Miraculous Deeds of Jesus--#3

His Judgments

Hopewell Church of Christ

January 16, 2000

We have noted the many acts of compassion Jesus showed toward man when he was on earth. The gospel accounts record the many things that Jesus did. Of course, these are not all of them. (John 20:30-31.)

This one today probably is not often put in the same category as the miraculous deeds of Jesus, yet they are deeds done by Jesus and they do involve miracles. Because of Jesus' love for goodness, purity and righteousness, there is likewise a corresponding dislike for ungodliness and disobedience. A judgment against evil is necessary and arises out of love for peace, obedience, and righteousness. It may, at first, seem strange, but the United States often goes to war, not because it likes war, but because it likes peace. In like manner, Jesus judges evil nations, cities, and individuals, not out of hatred for people, but out of love for people.

The atheists have long argued that if God is benevolent, all-loving and all-powerful, then evil would not exist. I agree with only one modification. He might allow men the freedom to choose evil, but in the end He will remove all that is evil. That is what the judgments of Christ are all about in Scripture.

"For the Father judges no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honors not the Son honors not the Father which hath sent him." (John 5:22-23.)

Last Sunday morning, we noticed the role of the Word as Creator. All things were made by Him. (John 1:1-2.) Jesus, having been given all pre-eminence, has received the power to judge. "All judgment" has been committed unto him. This includes all judgments against the evil men do. It includes both temporary and eternal judgments.

"But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way." (Romans 14:10-13.)

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." (2 Cor. 5:10-11.)

"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (Jude 14-15.) Jude and Peter reminded their readers of all the judgments that the Lord has brought upon evil men throughout history.

"He that despised Moses' Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:28-30.)

These two references are to Deuteronomy 32:35-36. "To me belongeth vengeance and recompense; their foot shall slide in due time, for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste." (verse 35.)

Here are my observations about the Lord and his judgments against evil and evil doers. We could call these acts, wonderful deeds of Jesus; that is, they fill us with wonder and amazement.

Some religious teachers in Christianity have left the impression that vengeance, judgment, punishment, recompense (pay-back) are inconsistent with the grace, love, and tenderness of the Lord. The only ways in which they would be inconsistent are: 1) If directed toward the same individual, 2) If done out of rage and loss of control, 3) if done when the person was not given sufficient opportunity.

No one can accuse the Lord of being hasty. He is longsuffering not willing that any should perish. (2 Peter 3:9.) No one can say that He has not been patient and full of grace. The One who died for us will be our judge. That removes all possibility of complaint or excuse. If anyone receives the condemnation of the Lord, that one will have caused it and deserved it. Isaiah wrote that the Lord stretches out his hand all day long to a disobedient and stiff-necked people.

"Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power." (2 Thess. 1:6-9.)

If God is righteous, it would be unrighteous for Him to allow evil deeds to go unpunished. Even as men, we feel the need for justice, for truth to prevail, for wrong-doing to be punished. Those who are responsible in society, in our homes, and churches cannot allow wrong deeds to continue. If they do, they become a partaker of their evil deeds.

"If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive not into your house, neither bid him God speed; for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." (2 John 10-11.) ". . . neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure." (1 Tim. 5:22.)

"That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25.) Yes, the Judge of all the earth will do right.

We should believe that there will be a complete and final judgment, in part, because of the evidence we already have of some judgments against the wicked. Here are some examples and what the Lord used in those judgments.

Fire. The Bible repeatedly says that these happened as examples for all the rest who might desire to act as they did. (1 Cor. 10:5-12.) "Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." (Jude 7.) "And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly." (2 Peter 2:6.)

Water. Only eight out of the whole world in Noah's day were destroyed by water. What a severe judgment! If anyone thinks that the Lord will not judge evil and punish evil-doers eternally, they are willingly ignorant of the Flood. Those who are against the death penalty often say that it is too inhumane to put someone to death. Do they also think that the Lord is too harsh in punishing people eternally?? Our problem is that we too often tolerate wickedness and are too weak to punish evil. Sin has blurred our vision and made us too weak to lift a hand against evil. But not so with the Lord!

Hornets. Do your remember how the Lord drove the inhabitants from Canaan? He would not drive them off until the cup of the Amorites was full. Then, he acted. He used hornets to sting them and drive them off that land. They left houses that they built, wells that they had dug, vineyards that they had planted. They moved out! What in the world could possibly cause a whole society to move out? Hornets could!

"For mine Angel shall go before thee and bring the in unto the Amorites, the Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off. . . I wills end my fear before thee and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. And I will send hornets before thee which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee. I will drive them out in one year." (Exodus 23:23-29.)

"Moreover the Lord thy God will send the hornet among them until they that are left and hide themselves from thee be destroyed. Thou shalt not be affrighted at them; for the Lord thy God is among you a mighty God and terrible." (Deut. 7:20-21.)

"And I sent the hornet before you which drave them out from before you." (Joshua 24:12.)

Fiery serpents. God also sent snakes among his own people to punish them. (Numbers 21:6-9; John 3:14.)

A great army of the Romans. "And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, As for these things which ye behold, the days come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. . . . And when you see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." (Luke 21:5-6, 20.)

Subjected nations. "And he saith unto me, the waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will and to agree and give their kingdom unto the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth." (Rev. 17:15-18.) The nations subjected by Rome would in the end turn against Rome and overthrow her. God put it in their hearts to do his will. Rome, which persecuted the Christians, was destroyed. Even mighty Rome fell. It was a judgment by Jesus Christ. (Secular history would never so record that fact, but it is true!)

The Lord not only judges nations and cities, but individuals as well. This fact is made clear by Jesus himself.

"O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." (Matthew 12:34-37.)

Idle comes from the Greek word, argos, which means not laboring, not active, not industrious. Talking too much and saying things we ought not often comes when we are not busy. "And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not." (1 Tim. 5:13.) Many sins occur when we are not busy working. Saying things that we ought not is certainly one of them. Jesus put idle and words side by side. They evidently mean useless and malicious words. Ones that accomplish no good. They come from a heart that is wicked.

The Lord is not saying that we will be lost if we say one idle word. His point is that words come from the heart and reveal what kind of person we are. We are justified or condemned by our words because they reflect our hearts before God.

This passage on judgment adds the individual aspect of his power to judge. He knows our thoughts and the true condition of our hearts. He has judged nations and empires, but he also is the judge of one. Even what we say is important before Him!

One of the Lord's greatest deeds, miraculous deeds, will be to call forth all the dead and judge mankind. "Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth. They that have done good unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation." (John 5:28-29.)

The extent of that miraculous deed will be similar to that of creation itself. It will be far reaching, including everyone, changing the entirety of the present world and bringing forth a new heaven and a new earth.