Jesus: Our Judge and Advocate

I was reading a blog post from The Middle-Aged Mormon Man in which he talked about how we as members sometimes forget to place the Savior in our Plan of Salvation charts.  We become so focused on making sure that we talk about each step of the Plan that we forget that the Plan would not have been put into motion without Christ and His Atonement.  I admit to being guilty of this.  When teaching about the plan, it is, unfortunately, very easy to focus so much on the "steps" that Jesus' role in the plan gets pushed to the side.  To quote from his post. MMM said: "I have sat through entire lessons on the subject without ever hearing about Jesus and his role in God’s Plan. ... Sometimes we get so fixated on the circles and arrows and the 'Hows' and 'Whys' that we never talk about the 'Who.'"  He went on to give some examples of how Jesus fits into each of the circles:

• Jesus Christ stepped forward in the Pre-Mortal life and offered himself to be the Savior.

• Jesus Christ created the world

• Jesus Christ came to this world – just like us – to gain a body and be tested.

• Jesus Christ died.

• Jesus Christ visited the Spirit World, where he opened the gate between Paradise and Prison.

• Jesus Christ was resurrected

• Jesus Christ will be our final judge.  (The Plan of Salvation - What's Missing?, MMM blog, Feb. 21, 2016)

This was a good reminder to me that the next time I have an opportunity to discuss or teach the Plan of Salvation, that I should strive to bring the Savior and His role into the discussion.  However, as I read through the comment section at the end of the post, I came across a comment from someone who seemed shocked that Jesus would be our Judge.  He said that Jesus is our Redeemer and Advocate, but didn't seem to realize how He could also be our Judge.  I'm trying not to be judgmental in my next comment, but it seemed strange to me that this man, who said he taught Gospel Doctrine, did not understand this concept.  However, after reading this comment, I felt prompted to write a response to his response.  I have touched on these concepts in my Jan. 24th and Feb 7th posts, but I have also expanded upon and fleshed out this concept a little more for this post.  I'm sorry if I sound redundant, but I guess this is something that is very much on my mind right now; maybe because it is a concept that I've only recently wrapped my head around in a way I never have before.  With that as a preface, I view Jesus being both our Judge and our Redeemer/Advocate in the following manner:

During the time He spent with the Nephites after His resurrection, Jesus declared to them that “no unclean thing can enter into his [Father’s] kingdom” (3 Nephi 27:19).  If not for the Atonement, Jesus would be in the unique position of being the only person truly worthy to actually enter Father’s kingdom under these conditions.  Thankfully, His vicarious work and sacrifice in our behalf gives us the opportunity to overcome our sins and enter Father’s kingdom cleansed from the stains of those sins.  Because of His sinless life, however, Father has also given Jesus the calling, if you will, to be our ultimate Judge and at some point “we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10, emphasis added).  As Jacob explained to the Nephite people: “the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there” (2 Nephi 9:41).  To my mind, the "keeper of the gate," is Jacob's way of calling Jesus our Judge.  As the Keeper of the Gate, Jesus can dictate to us, who fall way short of the life He lived, what is needed for us to qualify to enter through the gate He diligently protects.

This concept of qualification should not be new to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  If we desire to enter the temple, we need to pass a judgment through the process of an interview with our ward bishop or counselors and our stake president or counselors.  Just as our Father in Heaven has set certain standards for His spirit children to enter His kingdom, Jesus has set standards for temple attendance.  This is why there is an interview process.   As the Elder Russell M. Nelson explained, these interviews are diligently conducted because the Savior requires that His holy temples "be protected from desecration. No unclean thing may enter His hallowed house. ... Such requirements are not difficult to understand. Because the temple is the house of the Lord, standards for admission are set by Him" (Ensign, May 2001, 33).  What are temple recommend qualifications?  Elder Nelson continued: "They will ask if we obey the law of tithing, if we keep the Word of Wisdom, and if we sustain the authorities of the Church. They will ask if we are honest, if we are morally clean, and if we honor the power of procreation as a sacred trust from our Creator" (ibid).  If our local leaders conclude from this interview that we qualify for a temple recommend, they will endorse us (or advocate for us) with their signature.  Our signature is also required.  Not only do they endorse us, but we must endorse ourselves.  If we have hidden anything from them in our answers, then our endorsement is a fabrication and we (not they) will be held accountable for it.

In the case of our Final Judgment, what are the qualifications for those desiring to pass through the gate?  Jesus declared to His disciples: “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).  Considered honestly, it truly is a simple criterion; but we mortals make it so difficult.  Nevertheless, how can Jesus judge us unless He has something upon which to base that judgment?  I don't know what that interview will be like, but I imagine He will ask us very pointed questions.  The difference between our interview with Him and our interview with our bishopric and stake presidency is that He will know our answers—there will be no way for us to fabricate our responses.  He will know immediately if we are lying to Him.  I believe this is why Alma declared that we would "fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence" (Alma 12:14) during this interview if we are not qualified.  On the other hand, we will also know if our imperfect yet heartfelt efforts will allow our "confidence [to] wax strong in the presence of God" (D&C 121:45) or not.  Now I understand that "unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" (Luke 12:48), and that His judgments will be based upon our understanding of His law.  However, those who did not receive His law will have opportunity to accept His gospel and His ordinances and will be "judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit" (1 Peter 4:6); but that's a whole other post.  We, who know better, keep His commandments when we are “an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12), and He judges us based on our actions because those actions testify to Him of our belief "on his name" (D&C 45:5)—i.e.: how we have kept the commandments and lived up to our covenants.

When that interview has ended and if the Keeper of the Gate finds us qualified, He then stands as our "advocate with the Father" (D&C 45:3) and pleads our cause based on His "merits, and mercy, and grace" (2 Nephi 2:8).  Because we have passed His judgment, He, in a sense, signs our recommend and sponsors us before Father.  Founded solely on Jesus’ recommendation and the works He has done on our behalf, we will be able to pass through the gate into the presence of the Father washed clean (redeemed) through His blood.  To my understanding, this is how Jesus can be both our Judge and our Advocate.  As with other linked gospel principles (grace and works, justice and mercy, to name two) the idea of Judge and Advocate may seem like a contradiction, but I can think of no better person I'd rather be judged by and then have stand with me as my advocate then the Savior.