the questions stated below, we will send you the next parts of this series for your edification. Please do not forget to include writing your full name and address clearly on the answer sheet.
- Why did Jesus rebuke the scribes and the Pharisees of His time?
- What is the meaning of “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted”?
- Why and how do the hypocrites hinder seekers of truth from entering into the kingdom of heaven?
- Why is any exploitation of religion hated by God?
- Why does the preaching of the Pharisees create, in the end, sons of hell?
- How did Christ overcome the problem of superficial oaths?
- Why do we find many godly people and teachers blind to their own condition?
- What was the fault of the Scribes and Pharisees who emphasized the cleaning of cups and dishes more than necessary?
- What does “whitewashed tombs” mean when referring to the men of religion?
- Why did Jesus condemn the ungodly religious people of his day?
- Why did Christ send His servants again to the scholars of His nation?
- What does Christ teach us about the city of Jerusalem?
- What does Christ’s final departure from the temple in Jerusalem signify?
- What is the secret scope of the disciples’ questions with respect to the destruction of the temple?
- Why did Christ avoid the questions of His followers about the time of His second coming?
- What are the great dangers facing humanity?
- What causes persecution and betrayal of brothers in the last days?
- How do we triumph over troubles in the last days?
- What does abomination of desolation mean?
- Who is the Antichrist? What are his characteristics and works?
- What is the sign of the Son of Man’s coming?
- What did Jesus declare about the parable of the fig tree?
- How will Christ come back again to our world, and what will happen to His beloved ones?
- How do you prepare practically for the coming of your Lord Jesus?
- Why did Christ order us to watch and keep awake while serving Him?
- What is the difference between the wise and the foolish virgins?
- How can we receive the power of the Holy Spirit, and how do we abide in it?
- Why are the foolish virgins unable to receive Christ’s righteousness and holiness at the last moment before he comes?
- What are the gifts you have been endowed with?
- How will the Lord settle accounts with His servants when He comes again?
- Why did the Lord take the talent from the wicked servant and give it to the successful one?
- How will the Son of Man appear on Judgment Day?
We encourage you to complete with us the examination of Christ and his Gospel that you may receive an everlasting treasure. We are awaiting your answers and praying for you. Our address is:
Waters of Life
P.O.Box 600 513
70305 Stuttgart
Germany
Internet: www.waters-of-life.net
Internet: www.waters-of-life.org
e-mail: info@waters-of-life.net