Christ - Our Judge

“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” Acts 10:38-43

Think about this for a moment: All you have to be or do in this life is what Jesus has given you to do - nothing more, nothing less. That means you do not have to fight for a job promotion, scrabble for a raise, undermine the employee next to you. All you have to be is what Jesus Christ has made you to be.

The apostle Paul tells us his ultimate goal is to “know Him and the power of His resurrection” (Philippians 3:10). That was it - to know Jesus. Paul could have been anything. He had the power, position, financial prominence, even a Roman citizenship that worked to his advantage. However, his one desire more than anything else was to know Christ.

When Jesus comes back, He will come as our ruling Judge. Believers will not be condemned but rewarded for their faith, though some will be disappointed. We can work an entire lifetime striving to achieve all kinds of recognition and never gain the glorious reward of the widow who gave all she had to Jesus.

Can you say with the apostle Paul, “All I want in this life is to know Him”? That is all He made you to be - totally His.

“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son.” John 5:22