CHRIST AS THE JUDGE IN THE TEACHINGS OF JOHN
PART 2
V. HE IS COMING AGAIN A SECOND TIME FOR JUDGMENT.
Even Christians may think that He delays His coming (Rev. 6:10), but He will surely come quickly (Rev. 22:16-21).
(Rev 6:10 NIV) They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy
and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?"
(Rev 22:16 NIV) "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for
the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning
Star."
(Rev 22:17 NIV) The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears
say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take
the free gift of the water of life.
(Rev 22:18 NIV) I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this
book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described
in this book.
(Rev 22:19 NIV) And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God
will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city,
which are described in this book.
(Rev 22:20 NIV) He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
(Rev 22:21 NIV) The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
VI. HE WILL RAISE ALL THE DEFENDANTS SO THAT THEY CAN BE JUDGED. THERE WILL BE NO ESCAPE FOR UNBELIEVERS (John 5:21,25,28-29).
(John 5:21 NIV) For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,
even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
(John 5:25 NIV) I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when
the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
(John 5:28 NIV) "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who
are in their graves will hear his voice
(John 5:29 NIV) and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and
those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
VII. HE WILL NEED NO WITNESSES FOR THE DEFENDANTS, FOR HE KNOWS THEM THROUGH AND THROUGH.
1. Positively
a. Peter John 1:40-42
(John 1:40 NIV) Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.
(John 1:41 NIV) The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and
tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ).
(John 1:42 NIV) And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You
are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is
Peter).
b. Nathanael John 1:43-51
(John 1:43 NIV) The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding
Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."
(John 1:44 NIV) Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.
(John 1:45 NIV) Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one
Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of
Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
(John 1:46 NIV) "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.
"Come and see," said Philip.
(John 1:47 NIV) When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is
a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."
(John 1:48 NIV) "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw
you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."
(John 1:49 NIV) Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you
are the King of Israel."
(John 1:50 NIV) Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the
fig tree. You shall see greater things than that."
(John 1:51 NIV) He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven
open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
c. The adulterous woman John 8:10-11
(John 8:10 NIV) Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
(John 8:11 NIV) "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
2. Negatively
a. Jews in Jerusalem John 2:23-25
(John 2:23 NIV) Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many
people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name.
(John 2:24 NIV) But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew
all men.
(John 2:25 NIV) He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was
in a man.
b. Judas Iscariot John 13:21
(John 13:21 NIV) After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and
testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me."
VIII. HE HIMSELF IS AN INNOCENT DEFENDANT. John 18:23
(John 18:23 NIV) "If I said something wrong," Jesus replied, "testify as to
what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?"
IX. HE IS THE LIGHT OF THE COURTROOM. John 3:19-21
(John 3:19 NIV) This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men
loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
(John 3:20 NIV) Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into
the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
(John 3:21 NIV) But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it
may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
X. HE HAS PROVIDED ESCAPE FROM PUNISHMENT.
1. He is the Lamb of God. John 1:29
(John 1:29 NIV) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look,
the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
2. He is the One Who is lifted up on a pole. John 3:14
(John 3:14 NIV) Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of
Man must be lifted up,
XI. HE HAS PROVIDED AN ADVOCATE.
1. He Himself is an Advocate. John 14:16
(John 14:16 NIV) And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
Counselor to be with you forever--
2. He has sent another Advocate. John 14:16
a. The other Advocate is true. John 14:16
b. The world cannot receive the other Advocate. John 14:17
c. Believers know the other Advocate and He lives in us. John 14:17
(John 14:16 NIV) And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
Counselor to be with you forever--
(John 14:17 NIV) the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it
neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will
be in you.
3. The other Advocate basically has two functions.
a. Believers He comforts. John 16:7,13
(John 16:7 NIV) But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going
away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will
send him to you.
(John 16:13 NIV) But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you
into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears,
and he will tell you what is yet to come.
He witnesses with our spirit that we are the sons of God. 1 John 5:7-10
(1 John 5:7 NIV) For there are three that testify:
(1 John 5:8 NIV) the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in
agreement.
(1 John 5:9 NIV) We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater
because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.
(1 John 5:10 NIV) Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in
his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar,
because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.
He assures us of God’s love and sheds abroad in our hearts the love of God, so that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. 1 John 4:17
(1 John 4:17 NIV) In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will
have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.
b. Unbelievers He convicts. John 16:8-11
(John 16:8 NIV) When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to
sin and righteousness and judgment:
(John 16:9 NIV) in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me;
(John 16:10 NIV) in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father,
where you can see me no longer;
(John 16:11 NIV) and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world
now stands condemned.
XII. HE HAS DEALT ADEQUATELY WITH OUR ACCUSER. John 12:31; 16:11; Rev. 12:1-17
(John 12:31 NIV) Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of
this world will be driven out.
(John 16:11 NIV) and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world
now stands condemned.
(Rev 12:1 NIV) A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed
with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her
head.
(Rev 12:2 NIV) She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give
birth.
(Rev 12:3 NIV) Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon
with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.
(Rev 12:4 NIV) His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung
them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give
birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.
(Rev 12:5 NIV) She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the
nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his
throne.
(Rev 12:6 NIV) The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by
God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
(Rev 12:7 NIV) And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought
against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.
(Rev 12:8 NIV) But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in
heaven.
(Rev 12:9 NIV) The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called
the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the
earth, and his angels with him.
(Rev 12:10 NIV) Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the
salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his
Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and
night, has been hurled down.
(Rev 12:11 NIV) They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of
their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
(Rev 12:12 NIV) Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But
woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is
filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."
(Rev 12:13 NIV) When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he
pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
(Rev 12:14 NIV) The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she
might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken
care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.
(Rev 12:15 NIV) Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to
overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.
(Rev 12:16 NIV) But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and
swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
(Rev 12:17 NIV) Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make
war against the rest of her offspring--those who obey God’s commandments and
hold to the testimony of Jesus.
XIII. HE HAS ALREADY EXPRESSED THE VERDICT OF THE FINAL JUDGMENT.
1. Those who believe in Him have already been declared just (justified) and already experience eternal life. John 3:15-18, 36; John 5:24,29
(John 3:15 NIV) that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
(John 3:16 NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
(John 3:17 NIV) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the
world, but to save the world through him.
(John 3:18 NIV) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not
believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of
God’s one and only Son.
(John 3:36 NIV) Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever
rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him."
(John 5:24 NIV) "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him
who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from
death to life.
(John 5:29 NIV) and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and
those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
2. Those who do not believe in Him already have been condemned and already experience the wrath of God. John 3:15-18, 36; John 5:29, 40
(John 3:15 NIV) that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
(John 3:16 NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
(John 3:17 NIV) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the
world, but to save the world through him.
(John 3:18 NIV) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not
believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of
God’s one and only Son.
(John 3:36 NIV) Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever
rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him."
(John 5:29 NIV) and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and
those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
((John 5:40 NIV) yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
3. Because He has expressed this verdict, the world hates Him and hates Christians who witness concerning Him. John 7:7; 15:18-27
(John 7:7 NIV) The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify
that what it does is evil.
(John 15:18 NIV) "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
(John 15:19 NIV) If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As
it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
That is why the world hates you.
(John 15:20 NIV) Remember the words I spoke to you: ’No servant is greater than
his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed
my teaching, they will obey yours also.
(John 15:21 NIV) They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do
not know the One who sent me.
(John 15:22 NIV) If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty
of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.
(John 15:23 NIV) He who hates me hates my Father as well.
(John 15:24 NIV) If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would
not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have
hated both me and my Father.
(John 15:25 NIV) But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ’They
hated me without reason.’
(John 15:26 NIV) "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the
Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about
me.
(John 15:27 NIV) And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the
beginning.
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
1. Everyone must judge righteous judgment concerning Jesus Christ. John 7:7
(John 7:7 NIV) The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify
that what it does is evil.
2. We, His disciples, need to bear witness concerning Jesus Christ and His salvation. John 15:27
(John 15:27 NIV) And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the
beginning.
3. This witness must include our lives as well as our lips.
a. Gaius 3 John 1-8
(3 John 1:1 NIV) The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
(3 John 1:2 NIV) Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that
all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
(3 John 1:3 NIV) It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about
your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth.
(3 John 1:4 NIV) I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are
walking in the truth.
(3 John 1:5 NIV) Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the
brothers, even though they are strangers to you.
(3 John 1:6 NIV) They have told the church about your love. You will do well to
send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.
(3 John 1:7 NIV) It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving
no help from the pagans.
(3 John 1:8 NIV) We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we
may work together for the truth.
b. Demetrius 3 John 12
(3 John 1:12 NIV) Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone--and even by the
truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is
true.
4. This witness must extend even to death if need be. Rev. 2:13; Rev. 10:1-11:12
(Rev 2:13 NIV) I know where you live--where Satan has his throne. Yet you
remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days
of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city--where Satan
lives.
(Rev 10:1 NIV) Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was
robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and
his legs were like fiery pillars.
(Rev 10:2 NIV) He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He
planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,
(Rev 10:3 NIV) and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he
shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.
(Rev 10:4 NIV) And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I
heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do
not write it down."
(Rev 10:5 NIV) Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land
raised his right hand to heaven.
(Rev 10:6 NIV) And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the
heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea
and all that is in it, and said, "There will be no more delay!
(Rev 10:7 NIV) But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his
trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his
servants the prophets."
(Rev 10:8 NIV) Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once
more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is
standing on the sea and on the land."
(Rev 10:9 NIV) So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little
scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but
in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."
(Rev 10:10 NIV) I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It
tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned
sour.
(Rev 10:11 NIV) Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples,
nations, languages and kings."
(Rev 11:1 NIV) I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and
measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there.
(Rev 11:2 NIV) But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has
been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.
(Rev 11:3 NIV) And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will
prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth."
(Rev 11:4 NIV) These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand
before the Lord of the earth.
(Rev 11:5 NIV) If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and
devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.
(Rev 11:6 NIV) These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain
during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters
into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they
want.
(Rev 11:7 NIV) Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that
comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.
(Rev 11:8 NIV) Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is
figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
(Rev 11:9 NIV) For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language
and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.
(Rev 11:10 NIV) The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will
celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented
those who live on the earth.
(Rev 11:11 NIV) But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God
entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw
them.
(Rev 11:12 NIV) Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come
up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
5. By this witness we overcome Satan. Rev. 12:11
(Rev 12:11 NIV) They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of
their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
6. By this witness we follow the example of Christ.
Rev. 1:5; 3:14; 1 Timothy 6:13
(Rev 1:5 NIV) and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn
from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and
has freed us from our sins by his blood,
(Rev 3:14 NIV) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the
words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.
(1 Tim 6:13 NIV) In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of
Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good
confession, I charge you
7. By this witness we follow the example of the Apostle John. Rev. 1:1-2
(Rev 1:1 NIV) The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his
servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his
servant John,
(Rev 1:2 NIV) who testifies to everything he saw--that is, the word of God and
the testimony of Jesus Christ.
