Scripture: John 5:30 (ESV) – “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.”
Here Jesus affirms again that He is not acting independently of the Father, but in full unity and submission to Him. He has just declared that He will raise the dead and execute judgment. Now He assures us that His judgment is perfectly just—because it proceeds not from self-interest, but from the Father’s will.
This is the opposite of human judges, who are so often swayed by personal bias, politics, or limited understanding. As Pastor Chris Cousine so clearly puts it, “Jesus is claiming that His justice will be perfectly just.” Why? Because it is not grounded in human opinion or preference, but in the perfect, holy will of God.
William Gouge would highlight the perfect moral integrity of Christ as both divine and human Judge. In His divinity, Christ shares fully in the omniscient wisdom of the Father. In His humanity, He listens, obeys, and enacts the Father’s will flawlessly. “To hear Christ judge,” Gouge wrote, “is to hear justice itself speak.”
There is great comfort and gravity here. Comfort, because if Christ is your Advocate, His justice is not a threat—it is your shield. Gravity, because His justice cannot be manipulated or avoided. Every decision He makes is rooted in righteousness.
Reflection Questions:
- Why does Jesus emphasize that His judgment is not His own but the Father’s?
- How does Christ’s perfect justice shape your trust in His rule and coming judgment?
- Are you more likely to fear Christ’s judgment—or find peace in it? Why?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You that Your justice is perfect, because it flows from the will of the Father. Keep us from presuming upon Your grace or fearing condemnation. Teach us to trust that in You, justice and mercy meet. Help us to walk in obedience, knowing that You are both Judge and Savior. Amen.
This devotional is based on John 5:30 and shaped by the preaching of Pastor Chris Cousine and theological reflection from William Gouge.
Covenant Presbyterian Church 