Jesus Will Receive Us

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 (John 14:3).

The word ‘take’ is an unfortunate translation. Paralambano means to receive, to associate with oneself in a personal relationship. From the time a person becomes a Christian to the time they die, the Holy Spirit is in charge of their life. We are not present with Christ, for He is in heaven at the right hand of God interceding for us, but His Holy Spirit has been sent to live in us. Just as Jesus was with the disciples in the days of His flesh, so the Holy Spirit is in us in the days of our flesh.

When the work of the Holy Spirit has been completed in us, it is then that the Lord will call us home. It is at that point the Lord ‘receives’ us to Himself in heaven. The physical body returns to the dust from which it was made, but the Christian is immediately present with the Lord in glory (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). The Christian will remain with the Lord in heaven until the time of the rapture when the physical body will be resurrected and transformed into a glorified body and the Christian inhabits that glorified body. Those Christians who are alive at the rapture, their bodies will immediately be transformed, and we will all go to heaven, receive our rewards, participate in the marriage feast of Christ, then return with Jesus at the 2nd coming when He sets up His Millennial Kingdom on earth. After the rapture and before the 2nd coming of Christ, the earth will go through 7 years of tribulation (Revelation 6 -19).

It was, and is the Lord’s desire that His people be with Him. He stated this in His ‘High Priestly Prayer’ (John 17:24), Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. It was the promise He gave to the dying thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43), Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." It is the promise we have from the Lord through the Apostle Paul (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), 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.

Jesus Christ awaits in glory to receive us into heaven. Some will be received upon their death here. Others will be received in the resurrection at the rapture or the 2nd coming. What a joyous day that will be when our Lord and Savior personally receives us unto Himself in the Father’s house! Amen.

Pastor