Luke Part 38: Jesus’ Words on Judgment

Text: Luke 10:1-16

This section contains some of Jesus’ teachings on the final judgment to come.  A brief listing of some of those teachings is given below:

First, what you do in this life follows you into the next, and the position in the next life is fixed: either eternal judgment or eternal life.

There is a Last Day.  A final Day of Judgment is coming.  A certain day is fixed when this world will end and God will put all things right.  All the dead shall rise and stand before God.  Every man will be there on that great day.

There are only two destinies when we leave this world: heaven or hell.  There is no second chance.  What did you do with your privilege of hearing the gospel?

There will be degrees of punishment.  Some will receive a greater punishment.  The punishment will be perfect, exactly fitting the situation.

The degree of punishment, we read here, will be based on the amount of truth is rejected – not on what bad things the person did in his lifetime.  What a fearful thing to consider here in America where the gospel is so well-known, even treated as commonplace!

Jesus cites three contemporary cities (Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum) and compares them two three ancient cities that had long-since been annihilated.  The contemporary cities that He mentioned had seen much of Christ and His teachings.  Then He compared them to Sodom, Tyre, and Sidon – dreadful places known for their wickedness – and said that these horribly wicked ancient cities would have repented long ago if they had seen the gospel.

Jesus discusses Capernaum specifically.  The parallels to the United States are clear.  It is a city that has been incredibly blessed, but now they are “lifted up” – at least they think of themselves as lifted up.  Their religion is a civil religion; it will get them nowhere.  How can our country, who is so much like this city, continue on?  We need a revival of true heart religion!

From this section in Luke, we must take away the certain knowledge that we are carrying the most important message – the gospel.  This is the message of judgment and life eternal.

Note that Jesus is entrusting this word to just normal people.  Each of us is responsible to pass the word of the gospel along.  Remember that men cannot be convinced through reasoning.  Salvation only comes through the working of God, and God works through His gospel.