“Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah. (Psa 76:8-9 KJV)

“For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” (1Pe 3:12 KJV)

Dear friends of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you always +

In this mornings reading from the Psalms we hear of God’s judgement from the heavens and over all the earth. It is the one sure thing coming and which we are all going to face up to this judgement of the living Lord and supreme judge over all the living and the dead. There have been some impressive judgements before over individuals like when the prophet Nathan pronounced the judgement of the living God over king David centuries ago or when the triune God himself came down on earth to carry out his condemnation of Sodom and Gomorrah. Now these judgements were handed down as examples that nobody get’s away  with evil and in the end God’s righteous judgment will set the record straight, so that even those, who died because they were wronged here will finally receive justification and salvation yonder in the last judgement of the grand judge Jesus Christ. That is why the evil should repent and no longer carry on with their iniquity, but those who have been mistreated, discriminated and wronged should take courage, not give up hope, but rather wait with confidence and joy for the return of Jesus Christ, their Lord and saviour, who will fix all and grant a happy ending to that which we have mismanaged and corrupted all along.

The prophets of old like Isaiah often call upon the heavens and the earth to stand witness over the coming judgement of the Lord. The final judgement will no longer be private and hidden from sight, but will be out in the open and for all to see and witness. Yes, everbody will then be subjected to the righteous judgement of the triune God. All knees will bow before him and every tongue will confess that he is the Lord of lords and King of kings. His verdict is just, final and endures for ever. That is why the evil should tremble and the wronged should take courage and lift up their heads, because their salvation is drawing near.

In our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ this final and last judgment of the one and only God has been foreshadowed and carried out already. No surprises there. He was handed over into the hands of men for us and our salvation, so that everybody who believes in him, shall not perish, but have eternal life. Whoever believes in him has been judged righteous and has passed from this life into the next. The old has passed, see new has become.

As long as it is still day, the message of this coming judgement by the living God is proclaimed and with it the saving truth that Jesus Christ is the only way to survive his righteous condemnation by receiving his forgiveness and assurance of his divine favour. It is the gospel that the Lord Jesus Christ himself mandated and entrusted his Church to proclaim throughout the nations and to the very ends of the world, because he would have everybody be saved and come to the knowledge of truth. Amen.

The peace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be with you always + Amen.

1 Christ is surely coming bringing his reward,
Alpha and Omega, First and Last and Lord:
Root and stem of David, brilliant Morning Star:
meet your Judge and Saviour, nations near and far;
meet your Judge and Saviour, nations near and far!

2 See the holy city! There they enter in,
All by Christ made holy, washed from every sin:
thirsty ones, desiring all he loves to give,
come for living water, freely drink, and live;
come for living water, freely drink, and live!

3 Grace be with God's people! Praise his holy name!
Father, Son, and Spirit, evermore the same.
Hear the certain promise from the eternal home:
'Surely I come quickly!' Come, Lord Jesus, come;
'Surely I come quickly!' Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Christopher M. Idle, 1938