Jesus was a messenger. Before he was a messenger, Jesus was the son of God. Just imagine, the Son of God, the Creator of all creation, the one who was Truth, Light and Life, left all His glory behind to become a man and deliver a message. Jesus was no ordinary messenger, and He was delivering no ordinary message. Jesus was delivering a message from God the Father. It was a message full of hope; for all who believed, it was the assurance of eternal life.

Before He was ever crucified, Jesus told the Jews that whoever heard His words, and believed that they were words of truth, sent directly from His Father God, would have eternal life. He told them that by their belief they availed themselves of the mercy and grace of God. They would cross directly from death to eternal life. Their belief would reconcile them with God and place them in right relationship with Him. God would count their faith, like the faith of Abraham, as righteousness. All who stand in right relationship with God do not face judgment, but rather look to a homecoming when they leave this earthly existence.

Jesus tells them that the time for hearing and believing has arrived. All those who are dead in their trespasses have the opportunity through faith to receive a pardon for their sins. Jesus is the source of life and of judgment. God the father has given His Son, incarnate as a man, the authority to judge all humanity. Jesus does not wish to judge, he wishes to rescue. Some Christians believe God is big enough to judge. They believe He is big enough to save those He chooses. However, God is bigger than that; He is big enough to give us freedom. Jesus can be our judge or He can be our savior. He lets us make the choice which He will be. When we hear the Gospel we must choose. We choose to believe and make Him our Savior or we reject and make Him our Judge. We choose life or death.