A DAY THAT WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING
From 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 we read, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God… Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
A DAY THAT WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING! Have you ever stopped to think about how one single day can change everything? The Bible is filled with days like that. There was the day Noah entered the ark. There was the day Israel crossed the Red Sea. There was the day David faced Goliath. There was the day fire fell from heaven. There was the day Jesus was born in Bethlehem. There was the day He died on the cross for our sins. And thank God, there was the day He walked out of the tomb alive! Each of those days changed history forever. But there is still one day ahead that will change everything forever. It’s the day Jesus comes again! In fact, someone has observed that about one out of every four verses in the New Testament refers in some way to the return of Christ. That reminds us this is not some minor Bible doctrine. Think of that…every fourth verse speaks of second coming! God wants us to live in expectation of the Lord’s return. The Bible teaches that Christ’s coming will take place in two phases. First, Jesus will come in the clouds to catch away His church. That is the event Paul is describing in our passage today. Every believer who has already died in Christ will be raised, and those who are alive when He comes will be caught up together (raptured) with them to meet the Lord in the air. After the church is taken out of this world, the seven-year Great Tribulation will begin, when God pours out His righteous judgment upon this Christ-rejecting world as described in Revelation chapters 6–19. Then, at the close of that terrible time, Jesus will return (the second phase) to the earth with His saints to begin His thousand-year reign. In our verse today, Paul’s is writing about the moment when Jesus comes for His church. And according to Scripture, that day could come at any moment.
SOMEDAY COULD BE ANY DAY! The world is full of uncertainty, but the greatest event on God’s calendar is not another election, war, financial crisis, or world-changing event. The next great event for the child of God is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice the words, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven.” Not an angel. Not a prophet. Jesus Himself is coming for His bride, the church. The same Jesus who loved us, saved us, died for us, rose again for us, and promised to receive us unto Himself is coming again! Notice some particulars about His coming…
1. IT WILL BE A SUDDEN DAY. First Corinthians 15:52 says, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…” One moment life will be going on as usual; the next, the trumpet will sound. Jesus said, “Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Mat. 24:44). We do not know the day or the hour, but we know He is coming. Jesus gave several signs to look for in Matthew 24 that have all come to pass. The signs are not given so we can set dates; they are given so we will stay ready. Some are putting off giving their hearts to the Lord, getting right with God, forgiving someone, serving the Lord, or telling a lost loved one or friend about Jesus. But someday may be too late.
2. IT WILL BE A SHOUTING DAY. “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout…” It will be the cry of the King calling for His people. When Jesus stood outside Lazarus’s tomb, He cried, “Lazarus, come forth,” and Lazarus came out alive. One day Jesus will speak again, and every saved person who has died in Christ will hear His voice. And, as Paul says in our verse today, “The dead in Christ shall rise first.” The grave is not the end for the child of God. Saved loved ones who are with the Lord will receive glorified bodies. There’ll be no more sickness, pain, weakness, hospital rooms, or death. One day, every grave belonging to a child of God will become an empty grave!
3. IT WILL BE A SEPARATING DAY. “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up…” One moment believers will be here; the next moment they will be gone. Only those who know Jesus Christ as Savior will be caught up to meet Him in the air. Church membership, baptism, a family name, and good works cannot save anyone. A person can know the worship songs, Bible stories, and church language, yet still not know Christ personally. Jesus said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). The greatest question is not, “Do I attend church?” It is, “Have I been born again?”
4. IT WILL BE A GLORIOUS DAY. “And so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Yes, we will leave this sin-cursed world, receive new bodies, and be reunited with saved loved ones. But the greatest blessing is that we will be with Jesus forever! The One we have sung about, prayed to, trusted in, and loved will be there. One day faith will become sight. “When he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). No more sin, sorrow, sickness, tears, or goodbyes. The day Jesus comes again will not be the end for the child of God! It will be the beginning of forever with Him!
ARE YOU READY? Paul said, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” These words comfort us when we stand at the grave of a saved loved one and when the world seems to be falling apart. They remind us that this world is not our home; we are heaven-bound. But they also cause us to examine our hearts. If Jesus came today, would you be ready? Are you living in a way that you would be glad to meet Him? Is there something to make right, someone to forgive, or someone to tell about Jesus? If you are not sure you’ve been saved, do not put it off another day. Jesus is coming. It may be sooner than we think. Think it over…🙏