LifeLink Devotional

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Who do you think of when you hear the words, “I’ll be back!” If you have a cultural mindset, you probably thought of a movie star turned governor with a heavy accent who made that promise in a hit movie. His return comes moments later when he terminates the lives of everyone who opposed his mission.

But if you have a spiritual mindset, you thought of Jesus. He also made the promise to return, and like the movie star, His imminent return brings termination of life as we know it.

Jesus said four simple yet powerful words to His disciples to ease their minds as they thought about life without His physical presence.  “I WILL COME BACK!” Immediately prior to these four words Jesus had said four other words that deeply affected them. “I GO TO PREPARE.” The disciple’s focus was on His going. Jesus wanted their focus to be on His return.

John 14:2-3   “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

The curse of sin upon each one of us causes us to focus on what’s missing rather than what is promised. It started in the Garden of Eden, when the serpent convinced Eve that something was missing from her life. When sin entered human existence, our perspective was radically changed. The beauty and blessing of intimacy with God was destroyed and we became irreparably fixated on corruption. We see flaws in people before we see the faultlessness of Christ. We notice mistakes before we embrace the majesty of God. We are cranky and critical and ignore the compassion of Jesus. We are focused on what’s missing rather than what’s promised.

Jesus left the disciples with a promise. “I’LL BE BACK!”  He will return to take all His children out of this world prior to terminating all who reject Him. Sin will be terminated. The entire creation, including this world, will be ultimately terminated. It will be the outpouring of God’s wrath against sin and all who reject salvation in Jesus Christ. It will be perfect justice.

The only people to survive will be those who by faith in Jesus Christ have become children of God. On the cross of Calvary, Jesus bore the wrath of God on our behalf. By faith in Christ, based on His death and resurrection, we who can do nothing in oiurselves to avoid eternal death have been forgiven for all eternity. There is no wrath left for those who believe as it was all poured out on Jesus. If you are in Christ, you are free from condemnation.

Jesus is coming to take His children to the place He has prepared, and we will be with Him for all eternity. Life as we know it will be terminated on this earth. In it’s place we will know life as it was intended – sin-free, pain-free, tear-free, sorrow-free, trouble-free, intimate and eternal life in the presence of Christ.

Each day, until Jesus comes back, we have a choice between focusing on what’s missing or fixing our expectations on the return of Jesus. We can see problems or promises. Which do you choose?

Pastor John