For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17
(Not the OAHS emeritus reunion!)
Last week I attended the annual “Emeritus Reunion” from our high school. Anyone who had graduated fifty years or more ago received an invitation to attend. I had not been to one of these for several years, but the opportunity arose, and I went. I was glad to have gone. We graduated seventy-one years ago. This time there were just three of us from my class; however, emeriti going back as far as the class of 1944 filled the hall! Amazing. Catching up on the lives of not only my two classmates, but also several from other classes warmed my heart. I sat across the table from a lady I have known all my life, but I had not seen her since high school days. We were best friends in the one-room school where we received our earliest education.
Since the last time I had attended, we have lost several classmates—two in the last year. We are always sad to learn we will never see one another again this side of Eternity.
Get this picture in your mind: Wheelchairs, walkers, hearing aids, and an enthusiastic rendition of our school’s Alma Mater sung to the wrong tune, because sometimes aging minds forget things. But bad singing is fine. The opportunity to reconnect is important.
Two things come to mind regarding reunions: Our fellowship among other Christ followers while we still live, and our ultimate reunion at the feet of Jesus on the Day of His return. “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”[ii]
- On-going reunion: church attendance; small groups; fellowship in our homes; connecting through prayers and helping hands in time of need.
- With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4: 2-3
- And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3: 14
- Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10: 25
- Ultimate Reunion: Meeting with that massive, numberless congregation from before the reckoning of calendars and clocks—from Genesis to Revelation—from year zero to 2026 and beyond, should the LORD wait—the promise of a future gathering amid the saints of all ages, including our loved ones who have already left earth-side.
The oaths:
- In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. John 14: 2-3
- I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? John 11: 25-26
The outcome:
- For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17
The on-going joys:
- He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21: 4
(Click on the link for a hymn about the coming of the King of kings:
Rejoice the Lord is King )[iii]
Challenge:
Do you enjoy gathering alongside your church family? Do you anticipate the ultimate reunion? Memorize some of the above verses about the on-going reunion and the ultimate reunion. Perhaps you have never made a commitment, and when Jesus returns, you will be left behind. “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.2 Corinthians 6: 2b…”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we anticipate the return of the King. Meanwhile, may we always join together in worship and inviting others to Christ. In His name, Amen.
Promise:
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Philippians 3: 20-21
All Scripture taken from English Standard Version (ESV)
[i] https://yale74.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/240531-267-Yale-Class-1974-50th-Reunion-Dinner-Schwarzman-1024×683.jpg
[ii] Revelation 22: 20b
[iii] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N0iVysrykU
