A Judge for All People – December 16, 2022

In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
Isaiah 11:10

A Judge for All People

Judges have jurisdictions. A state court judge has no right to decide cases involving federal law. Nor do federal court judges have the right to decide cases involving state law. A judge in a Florida state court cannot decide cases involving Tennessee state laws. Nor can the judge of a court in Bangladesh decide cases involving the laws of Senegal. When deciding cases, judges must remain within their jurisdiction. Otherwise, their judgments have no standing.

The judgments that Jesus, our judge, makes are momentous. He acquits the repentant sinner who trusts in him for forgiveness. He condemns the unrepentant sinner who refuses to trust in him. But over whom does Jesus have jurisdiction to make these judgments?

In our Bible reading for today, the prophet Isaiah shows us that Jesus holds jurisdiction over all people. It doesn’t matter in what city, state, province, or nation a person lives. Regardless of any jurisdictional lines that separate courts on earth, Jesus holds jurisdiction over everyone, without exception.

This means that the justice that Jesus offers is available to all people. No matter who you are or where your earthly citizenship lies, the acquittal that Jesus offers through faith in him applies to you. The life he lived to win perfection for all people he lived for you. The death he died to pay for the sins of all people; he died for your sins. No one anywhere in any earthly jurisdiction is excluded from the acquittal that Jesus won for all people, including you.

And because Jesus holds jurisdiction over all people, you can be confident that his judgment will stand. You do not need to fear that you will reach the end of your life only to find that Jesus didn’t have standing to acquit you of your sins. His verdicts will never be overturned. When he says, “You are forgiven,” you can count on it.

No wonder Isaiah says that the nations will rally to him! How can we not rally around such a gracious and glorious judge?!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, all glory and praise to you for so graciously acquitting me of all my sins. Amen.