In the final verses of John Chapter 13 Jesus reveals to His disciples that His remaining time on earth is brief and that where He’s going, they cannot follow. Peter, in a moment of panic, let’s despair flood his heart and first asks Jesus where He is going; and then assures Him (at least in his own mind) that he will give his life for Jesus if necessary.
Jesus recognizes Peter’s fears but does not placate them. Instead, He gives Peter the crushing news that before the sun rises and the rooster crows, Peter will already have denied that he even knows Jesus three times…but He doesn’t stop there.
In order to leave Peter and the disciples with hope (even if they couldn’t realize it at that time because of their fear), in the beginning of John chapter 14, Jesus gives the first teaching on the RAPTURE in Scripture:
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
---John 14:1-3
When Jesus says, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself…” He is speaking to the reality of the RAPTURE. A coming day when the body of Christ, both dead and alive, will be snatched up together with Jesus in the clouds to join Him forever.
The Apostle Paul offers more detail of this coming event in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4:
“On that day, with a command that thunders into the world, with a voice of a chief heavenly messenger, and with a blast of God’s trumpet, the Lord Himself will descend from heaven; and all those who died in the Anointed One, our Liberating King, will rise from the dead first. Then we who are alive and left behind will be snatched up together with them into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. This is how we, the resurrected and the living, will be with Him forever. So comfort one another with this hope, and encourage one another with these words.”
---1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
Brothers and sisters, as we live out our lives in this world; we will have fear. But when you consider the promise of Jesus, that He will come back and rescue those that have put their faith in Him…that is all the reason in the world to live with hope.
So, when the world is falling apart, you don’t have to. When fear, pain, troubles, doubt, and struggles come our way, we can rejoice.
How?
By looking beyond the temporary moment we’re living in and focusing on our eternal destiny ahead.
We should remember what Paul said and follow suit, “So comfort one another with this hope, and encourage one another with these words.”
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