69. BEING FRIENDS WITH THE JUDGEJesus has been given all authority to judge -- what should your relationship be to someone with that kind of power?
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When someone says the word “authority” how does it make you feel? Does the hair on your arms stand up? Do pictures of previous employers or teachers ash before your eyes? Is it something you wish you had more of?
Just like most things in life, the way you think about authority is often the way you respond to it. If it is something you fear, you go out of your way to avoid those with authority. But if it is something you envy and desire, you will draw close to those who have it. And if it is something you crave, you may nd yourself abusing others to obtain it.
Jesus himself said some of the most profound things about authority including where it comes from and who has it. But before we read his commentary, let’s look at how a group of workers responded to authority.
During the Ottoman Empire, a landlord of Anatolian descent was known for his vast vineyards. He was a hard worker and had amassed his fortune after many years of toil. After his first few harvests on a small plot of land, he slowly bought up the adjoining elds one by one. He knew everything about grape varieties, soil, cultivation, pruning, harvesting, and producing grape products. Because of this, over the years he had earned the respect of all his neighbors.
After a long summer of watering and tending the vines, harvest time was fast approaching. So he hired some temporary workers to help his full time employees. Soon thereafter, he had to go on a business trip. But before going he gave detailed instructions to his son about how often and how much the workers should be paid, how much to sell the grapes for, etc. In short, he gave all his authority to his son and trusted him to do the work correctly.
About a week later, the workers came and started to work. The first week passed and everything was on schedule. But the workers quickly noticed that the landowner wasn’t present and started thinking of ways they could exploit the situation. They started working slower, showed up late for work, and demanded to be paid early. They even threatened to quit. It was then that the son called all the workers to a meeting.
“This is a good sign,” one worker said to the others. “I knew he was a soft man. At the rst sign of trouble, he decided to give in to all our demands.”
The son stepped forward and began to speak, “I have heard the grumblings and noticed that you aren’t working very hard. I want to remind you that you agreed to do this work under specific conditions. If you don’t keep your end of the bargain, I will be forced to nd other workers!”
The workers looked at each other and started whispering, “Do you think he is serious?”
“I guarantee if we threaten to quit he will back down.”
“Let’s take a chance and call his bluff.”
One of the workers stepped forward and spoke, “I have been chosen to speak for all the workers. When we came here, we made an agreement with the landowner. But he isn’t here now and we don’t know you! So, we will make a new agreement with you. If you don’t accept it, we will quit!”
The workers stood there waiting for the son’s response.
“I am the landowner’s son. Before my father left, he told me many things. But most importantly, he gave me his authority. I am standing before you now in my father’s place demanding that you fulfill your contract. If you can’t, leave now!”
The workers, enticed by a few bad apples, had disrespected the son by not recognizing his authority. It wasn’t like the son was mistreating them or deserved their disrespect. He had every right to demand their obedience because he had been empowered by his father. He carried his seal of authority.
Fortunately, some of the workers were ashamed, backed down, and returned to work. But a handful were proud, and instead of acknowledging their wrong, strutted off blaming the son for their misfortunes.
As it has been shown in previous lessons, the religious and political leaders of Jesus’ day did not want to recognize his authority or status as a prophet. They felt threatened by his teachings and the fear of losing their own positions of authority prompted them to attack his character. They were constantly trying to trick him into making a mistake or saying something wrong. Some even wanted to kill him!
There were two things that really made the religious leaders angry: Jesus’ actions during the weekly Sabbath and his comments about his relationship with God. So what was Jesus doing on the Sabbath? Mostly he was healing people. Does that seem like something to get angry about? After all, God would rather have people healthy than sick. The problem was that the religious leaders had made hundreds of rules about the Sabbath, what you could and couldn’t do. In their eyes, Jesus was not respecting their rules. The people were beginning to listen to Jesus and not to the religious leaders. But there was a good reason why the people should listen to Jesus. He had God’s authority! Let’s start by reading John chapter 5 verses 18-20:
18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, 105 because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.19 So Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.
On the surface, it may be hard to understand what the Jewish leaders got upset about. So let’s dig a little deeper into the text to better understand what Jesus was saying. We already know that they were angry because Jesus was “breaking the Sabbath”. But we know that Jesus was only doing good works: healing others, teaching, and preaching. So that couldn’t have been the main reason they were angry. To nd the real source of their anger, let’s look for the word “own” in verse 18. Did you find it? The Jews were angry not because Jesus called God “father,” but because he called Him his own father. By calling God his father, Jesus was claiming the right to heal, preach, and teach with all the authority of God and also showing his true relationship to God.
Actually, Jesus was acknowledging what God had already said. Do you remember what happened when Jesus came out of the water when he was baptized? In Matthew chapter 3 verse 17 it says:
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Jesus was telling the Jewish leaders that he was the “Son of Man”, the “Son of God”, the Messiah who the prophets said would come! But he didn’t come under his own authority or to do whatever pleased him. No, Jesus came to do what God does. Well what does God do? Let’s continue in John chapter 5 by reading verses 21-23:
21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
Undaunted by their reaction, Jesus continued to shock the religious leaders. He said that God gave him the authority to judge mankind. If a person doesn’t honor the Messiah, they can’t honor God. Were the workers honoring the landowner when they went against his son? No, they were dishonoring him because they weren’t recognizing his authority which had been given to the son. Even so, those who were opposing Jesus were opposing God! And Jesus had the authority to judge them for their actions. Let’s see what Jesus said as recorded in John chapter 5 and verse 24:
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
Let’s review that first sentence again.
“Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.”
There are two amazing truths in this one sentence. The rst is that Jesus was saying his words came directly from God. The second amazing truth is that if you hear and believe those words, you will have eternal life. Talk about a fate changer!
Jesus continued to speak in John chapter 5 verses 25-27:
25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
In these verses, Jesus is actually speaking literally and metaphorically. Let’s rst explore the metaphorical meaning of his statement. Jesus said that if you believe his words you pass from death to life. That means that before you hear his words, you are dead! Of course you eat, breathe, walk, and are scienti cally alive. But you are spiritually dead. Because of your sin, you will be judged, found guilty, and condemned. You are like a walking dead man. It is in this context that Jesus says,
“an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.”
If we continue reading verses 28-30, we will see the literal meaning of what Jesus said.
28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. 30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
Not only does Jesus have the authority to judge and give life to those who are spiritually dead, he has the authority to call the physically dead back to life in the resurrection!
When the workers came to the vineyard, did the son change any parts of the agreement? Did he use the authority that his father gave him for his own benefit? Did he attempt to do anything other than what his father asked him to do? The answer to all of those questions is a resounding NO! Likewise, Jesus is saying the same thing. Up until this point, he has only told the truth, a truth that came from God and had the seal of His authority. Just as the landowner’s son had the authority of his father, Jesus has the authority of God. The question is do you want to hear what he has to say and believe or rebel like the hired workers?
Discussion Questions
1. If you had more authority what would you do with it?
2. Should the workers have treated the son better? Why?
3. Why did the Jewish leaders want to kill Jesus?
4. Why did Jesus have the authority to say what he said?
5. If Jesus has the authority to give life and judge, what should your natural reaction be? What are you waiting for?
6. When Jesus returns to this earth, the dead will hear his voice and be resurrected. If you are physically dead when he returns, which
resurrection do you want to be in?
Just like most things in life, the way you think about authority is often the way you respond to it. If it is something you fear, you go out of your way to avoid those with authority. But if it is something you envy and desire, you will draw close to those who have it. And if it is something you crave, you may nd yourself abusing others to obtain it.
Jesus himself said some of the most profound things about authority including where it comes from and who has it. But before we read his commentary, let’s look at how a group of workers responded to authority.
During the Ottoman Empire, a landlord of Anatolian descent was known for his vast vineyards. He was a hard worker and had amassed his fortune after many years of toil. After his first few harvests on a small plot of land, he slowly bought up the adjoining elds one by one. He knew everything about grape varieties, soil, cultivation, pruning, harvesting, and producing grape products. Because of this, over the years he had earned the respect of all his neighbors.
After a long summer of watering and tending the vines, harvest time was fast approaching. So he hired some temporary workers to help his full time employees. Soon thereafter, he had to go on a business trip. But before going he gave detailed instructions to his son about how often and how much the workers should be paid, how much to sell the grapes for, etc. In short, he gave all his authority to his son and trusted him to do the work correctly.
About a week later, the workers came and started to work. The first week passed and everything was on schedule. But the workers quickly noticed that the landowner wasn’t present and started thinking of ways they could exploit the situation. They started working slower, showed up late for work, and demanded to be paid early. They even threatened to quit. It was then that the son called all the workers to a meeting.
“This is a good sign,” one worker said to the others. “I knew he was a soft man. At the rst sign of trouble, he decided to give in to all our demands.”
The son stepped forward and began to speak, “I have heard the grumblings and noticed that you aren’t working very hard. I want to remind you that you agreed to do this work under specific conditions. If you don’t keep your end of the bargain, I will be forced to nd other workers!”
The workers looked at each other and started whispering, “Do you think he is serious?”
“I guarantee if we threaten to quit he will back down.”
“Let’s take a chance and call his bluff.”
One of the workers stepped forward and spoke, “I have been chosen to speak for all the workers. When we came here, we made an agreement with the landowner. But he isn’t here now and we don’t know you! So, we will make a new agreement with you. If you don’t accept it, we will quit!”
The workers stood there waiting for the son’s response.
“I am the landowner’s son. Before my father left, he told me many things. But most importantly, he gave me his authority. I am standing before you now in my father’s place demanding that you fulfill your contract. If you can’t, leave now!”
The workers, enticed by a few bad apples, had disrespected the son by not recognizing his authority. It wasn’t like the son was mistreating them or deserved their disrespect. He had every right to demand their obedience because he had been empowered by his father. He carried his seal of authority.
Fortunately, some of the workers were ashamed, backed down, and returned to work. But a handful were proud, and instead of acknowledging their wrong, strutted off blaming the son for their misfortunes.
As it has been shown in previous lessons, the religious and political leaders of Jesus’ day did not want to recognize his authority or status as a prophet. They felt threatened by his teachings and the fear of losing their own positions of authority prompted them to attack his character. They were constantly trying to trick him into making a mistake or saying something wrong. Some even wanted to kill him!
There were two things that really made the religious leaders angry: Jesus’ actions during the weekly Sabbath and his comments about his relationship with God. So what was Jesus doing on the Sabbath? Mostly he was healing people. Does that seem like something to get angry about? After all, God would rather have people healthy than sick. The problem was that the religious leaders had made hundreds of rules about the Sabbath, what you could and couldn’t do. In their eyes, Jesus was not respecting their rules. The people were beginning to listen to Jesus and not to the religious leaders. But there was a good reason why the people should listen to Jesus. He had God’s authority! Let’s start by reading John chapter 5 verses 18-20:
18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, 105 because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.19 So Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.
On the surface, it may be hard to understand what the Jewish leaders got upset about. So let’s dig a little deeper into the text to better understand what Jesus was saying. We already know that they were angry because Jesus was “breaking the Sabbath”. But we know that Jesus was only doing good works: healing others, teaching, and preaching. So that couldn’t have been the main reason they were angry. To nd the real source of their anger, let’s look for the word “own” in verse 18. Did you find it? The Jews were angry not because Jesus called God “father,” but because he called Him his own father. By calling God his father, Jesus was claiming the right to heal, preach, and teach with all the authority of God and also showing his true relationship to God.
Actually, Jesus was acknowledging what God had already said. Do you remember what happened when Jesus came out of the water when he was baptized? In Matthew chapter 3 verse 17 it says:
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Jesus was telling the Jewish leaders that he was the “Son of Man”, the “Son of God”, the Messiah who the prophets said would come! But he didn’t come under his own authority or to do whatever pleased him. No, Jesus came to do what God does. Well what does God do? Let’s continue in John chapter 5 by reading verses 21-23:
21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
Undaunted by their reaction, Jesus continued to shock the religious leaders. He said that God gave him the authority to judge mankind. If a person doesn’t honor the Messiah, they can’t honor God. Were the workers honoring the landowner when they went against his son? No, they were dishonoring him because they weren’t recognizing his authority which had been given to the son. Even so, those who were opposing Jesus were opposing God! And Jesus had the authority to judge them for their actions. Let’s see what Jesus said as recorded in John chapter 5 and verse 24:
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
Let’s review that first sentence again.
“Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.”
There are two amazing truths in this one sentence. The rst is that Jesus was saying his words came directly from God. The second amazing truth is that if you hear and believe those words, you will have eternal life. Talk about a fate changer!
Jesus continued to speak in John chapter 5 verses 25-27:
25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
In these verses, Jesus is actually speaking literally and metaphorically. Let’s rst explore the metaphorical meaning of his statement. Jesus said that if you believe his words you pass from death to life. That means that before you hear his words, you are dead! Of course you eat, breathe, walk, and are scienti cally alive. But you are spiritually dead. Because of your sin, you will be judged, found guilty, and condemned. You are like a walking dead man. It is in this context that Jesus says,
“an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.”
If we continue reading verses 28-30, we will see the literal meaning of what Jesus said.
28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. 30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
Not only does Jesus have the authority to judge and give life to those who are spiritually dead, he has the authority to call the physically dead back to life in the resurrection!
When the workers came to the vineyard, did the son change any parts of the agreement? Did he use the authority that his father gave him for his own benefit? Did he attempt to do anything other than what his father asked him to do? The answer to all of those questions is a resounding NO! Likewise, Jesus is saying the same thing. Up until this point, he has only told the truth, a truth that came from God and had the seal of His authority. Just as the landowner’s son had the authority of his father, Jesus has the authority of God. The question is do you want to hear what he has to say and believe or rebel like the hired workers?
Discussion Questions
1. If you had more authority what would you do with it?
2. Should the workers have treated the son better? Why?
3. Why did the Jewish leaders want to kill Jesus?
4. Why did Jesus have the authority to say what he said?
5. If Jesus has the authority to give life and judge, what should your natural reaction be? What are you waiting for?
6. When Jesus returns to this earth, the dead will hear his voice and be resurrected. If you are physically dead when he returns, which
resurrection do you want to be in?