WHO WILL HAVE THE FINAL WORD?

JOHN 12:47-48: “If anyone hears my words and doesn’t keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. [48] The one who rejects me and doesn’t receive my sayings has this as his judge: The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day.” CSB

OBSERVATION: Who will have the final word? This is a question that everyone should consider. We live in a world filled with heated debates and opinions. The nightly cable news shows are filled with people trying to get the last word. Rarely do we see someone listening. We are all speaking at the same time!

When it comes to religion the opinions become even more pronounced. The difference of opinion in religion has led to wars and countries torn apart. It is not just the conflict between Christians and Muslims, it is Christians against Christians. It is the secular world against the sacred world. It is Evangelicals against Mainline denominations.

Who will have the final word?

Thanks be to God that the answer is Jesus!

The religious leaders at the time of Jesus had added so many commandments to God’s Law that it was impossible for anyone to follow them. When Jesus began to preach He clarified the Father’s heart and the intent of the Law and the Prophets. Jesus said, “You have heard it has been said, but I say to you…” These words were met with great disdain as they threatened the very foundation of the religious system of His day.

The religious leaders could not stop Jesus’ words from touching the hearts of those He ministered to. Their solution was to stop His words by killing Him. In doing so they were trying to have the last word. Yet, what they did not know was that they were opposing the very Word of God in doing so. Jesus had come to seek and save the lost. His words were life and truth because He was the Logos (Word) of God. He was the living Word. He was the express image of the Father.

There is one thing that you cannot do with truth. You cannot eradicate truth. Truth is like an atom. It will never cease to exist. I can ignore it, pretend it does not exist, try and replace it with my own truth – but it will continue to exist. While Jesus came to proclaim the truth so that we could be saved and enter into eternal life. I can choose to embrace the truth or I can choose to ignore the truth. The one thing I cannot do is escape the truth.

The truth, Jesus, will have the last word!

“The one who rejects me and doesn’t receive my sayings has this as his judge: The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day.”

When the Day of Judgment comes we will face this question – “What did we do with Jesus?” Did we embrace His word and believe in Him or did we reject His word and live by our own words? Jesus, His word, will be the dividing line on that day. There will be no argument as we stand before the Judge. When the books are opened it will be Jesus’ Word that judges us.

John 12:49-50: “For I have not spoken on my own, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a command to say everything I have said. [50] I know that his command is eternal life.   So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me.” CSB

A Day is coming when God will have the last word. It is a day that we all can escape by embracing Jesus and his Word today. Yet, it is a day when there will be no second chances. There will be no final arguments. There will be no last words. It will be a day of finality and judgment for all those who do not embrace Jesus and His Word. It will be Jesus’ Word that stands as the final judge!

Revelation 20:11-15: “Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them.  [12] I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.  Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. [13] Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works. [14] Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15] And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” CSB

This is why followers of Jesus are so passionate about telling others about the truth. Just as Jesus did not come to condemn the world, so followers of Jesus take no pleasure in seeing others race toward the cliff of judgment. Heaven is real. Hell is real. The dividing line between the two is Jesus. To embrace Jesus is to embrace His Word. To do the work of God is to believe in Jesus and follow His Word. The only one who will escape the final judgment will be the one whose name is written in the Book of Life because they trusted in Jesus and His Word!

Dear one – LET JESUS HAVE THE FINAL WORD!

John 1:12-14: “But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name,  [13] who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.  [14] The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory,  the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” CSB

In Jesus’ Name!