John 5:22

“By the way,” Jesus adds, “my Father does not judge anyone; he has bestowed that task on me, his Son.” John 5:22 EFP

Jesus is relentless!  He just told the religious leaders, who by the way, already want to kill him for his disregard for the Sabbath and his presumptuous claims about God as his Father, 1) My Father works all the time—so do I; 2) Whatever my Father does—I also do; 3) The Father has more amazing things to show you in the future through me—stick around; 4) The Father gives life to whom he chooses—so do I; 5) The Father does not judge anyone—I do!  By the way, he’s not done yet.

But I want to focus for a moment on the imagery of Jesus being behind the judge’s bench.  This picture is not one of the Son pleading with his Father to accept the sinner.  It is a scene in which the Son is the one declaring judgment on behalf of the sinner who stands indicted by the “accuser of [the] brethren.” (Revelation 12:10). In brief, the good news is that the Father and the Son stand united in my favor—I am the accused.  I need only to place my trust in the judge.  I need only surrender to His judgment.  I need only to confess my guilt and throw myself at the mercy of the court.  I find forgiveness and freedom.  I can live with that!  Literally.