Our Lord's Power as Judge

Christ, by testimony of scripture (Acts 10:42) is appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. Now, a judge must have, in addition to jurisdiction, a zeal for justice;he must be wise; he must know truth. The Son of God is wisdom itself eternally begotten; he is Lord and lover of justice; hence he has perfect qualifications for the function of a judge. St.Augustine (De Vera Relig. xxxi) says: “The Father judges no man, but has given all judgment to the son.” Ofcourse, speaking simply, the judicial power is in the Trinity. For reasons here indicated, it is appropriated to the Son.

Even as man, our Lord has power and right to judge. Scripture says (John 5:27) that the Father “hath given him power to do judgment because he is the Son of man.”

The judicial or judiciary power belongs to Christ asman because of his divine personality, the dignity of his headship,and the fullness of his habitual grace. This power also belongs to our Lord by reason of his merit. For he who fought for God’s justice, and won through to victory, though unjustly condemned,should, by divine justice, now be the judge.

Since, as scripture says (John 5:22), “the Father hath given all judgment to the Son,” it is evident that our Lord is judge with reference to all human affairs.

A judgment takes place when a man dies. Scripture says(Heb. 9:27): “It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment.” There will be another and general judgment when all human lives (and the effects of these lives that continue after the lives themselves are ended) will be perfectly and publicly judged. This judgment will take place on the last day. And Christ our Lord and God will be the judge.

Our Lord will also be judge of the angels. Christ has the authority to judge the angels; indeed, he delegates the authority to the apostles, and St. Paul (I Cor. 6:3) says that the apostles will exercise the delegated authority. In the beginning, Christ as the Word of God judged and sentenced the rebel angels. But there are accidental rewards and punishments to bemeted to good and to bad angels; for these the judicial power is vested in our Lord as God Incarnate.