Focal Passages: John 8:12, 15-18, 23-27, 42-47
When I hear the term judge, I immediately feel my stress level increase because I think of being a line judge in volleyball. I have a daughter on a varsity volleyball team. One of our responsibilities as parents, is to call the lines for one game during the season. I carefully research the schedule and choose the game that I think will be the least competitive. I find it difficult to make the right calls when the ball is hit hard! As a group of parents, we identify the ones who can do the hard games, and we allow them to sign up for those matches. They have been identified as the best judges.
Our lesson this week encourages us to identify the true judge. In John 8, Jesus identifies his judgment as “true” and done by “I and the Father” (John 8:16). As Christians, we need to help the world understand that Jesus is the true judge. He is the one to show us how to live in the light of God’s truth.
One way everyone can understand the importance of judgment, is to look at the area of accountability. We experience accountability in common tools, such as a bathroom scale and a time clock. Accountability increases our awareness of judgment when our behavior results in consequences, especially if they are negative. Just this past week, this truth came sharply home to our high school. One of our 16-year-old students was driving too fast on a country road and the resulting wreck took the life of a beautiful, young lady. Our community has chosen to be supportive and focus on what we can learn from the situation. Her church family has been able to proclaim the message of salvation, and it was reported that more than 50 people were saved at the young lady’s funeral!
A funeral provides an opportunity for people to understand the basis of judgment. In this case, the message was clearly sent that we all need to make the choice to follow God’s words (John 8:47). Then, at judgment, we will be found to be from God.