Are You Ready To Meet Jesus?

Every Easter we celebrate Christ's Resurrection. That is definitely a high point of the year for Christians! However, we must never confuse that high point as being the end of Christ's story. If you continue reading after the resurrection, Christ has several meetings with the disciples, and then he ascends into heaven. Even that is not the end, as now we look forward to his return.

Looking forward to Christ's return is something we should do. The early church modeled this by eagerly looking for his return and referring to it throughout the epistles. There is an aspect to this that we often forget. When Christ returns we will see him which will be wonderful. Another part of seeing him might not be so wonderful.

We will also see him as our judge. Paul describes this as the "Judgment Seat of Christ." "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10) Paul had already described this process in vivid imagery: "If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)

The Biblical accounts of Christ's return for his people and this subsequent judgment remind me of the pop quizzes some professors frequently gave and the snap unannounced inspections done in industry and the government. In those situations you had to be constantly prepared and up to specs because you never knew when the quiz or inspection would happen. The Bible is very clear that we do not and will not know the day or hour of Christ's return! "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority." (Acts 1:7)

So we could be called into Christ's presence at any time. This can happen two ways. One way is for the Trump of the Lord to sound and we will meet him in the clouds. The other way is for our mortal body to die and then like the Repentant Thief we will be with him in Paradise. Since either of these events could happen at any time how should we behave and think?

Paul describes the way we are to live this way: "So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it." (2 Corinthians 5:9) and "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ," (Titus 2:11 - 13) Living this way also frees us up to really enjoy all that God has for us now too.

n the context of looking at an upcoming event in the great Story I have always found this question to be challenging and haunting: "However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8)

Will Jesus Christ find you both full of faith and faithful?

Written by Rev. Daniel B. Baker April 2003



Articles by Rev. Daniel B. Baker :: Webmaster: Joseph I. Baker