Concerning Hell and the Judgment to Come
Matthew 7:21-23
|
Sermon Summary In these verses, Christ, the great Teacher and Prophet, now presents Himself as the Divine Judge who pronounces condemnation on false professors. These will come to the horrifying realization that they never truly knew God. |
|
Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
These three verses have quite a bit of information in them, and there is no way we’ll be able to hit it all today.
Part of the reason why we won’t be able to handle it all is because the paragraph before us is one of the heaviest of all the passages in the Sermon on the Mount. There is a certain degree of solemnity that we meet with here.
If you were here last week, you’ll remember that Jesus warned us about false prophets. Well, today Jesus shows himself to be the true prophet. He takes up a prophetic role and speaks a word of future judgement. There is a sense in which this is the most apocalyptic portion of the Sermon on the Mount.
It has been said that hell is so terrible that no one but Jesus could give us a proper understanding of it. There is a sense in which that is true. The OT does not give us much information about hell. We hear of Sheol and are told about a future Day of the Lord, but the OT speaks very little about what that will really be like.
There is a sense in which the NT does the same. Paul, in like manner, tells us that Jesus will come again and that, when he does, there will be wrath for the unbeliever. But if you scan his epistles and the other letters from Peter and the rest, you will find that there’s not a huge encyclopedia entry that you could write.
In reality, most of what we know about hell comes from Jesus. We’ve seen some of this as we have worked through the Sermon on the Mount. Back in Chapter 5, Jesus told us about those who are angry. He said that anyone who says, “You fool” will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna. Gehenna was the trash dump outside of Jerusalem. A fire burned there day and night to consume the rubbish, and that became an image of the world to come which the unbeliever will face.
For the last two messages, we’ve witnessed how Jesus has pointed towards the end. Jesus has mentioned that there are two different roads, and he said that the broad road leads to destruction. Last week, he spoke about the false prophets and how they would be “cut down and thrown into the fire.”
To be sure, he hasn’t said much. But he has, in a very real sense, pulled back the curtain and allowed us to have a little peek into what hell is like. It’s gotten a little bit of definition through these little comments.
As we come to today’s passage, Jesus describes one of the most horrific moments in all of history. It is that moment when this group of people stands before God on the last great day, and as they meet their maker, they are hit with the awful realization that they are going to hell. These were people who thought that they had done everything right. They had every expectation that they were going to enter the kingdom of heaven and enjoy its delights for the rest of eternity.
But they are utterly dismayed. To their surprise, they find that they were broad-road people, and they are consigned to its fateful doom.
Next week, Lord willing, we will look at who these people are. We will take time to analyze the kind of faith that they had so that we can determine if we are one of them. We will take time to figure out what kind of faith is necessary for escaping this awful scenario.
Today, however, I want us to look at Jesus. In the past we’ve seen him as Savior. We’ve seen him as teacher. We’ve even seen him as prophet. But today, we see him as Judge. It is a side of Jesus that many do not like to consider. But it is a necessary one. As he brings us to the last day, the great Day of Judgment, we are brought before him to see how things play out for a certain group of people. We are made to consider just how awful it is to stand before the Judge of all the earth.
As we look at how he is depicted, I want us to consider three things. I want us to look at the claim he makes, the contention he has, and the command he gives.
I. The claim he makes [21-22]
In our passage, Jesus says something about himself which is quite profound. It may even be considered quite bold. And it is a claim which is ever so important to grab hold of. I further might say that it is a claim that many people who study the Sermon on the Mount miss.
As you read this passage, it should become clear that Jesus recognizes himself as God incarnate.
Look at verse 21. He says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.”
All through this sermon we have heard Jesus speaking. We’ve witnessed his theological acumen. We’ve recognized his exegetical expertise in regard to the law of God and the OT writings. We’ve had a clear testimony to his profound ethical understanding. But here, you might say he crosses a line. He says, in a most explicit way, that he is no one other than the Lord God Almighty.
And were it not enough to make the claim that he is Lord, he also acknowledges in the same breath that he is the one who is in charge of granting and denying access to the kingdom of God. To be more specific, one must recognize him as Lord in order to gain access to this kingdom.
To be sure, not everyone who calls him Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. That is the point that he is making and that is what we will look at next time. But implied in this statement is the fact that recognizing his lordship is at least one part of what it takes to get access to the world to come.
And certainly, he says in the most explicit way possible that he will be the one who stops you at the door and forbids your admittance. It is abundantly clear that he claims to be the one who will redirect lawless people to their everlasting abode.
You cannot escape the fact that here in this paragraph Jesus recognizes himself as the one to whom all the world will report. He makes the claim to be the Judge of all the earth who will bring about the great separation on the last day.
Again, throughout the Sermon on the Mount, we’ve seen an excellent teacher. We’ve seen a superior level of moral guidance. We’ve witnessed an eloquence and intellect that is of the highest caliber. But now we find in the most explicit manner a claim to something that is far above his being a mere educator or philosopher.
And this is where we must recognize the real dividing line of the Sermon on the Mount. When all is said and done, it comes down to this: History is moving towards a destination. There is a time when the earth will be judged. Everyone who has ever lived will find themselves called before the bar of God’s throne, and when they get there, they will meet Jesus. He will be the one who determines your eternal destiny.
That is why you must understand who he is. Many people love the Sermon on the Mount. They think it to be the most profound statement in all of history. There are many who will preach it and make it the basis for every message they give. But one of the things that they neglect is what is written right here. They mistake Jesus’ true identity. They take him to be just another religious guru. They say he’s a good teacher.
But they fail to acknowledge that he is God in the flesh; they do not recognize that he is the one before whom all the earth will stand. Or, if they do, they do not see him as one who is able to condemn anyone to everlasting damnation.
But here at the end of the Sermon that he preaches, Jesus wishes to make sure everyone knows who he is. He is Lord. He is God incarnate. And he will be the one whom we all must stand before on the last great day. And all those who have not loved him will hear him pronounce the most grievous words they could possibly hear.
This brings us to our second item for consideration. We’ve looked at the claim that he makes. Now, let us weigh the contention he has.
II. The contention he has [23a]
Look at verse 23 and notice what is said there. Jesus points out a problem. He says to this particular group of people who are standing before him, “I never knew you.”
Understand that Jesus is acting as the Judge here. He’s rendering his verdict. And the verdict that comes down is that he does not know who these people are.
Of course, we’ve just established that Jesus is divine. And, as such, he obviously has some knowledge of them. As a matter of fact, he has a full knowledge of them. He is omniscient and knows every possible thing there is to know about them. He certainly knows them well enough to know that they are, as he says, workers of lawlessness. So he knows them and he knows the profuse list of evil deeds that they have done over the course of their lives.
So, when he says, “I never knew you,” he is not talking about having an intellectual comprehension of them. He’s talking about a different kind of knowledge. He’s talking about a relational knowledge. He does not know them in that he does not have any affection for them. They are not known to be his friends.
We talk this way from time to time. People will say, “Do you know Sally?” And you might respond by saying, “I know of her, but I don’t know her.” Or, “I don’t know her personally.” What do you mean when you say that? You mean that you don’t have a relationship with them or know them on any kind of intimate level. You might know what they look like. You might know their name. You might know some surface level facts about them. But you haven’t ever really gotten to know them in that you’ve never really interacted with them in any kind of meaningful way.
That’s the kind of thing that Jesus is saying here. When Jesus says, “I never knew you,” he’s saying, “I was never in any kind of relationship with you. I have not known you in a personal way. I’ve never had communion with you. I’ve never had any real interaction with you.”
This is, of course, where the surprise is. These people thought they knew Jesus. They thought they knew him well and are shocked to find out that Jesus doesn’t have a relationship with them.
This is the kind of thing that you need to keep in mind when it comes to the doctrine of the foreknowledge of God. When the Scripture talks about how God foreknew those he would save, it isn’t talking about God standing at the corridors of history and having some kind of intellectual knowledge of someone down through the ages of history who might choose him. It’s talking about him having a personal affection for those people. It is talking about how God established a special relationship with them before time had even begun. He loved them and established a relationship with them even though they did not yet exist.
That’s the real irony of the passage. Jesus says, “I never knew you. I do not know you now. I did not know you while you were doing those incredible works you speak of. I did not ever know you. You were not part of my original foreknowledge prior to the beginning of the world, and you never have been. You’ve always been a foreigner.”
That’s the problem that Jesus has with these people. His contention is that there has never been a real bond or connection between them.
And that should make us think deeply about where we stand with the Lord. For, as verse 22 says, this will be something that Jesus says to many people. Many who have grown up in the church will find out that Jesus never knew them. Many who have professed Christ will think that they have it locked in when it comes to their eternal well-being. Many people who may have even stood in pulpits will find themselves shocked, for Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you.”
It is in light of this that the greatest thing you could desire is not simply to know about God or to be “on fire for him,” as they say. Those can be very good things. But the thing that matters most is to know God and be known by him.
If you ever could make a prayer, that would be the one to make: “Lord, make me to know you, but more than that, I want you to know me.”
That is the contention that Jesus will have with those who come before him. The Judge will render his verdict and it will have to do with this one thing: Have I known him, and has he known me?
The final thing that we need to consider in regard to the judgment of Christ is the command he gives.
III. The command he gives [23b]
It is found at the end of verse 23. Jesus, with all his authority, will say, “Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”
These will be the last coherent words the damned will ever hear. And with these words their eternal fate will be sealed. I have no doubt that these words will echo in their ears for the rest of eternity: “Depart from me.”
But what you find here is a statement of what hell is like. It is everlasting separation. It is a departure from God’s favorable presence and an entrance into a life of absolute misery.
Of course, we should not confuse this with complete separation from God. That is not what hell is. To be sure, someone in hell is just as close to God as someone in the highest heavens. God is the one who is in hell. He is the executioner as well as the Judge.
We should recognize that this is what makes hell so agonizing. Those in hell would love to be away from God. But in fact, they are in his presence. And he is there constantly sending forth his unmitigated anger.
But the most hellish thing about hell is not so much what you get, but what you lack. In departing from Christ, you lose the greatest possible blessing you could ever enjoy: living in communion with Christ and enjoying his favor.
His love and his care are removed. All through this life he has been kind to grant you the small joys and blessings. You’ve had days of peace and happiness. You’ve enjoyed the sun’s rays warming your face, and you’ve been able to eat, drink and be merry.
But at that moment, it will all be lost. When Jesus says, “Depart from me,” suddenly it will all be whisked away. His favorable attitude will be gone as your time has run out.
In that moment you will depart. You will be ushered through the doors, and you will no longer see or experience his smiling face. He will give his command and you will find yourself in hell forever.
Conclusion:
One shudders to think of such a thing, and one could barely think that any such thing was possible had Jesus himself not said as much. Yet this is his own testimony. This is his very own witness to the facts. And therefore, we must take heed.
In doing so, we must be sure to examine ourselves and repent of our sins. We must not cling to anything other than true faith in Christ and evidence it in an earnest obedience to him. Let us not strive so much as to do great things, but rather let us strive to know him and be known by him.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
These three verses have quite a bit of information in them, and there is no way we’ll be able to hit it all today.
Part of the reason why we won’t be able to handle it all is because the paragraph before us is one of the heaviest of all the passages in the Sermon on the Mount. There is a certain degree of solemnity that we meet with here.
If you were here last week, you’ll remember that Jesus warned us about false prophets. Well, today Jesus shows himself to be the true prophet. He takes up a prophetic role and speaks a word of future judgement. There is a sense in which this is the most apocalyptic portion of the Sermon on the Mount.
It has been said that hell is so terrible that no one but Jesus could give us a proper understanding of it. There is a sense in which that is true. The OT does not give us much information about hell. We hear of Sheol and are told about a future Day of the Lord, but the OT speaks very little about what that will really be like.
There is a sense in which the NT does the same. Paul, in like manner, tells us that Jesus will come again and that, when he does, there will be wrath for the unbeliever. But if you scan his epistles and the other letters from Peter and the rest, you will find that there’s not a huge encyclopedia entry that you could write.
In reality, most of what we know about hell comes from Jesus. We’ve seen some of this as we have worked through the Sermon on the Mount. Back in Chapter 5, Jesus told us about those who are angry. He said that anyone who says, “You fool” will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna. Gehenna was the trash dump outside of Jerusalem. A fire burned there day and night to consume the rubbish, and that became an image of the world to come which the unbeliever will face.
For the last two messages, we’ve witnessed how Jesus has pointed towards the end. Jesus has mentioned that there are two different roads, and he said that the broad road leads to destruction. Last week, he spoke about the false prophets and how they would be “cut down and thrown into the fire.”
To be sure, he hasn’t said much. But he has, in a very real sense, pulled back the curtain and allowed us to have a little peek into what hell is like. It’s gotten a little bit of definition through these little comments.
As we come to today’s passage, Jesus describes one of the most horrific moments in all of history. It is that moment when this group of people stands before God on the last great day, and as they meet their maker, they are hit with the awful realization that they are going to hell. These were people who thought that they had done everything right. They had every expectation that they were going to enter the kingdom of heaven and enjoy its delights for the rest of eternity.
But they are utterly dismayed. To their surprise, they find that they were broad-road people, and they are consigned to its fateful doom.
Next week, Lord willing, we will look at who these people are. We will take time to analyze the kind of faith that they had so that we can determine if we are one of them. We will take time to figure out what kind of faith is necessary for escaping this awful scenario.
Today, however, I want us to look at Jesus. In the past we’ve seen him as Savior. We’ve seen him as teacher. We’ve even seen him as prophet. But today, we see him as Judge. It is a side of Jesus that many do not like to consider. But it is a necessary one. As he brings us to the last day, the great Day of Judgment, we are brought before him to see how things play out for a certain group of people. We are made to consider just how awful it is to stand before the Judge of all the earth.
As we look at how he is depicted, I want us to consider three things. I want us to look at the claim he makes, the contention he has, and the command he gives.
I. The claim he makes [21-22]
In our passage, Jesus says something about himself which is quite profound. It may even be considered quite bold. And it is a claim which is ever so important to grab hold of. I further might say that it is a claim that many people who study the Sermon on the Mount miss.
As you read this passage, it should become clear that Jesus recognizes himself as God incarnate.
Look at verse 21. He says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.”
All through this sermon we have heard Jesus speaking. We’ve witnessed his theological acumen. We’ve recognized his exegetical expertise in regard to the law of God and the OT writings. We’ve had a clear testimony to his profound ethical understanding. But here, you might say he crosses a line. He says, in a most explicit way, that he is no one other than the Lord God Almighty.
And were it not enough to make the claim that he is Lord, he also acknowledges in the same breath that he is the one who is in charge of granting and denying access to the kingdom of God. To be more specific, one must recognize him as Lord in order to gain access to this kingdom.
To be sure, not everyone who calls him Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. That is the point that he is making and that is what we will look at next time. But implied in this statement is the fact that recognizing his lordship is at least one part of what it takes to get access to the world to come.
And certainly, he says in the most explicit way possible that he will be the one who stops you at the door and forbids your admittance. It is abundantly clear that he claims to be the one who will redirect lawless people to their everlasting abode.
You cannot escape the fact that here in this paragraph Jesus recognizes himself as the one to whom all the world will report. He makes the claim to be the Judge of all the earth who will bring about the great separation on the last day.
Again, throughout the Sermon on the Mount, we’ve seen an excellent teacher. We’ve seen a superior level of moral guidance. We’ve witnessed an eloquence and intellect that is of the highest caliber. But now we find in the most explicit manner a claim to something that is far above his being a mere educator or philosopher.
And this is where we must recognize the real dividing line of the Sermon on the Mount. When all is said and done, it comes down to this: History is moving towards a destination. There is a time when the earth will be judged. Everyone who has ever lived will find themselves called before the bar of God’s throne, and when they get there, they will meet Jesus. He will be the one who determines your eternal destiny.
That is why you must understand who he is. Many people love the Sermon on the Mount. They think it to be the most profound statement in all of history. There are many who will preach it and make it the basis for every message they give. But one of the things that they neglect is what is written right here. They mistake Jesus’ true identity. They take him to be just another religious guru. They say he’s a good teacher.
But they fail to acknowledge that he is God in the flesh; they do not recognize that he is the one before whom all the earth will stand. Or, if they do, they do not see him as one who is able to condemn anyone to everlasting damnation.
But here at the end of the Sermon that he preaches, Jesus wishes to make sure everyone knows who he is. He is Lord. He is God incarnate. And he will be the one whom we all must stand before on the last great day. And all those who have not loved him will hear him pronounce the most grievous words they could possibly hear.
This brings us to our second item for consideration. We’ve looked at the claim that he makes. Now, let us weigh the contention he has.
II. The contention he has [23a]
Look at verse 23 and notice what is said there. Jesus points out a problem. He says to this particular group of people who are standing before him, “I never knew you.”
Understand that Jesus is acting as the Judge here. He’s rendering his verdict. And the verdict that comes down is that he does not know who these people are.
Of course, we’ve just established that Jesus is divine. And, as such, he obviously has some knowledge of them. As a matter of fact, he has a full knowledge of them. He is omniscient and knows every possible thing there is to know about them. He certainly knows them well enough to know that they are, as he says, workers of lawlessness. So he knows them and he knows the profuse list of evil deeds that they have done over the course of their lives.
So, when he says, “I never knew you,” he is not talking about having an intellectual comprehension of them. He’s talking about a different kind of knowledge. He’s talking about a relational knowledge. He does not know them in that he does not have any affection for them. They are not known to be his friends.
We talk this way from time to time. People will say, “Do you know Sally?” And you might respond by saying, “I know of her, but I don’t know her.” Or, “I don’t know her personally.” What do you mean when you say that? You mean that you don’t have a relationship with them or know them on any kind of intimate level. You might know what they look like. You might know their name. You might know some surface level facts about them. But you haven’t ever really gotten to know them in that you’ve never really interacted with them in any kind of meaningful way.
That’s the kind of thing that Jesus is saying here. When Jesus says, “I never knew you,” he’s saying, “I was never in any kind of relationship with you. I have not known you in a personal way. I’ve never had communion with you. I’ve never had any real interaction with you.”
This is, of course, where the surprise is. These people thought they knew Jesus. They thought they knew him well and are shocked to find out that Jesus doesn’t have a relationship with them.
This is the kind of thing that you need to keep in mind when it comes to the doctrine of the foreknowledge of God. When the Scripture talks about how God foreknew those he would save, it isn’t talking about God standing at the corridors of history and having some kind of intellectual knowledge of someone down through the ages of history who might choose him. It’s talking about him having a personal affection for those people. It is talking about how God established a special relationship with them before time had even begun. He loved them and established a relationship with them even though they did not yet exist.
That’s the real irony of the passage. Jesus says, “I never knew you. I do not know you now. I did not know you while you were doing those incredible works you speak of. I did not ever know you. You were not part of my original foreknowledge prior to the beginning of the world, and you never have been. You’ve always been a foreigner.”
That’s the problem that Jesus has with these people. His contention is that there has never been a real bond or connection between them.
And that should make us think deeply about where we stand with the Lord. For, as verse 22 says, this will be something that Jesus says to many people. Many who have grown up in the church will find out that Jesus never knew them. Many who have professed Christ will think that they have it locked in when it comes to their eternal well-being. Many people who may have even stood in pulpits will find themselves shocked, for Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you.”
It is in light of this that the greatest thing you could desire is not simply to know about God or to be “on fire for him,” as they say. Those can be very good things. But the thing that matters most is to know God and be known by him.
If you ever could make a prayer, that would be the one to make: “Lord, make me to know you, but more than that, I want you to know me.”
That is the contention that Jesus will have with those who come before him. The Judge will render his verdict and it will have to do with this one thing: Have I known him, and has he known me?
The final thing that we need to consider in regard to the judgment of Christ is the command he gives.
III. The command he gives [23b]
It is found at the end of verse 23. Jesus, with all his authority, will say, “Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”
These will be the last coherent words the damned will ever hear. And with these words their eternal fate will be sealed. I have no doubt that these words will echo in their ears for the rest of eternity: “Depart from me.”
But what you find here is a statement of what hell is like. It is everlasting separation. It is a departure from God’s favorable presence and an entrance into a life of absolute misery.
Of course, we should not confuse this with complete separation from God. That is not what hell is. To be sure, someone in hell is just as close to God as someone in the highest heavens. God is the one who is in hell. He is the executioner as well as the Judge.
We should recognize that this is what makes hell so agonizing. Those in hell would love to be away from God. But in fact, they are in his presence. And he is there constantly sending forth his unmitigated anger.
But the most hellish thing about hell is not so much what you get, but what you lack. In departing from Christ, you lose the greatest possible blessing you could ever enjoy: living in communion with Christ and enjoying his favor.
His love and his care are removed. All through this life he has been kind to grant you the small joys and blessings. You’ve had days of peace and happiness. You’ve enjoyed the sun’s rays warming your face, and you’ve been able to eat, drink and be merry.
But at that moment, it will all be lost. When Jesus says, “Depart from me,” suddenly it will all be whisked away. His favorable attitude will be gone as your time has run out.
In that moment you will depart. You will be ushered through the doors, and you will no longer see or experience his smiling face. He will give his command and you will find yourself in hell forever.
Conclusion:
One shudders to think of such a thing, and one could barely think that any such thing was possible had Jesus himself not said as much. Yet this is his own testimony. This is his very own witness to the facts. And therefore, we must take heed.
In doing so, we must be sure to examine ourselves and repent of our sins. We must not cling to anything other than true faith in Christ and evidence it in an earnest obedience to him. Let us not strive so much as to do great things, but rather let us strive to know him and be known by him.