First a Savior, Then a Judge
“And if any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath One that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” John 12:47-48
Jesus had entered Jerusalem just days before He would be crucified. He was speaking to the people, the religious leaders, and His own disciples. This would be His farewell sermon to the Jews and the last time that He would speak publicly before His arrest and crucifixion. Many of the rulers had believed in Him, but because of their fear of the Pharisees, they kept their mouths shut. They feared being ostracized from the temple by their peers and authorities, thus they would not confess with their mouths what they believed in their hearts. However, many of us believers are no different. We are afraid to witness because we don’t want to be rejected or ridiculed by others, and we are afraid we will be asked a question that we can’t answer. However, these are not legitimate excuses. We have the greatest news in the world, and we should broadcast it without fear. Do we fear man more than God? Who has all power in heaven and earth?
Jesus said in verse 44 that those who believe on Him, believe not on Him, but on God that sent Him. I think that He was saying that when we believe on Him, we don’t believe on just the human Man that was born of a woman, but we believe on the God that He is. I think He also meant that faith in Him does not stop with Him but is carried through to the Father. Man cannot approach God directly because God is too holy, and man is too sinful. There had to be a “Go Between” or a “Mediator” to bridge the exceedingly wide gap between God and man. Jesus is that Mediator. Matthew Henry wrote, “for God is pleased to deal with fallen man by proxy”. Proxy means one who is empowered to act for another. Jesus is God’s Proxy, and when one sees Jesus, he sees the One who sent Him. God is a Spirit, and Jesus is God with skin on, as some folks like to say.
Jesus came as a Light into the world to show sinners the path of righteousness in which they could walk so that they wouldn’t have to walk and live in the dark (verse 45). During His ministry on earth, He was going about to seek and save those who were lost, those who would come to Him for forgiveness of their sins. It wasn’t His task at that time to judge people: judgment is reserved for when He returns. His focus was on preaching and showing people the way to God. However, these same words which He spoke to the people would be the means of judgment of these people. Their rejection of His words which came directly from God, the Father, would condemn them in the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11) to come. It is not just the people who heard Jesus’ voice while He was on earth to whom His words apply, but to every generation since Creation. The literal words of Jesus were not spoken directly to the people of the Old Testament but were heard through the voices and read through the writings of God’s prophets which testified of His existence and the promise of His coming to bring salvation to all those who would believe.
The words of Christ are still just as relevant today as they were when uttered 2,000 years ago, and they are still the criteria by which all people will be judged. No one has an excuse to not know what God’s word says. It is readily available online, in written form on paper, through the airwaves, and as preached and taught in the houses of God. For those who receive the gospel, repent, and place their faith in Christ, they will not be judged when Jesus returns. Their sins were judged at the cross. It will be quite different for those who reject the words of Christ. What He has spoken were not His words, but the words of His Father who sent Him. Anyone who claims that they believe in God but do not believe in Jesus are basing their hopes on an impossibility. Eternal life is only possible through the power that God gave to His Son. God does not save anyone apart from faith and trust in Christ. God gave Jesus the power to give eternal life to those who would humble themselves and come to Him. I don’t know how the truth can be any clearer than that.