Jump Start # 1302

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”

  As I write this, the weathermen in my area are warning of yet another coming winter storm. Those words are all that is needed to get folks buzzing and excited. There will be a rush of customers at grocery stores, kids will dream of yet another snow day home with no school, and commuters will groan about having to drive on dangerous streets. This is typical stuff for us in the Ohio Valley. It happens every year.

Our passage today tells of another coming storm. This is not weather related, but divine related. Jesus is coming. Those that heed the warning will be ready. Those that ignore, will be caught unprepared. The chapter our verse is found in is the “resurrection chapter of the New Testament.” Paul proves that Christ arose. He shows the reality of what happens if He wasn’t risen. Then he transitions to describe our resurrection from the dead. Our verse fits right in there. Not all of us will sleep, meaning die. All of us will be changed. The resurrected dead will be changed. Those who are alive when Jesus comes will be changed. It will happen fast, like a wink, or a twinkling of the eye.

A few thoughts:

First, the world will not destroy itself. Not by nuclear bombs, not by environmental disasters, not by being hit by a asteroid, not by aliens—all life will not be destroyed. The movies make us think otherwise. Paul said, “we will not all sleep.” We will not all die. More than that, sleep is a word that seems to be exclusively used for the death of the righteous. It was used when Lazarus died. It was used when the synagogue official’s daughter died. It is used here, when Paul is writing to brethren. There will be some believers alive when Jesus comes. “We” means Christians. We will not all sleep. We will not all die.

Second, the change that takes place will be fast. In an instant. In the twinkling of an eye. We want to know what it will be like. We want to know what it will feel like. The living do not have to die and then be changed. They will be changed instantly.

Third, when Jesus comes, He will deliver the kingdom back to His father. Life as we know it will end. The world will be destroyed. There will be a gathering and a resurrection of all dead. A judgment will take place and Heaven and Hell will be opened.

I thought about what would happen if Jesus came today. Here’s my short list.

• I wouldn’t have to shovel snow later today
• I have two more grandchildren coming into the world this year. I wouldn’t get to hold them.
• I have a wedding that I am to do later this year. That wouldn’t happen.
• I have some travel plans. That wouldn’t happen.
• I have some bills to pay this month. They wouldn’t get paid.
• I have some books I am reading. I wouldn’t get those finished.

On a grander scale:

• There are some criminals who would never serve time in jail if Jesus came today.
• There are some elections that would never be held if Jesus came today.
• There are some weddings, graduations, births that would never take place if Jesus came today.
• There are sermons that would never be preached, articles completed if Jesus came today.
• There are some plans that would never be fulfilled if Jesus came today. Some homes that never got finished. Some businesses that never opened. Some projects, like the bridges in our area, that never were completed.
• There would be some doctor visits that never were kept.
• There are some who never got to graduate.
• Some dreams would never be fulfilled.

We are so tied in to there always being a tomorrow. We live this way. We make plans thinking that tomorrow will always be there. Some day it won’t. Some day it will stop. When the patience of God has run out, Jesus will come. The truly sad part of this is that there would be some people who have been thinking about Jesus, but never got around to doing anything about it. There would be some prodigals who realized that they need to come back home, but never got up and made the trip. There will be some people who needed to make changes. There will be some who needed to repent. There will be some who needed to be baptized. Christ comes, all of that changes. It’s over. It’s too late.

The rich man in Luke 16 found out that his spiritual interests was most important to him. He discovered this after he died. After it was too late to do anything, he finally got his priorities in order. He was concerned about the spiritual well being of his brothers. He didn’t seem very concerned about that while alive.

Jesus is coming. For the faithful, they realize things will change, but it will be a change for the better. No more Satan to tempt. No more bad news in the middle of the night. No more evil. No more pains. No more of this world that frustrates us. For the faithful, the coming of Jesus means Heaven. It means togetherness with God. It means togetherness with the faithful of God for all time, what a wonderful time that will be.

There is a great day coming, a great day coming. Are you ready? Would you be ready if it were today? Things are going to change. It’s coming.

Roger