Only hours before his death, Jesus told his followers that he was leaving them. Then he said, “Let not your heart be troubled . . . . I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3).
Years later, a follower of Christ by the name of Paul wrote in a letter to the church in Thessalonica, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words (1Thess 4:16).
In our own lifetime, many of us have seen this promised return emphasized, over-emphasized, debated, ignored and laughed at.
Interestingly a prediction and promise that was meant to unite followers of Christ in faith, hope, love, patience, and courage has become embarrassingly de-motivating, divisive, speculative, and at times almost cultish.
Before I say more about my own thoughts, I’d be interested to know what you’ve heard or seen over the years that has caused you to think more or less about a promise that, from the New Testament’s point of view, is as foundational to faith in Christ as his death and resurrection.
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