Apostles’ Creed Week 9: He Will Come to Judge
Introduction
In the coming weeks, we’re going to walk slowly through one of the oldest, most widely embraced confessions in the history of the Church—the Apostles’ Creed. This ancient creed is more than a set of beliefs; it’s a narrative. It tells the story of God, the story of the gospel, and the story we are invited into.
The Kansas City Underground holds this creed as a foundational confession. It’s a declaration of trust, a form of spiritual formation, and a shared language that binds us together with the global Church across time and culture.
Each week, we’ll sit with a single line or phrase. You’ll engage Scripture, linger in reflection, and respond in prayer. This is not a study to rush through, but an invitation to abide with truth until it shapes your imagination and your life.
If you want to dive deeper into the meaning behind each line, we highly recommend The Apostles’ Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism by Ben Myers. It’s a short but powerful companion that can enrich your journey.
Apostles’ Creed
Read the following line from the Apostles’ Creed:
“He will come to judge the living and the dead.”
We live in the tension of the already and the not yet.
Jesus has come. Jesus has risen. Jesus reigns now.
And yet, the story is not over.
The Creed reminds us: “He will come to judge the living and the dead.”
This is not just a doctrinal statement. It is a promise. A warning. A hope.
Jesus is coming again.
The One who came in humility will return in glory. The One who was judged unjustly will return to judge with perfect justice. The One who took on the sins of the world will return to make all things new.
To say “He will come to judge” is to declare that history is not random. It’s moving toward a moment—a final reckoning, a cosmic restoration.
And yes, judgment sounds terrifying. We tend to hear it as condemnation. But in the biblical imagination, judgment is also hope.
It means the world will not always be as it is.
It means the powerful will be held accountable.
It means the oppressed will be lifted up.
It means the pain we’ve carried and the wrongs we’ve suffered are not forgotten.
Judgment is the promise that God sees. And God will act.
And the judge? It’s Jesus. The One who knows our weakness. The One who bore our sin. The One who still carries the scars of our redemption. He will judge—not from a distance, but with deep knowing. Not with vengeance, but with righteousness.
This line of the Creed doesn’t lead us to fear. It calls us to live awake. To live aligned with the kingdom that’s coming. To walk in grace and truth, mercy and justice.
Jesus is coming again. And when He comes, the story ends not in destruction, but in renewal.
Scripture Readings
Matthew 25:31–46 – The sheep and the goats: final judgment.
Acts 10:42–43 – Jesus appointed as judge of the living and the dead.
Romans 2:5–11 – God’s judgment is righteous and impartial.
Revelation 20:11–15 – The great white throne.
Revelation 21:1–5 – He will make all things new.
Reflection
The idea of judgment can stir anxiety. But for the early Church—and for those crying out for justice—it stirred hope. Because Jesus is coming again, and when He does, He will bring justice. Not the flawed justice of human systems, but the full, restorative justice of the kingdom of God.
That means nothing escapes His notice.
Every hidden thing will be brought into the light. Every act of mercy will be remembered. Every sin will be accounted for—either carried by Jesus or faced apart from Him.
Judgment is not just a moment of reckoning. It’s the threshold of restoration. It is where evil is named and defeated. Where the brokenness of creation is healed.
Where Jesus sets the world right again.
And this reality calls us to live differently now. Not out of fear, but out of faithfulness. Not in apathy, but in urgency. Not with pride, but with humility.
We are a people who believe that Jesus is coming. And we want to be found ready—not perfect, but faithful.
Consider
We often think of judgment as an ending. But in the story of God, judgment is the beginning of renewal. It’s the moment when everything false is exposed, and everything true is restored.
The Judge who comes is the same One who once stretched out His arms on the cross. His verdict is not fueled by anger, but by love that refuses to leave evil unchallenged. To believe that Jesus will come to judge is to believe that truth matters, that mercy wins, and that nothing broken is beyond repair.
Before moving to prayer, take time to reflect or journal:
What feelings arise when you think about Jesus as Judge? Fear, hope, gratitude, relief?
Where do you long for His justice to come—in your life, your neighborhood, or the world?
What does it mean for you to live ready—not afraid, but faithful and awake to His coming?
Prayer Prompts
Let your prayers this week stretch toward the horizon of hope, toward the day when Jesus will make all things new.
Worship: Thank Jesus that His justice is rooted in love. Praise Him as the righteous Judge who sees all and sets all things right. Use Revelation 21 or Psalm 96 to shape your words.
Confession: Invite the Spirit to search your heart. Name where you’ve resisted His ways or turned a blind eye to injustice. Receive the assurance that mercy triumphs over judgment.
Longing: Pray for the coming kingdom—for the end of oppression, violence, and deceit. Cry out with the Church across generations: “Come, Lord Jesus.”
Hope: Ask for courage to live today in light of that coming day—to forgive freely, act justly, and love mercy as citizens of a world that’s being remade.
Intercede: Pray for our network to embody the hope of Christ’s return—communities marked by righteousness, compassion, and faithful witness. Ask that the Underground would point to the day when every tear will be wiped away and all creation will be renewed under the just and merciful reign of Jesus.