Let me start this morning by asking y’all a question. Who here has ever been inside a courtroom, maybe as a defendant, plaintiff, or witness, or even as a member of the jury, or on a school field trip? Raise your hand if you have ever been inside a courtroom. I am going to guess not a lot of you have, which is probably a good thing. However, it might be a good idea for you to have at least a basic familiarity with the courtroom scene, especially since sooner or later every single one of you will have your day in court. In our gospel lesson for today Jesus tells us, “28… a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” Jesus tells us that a day of judgment is coming; a day when all people will stand before The Almighty and be sentenced to either an eternity in heaven or an eternity in hell. Jesus tells us when judgement day comes, we will all have our day in court.
Now, a courtroom can be an incredibly nerve-wracking place. Those of you who have been inside a courtroom know what I mean. A few years ago, I was asked to testify in a trial. I was just a character witness and was in absolutely no danger of judgement myself, but still I was incredibly nervous, especially when the prosecuting attorney began to treat me like a hostile witness and aggressively asked me questions. For a moment I forgot that I was not the one on trial and, I who literal talk for a living, started stammering and stuttering like Porky Pig at a Bar-B-Q. By the time I was dismissed from the witness stand I was drenched in sweat. I left the courthouse that day praying that I would never again have to appear in court. So, when I hear Jesus say that sooner or later I, along with everyone else, will have my day in court, I must admit I am less than excited. However, Jesus does not tell us that we will all have our day in court to wrack our nerves. Rather, He tells us this to comfort us and fill us full of confidence as the day of judgement approaches.
Maybe it would help settle our nerves if we familiarized ourselves with the layout by visualizing a mock setup of the heavenly courtroom. The first thing we need is a judge’s bench, a place from which the innocent are pardoned and the guilty are punished. Typically, in a courtroom this is a large imposing piece of furniture. I think the Altar will be a more than satisfactory representation of the judge’s bench. The next thing we need is a place for the prosecution to stand. The prosecutor’s stand is the place from which charges against the defendant are made. Let’s use the pulpit as the prosecutor’s stand. Now all we need is a place for the defendant to sit. Let’s take a chair and place it right here in front of the altar or judge’s bench. This is the hot seat, as they say, because the person sitting in this seat is the one who will be sentenced to either an eternity in heaven or an eternity in hell. O.K., I think we are all set. There is no need for a jury box where a panel of your peers sit. The judge in the heavenly courtroom is omniscient; He knows all, sees all, and is fully capable of reaching a fair and just verdict all on His own. Likewise, there is no need for a bailiff’s station. The heavenly judge is omnipotent; He is all-powerful, He is invincible and is fully capable of keeping order in His courtroom, but if you want to imagine the angels Gabriel and Michael as Bailiffs than how about they be represented by the two candle stands behind the altar.
Now that we have our judge’s bench, our prosecutor’s stand, and our defendant’s seat, let’s make sure we know who sits in all these seats. Starting with this seat right here. You know who sits here, don’t you? In 2 Corinthians 5:10 saint Paul tells us, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” Saint Paul says we must all appear before the judgement seat. That means one day you and I will each take a seat in this chair.
As that unsettling thought sinks in, lets now identify who is behind the prosecutor’s stand. Who would you guess… Satan? It’s not a bad guess. The name Satan does mean “the accuser” and it is probably safe to say Satan has a list of charges he would like to make against us. But the heavenly judge knows that Satan is a notorious perjurer. Later in John’s gospel Jesus calls Satan “the father of lies.”[1] Therefore, Satan’s testimony is inadmissible and will not be used against us in our judgement day proceedings. But if it is not Satan who speaks from the prosecutor’s stand, who is? It is something that embodies pure righteousness and holiness, it is God’s Law. In Galatians 3:10 saint Paul tells us, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Saint Paul tells us God’s holy law demands perfection from us; it demands righteousness from our hands, honesty from our tongues, and purity from our minds. It is God’s holy law that speaks from behind the prosecutor’s stand.
So far, our mock setup of the heavenly courtroom has done nothing to settle our nerves. But that is about to change as we see who sits upon the judge’s bench. Who might you imagine sits in the judge’s seat on Judgment Day? I think for most people, at least I know I always assumed that on the last day the person who was going to judge the living and the dead would be - God the Father and honestly that scarred me a little bit. I mean what child doesn’t cringe a bit when their mother says, “wait till your father gets home.” But let’s look at what verse 22 of our text that says... “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son.” Go a little further in our text and you will also read in verse 27 “he (the Father) has given him (the Son) authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.” Jesus tells us, it is not God the Father that sits in the judge’s seat, it is God the Son. That is why every other week we confess in the Nicene Creed that Jesus “will come again in glory to judge both the living and the dead.” As part of His exaltation Jesus was given the judge’s seat after he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. Think about that, Jesus who in His life, death, and resurrection has already demonstrated a certain, shall we say, fondness for us, is our Judgement Day judge.
Jesus is our Judgement Day judge. Therefore, I imagine our trial will go something like this. The angels Gabriel and Michael proclaim, “All rise” verse 23 tells the Father made Jesus the judge, “that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.” “The honorable Jesus Christ who is far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given not only in the present age but also in the one to come… and who has been appointed to be head over everything[2] is now presiding. Please be seated.”
Then I imagine the prosecution will present its case. “Your honor, there are multiple accounts of ten infractions against your holy law of which the defendant is guilty. 1st - they have had other gods. They have allowed people, places, and things to be more important to them than You. 2nd - they have misused the name of the Lord their God. They often use your name like a four-letter filth word. 3rd – they have neglected to keep the Sabbath day holy. They despised preaching and your word by either neglecting to hear Your word on Sunday or failing to follow Your word on Monday. 4th - they have dishonored their father and mother and others in authority. As children they mocked their fathers and scorned their mother. As adults they are disrespectful to the authorities you have established. 5th - they have murdered. They have not been kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other. Instead, they have hated, and our law clearly says anyone who hates his brother is a murderer. 6th – they have committed adultery. Not only is there a hint of sexual immorality among them but they are often given to obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking. 7th - they have stolen. Like thieves they cheat one another with lies and deceit. 8th – they have given false testimony against their neighbors. They gossip, they slander, and they do not take each other’s words and actions in the kindest possible way. And finally, your honor, the last two charges I will combine 9th and 10th – they have coveted. They are not content with what you have given them. Instead, they have an unholy desire for things which you have seen fit not to give them. Your honor, there is no need to call any witnesses, it is clear for all to see they have “sinned and fall short of the glory of God”[3] therefore, the prosecution rests.”
What will you say? Will you try to mount a defense? Remember, you will not be able to perjure yourself. There are no legal loopholes for you to exploit. You could try to explain how you are not as bad as some people and that, despite all the damning evidence to the contrary, you have tried to live a good life, but still, that doesn’t make you less guilty of the crimes you have committed against God’s holy law. What will you say? Well, there is really only one thing we can say, “your honor, we plead guilty on all accounts to all the charges the law has made against us.”
Perhaps for a millisecond we brace ourselves for a verdict like the one described in our first lesson from Malachi 4:1 that says, “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the LORD Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them.” But instead of condemning us to an eternity in hellfire, Jesus our judge dismisses the charges that have been made against us on the grounds of double jeopardy. Jesus explains there cannot be multiple punishments for the same crime. He declares, “Someone has already been pierced for their transgressions, someone has already been crushed for their iniquities, someone has already been punished for their crimes.[4] Suddenly the verdict of our second lesson from Hebrews 9:27-28 rings louder than the one from Malachi 4:1. There we read, “27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Jesus our Judgement Day judge declares, “24 I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” In other words, the defendant who believes in Jesus as their savior is free to go.”
I know my description of the heavenly courtroom and its proceedings are a pale comparison to what we will experience on Judgement Day. But I pray that visualizing a mock setup of the heavenly courtroom will make you less anxious about your upcoming day in court. Further, I pray you better understand how Jesus’ words about Judgment Day are meant to give you comfort and fill you with confidence. It is true sooner or later you will have your day in court and on that day there are multiple charges that could be made against you, and you will have no choice but to plead guilty. But it is also true that Jesus is the one who sits upon the Judge’s bench. On Judgement Day you will stand before your savior Jesus and because He has already paid for your crimes with His death on the cross the charges against you will be dismissed and you who hear His words and believe will be sentenced to an eternity in heaven. Case dismissed. I mean, Amen.
[1] John 8:44
[2] Ephesians 1:21-22
[3] Romans 3:23
[4] Isaiah 53:5