JESUS, THE JUDGE – Charles Spurgeon

JESUS, THE JUDGE

Acts 10:42
“And He commanded us to preach unto the people and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of the quick and the dead.”

In Peter’s address, we see how careful he is to speak not from his own authority but entirely by the authority of the Most High. He begins by explaining that God had shown him it was right for him, as a Jew, to commune with Gentiles. He did not break Jewish law through his own judgment but acted under Divine direction. He proceeds by saying, “The Word which God sent unto the children of Israel.” Thus, he came not with a word of his own invention, but with the word sent by God. “That Word, I say, you know.” Peter then speaks of Jesus of Nazareth, who was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power. He refers to himself and his fellow Apostles as “witnesses,” testifying to what the Lord Jesus had done.

This method of speaking was likely prompted by the mistaken reverence Cornelius showed when he fell at Peter’s feet and worshiped him. Peter, however, emphasizes that ministers of Christ must always speak in the name of God. It is ours to stay within the boundaries of our commission, hiding behind its authority. What are we that we should, of ourselves, have anything to say? What is our authority, and by what right do we speak of ourselves? We have no such power over you. If we come to you in our own name, do not greet us! Every true minister must speak because they are commanded to speak, and they must be prepared to rely continually on the authority of the Word of God. “If they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.” Only if the testimony of any man aligns with the Word of God can God be with him, and it would be perilous to reject such testimony.

Peter, in his address, moves quickly to the doctrine of the judgment of all men by Jesus Christ. He says he was commanded to preach this message, and therefore, he preached it. Although this may not be considered “the Gospel,” it is undoubtedly an important accessory to the Gospel. It is a doctrine without which a Gospel ministry would not be complete. If the doctrine of Christ’s second coming to judge the world were omitted from any testimony about Him, that testimony would be incomplete. Therefore, Paul, when preaching to the congregation at the Areopagus, emphasized this truth. In Acts 17:30-31, he says, “The times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He has ordained; whereof He has given assurance unto all men, in that He has raised Him from the dead.” This was also part of Paul’s message when he stood before Felix, “reasoning of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come.” The mention of judgment made Felix tremble, for there is great conviction in that solemn truth.

The doctrine of Christ’s judgment was used by Peter, Paul, and other Apostles as a preparatory truth. They emphasized it before proclaiming the essence of the Gospel, which is Jesus Christ as the Savior. They prepared the ground with this doctrine before sowing the Gospel invitations. They did not neglect to proclaim God’s Word of Grace after discussing judgment; they preached the terrors of the Lord, but in a Gospel manner. Peter follows this pattern, speaking first of Christ as the judge, then in verse 43, adding, “To Him give all the Prophets witness, that through His name whoever believes in Him shall receive remission of sins.”

I. The Message of Judgment

Let us now consider the message that God commands all His servants to declare. The message begins with the assurance that there is a moral government. There is a Judge over the race of men—we are not like the locusts, of whom Solomon says they have no king. The world is not left unobserved by God, nor is it a den of wild beasts or a pond of fish where everyone devours his fellow, and no one calls them to account. Men are not permitted to do whatever is right in their own eyes. There is a Law and a Governor over them. God has committed all authority to His Son, and Jesus Christ, at this moment, reigns and rules over the whole race of men, taking note of all their actions and preparing to sum up all things at the end of time. There is a Law, there is a rule, and there is government over the human commonwealth. The race is not left to anarchy—Jesus Christ is the Head of all.

With this government in place, we must also acknowledge that there will be a judgment. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Because there is a moral government over mankind, an assize (a legal session) will be held where cases will be tried, and justice will be administered. This is the support and sanction of the Law: it calls men to account. The voice of power proclaims, “O you house of Israel, I will judge you everyone after his ways.” There will come a day of final reckoning. I need not quote all the Scriptures that state every one of us must give an account before God, for we are fully persuaded that “we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”

We believe that all reasonable persons will conclude there must be a judgment if they only consider the character of God. Being the Ruler of the world, God must administer justice. We would count any king a miserable counterfeit if he never administered justice. If we had a state without laws or laws without punishments for those who broke them, we would be in a miserable condition. But such is not the case with God, for it is said of our Lord, “You love righteousness and hate wickedness”—this shows us that He wills to do justice. Just as He has the power to punish transgression, we can be certain He will do so. A day is coming when He will judge the acts of men because His character cannot and will not trifle with evil. “Be not deceived, God is not mocked; whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.”

The character of man equally involves judgment, for he is a responsible being. We do not hold the cattle of the hills or the fish of the sea responsible for their actions, but when we consider man, we regard him as a creature whose actions have a moral quality and are either right or wrong. Man is a responsible agent. Where there is responsibility, there must be a law, and where there is a law, there must, at some point, be rewards for the well-doers and punishments for the malefactors. The constitution and nature of man demand this, or else his responsibility would be in vain.

The current state of the world calls for a day of rectification at the end of time. We often see the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer. We see that sin is often associated with mirth and joy, while godliness brings sorrow and grief. As the wise man argued, “Moreover, I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked.” Since many actions are left unpunished and high-handed sin continues to thrive, there must come a day of reckoning. The Judge of all the earth must do right, and this will be done through a final adjustment where it will be seen that though the wicked prosper for a while, they are like bullocks fattening for the slaughter. And though the righteous suffer for a while, it is but as gold suffering in the furnace, that it may come forth purified.

Every heart that has groaned under the oppressor’s wrong, every soul that has writhed under the proud man’s arrogance, must feel that there must be an end to the reign and riot of evil, and a time in which innocence shall be avenged. Every Job may lift himself up before his false accusers and say, “I know that my Avenger lives and that He will stand in the latter day upon the earth.”

Moreover, there is in the consciences of most people, if not all, a testimony to a coming judgment. While some may manage to silence their consciences, the majority still believe in a judgment to come. Even those who speak arrogantly against God often do so out of cowardice, veiling their fears with boastful words. When the hand of God begins to touch them, these are the first to cry for mercy.

II. The Judgment and The Judge

This judgment will concern all of mankind. He will judge both the living and the dead. Those who are alive at His coming will be judged, as well as those who have already died. We cannot predict when He will return, but we know we will all appear before His judgment seat at the appointed time. The summons will exempt no one—people from all corners of the earth will come, and no one will be able to hide. While some criminals manage to evade human law, there will be no escape from the judgment of Christ. Even the dead from past ages will rise again. What a prodigious multitude this will be! What a crowd that baffles all arithmetic!

This judgment will be an absolute and thorough one, conducted by the Man, Christ Jesus. He has been ordained by God to execute this judgment. The Father has committed all judgment to the Son, and this includes judging all mankind. This is the truth the Scriptures repeatedly emphasize, making it clear that Christ’s judgment will be the final word for all. Jesus, as the Son of Man, will sit on the Throne, and before Him, all nations will be gathered. He will separate them as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

The judgment will be just and final. Those who are found wanting will face eternal punishment, while the righteous will inherit eternal life. No one will be able to appeal the judgment once it is passed, for the justice of Christ will be indisputable.

III. The Importance of the Message

The message of judgment is of the utmost importance, and this is underscored by the fact that God has commanded it to be preached. The urgency of this message cannot be overstated. As ministers of the Gospel, we are commanded to proclaim that Christ will judge the world. The importance of this message lies not only in its divine command but also in the reality of its application. If there were no judgment, men would live without fear of consequences for their actions, but the judgment gives gravity to how we live today.

The truth of judgment should cause us to reflect on our actions and seek reconciliation with God through Christ. The severity of judgment makes clear the necessity of repentance and faith in Christ, who alone can save us from the coming wrath.

This message also offers a great comfort to believers, for we have been saved by Christ’s atoning sacrifice. We are not fearful of the judgment, for our sins have already been judged in Him. But this truth also calls us to live in anticipation of that great day, living holy and righteous lives in preparation for His return.

Conclusion

The doctrine of judgment is vital for both the salvation of sinners and the sanctification of believers. It reminds us that there is a reckoning to come and encourages us to live with that reality in mind. As we await the return of our Lord, let us be faithful in proclaiming the truth that Jesus Christ is the appointed Judge of the quick and the dead. May this truth move us to holy living and to proclaiming the gospel to those who have not yet believed.

Yet Shall They All Be Arraigned and Tried

All the living and all the dead from Christian lands and heathen lands—from antediluvian ages to the ends of the earth—shall stand in that Last Great Day in Christ’s great Judgment Hall. It concerns you, my Brothers and Sisters, as it does me. It concerns you, my Sisters, and your children, as well as those who have gone before. As surely as the Lord lives, the things that are seen shall pass away—mountains and hills shall flee before Him, and rocks shall be melted down at His Presence—but His Word shall never pass away!

The Coming of the Judge

And behold, He comes! “Behold, He comes with clouds, and every eye shall see Him! And they also which pierced Him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.”

The Eminence of the Judgment

Just a few words concerning this Judgment. When He comes, that judgment will be a very eminent one. It will be a judgment fixed by the peremptory ordinance of God, for the text says that He has “ordained” Jesus to sit as Judge. It is by ordinance and decree that Jesus Christ will take the Throne. He does not take this honor upon Himself by His own authority, but claims the Throne as One who was ordained of God, just as Aaron was. In all His offices, He quotes the Divine decree, and for this final office, He has been ordained by God to be the Judge of the quick and the dead. Everything done will be by Divine authority—there will be the stamp and seal of the everlasting God upon everything that shall be transacted on that grand occasion. The entire trial will be solemnly conducted.

The Majestic Scene of Judgment

I shall not attempt a description of the scene. There is room for imagery and poetry, but we need them not this morning. This will suffice: “For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). There will be shouts when He comes, as if all the angelic bands lifted their voices in acclamation, and above them all, one voice shall ring out most majestically—the voice of the archangel! Yet above all these sounds, a trumpet call shall thunder forth, most dreadful to the ears of ungodly men. Louder than ten thousand thunders shall it peal over earth and sea, and none shall resist the summons.

Then, in His descent, the Judge shall pass into the region of the clouds. He shall sit upon a Great White Throne, and every eye shall see Him—and they also which crucified Him. His coming will be with great pomp and angelic splendor, befitting the state of such a King and the solemnity of such a day!

The Search of Judgment

That judgment will be very searching. The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:10 that we shall give an account for the deeds done in the body, each one according to what he has done, whether it is good or whether it is bad. Our Savior, in Matthew 12:36, informs us that every idle word that man shall speak must be accounted for in the Day of Judgment—words will be put in evidence as well as actions.

Yes, and there will be an account taken of things that never reached the publicity of words. Remember how Solomon closed the book of Ecclesiastes, saying, “God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil.” Paul also says, “God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel.”

Things that were never known by others and perhaps forgotten by ourselves shall be revealed and judged. Imaginations, lusts, desires of the soul, secret thoughts, passions, and murmuring shall be laid open before all men—and a reckoning will be made before God.

The Exact Nature of the Judgment

The judgment will be of a very exact kind. It will proceed upon evidence and documentary testimony—slander and hearsay will not be mentioned. No condemnation will fall upon good men through malicious tongues. Everything will be done in due order and according to the rules of the Court of Heaven. Listen to this: “And I saw a Great White Throne and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away, and there was found no place for them: and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened”—documentary testimony brought into court as evidence—“and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”

The judgment will be done by record and solemn affidavit in that great Court of King’s Bench. There will be no hurry, no light passing over judgments. All will be done in truth, equity, and according to the facts recorded by the Infallible Omniscience of God.

The Severity of Justice

What severity of justice will then be seen, for things will not be judged by their outward appearance, but will be put to a thorough test and trial! Hear the words of the Lord: “Every man’s work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” Well may we cry with Malachi, “But who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like a fuller’s soap.”

The Unquestionable Verdict

The sentences pronounced will be so just that they will be indisputable. Even the condemned will admit the justice of the sentence. At the Last Great Day, not one of the condemned shall deny his guilt or the justice of the sentence! Though sent to Hell, he will feel it is what he deserves.

Remember when the king came in to see the guests and found a man who had not on a wedding garment, the intruder could make no excuse and stood speechless? There will be an assent in every human mind to the sentence of the Christ of God. It will flash such awful conviction into the soul of every sinner that, though damned, his soul shall say, “Amen” to the condemnation.

The Finality of the Judgment

What a Judgment Day that will be when everyone shall be certain—even in their own sad case—that the verdict of the Judge is bright as the sun with righteousness and cannot be appealed against! This, surely, will be the Hell of Hell—that it is deserved even in its utmost pang and bitterest pain.

The Irreversibility of the Verdict

That verdict will be final and irreversible. When Jesus has pronounced it, there will be no appeal, no suing out of a writ of error, no reversal of the decree. He Himself has said it: “These shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” There will be no delay in execution, nor escape from the doom! There will be no steeling of the heart to endure it and no outliving the doom! It will last on in all its terror, the final verdict of the Judge of all the earth, pronounced by the Christ of Love! I know not how to speak upon such a theme as this, but must leave it as it stands before you. May the Holy Spirit impress it upon your minds.

II. The Evident Importance of the Message

In the second place, let us consider the evident importance of this message. Its importance may be gathered from the text because it says, “He commanded us to preach this.” Did the eternal God give a command for us to preach this truth? Then He must know, in His infinite wisdom, that there is a great necessity for its declaration.

The Proclamation of the Coming Judgment

But notice the way in which the command is to be executed. “He commanded us to preach.” To preach means to herald, to proclaim. We are like the trumpeters who go before the judges on assize day, and our cry is, “He comes! He comes! He comes! The Man of Nazareth, Jesus, the Crucified, is coming, appointed Judge of the quick and the dead!” We are to cry this with all the loudness of voice, earnestness of tone, and solemnity of manner that become the heralds of the King of kings! Whether you believe it or not, He comes! Whether you trifle with it or not, whether you are rebels or loyal subjects, He comes—and He comes quickly! He comes to judge the world in righteousness and the people in equity. We solemnly proclaim this fact, and you would do well to hear it with serious hearts and thoughtful minds.

The Testimony We Bear

We are also to testify that it is He. Having given the proclamation, we are to solemnly bear witness and speak the fact over and over again, adding our own belief that it is surely true. In the Greek, this word “testify” is very forcible, similar to the affirmation made in court. We give our solemn affirmation and truthful testimony that it is so. We declare it as the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth when we tell you that Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of Man, is coming upon the clouds of Heaven to judge the quick and the dead.

We must speak of this as something we know and are certain of, and we must testify before men—whether they will hear or forbear—that it is so. The message to be proclaimed and testified in obedience to the Divine command is of immense importance. Listen and take heed, I beseech you!

A Universal Proclamation

This proclamation is to be made to all people—not just to a few, but to all the people—to the Gentiles and to the nations. Wherever we go, this is part of our proclamation as the heralds of Christ: “Behold, He comes to judge mankind.” To you, my Hearers, even to you, is this word of warning sent! Will you not heed it?

The Importance of the Doctrine for Today

Now, Brethren, there is great importance in this, not only according to the text but for many other reasons. If you think about it, you will see that it sheds great light on the future of the ungodly. Some of you may be troubled about its severity and eternity. But let this ease your perplexity: the Judge upon whom the sentence depends is Jesus Christ, the Savior of men! I feel perfectly safe in leaving the future of the wicked in such hands as His. And however terrible His words may be concerning the future of the lost, I can never quarrel with Him. If it were Moses speaking for God, I would dare not challenge him. But when He speaks who is the Son of Man, let all the earth keep silence before Him!

The Necessity of Judgment

The severity which He exercises must be inevitable—it must be so in the nature of things. If there is pain, anguish, and wrath to every soul of man that does evil, then since it is Christ who pronounces it, it must be because it must happen and cannot be avoided. We bow before this dreadful doctrine of Scripture, and instead of trying to quiet men in their sins, we know the terrors of the Lord and we beseech them, in Christ’s stead, to be reconciled to God: “You sinners, seek His face, Whose wrath you cannot bear! Fly to the shelter of His Cross, And find salvation there.”

The Glory of Christ in Judgment

This doctrine should never be forgotten because it reflects great glory upon Christ. Ah, sons of men, you may despise Him, but He is your Master! You may say, “Let us break His bands asunder and cast His cords from us,” but Jehovah’s decree has set Him as King upon His holy hill of Zion. You may rage against the Incarnate God, Jesus our Lord and King, but you shall stand before Him as surely as you live to confess the futility of your opposition.

The Practical Effects of the Doctrine

I close by noting the great practical effect this doctrine has on everyday life. It is often said, “Tell the people about something that concerns today—about cleanliness, honesty, and the like!” But what motivates people to live righteously, soberly, and honestly is the understanding that they will one day stand before the Judge of all the earth. Without this understanding, there is no compelling reason for virtuous living. If men are to die like brutes, they will live like brutes. But the expectation of judgment compels us to live with integrity and righteousness.

The Awakening Power of Judgment

The doctrine of judgment is also convincing and awakening. Men tremble when they hear of the judgment to come and cry out, “What must we do to be saved?” They confess their sins when they realize that the law by which they will be judged is spiritual and reaches to the thoughts and intents of the heart. “Who can stand before His Presence when once He is angry?”

The Comfort for Believers

For Christians, this doctrine of judgment is comforting. We do not fear the Day of Judgment. We have been judged already in Christ. Our plea before the Judge is that we have been tried, condemned, and punished already in the body of our Substitute. We are not afraid, for there is no judgment for those who have already been judged. Yet, the expectation of judgment quickens us to holy duty. We feel that since the Master is coming, we must be ready.

A Final Appeal

I hope the words I have spoken upon this Truth of God will strike a chord in your hearts. May they make those who have been thoughtless concerning the world to come think deeply about it. Remember, the Judge is at the door, and His coming will either be your salvation or your doom. May you find refuge in Him now, before it is too late.

Conclusion

Years ago, a lady who had been busy with worldly amusements came home late, unable to sleep. She found her maid reading a book and, in her distress, asked, “What word in the book troubles you?” The maid replied, “It was the word ‘ETERNITY.’” That word caused her to weep, and she spent the night in prayer. May the same happen to you, as you realize the significance of eternity and the Judge who is coming.

The Judge is at the door! Jesus comes to judge you—will you have Him now as your Savior? If not, His coming will cause you to weep and wail, and that throughout eternity. Remember that word, ETERNITY. God bless you all. Amen.

—Charles Spurgeon