Jesus the Judge

In Acts 10 we read of Peter going to the house of Cornelius, this being the big breakthrough of the gospel from the Jewish world to the Gentile world. In Acts 10:39 Peter declares that he, and the other disciples, were witnesses to everything that Jesus did, in particular to his death on a cross, and His resurrection. God made Jesus to appear to witnesses. These were not vague appearances, but solid events, for He ate and drank with those who knew Him. Any talk of a mere spiritual resurrection is just so much rubbish. The resurrection was a physical reality, witnessed by many.

These witnesses were then commanded to preach to the people. This preaching was not merely saying that Christ has risen, but highlighting the consequences of it. They were to testify that Jesus is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead. Contrast this with some of the rubbish that is often preached today. First, there is the “do not judge” nonsense. Part of the gospel is that Jesus has been appointed as judge. Jesus is not just your “friend”, He is also the judge. This world, and everyone in it, will be judged by God. Then there is a tendency among some apologists today to say that the fact that Jesus is raised from the dead is all that matters. It isn’t, the consequences are just as important, and Peter and the apostles knew that this was so. It isn’t just the event, it is the meaning of the event.

As Easter approaches there will be various pieces in the press and other media on the “Easter message”, much of this will be well meaning, but is nonetheless pretty vacuous (as will stuff preached in some churches). The real Easter and the real gospel are far more solid. We have a real resurrection, and the message is that Jesus Christ is Lord, He has been appointed as judge of all. So we will all have to answer to Him, regardless of what our own opinions are.

Then in Acts 10:43 we come to the really good news. “Everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name. We need to recognise who Jesus really is, only then can we receive the true riches of Easter.