The Verdict

John 3:14-21:

Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

Blog:

A verdict in a public courtroom is the final decision of the judge and/or jury in a trial.  It’s often called the “judgement”.  While lawyers for both parties that are disputing something before the court, a case is building towards the final judgement – in one’s favor or the other’s.  If the judgement is cast in one’s favor, whatever it is that they asking the court for will be worked-out either directly or indirectly.  But the final judgement cannot be changed.  It is final.  Jesus is the Just Judge and He clearly tells everyone that He did not come to rule against us in this world, but to rule for us before His Father in Heaven – the Ultimate High Court.  Jesus gives us just about every opportunity to make our case to Him while we’re still on earth, but it’s only the Truth that He will listen to.  And, unlike earthly judges who can be misguided at times, Jesus always knows when we’re telling the Truth and when we’re not.  All of the smoke and mirrors that we could attempt in His Eternal Courtroom would be to no avail.  In fact, it is Believed that we will be walking into His Eternal Courtroom with a Verdict already in His Hands on how He’s going to rule on us.  The Good News is that we still have a chance before we “go to Court” before Jesus.  Jesus came that we might have Eternal Life with Him in Heaven.  He came to show us the Way.  God sent His one and only Son, so that we could get the Eternal Verdict that we all desire – an Eternity in Paradise where death, pain, worry, fear, etc. don’t exist any longer.  So, let’s do our best now while we have time to prepare for Court and not think that we can rely on courtroom “theatrics” to win our Case before Him in our Final Judgement(s).  The choice is all ours’.