11th September 2025

Jesus Christ is not only the Saviour, the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world, he is also the Judge before whom all humanity will one day stand. The roots of Jesus’s role as judge are firmly planted throughout the New Testament. In the gospels Jesus declares the Father ‘…has given him [Jesus] authority to judge because he is the Son of Man’ (John 5:27). In Acts we are told, ‘Jesus of Nazareth…he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead’ (Acts 10:38, 42). In addition to our header verse the epistle to Timothy tells us that Jesus is the ‘righteous judge’ (2 Timothy 4:8), and the apocalyptic visions of Revelation depict Jesus as rendering final judgement upon the world (Revelation 20:11-15).

The Creed and scripture affirm that Jesus will judge the living and the dead, a phrase that encompasses all humanity. No one is outside Christ’s authority: all people from every nation and era will stand before him, the living – those upon the earth at his coming, and the dead – those who have gone before, will be called to account. When we hear the word ‘judgement’, we may feel fear or anxiety. Yet, the judgement of Jesus is remarkably different from human courts and tribunals. His judgement is:

Perfectly just – Jesus judges with absolute fairness and knowledge. There is no partiality with him, and nothing is hidden from his sight. Every secret thought, every hidden motive, every private deed is known to him (Hebrews 4:13).

Merciful – The One who judges is also the One who saves. He knows our frailty, ‘For we do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses…’ (Hebrews 4:15). His mercy tempers his justice, offering forgiveness to all who trust in him.

Redemptive – Jesus’s goal in judgement is not destruction but restoration. In his judgement he longs to heal and be gracious and burn away any impurities from us (Isaiah 30:18; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15). 

How then should we live knowing that Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead? Let me suggest it calls us to:

Repentance – Turn from sin and trust in Christ. The Judge is also the Redeemer, who offers forgiveness freely to those who come to him in humility and faith.

Holiness – Live lives that reflect his character: let our words, actions, and thoughts honour Christ.

Service – Serve others as if we were serving Christ himself. Every act of love, no matter how small, is noted by our Judge.

Hope – Hold fast to the hope of resurrection and new creation. Judgement is not the end, but the doorway to eternal life with God.

To say that Jesus will judge the living and the dead is to confess that history is not chaotic or meaningless: there is a Judge who will set all things right. For the Christian, this truth brings not fear, but hope. We look forward to the day when the One who loves us perfectly will also judge perfectly, and his judgement will be true, just, and merciful. Let us, then, live each day in the light of his coming – faithful, hopeful, and full of grace. For Christ, who judges the living and the dead, is also the One who makes all things new.

Local congregation:
Grace Communion West Hampstead 
Sidings Community Centre
150 Brassey Road
West Hampstead
London
NW6 2BA

Meeting time:
Sunday 12.30 pm

Local congregational contact:
Gordon Brown
gordon.brown@gracecom.church

Word of Life contact:  
wordoflife@gracecom.church