About a year ago, I got one of those phone calls that I’m pretty sure only pastors get.
It was from someone that I really love and would do pretty much anything for and it went something like this: “Tom, I have a friend who is dying of cancer. I’ve shared the gospel with him in the past (which I love to hear, BTW) and he made a profession of faith and I’m pretty sure that he ‘gets it,’ but would you please run over to the hospital to confirm his understanding of the gospel before he dies, which is likely to be in the next few hours!” Ever get a call like that? I didn’t think so.
So anyway, I jumped in my car, grabbed another pastor who was standing out in front of the church when I went to leave for good measure, and went to the hospital. As we entered the ICU, it was clear that this man was very near death. His wife (not a believer) was there and she was understandably a mess. His parents (who were believers) were also there, watching their son’s life ebb away. I walked in, introduced myself to this dying man that I had never met and told him that I had come to make sure that he understood and believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I then very quickly shared the gospel with this man, as he slipped in an out of consciousness, with his eyes literally rolling up into his head, and when I had finished, I asked if he understood what I had said and trusted in Jesus as his savior. He eventually confirmed that he did, but before doing so, he asked me one simple question: “Who will I see when I get there (heaven)?” Now, who knows what he really was thinking, but it sure seemed for a second as though he was deciding whether or not he wanted to go based upon the guest list. And I have to confess that it caught me a bit off guard. My mind immediately began to race, as I wondered why he would ask that question and as I hoped that I wouldn’t’ have to explain the absence of his favorite dog, or worse, best friend. Truthfully, I was thinking, “Good grief, man, you need to just need to worry about getting there!” Finally, after thinking about it for a few seconds, I said, “You will see Jesus.” We then left and this man died 30 minutes later.
“You will see Jesus!” I have to confess that I like that answer. It seems radically biblical to me. Jesus, and Jesus alone, is our treasure. Jesus, and nothing and no one else, is the glory of heaven. I have to admit that there are many others that I look forward to seeing as well, but the prize for us both in heaven and, even now, on earth, is Jesus.
I love to ponder Heaven. Like the song, I do imagine what it will be like to see Jesus. To touch Him, to look into His eyes, to feel His hands and feel His hug. To hear His voice and walk with Him. While I look forward to the same experience with my parents and other loved ones that are already in Heaven, I think that I can truly say that I am most looking forward to seeing Jesus.
WOW!! What a thought, seeing Jesus. I think I have a million questions to ask him but when I get there, will I be in to much of an awe to even remember what they are and will they be important any more. To step into his arms and to really snuggle up to him instead of just in my head. again, WOW!!