-The Judge:
“Luke. 12:13-14. And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? “
One of the hearers of Messiah’s words appealed to him to prevail upon his brother to divide their father’s property. In Israel the eldest son received a double portion of the inheritance while the other children received one share each. This man was probably the younger son and so wanted the inheritance to be shared equally. He wanted more than his rightful share. He wanted Messiah to intercede on his behalf for his selfish gain. But Messiah refused to interfere in this matter. He refused to take on the role of a judge in such matters. ’Who made me a judge?’ he asked. His kingdom was a spiritual kingdom, not an earthly one. It was not his business to preside over earthly matters, it was for the judges to do that. Yahshua came into this world to preach the gospel of the kingdom of Elohim. Similarly a minister of Messiah should not interfere in secular affairs. There are others to do that. His work is to preach the gospel.

Yes, Messiah did not come to judge earthly matters. But he will be the judge at the final judgment. Matt 16:27:” For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." Yahshua Messiah will be the most righteous judge and he will judge all people according to what they have done and not according to what they say. When we repeat the creeds in the church, we say ‘he will come to judge the quick and the dead’. Acts.10:42:’it is he which was ordained of Elohim to be the Judge of quick and dead.’

Whenever people think of Yahshua, a kind, benevolent figure comes to mind, a being full of compassion, a being gentle as a lamb, one who suffered wordlessly for our sins. But we never seem to think of him as a judge, one who will judge the world, a judge who will judge us according to what we have done.

The idea of judgment was part of religion long before the New Testament. In the Old Testament it is Elohim who is the judge. Gen.18:25. ‘Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?’ In Psalms 94:2 David says, ‘Rise up, O Judge of the earth’. Isa.32:22, ’The Lord is our judge’. In many places in the OT we find Elohim is the judge between persons, and he decides who is right and wrong (Ps.98:9). Elohim gives to each man his just reward. (Psa.75:7). His judgment falls upon the wicked and the arrogant. (I Sam.25:38; II Ki.9:30-33). Elohim judges everyone on this earth-the prosperous and the exalted (Job.21:22), the heathen (Joel.3:16), his people (Isa.3:13), he protects the rights of the defenseless (Psa.10:18).

In the NT judgment plays a very important part in the parables of Yahshua. The parable of the barren fig tree shows that uselessness brings disaster (Lk.13:6-9). The rich fool learns what is in store for those whose eyes are set on the things of this world (Lk.12:16-20).The parable of the goats and sheep shows the fate of people who are insensitive to the needs of their fellow men (Matt.25:31-46). The parable of the talents tells us the results of neglecting or refusing to use Elohim’s talents (Matt.25:14-30). The parable of the wedding feast and the guest without suitable garments shows what happens when we reject the invitation of Elohim or accept it in a wrong way (Matt.22:1-14). The parable of the unforgiving servant shows that an unforgiving spirit brings condemnation (Matt.18:21-35).

Judgment figures prominently in the Second Coming of Messiah. Elohim has appointed Messiah to judge humanity. Only He has ever lived a perfect life. In addition, He knows what it is like to be a human being and what difficulties His people have while living in this present, evil world (Hebrews 2:14-18). Thus, He is eminently qualified to be the Judge of all mankind. When he comes again, he will judge the quick and the dead (II Tim.4:1). Act 17:31says,’Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead’.
The Second Coming of Messiah will be a time of joy for believers and sorrow for the unbelievers. When Messiah comes back, He will judge the nation Israel, the existing nations, saints who have undergone tribulation, and the Old Testament saints. He will separate them as a shepherd separates sheep from the goats. The sheep, the believers, will enter into His kingdom, while the goats, the unbelievers, will be sent to judgment.
Paul prayed that the Corinthians should be blameless in the day of our Lord (I Cor.1:8). In II Pet.3:14, Peter urges the people to be ‘diligent’ so that we should be found blameless and at peace (2Pet.3.14).True, the Second Coming is a certainty and the call for repentance will be more urgent in the last days, but it is this which has been used as an incentive for coming to Messiah.
Paul says in II Cor.5:10, ‘For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.’ That itself should prompt us to labour so as to be accepted by the Lord. We should labor to walk so as to please him, because we know that we have to give an account of ourselves before the judgment seat of Messiah.
 
The Father has committed the judgment to the Son, all authority to execute judgment is given to the Son, Jn.5:22, 27. It is not his own judgment but the Fathers’ that he carries out.
Words and actions are reaction to the love of Yah. If a man, who sees Yahshua, is shown the love, the beauty and the truth of Messiah and they have no effect on him, he is judged. A man’s reaction to Yahshua proves what kind of a man he is.
Messiah has come into this world for judgment (Jn.9:39) and there is a Judgment Day. Let us therefore walk in manner worthy of our calling so that we may stand boldly in his presence.

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