April 28 I Sunday

1 Kings 3-5

Luke 20:1-26

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where
I am.”  
—John 14:3

 

We do not know a great deal about heaven, and what we do know is by revelation given to us in Scripture. It speaks of heaven as the clouds and the skies, but most importantly, it speaks of heaven as a place. It is God’s home, where He lives and where Jesus came from, and it is the future home of every Christian.

The book of Revelation pulls back the curtain on mysteries we cannot know in this life apart from revelation that takes us into heaven where we are given great scenes around the throne of God. We are told heaven is a place that can be seen, touched and inhabited by beings with material bodies. It is not an ethereal “floating around as spirits” type of existence, but in our eternal home, we will have new, strong and healthy bodies. Everything good on earth is revealed in Scripture to be much greater and better in heaven. In fact, it is safe to say that on the basis of all the metaphorical images we are given, heaven will be indescribable in its beauty and wonder.

Our access to heaven is immediate upon leaving this earth. There is no biblical indication of purgatory or a waiting period where we are on some kind of probation. Paul says, “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). Paul is anticipating an immediate transference, absent one moment and present with the Lord the next. As Jesus said to the man on the cross beside Him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

This is a promise to everyone in Christ. The most incredible thing we can anticipate is that Jesus said, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me.” Jesus Himself will come to us at our death and take us with Him. He does not delegate this to angels or to sweet chariots taking us home, but our first awareness at death will be of Jesus Himself.

It may be difficult to understand, but in the eternal nature of Jesus, He is able to hear every prayer as though we have a private audience with Him and we were the only ones on earth praying at the time. It is the same in death. Jesus will meet us as though no one else were dying when we are. He will smile upon us, welcome us and take us home. “I will come,” Jesus said. That already sounds like heaven!

 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know this is our temporary home, and I look forward to being with You in our permanent home. Thank You, Lord, for the promise of heaven.


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