Father, open our eyes to see Jesus—not just as Savior, but as the coming Judge who sees every hidden thing, who rights every wrong, and who alone can make the guilty righteous. Amen.

Let’s begin with a story Jesus told (Luke 16:19-31).

There was a rich man who lived in luxury every day, dressed in purple and fine linen, feasting sumptuously. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, longing just to eat the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. In time, both men died. Lazarus was carried by angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man opened his eyes in Hades, in torment.

Notice this: no trial, no appeal, no second chance.

The rich man looks up and cries, “Father Abraham, have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool my tongue!” Abraham’s answer is chilling: “Between us and you a great chasm has been fixed.” Then the clincher (verse 31): “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.”

Jesus is telling us something terrifying and comforting at the same time:

1. Jesus will judge all people. 
2. Jesus sees every choice we make in this life. 
3. We are accountable for those choices. 
4. Jesus Himself is our only hope—for this life and the next.

Now fast-forward to John chapter 18

The same Jesus who told that story is now standing in the garden. Judas brings a mob with torches, lanterns, and weapons. Jesus steps forward and says, “Who are you looking for?” They answer, “Jesus of Nazareth.” He replies, “I AM He” (literally, “I AM,” the name of God). The Bible says they drew back and fell to the ground. One moment the divine glory flashes, and armed soldiers are on their backs. Why? Because the Judge of all the earth was standing in front of them, and even in that hour of betrayal, He was still in control.

But then the sham begins.

They drag Him first to Annas, the shadowy ex-high priest pulling strings behind the scenes. Then to Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin. The “trial” breaks every rule in their own law. No charges clearly stated. No defense witnesses allowed. False witnesses whose stories don’t match. They strike the prisoner in the face—an illegal act. And when they can’t get the evidence they need, Caiaphas puts Jesus under oath and demands, “Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus answers with truth, and they scream “Blasphemy!”—the very truth they hated.

From there, He goes to Pilate, who knows it’s all a frame job. Pilate says three times, “I find no guilt in this man.” But the crowd screams louder, the political pressure mounts, and Pilate washes his hands of innocent blood. In less than 24 hours, the elite religious and political class of Israel bends, breaks, and buries justice to get rid of the One who threatened their power.

Sound familiar?

We’ve seen it in our own day—secret courts, paid witnesses, twisted evidence, judges who care more about politics than truth, innocent people railroaded while the guilty walked free. The Sadducees and Sanhedrin were the Congress and Supreme Court of their day, and they ran a kangaroo court because Jesus exposed their hypocrisy.

But here’s the gospel twist none of them saw coming:
The One they judged is the One who will judge them.
The One they condemned is the only One who can make the condemned righteous.
The One they nailed to a cross now sits at the right hand of Majesty on high, and one day every knee will bow—Annas, Caiaphas, Pilate, you, me, every corrupt judge, every forgotten Lazarus, every rich man who ignored the poor at his gate.

Revelation 19 says He is coming with eyes like a flame of fire, and on His thigh is written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Acts 17:31 says God, “has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed—and He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”

Family, the gavel will fall again.
But this time it will be a nail-scarred hand/wrists holding it.
This time, the Judge was the One–– judged in our place.
This time, every wrong will be made right, every tear wiped away, every secret brought to light.

So, let this both sober us and save us.
Jesus sees every choice.
We will answer for them.
But Jesus took the judgment we deserved so that when we stand before Him, we will not be condemned—we will be welcomed home.

If you’ve never bowed your knee to this coming King and Judge, right now is the time. The chasm is still fixable on this side of death. The invitation still stands: “Come to Me.” If you want to be led into salvation, to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior–– watch the video below

And for those of us who have come, let’s live like people who will stand before a Judge who knows everything and still loved us enough to die.
Let’s treat the Lazarus at our gate with the mercy we’ve been shown.
Because one day the roles will be eternally set, and the only thing that will matter is whether we are found in the One who was rich, yet for our sake became poor, so that we through His poverty might become rich forever.

Jesus is coming to judge the living and the dead.
Thank God He was judged first—for us.