Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends on this Friday,
Have you heard the rumor? The Jesus who walked the roads of Israel with His disciples and did many miracles is coming back again!? Really? Why? When? Where?
Today, let’s rejoin Jesus and His disciples as they are leaving Caesarea Philippi where we’ve spent the last several days with them and reviewed some amazing, history making statements Jesus made. Yesterday we listened as Jesus explained to His men who were called ‘disciples’ what that title should really mean. Jesus said: ‘Whoever wants to be MY disciple must deny themself, take up their cross and follow Me.” (Matt. 16:24) We had quite a discussion on that yesterday, didn’t we?
Now today, let’s look at two more very significant things Jesus said: “The Son of Man is going to come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what they have done.” (Matt. 16:27) Now I wonder what you understand those words to mean?
If Jesus is going to COME in His Father’s glory, it begs these questions:
* Where is Jesus coming FROM?
* If He’s coming here in His Father’s glory does that mean Jesus is left here and returned to His Father’s glory?
* And what about the angels?
* And what is this reward experience which will take place WHEN Jesus returns?
Oh my, I have no doubt these guys’ heads were spinning and filled with questions they could not imagine answers for. But we have a great advantage in 2026. Why? Because we have the entire New Testament, none of which those disciples had! We have 2000 years of history since Jesus said those words, and much has happened and been written about what Jesus said! Ok, so let’s unpack those words Jesus spoke very carefully.
1. We know that Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose again the Passover weekend a few weeks after Jesus spoke those words in Matthew 16.
All four Gospels give us very detailed records of what happened to Jesus. Furthermore, Acts 1:9-11 gives us the details of Jesus leaving earth and returning to heaven, 40 days after His resurrection. We call it Jesus’ ascension. So that explains how and when Jesus returned to His Father’s glory in heaven.
2. We know Jesus is now at the right hand of God the Father interceding for us and preparing a place for all who will spend eternity in heaven. (Heb. 1:3; Rom. 8:34; John 14:3)
Jesus is also redeeming thousands of people every day who confess their sin and trust Jesus for their salvation. (Heb. 7:24,25) And Jesus is welcoming INTO heaven thousands of people each day who conclude their earthly life, and having trusted in Jesus, they begin their eternity with Him as He promised. (John 3:16; 5:24; 11:25,26)
3. And we know that Jesus will be returning in the same way He left, as predicted by the angels at His ascension. (Acts 1:11)
In fact Jesus will be returning to our earth at least TWO more times, and that’s what He was talking about in Matthew 16:27, did you know that? Jesus’ next first RETURN is described in 1 Thessalonian 4:16: “The Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel
and with the trumpet call of God…” Oh my, that sounds dramatic, doesn’t it?
WHEN will this cataclysmic event take place?
Oh that is known only to God the Father (Matt. 24:36) WHY will this return of Jesus happen? 1 Thess. 4:16,17 continues: “…and the dead in Christ will rise first. And after that, we who are still alive and are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” Oh my now I see. Jesus is returning to gather up all those who have believed in Him since that Passover weekend when He was crucified and raised from the dead! These are the people who believed Jesus for salvation from their sin and for eternal life with Him.
This is why Jesus said in the upper room to His disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me… I am going there to prepare a place for you…and I will come back and take you to be with Me so that you also may be where I am…” (John 14:1-3) So in Matthew 16:27 Jesus was predicting THIS, His next return, for the purpose of taking to heaven, to be with Him, all of His followers. These are the people who comprise His ‘ekklesia’, (church) remember, Jesus explained that in Matthew 16:18?
Oh, and one more thing, did you notice 1 Thessalonians 4:14 says “…Jesus died and rose again, and God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him…” This means Jesus will return, bringing WITH Him the souls/spirits of hundreds of millions of Christians who have died since the days of Jesus to the present. Why? Because as Jesus returns to earth, He will cause a global resurrection uniting those souls/spirits, which have been in heaven with Jesus since their death, TO their newly created immortal bodies which Jesus creates in that global resurrection! That’s what it means when 1 Thess. 4:16 says “the dead in Christ will rise first…”
And did you notice in this remarkable rapture return of Jesus Christ He does not stay here on earth, but Jesus returns to heaven WITH all the resurrected, deceased Christians AND all the alive Christians who are in that moment given their immortal, eternal bodies as well. (1 Thess. 4:17) Obviously this event will leave here on earth ONLY those people who have NOT believed in Jesus. Can you imagine what a cataclysmic event this will be?
But wait, I said Jesus is coming back here TWO more times. If that is the first, when is the second? In the interest of time, let’s look at that question tomorrow, ok? For today, great ‘lessons learned’ notes are at the link below and I urge you to print them and study them for this is a supernatural, cornerstone event for all Christians. A wonderful worship song is also ready for you and tomorrow let’s look together at Jesus’ second future return.
Today’s Scripture: Matt. 16:27 & 1 Thess. 4:13-18.
Choose below to read or listen.
Matt. 16:27
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1 Thess. 4:13-18
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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