The belief that Christ has the authority to judge the living and the dead is frequently repeated through the New Testament (e.g. Matthew 16:27, Acts 10:42, Romans 14:7-10, etc.). The judgement belongs by right to Christ, as he is the Lord and Redeemer.What does it mean, then? It means that Christ paid the highest possible price to ransom us from the slavery of death and evil. Being God, 'he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross' (Philippians 2:8). We belong to Christ by right, not only as our Creator but also as our Saviour.
It is the mercy of Jesus that is the principle of his judgement, ‘for God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.’ (John, 3:17).
We are all equal also in this respect, that we are all in position to accept Christ's mercy or reject it! Christ calls Judas his friend, even though he betrayed him. Let us then not pass judgement on our sisters and brothers, as we shall all stand before Christ (Romans 14:10).
There's this thing about judgment that most people are scared of it. But Christ's judgment is redemptive. Take Blind Bartimaeus - the disciples wanted to know who had sinned, him or his father? - but Jesus points out that it was neither. Lots of people walk around feeling guilty for things they could reasonably do nothing about. The judgment of Christ, among other things, relieves his followers (the living) of this burden of worry.
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