“The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son.”— John 5:22
When we hear the word judgment, most of us picture a courtroom: stern faces, evidence laid bare, a gavel striking with finality. We brace for sentencing, for the punishment that will fall on the guilty. And so when Scripture tells us that all judgment has been handed to Jesus, it’s natural to expect a terrifying tribunal.But then the Judge Himself took the stand—not from a throne, but from a cross.
And yet what did He say, wielding the authority of heaven?
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”— Luke 23:34
This is the paradox at the heart of the gospel: the Judge of all humanity pronounces forgiveness as His verdict. The cross is not the suspension of judgment, but its deepest revelation. For in Christ, judgment is not vengeance. Judgment is truth-telling, reality laid bare, and setting what is broken back into order.
And the truth Jesus revealed is both humbling and liberating: humanity does not know what it is doing. We are blind, stumbling in the dark, lost in illusions of power, ego, and fear. The Judge does not condemn the blind—He heals their sight. He calls ignorance what it is, then remedies it not with damnation but with grace.
A few breaths later, as the weight of the world pressed upon His lungs, Jesus declared His final word:
“It is finished.”— John 19:30
The trial was over. The verdict delivered. The case closed. Forgiveness, not condemnation, is the final ruling of heaven. In that moment, judgment itself was transfigured: no longer the fearful sifting of sheep from goats, but the merciful gathering of all into reconciliation.
In Christ, judgment is not about casting out, but about drawing in. Not about vengeance, but restoration. Not about loss, but healing.That is the fulfillment of true, Divine justice. The Judge has spoken, and His word is not damned, but forgiven.
Divine judgment is mercy. God’s justice is not retribution but restoration. And mercy is the final word. Jesus’ last breath rewrote the verdict for all humanity – that love saves.
And if the Judge has declared forgiveness, who can overrule Him?
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