28- Jesus is the Judge

(B) Christ Is the Judge

(1) St. Paul the Apostle says: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Cor. 5: 10).

(2) The Lord says in the Gospel according to St. Matthew: "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works" (Matt. 16:27).

(3) The Lord also says: "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. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say..." (Matt. 25:31-46). The Lord then explains the details of His judgment: the wicked will go to everlasting punishment and the righteous to eternal life.

(4) The Lord says about the end of the world: "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire" (Matt. 13:41,42).

(5) St. Paul says to his disciple St. Timothy: "The Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom " (2 Tim.4: 1).

(6) The Lord says in the Book of Revelation: "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work" (Rev. 22:12).

(7) One of the reasons for Christ the Lord acting as the Judge is because He knows the deeds of everyone. In His message to the angels of the seven churches in Asia, He says to each of them: "I know your works" (Rev. 2:2,9,13,19); (Rev. 3:1,8,15). Also see the Gospel according to St. Matthew, chapter 7, verses 21 to 23.

If Christ is the Judge then He is God because God is the Judge, and we have discussed this issue before here on st-takla.org in other pages. Christ judges people's deeds because He knows their deeds and also because

(8) "all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works" (Rev. 2:23).

Therefore He not only knows the works but even more He searches the minds and hearts.

This presents us with the following proof of His Divinity.