The Pass

Therefore just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather from His kingdom everything that causes sin and those guilty of lawlessness. They will throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Anyone who has ears should listen. – Matthew 13:40-43 HCSB

It was late at night, early morning actually, when the police car’s lights began flashing. After a few minutes’ pursuit, the weaving car finally pulled over. As the officers approached, the driver’s door swung open and a handsome young man stumbled out of the car. His thousand dollar suit was in disarray and his hair was disheveled. His eyes were swollen and bleary from the alcohol. His speech was slurred.

Unfortunately he was the son of a well respected man in the community but the officers, being men of integrity, arrested the young man anyway – mainly to protect him and others on the road. As they handcuffed the drunken man and helped him into the back of the squad car, the last thing he was heard shouting was, “Do you know who my Father is?”

How pathetic! The young man tried to rely on his father’s righteousness to get him a free “Get Out of Jail” card. As we all know, it simply shouldn’t work that way. Each of us must walk our own path; must labor to build our own good reputation.

There is one instance in which this is not true, however. When we submit to the inevitable and declare Jesus of Nazareth to be our Lord and Savior[1], we acquire righteousness[2] that exceeds that of the Pharisees[3] – His righteousness. Not only are we credited with His holiness, but we also get adopted into God’s family[4] and have the right to address Him as “Abba” or “Father”.[5]

There will come a day when Yeshua ben Adonai will return with a trumpet call. The dead tzaddikim will rise first, and then those who remain alive on earth after the terrible persecution will join them in the air.[6] Soon judgment will arrive. The tzaddikim will stand before the Bema Seat, the wicked will appear before the Great White Throne of Judgment.

Our Accuser will do his best to bring up all our transgressions, but Jesus Christ our Mediator will simply turn to Lucifer and calmly ask, “Do you know who that one’s Father is?” And on that day, we will get a free pass. Not because of any righteous works that we have done,[7] but because we have been adopted – because of who our Father and Brother are.

[1] Matthew 15:25
[2] Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 7:14
[3] Matthew 5:20
[4] Romans 9:8; 2 Corinthians 6:17-18; 1 John 3:1-2
[5] Romans 8:14-15; Galatians 4:6
[6] 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
[7] Titus 3:5