JESUS WILL RETURN AS JUDGE (Outline)
November 10, 2019 – End Time 2, Last Judgment – JOHN 5:19-29
INTRO: End times is a popular topic. Many people have written many books concerning the Lord’s
return on the Last Day. Human authors have many different opinions concerning what the Bible says.
We are going to let God’s Word speak for itself. Simply, scripturally stated: The Lord Jesus will return
as the righteous Judge. "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the
living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the word” (2 TIMOTHY 4:1, 2a).
We pay attention to the Word of the Lord. JESUS WILL RETURN AS JUDGE. I. Believers will re-
ceive eternal life. II. Unbelievers are condemned.
I. BELIEVERS WILL RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE WHEN JESUS RETURNS AS JUDGE
A. Verse 19. “Amen, Amen” are the words Jesus spoke. Copied from original without being translated.
1. Jesus came to do his Father’s will. Did nothing on his own. Completely, perfectly obeyed.
2. Jesus emphasized important truth: “I and the Father are one.” Jesus = God’s Son.
B. Verse 20. Crowd heard Jesus’ teachings. Saw some miracles. Greater things coming will amaze.
1. Verse 21. God the Father raised the dead. Jesus also raised dead. “I and the Father are one.”
2. Lazarus raised. Widow’s son raised. Centurion’s servant given life. The greater things.
C. Verse 22. Jesus would reveal even more authority on the Last Day. Authority as righteous Judge.
1. Verse 23. All who honored the Father would honor the Son, Jesus. “I and the Father are one.”
2. Verse 24. Those who hear, listen have eternal life. Will pass from earthly life into eternal life.
D. We always need to value the importance of hearing God’s Word. Listening is challenging in our
world today. We are not really trained to listen. Or pay attention. If we miss something we have access
to replay important messages. Re-watch a video. Or sports play. Check out news anytime from almost
anywhere. Keep an eye on the weather whenever we want. We do not always pay very close attention
to the present. Nor do we carefully listen to spoken words. Hearing is still vitally important. “So then,
faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through the word of Christ" (ROMANS 10:16).
Children learn about their Savior Jesus Christ long before reading. They hear the message of Christ.
They believe. We hear the message of Christ. We believe. We hear. Our faith grows.
E. It is our great joy to be able to gather together around the Word of God. The living and active and
powerful WORD! The Bible reveals to us the absolute truth about eternal salvation. We find our great
comfort in knowing that the Lord God of Armies is always in control of all things for the benefit of his
children. We gather in God’s house to hear God’s Word. There is even more. "Let us not neglect meeting
together, as some have the habit of doing. Rather, let us encourage each other, and all the more as you see the Day ap-
proaching" (HEBREWS 10:25). God’s powerful truth strengthens each one of us. The Good News of
Jesus encourages us that we may also encourage others.
F. Our world is filled with tragic news. Earthly events can almost make us despair. Rightly so. The
wickedness of the wicked will increase. We see our world embracing wickedness. Chaos. Lawlessness.
Jesus taught that the love of many will grow cold as Judgment Day approaches. Where is the good
news that our souls long for? Desperately desire? It is not in the wisdom of this world. Salvation can
only be found in “the foolishness of God”. "(God’s grace) has now been revealed through the appearance of our
Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 TIMO-
THY 1:10). Christ Jesus has restored life and immortality to sinners. Our Savior did this by destroying
the power of death. Jesus lived. Suffered. Died. Buried. Rose again. God’s greatest Good News.
JESUS WILL RETURN AS JUDGE. The hearing and listening believers will be given eternal life.
II. UNBELIEVERS ARE CONDEMNED WHEN JESUS RETURNS AS JUDGE
A. Verse 25. “The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God”. Ears that cannot hear will hear Jesus’ voice.
1. The dead will come back to life. They will face Jesus, the righteous Judge.
2. Some now dead to God’s Word would hear. Would be given life through Christ’s calling.
B. Verse 26. Father has life in himself. Son (Jesus) has life in himself. “I and the Father are one.”
1. Verse 27. Jesus will return to carry out judgment. Will come as Son of God.
2. Jesus will judge because he is the Son of Man. Has human flesh and blood.
a. Able to judge justly. b. Just like man – but without sin. c. Knew temptations.
C. Verse 28. Jesus raised people from the dead. After his death Jesus also come back to life.
1. On the Last Day when dead rise they should not be amazed. The Word speaks, gives life.
2. Verse 29. Wicked are condemned. They “practiced evil”. Kept doing everything wicked.
D. Judgment means to distinguish between two or more different things. The judgment of Jesus will
distinguish between good and evil. Believer and unbeliever. Righteousness and unrighteousness. The
unbeliever chooses to practice evil. They separate themselves from God. It is their choice. Jesus will
make their separation final with his pronouncement of judgment. And yes, there is a heaven and there is
a hell. Popular false teachers try to eliminate the existence of hell. The denial of hell does not change
the absolute truth of God’s Word. “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good
fruit. 19 Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (MATTHEW 7:18, 19).
E. Scripture clearly teaches about the eternal torment that the wicked will endure. The rich man
pleaded with Abraham for one drop of water to cool his tongue in the fiery torment of hell. Hell is really
real. The terrible torture is unending. The punishment is physical. Spiritual. We cannot imagine the
depth of despair endure by the unbeliever for eternity. A verse in our second lesson explains eternal ag-
ony to be endured. “Such people will receive a just penalty: eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord
and from his glorious strength…" (2 THESSALONIANS 1:9). We have never experienced separation
from the presence of the Lord. The very existence of the earth and everything in it is the essence of the
Lord’s presence. Day turns to night. Night becomes day. God’s creating presence. The light of the gos-
pel shines in our hearts. God’s presence. How terrible to have known God’s presence and then be taken
out of God’s presence. This is hell’s punishment. To no longer be with God. To know it is too late.
F. The Lord Jesus will be a righteous Judge. Our Judge looks far deeper than any earthly judge. It is
only the Lord God of Armies who truly knows what justice each person deserves. “I, the LORD, am the
one who searches the heart and examines the mind, to reward a man according to what he has done, according to
what his deeds deserve” (JERMIAH 17:10). The Lord looks into our hearts. Our minds. The thoughts
and plans of our hearts is only evil all the time (Genesis 6:5). Nothing is hidden from our loving, heav-
enly Father. Thankfully the pure, white robe of Christ’s righteousness covers up our sinful, black hearts.
CONC.: Judgment Day. The Last Day. Jesus will return as the Judge. God’s Word is as simple as
that. No second chances. Judgment Day is the Last Day. Believers are given eternal life. Unbelievers
who practice evil are condemned. “Indeed, the one who sows for his own sinful flesh will reap destruction from
the sinful flesh. But the one who sows for the spirit will reap eternal life from the spirit" (GALATIANS 6:8).
JESUS WILL RETURN AS JUDGE. The Word of the Lord has been sown in your hearts. We now
live to sow for the Spirit. We will see the Lord. Jesus will give us eternal life. Amen.
Pastor Timm O. Meyer
END TIME 2 rdgs: JEREMIAH 26:1-6; 2 THESS. 1:5-10; LUKE 19:11-27; (PSALM 90)
SERVICES: 7:45am @ McCook (Sun) / 10:00am @ Redeemer (Sun) / NCF 1:00 Min. (Sat) & 12:00 Med. (Sun)
BIBLE STUDIES: 11:15am @ Redeemer (SUN) / 5:45pm (Med) + 7:30pm (Min) @ NCF (TUES.)
/ Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:00am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM
