I want you to imagine that you are on trial in a courtroom right now. The court has been called to order. Each of you is on trial individually. However this is not your typical earthly courtroom. I want you to imagine you are on trial on Judgment Day. The courtroom is huge. It is filled with billions of people and angels. The judge is staring at you though. He reminds you of the Law, "Be holy because I the Lord your God am holy." If you were standing there right now, what would you say in your defense? What excuse would you give for your life? None of us could say anything in our own defense. We have all broken the law and deserve the most terrible sentence imaginable, rotting for eternity in the prison of hell. This is Judgment Day. 2 Corinthians 5:10 says, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."

How do you feel about Judgment Day? The picture I painted of the Last Day was very grim for sinners. And if you look at the sermon theme for today in the bulletin, Consider the Last Our Happiest Day, you will probably think that I am crazy. How could a day that we are judged as sinners and deserving of the highest punishment be our happiest day? The Last Day is our happiest day because we will stand in Jesus' courtroom, our Savior. We will appear before the Son of Man who already served our sentence on the cross. It will also be our happiest because we will be blessed by the Father. So do not fear the Judgment Day in your hearts, prepare for it, and consider it the happiest day ever.

The words from the Gospel of Matthew are Jesus' words. In the verse prior to this, Jesus had been teaching his disciples about Judgment Day. These words are nearing the end of his instruction on the Last Day. He begins by telling them what would happen on that glorious day. He said that the Son of Man would come. Jesus quite frequently used the title Son of Man to refer to himself. The name expressed his human nature and humility. It also emphasized his obedience to his Father in heaven. In contrast to this title, Jesus says that he will come in all his glory with the angels surrounding him. He will be sitting on his throne in his heavenly glory. These words emphasize that Jesus is not just a man, but also true God who has all the angels at his command and deserves the honor of a heavenly king. Jesus, true God and true man, will come on the Last Day with all the good angels in all his glory.

Jesus also made it perfectly clear who else would be there on the Last Day. He said that all nations would be gathered to him. It would not be just a few select bad people that would be on trial, the worst of the worst, and every one else would go to heaven. No, Jesus says that all people will be brought before the Judge. Imagine the sight on that day. Billions of people, with all the angels, will be standing around the throne of God.

And then judgment will come. Jesus said that he will separate the sheep from the goats like a shepherd. What a comforting image this for believers! Jesus our Good Shepherd will place us at his right hand, the position of favor and honor. You will notice that there is no testimony given. There is no legal battle between lawyers. We already know that we can say nothing in our defense. Imagine this day of impending judgment and doom is upon you and you look up to see the Good Shepherd. You then have nothing to fear and it becomes the happiest day ever for you. For you know that the Good Shepherd, Jesus, who also is the Judge, already laid his life down for the sheep. He already served our sentence when he suffered and died on Good Friday.

And we know that we are Jesus' sheep because he has called us by name and comforted us with his word. Through his Word we have he assurance that we were made sheep by the grace of God through the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus. And Jesus gives the testimony that we are sheep after he does the separating. It is like a recap after the verdict. That recap is after the words of our sermon lesson. Jesus told what his sheep do in this life as his sheep. They act out of love for Jesus and for others. Jesus sheep do this not to be saved but rather because they are saved.

Yet it will not be such a happy day for all on Judgment Day. There are some who are goats. They have refused the grace of God. Jesus places them on his left. This symbolizes their fate of dishonor, because of their unbelief. They will suffer the same judgment as Satan and his evil angels in the torments of hell.

Thanks be to God that we are sheep and do not have to suffer the destiny of the goats. For us the Last Day will be the happiest day. As we stand in the courtroom of Christ, before the Son of Man, we will be blessed by the Father. And in the end, that is all that really matters. All the other silly things in this life are so trivial compared to being one of the Good Shepherd's sheep and blessed by the Father.

Let us now look at verse 34 of the lesson today and be strengthened in the sure truth that the Father blesses us. Verse 34 reads, "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world." The King, Jesus, our Good Shepherd and Almighty Judge, proclaims the sentence for the sheep, us, in this verse. He starts out with the tender invitation, "Come." What comfort that simple little word is. It is our blessed invitation to eternal life. In order to express how comforting that word is, let me direct your attention to what he says to the goats or unbelievers. He says, " Depart from me." There is nothing but terror in those words. The unbeliever will be forced from the presence of God and sent to hell. But we, as believers in Jesus Christ, have the warm welcome, "Come."

We know this because the next words are "You who are blessed by the Father." We have proof that it us Jesus is talking to. We are truly blessed by the Father. He has blessed us by creating us and providing for us. He has blessed us by sending his Son to live and die in place of us. He has blessed us by sending the Holy Spirit to create and strengthen faith in our hearts. He has blessed us through our baptisms and Holy Communion where we are assured of our forgiveness. He has blessed us greatly. We have the proof. The invitation to come into eternal life is ours.

Jesus then reiterates this point with the words, "Take your inheritance." We must realize that we are not like many earthly inheritors though. Often earthly inheritance is based on merit. Grandpa leaves the special inheritance to the favorite grandchild. Sometimes the oldest child or the youngest child gets the most inheritance. With God there are no favorites. He gives the inheritance to all believers, not because of anything we do, but purely by God's grace. He does it because he loves us.

And he gives the best inheritance. It will never be used up. It will never be taken away. Jesus says that the inheritance is God's kingdom, the Kingdom that has been prepared for you since the creation of the world. At that time, God chose us to be his sheep. God chose you at the beginning of time. Receive the kingdom now. Be comforted in the absolute knowledge that God invites you into heaven. God gives us that comfort and it sure makes life in this veil of tears a lot easier. We know that we will be in the kingdom in all its glory on the last day. That makes our lives happy. And it also makes the Last Day our happiest day.

As you prepare yourselves to stand in God's courtroom before the Almighty Judge, have no fear. Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins. Be happy, because God has chosen you. All those who have faith in Jesus will be counted as sheep. Be happy that you will not have to endure the fear, pain, and anguish of the unbelievers on the Last Day. We will all stand before the Son of Man. Yet we, by the grace of God, are blessed by the Father. That makes the Last Day the happiest day ever. AMEN.