As we look around the courtroom we’ve been constructing in this series, we see Satan as the skilled, relentless prosecutor, Jesus as the compassionate public defender, a line-up of witnesses on both sides – and you and I standing accused. And so, it comes down to the Judge.

If you are following along and thinking about the plot of this story, it is likely obvious who the Judge is going to be. God is the only player in this heavenly courtroom scene that we’ve not discussed. Many of you, I am sure, are now ready to give up on this story. Some of you have been hesitant to make a deeper commitment to God, or even to Jesus, or especially to the idea of church, because you believe you know this Judge and are frankly put off by His history. You do not like what you’ve heard about Him or read about Him. Others have made a commitment at one point in your life, but as time has gone on you’ve been weighed down by the impending judgment. The guilt and shame that you hang onto – maybe release and then pick back up like a heavy brick on your shoulders – has rendered you ineffective and has robbed you of your joy.

You see, as we’ve laid out this drama, we’ve placed ourselves on trial in the very throne room of heaven. Satan hurling accusations, some truth, mostly lies; Jesus mediating on our behalf; witnesses on both sides with accounts that need to be sorted out. Sorted out by a Judge. As we survey this scene, there is only one logical conclusion as to who this Judge is. It must be God the Father because He is the one on the throne. He is the one to whom Jesus speaks when He mediates for us. He must be the Judge, and for many of you, this gets very uncomfortable.

Some of you are thinking God cannot be trusted as Judge. You see Him as genocidal, vengeful, judgmental, full of wrath, not satisfied by killing off other nations but going after His own chosen people as well! Why would you put your faith in that God?

And I fanned those flames earlier in this series when I read the opening passage of the book of Job. After all, when Satan was hurling accusations against a man God believes to be upright, God Himself gave permission for Satan to take everything he had except his life. Not a very trustworthy God, right?

And if I’m going to help you build a case against this God you think is just waiting for His chance to pass judgment on you, let’s look at the prophecy of the end times:

And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” – Revelation 14:7

Fear God AND give Him glory? Maybe that’s too much to ask.

I am not going to tell you all these things are not true. I am not going to play Satan’s game of using subtle lies to win you over. But, in the next, exciting conclusion to this series, I will expose the greatest plot twist of ALL TIME!