Are You Ready To Meet Jesus In The Air?

On Resurrection Sunday, the women didn’t know what would meet them when they went to the tomb of Jesus. Instead of finding His body, they discovered that the stone had been rolled away.

Jesus had risen from the dead and an angel gave them an important message to deliver to His disciples.

“And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” Matthew 28:7

Jesus had already planned to meet with His disciples prior. They knew where they were supposed to go, and He expected them to meet Him there.

Jesus has planned another time to meet with His followers sometime in the future. This time, we will meet Jesus in the air.

Click on the graphic to get your free eBook

A Prearranged Meeting

Have you ever taken a group of young people on an outing? That was one of my responsibilities when I served as a youth pastor.

Suppose we took a group of teenagers to a mall or theme park. The last thing most of them wanted to do was spend the entire day hanging around with the youth leaders!

They wanted some freedom to go their own ways, so we established rules. One of the most important involved accountability.

Everyone knew where and when we were supposed to meet. When the appointed time came, we expected everyone to be at that designated meeting place.

Something about that reminds me of what happened after the resurrection of Jesus.

The disciples had just experienced some of the darkest days of their lives. They watched Jesus suffer a horrible death. Their hopes seemed shattered, and they didn’t know what to do next.

Then the women arrived with incredible news. Jesus was alive! And He wanted His disciples to meet Him in Galilee. The Bible tells us,

“Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.” Matthew 28:16

Another Planned Time to Meet Jesus

Jesus has told us about another meeting that will take place in the future. This one won’t happen on a mountain in Galilee. It will happen in the air. Paul described it this way:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.
First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves.
Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
Then we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17

Think about what Paul said. The Lord Himself will come.

Believers who have died will rise. Those who are alive in Christ will be caught up with them. And together we will meet Jesus.

Then comes one of the greatest promises in Scripture: Then we will be with the Lord forever. That’s a meeting I don’t want to miss!

It Will Happen Quickly

Paul also tells us that this event won’t unfold slowly.

“But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown.” 1 Corinthians 15:51–52

There won’t be time at that moment to decide whether we want to follow Jesus. Our decision to follow Him must already have been made.

When I took young people on outings, I could tell them ahead of time where we would meet and when we would meet. But each person had the responsibility to be ready.

Jesus has also told us ahead of time. He hasn’t told us the day or the hour, but He has told us that He is coming again.

Are You Ready to Meet Jesus in the Air?

For the Christian, the return of Jesus isn’t something to fear. It’s something to anticipate. Paul concluded his teaching about when we’ll meet Jesus in the air by saying,

“So encourage each other with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:18

These words should encourage us! Our future isn’t uncertain. Jesus hasn’t forgotten His church. The same Lord who died for us, rose from the grave, and ascended into heaven will return for His people.

I personally look forward to the day when the Lord calls us home.

Until then, we have a responsibility. We must remain faithful to Jesus, live ready for His return, and help others become ready to meet Him too.

Jesus has already told us about the meeting. The question is whether we will be ready when the time comes.

Life Application

Make sure you belong to Christ. Our readiness begins with placing our faith in Jesus and following Him.
Live with His return in mind. Don’t allow the temporary things of this world to become more important than eternal things.
Stay faithful to what God has called you to do. We don’t know when Jesus will return, so faithfully serve Him today.
Encourage other believers. The promise of Christ’s return should produce hope rather than fear.
Help others get ready to meet Jesus. People around us need to know that salvation and eternal life are found in Jesus.

Lord, thank You for the promise that Jesus is coming again. Help us live faithfully and stay ready for the day when we will meet your Son Jesus in the air.