The Supreme Court Of The Universe

The Father . . . has given the Son absolute authority to judge.   John 5:22

If the Son were not God, then we’d have an attorney acting for us, but at the end of the day everything would depend on whether he could persuade the judge.

That’s why it is such good news that the Son is by very nature God and that the Father has entrusted all judgment to him. So when the Son says, “You are forgiven,” you are forgiven! If the Son were not God, you could never be sure of your salvation.

I phoned my credit card company recently to exchange my card for a new one. “Can I do this over the phone?” I asked. The person on the line assured me that I could. After fifteen minutes on the phone, she told me that I would have a new card within the week. Well, a few days later, I received a letter:

Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding your credit card account. Unfortunately, we are unable to change your account, as requested, at this time. If you have questions or we can help you in any other way, please don’t hesitate to call us. Serving you is important to us, and we appreciate your business.

You know what happened—some poor telephone representative was overruled! From the information I gave her, she sincerely believed that my account could be changed over the phone, so she led me through the process. But later she was overruled by a higher authority who told her she had no right to make such promises and what she had told me was beyond her authority.

If the Son were not God, there would always be the possibility that however well-intentioned he may be, he could end up being overruled by a higher authority. If the Son were not God, we’d have to face the possibility that we might arrive at heaven’s gate only to be issued a letter from a higher authority informing us that heaven is not currently available, but that there’s another application process we may qualify for . . .

The Son is God, and he presides over the supreme court of the universe. If he settles your case, there is no other court of appeal. There is no higher authority.

For further reading, see Matthew 25