With a shattered heart, Olivia walked through the rubble of what had once been her home. A terrible category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 115 miles per hour (185 kilometers per hour) had destroyed everything—her house, peace, and hopes for the future. Tears filled her eyes as she searched the debris for anything to hold on to. Overwhelmed with grief, she cried, “I can’t believe it. It all happened so fast. My house is gone. I’m tired and cold. I want to go home, but I have no home.”
Watching this scene on the evening news, my heart ached. As pastors, we need to tell her—and our communities—you do have a home! Jesus said, “ ‘Let not your heart be troubled. . . . In My Father’s house are many mansions. . . . I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also’ ” (John 14:1–3).1 What an assurance! We are not forsaken. Jesus is coming to take us home.
The Bible reminds us: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). On this earth disasters can destroy even the most beautiful home. That is why our focus must be on our eternal home.
The promise of Christ’s return
The Bible describes Christ’s return as spectacular and visible: “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him” (Rev. 1:7). Some misunderstand this event because they interpret the Bible without allowing it to explain itself. Jesus said in Matthew 25:31 that He will return with all the angels in a great display of glory and power. He further describes His coming as visible, audible, and powerful: “ ‘For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man’ ” (Matt. 24:27, NIV).
Pastor, the Bible leaves no doubt. The first time Jesus came, He arrived as a baby in a manger. But when He returns, He will come with power, fulfilling prophecy: “ ‘Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory’ ” (Matt. 24:30, NIV).
This verse reveals four truths:
- We will see Jesus when He appears.
- He will come on the clouds of heaven.
- His return will be a display of power.
- He will arrive in great glory.
Jesus will not return as a helpless child nor as a lamb to be slain. He is coming in power, and every person will witness it.
A day of joy and reunion
This is the great hope that is our privilege and duty to share. Whatever struggles we face today, all suffering will soon end. There will be no more sickness, no more pain. For those who put their trust in Jesus, disease will be eradicated, bodies will be restored, and we will rejoice because tears will be ended (Rev. 21:4).
If we could gather all the tears shed throughout history, they would form a river encircling the world. But suffering will end when Christ returns.
It is time to go home. But before we do, Jesus has given each of us, including pastors and church leaders, a mission—go and share the good news with the world. Every person, city, country, tribe, and language must hear the message—Jesus is coming again!
Let us prepare ourselves, our families, and our congregations to go because Jesus is coming soon.
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! (Rev. 22:20).
- Unless noted otherwise, Scripture is from the New King James Version.
