Dear Christian friends:

In our court system here in the U.S.A., when there is a major trial, when the defendant is found guilty by the jury, the judge usually does not pronounce sentence at the time of the trial, but waits a few weeks or a month before he does the sentencing. This seems to be true also with the Judge of all the earth.

In our text the whole human race, from Adam down to the last person born when Jesus comes is assembled before Him, but the picture is not that of a trial scene. It is too late for that. It is in life, as we live it today, that the decision to believe or not believe is made. This is a picture of Christ, the Kind, sentencing all men and his stating the basis of the sentencing of a condemned criminal.

I. The trial took place before as the Gospel was proclaimed.

A. The Son of man came the first time to make atonement for all nations.

1. It is often overlooked in this text Jesus refers to himself as "the Son of man coming in glory." Jesus says as he begins this narrative, "When the Son of man shall in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations." (V. 31,32)

2. As he tells of his coming to sentence all nations in his exaltation he reminds us by using this name that he first came in great humiliation as the Christ to make atonement for the whole world's sin. He said to his disciples a short time before He went to the cross to make this atonement, "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priest and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again." (Matthew 20:18-19) And when the disciples were proud and quarreling about who would be the greatest in his kingdom, Jesus told them the one who, using himself as an example serves the others is the greatest. "Even as the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Matt. 20:28) Jesus is reminding us that He who is the eternal Son of God made himself of no reputation and took upon himself the name, Son of man, and nature of man that he might assume all mankind's sin and guilt and make full payment to God for it.

Therefore, he who will come to judge or sentence on the Last Day is the same One who first came to make atonement for all the world.

B. As this Gospel of the Son of man is preached to all nations the judgment is also taking place. The believers in Jesus Christ are judged innocent and the unbelievers are judged guilty. Jesus, himself says,"Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:15-16) John the Baptist said, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him (John 3:36)

So the judgment takes place before Christ the King comes on the Last Day. It is taking place even now as I preach and you react to the preaching, and it takes place as a result of his first coming. When he comes again it will be for sentencing only.

II. First, he will sentence the believers.

In our text we read, "Before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left." (See they are already judged and separated!) "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (vv. 22-34)

A. The sentence of the believers is a sweet one: "to inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Not only will Christ the King rule in this everlasting kingdom but all the saints, all believers, will rule with him in glory. Jesus promised his disciples, "Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me in this generation when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28) In Revelation John's vision showed the twenty-four elders sitting on the left of Jesus. These twenty-four elders represent or are symbolic of the whole church in glory.

B. Jesus then gives the basis for this glorious sentencing of the believers. He says, "For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me, I was in prison, and ye came unto me." (vv.35-36)

1. The word, "For," indicates that these good works are decisive in the final public judgment. They are not decisive because of any inherent meritorious quality, but because of their evidential quality." (Lenski) These works of charity did not make the sheep worthy. Jesus, the Son of man, by his holy, perfect life on earth and by his innocent, bitter suffering and death upon the cross made all mankind worthy and holy. Those who confess their sins and believe on him, out of love and thanks, do deeds of charity which are evidence of their faith. Since this is a public sentencing, such evidence, which faith alone is able to produce, is offered as the basis for the sentence.

2. Love shown to a brother or sister is a reflex of our response to the King's grace. "Such a spontaneous sympathy is the natural response of the person who is a new person in Christ. We feed the hungry because we have been fed - fed with the very body and blood of Christ; we give clothes to the cold and naked because we have been clothed with Christ's own robe of righteousness; we befriend the lonely because we have been befriended by the very God whom we crucified; we welcome the stranger and the alien because we who were alienated from God by sin have been welcomed back into the kingdom of Christ the King. (Mark Raedecke, Christ, A New Creation)

C. The believers whom Jesus calls "the righteous," are surprised to hear that they have done all these good works.

1. They ask, "When?" Their question shows how far they were from any thoughts of meriting the eternal kingdom. They kept no record of their works since they trusted only in God's grace in Christ.

2. We learn from this what a great blessing divine forgiveness is: The King remembers only the good we have done, not our many sins and failures, and he sees in our few, imperfect deeds of mercy done in faith, an affirmation of our relationship to him. What a good and gracious King we have!

D. His answer to the "When" question reveals His grace even more wonderfully: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me." The great King of all nations identifies himself with the poorest and humblest of his followers, those who have nothing to distinguish them except that they were believers in him. Who would not adore such a King? Who would not serve him?

As foolish as this seems to us who do believe, millions do not adore him or serve him. In fact, they don't even believe in him. They are hostile towards him. However, they shall not escape His judgement and sentence.

III. For he also comes in power and glory to sentence the unbelievers.

A. "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." (v. 41)

1. Notice that the external fire was not prepared for man. Jesus says that it was "prepared for the devil and his angels." God sent his Son that all men might be saved.

2. But when men refuse his mercy in Christ, they thwart his wide and sweeping purpose, commit themselves to the Enemy of God, and make an alien doom their own.

B. In not a single deed that they did was there any evidence that they believed in Jesus and accepted him. He says to them, "For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not." (vv. 42-43)

C. They, too, ask "When?" but their attitude is: "If we had known it was you we would gladly have helped, (meaning in order to benefit ourselves.)"

D. Jesus answers their "When" question: "Verily, I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me." (v. 45) Here Jesus omits "my brethren." The believers helped each other as brethren of Christ; the unbelievers, although they may do works of charity, acknowledge neither Christ or his brethren. They do not have saving faith, so all their good works are null and void. They never saw Christ the King when they came into contact with believers.

Conclusion: The Son of man, Christ the King, will return one day to publicly sentence the living and the dead of all time and nations. But the judging is taking place now as the Gospel is proclaimed and the Sacraments are administered. "Now is the day of salvation." "Today if you will hear His voice harden not your heart." May God give His grace and Spirit so that we may repent and believe now so that when He comes in glory He may sentence us to eternal life.

Leo Tolstoy's story, "Martin The Cobbler, tells of a lonesome shoemaker who is promised a visit by our Lord that very day. Eagerly, all day, he awaits the Lord's arrival. But all that come is a man with no money in need of shoes, a young mother without means of food and shelter for herself and her baby, and a child in need of a friend. Martin the cobbler ends the day thinking, "perhaps tomorrow he will come," only to hear a voice reply, "I did come to you today, Martin; not once, but three times."

May God be gracious to us and give us saving faith in Jesus, and may he open our eyes to see Jesus in His brothers and sisters all around us, and give us the grace to minister to their needs.

Amen