John 14:3
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
One of the greatest promises that Jesus gives to every believer is that He will come again. Why did God give us this promise? He gives us this promise because we live in a troubled world, and He wants to give us hope that this world will not be the end. There are a couple of things this promise is and is not saying to each believer.
This verse is not saying when He will come again. Many have tried to guess the time of when He will come again, and they have failed. Though Jesus promised that He would come again does not say when He would come again. Since the day that Jesus ascended back to Heaven, the disciples and every believer since then have expected His return in their day. The fact that Christ has not yet returned does not mean He will not come again; rather, it means His return is nearer because He promised to come again.
This verse does say that Jesus will come again. Because Jesus said, I will come again; He will come again. This is a promise of God, and God never breaks His promises. God promised to save our soul from Hell, and He did, so the promise to return is as sure as that promise. God promised that He would send His Son to die for our sins, and He did, so His promise to return will also be kept. He promised that Christ would be born of a virgin, and He was; therefore, you can bank on the promise that Jesus is coming again. There are four things that the promise of Christ’s return should do for the believer.
First, the believer has something to look forward to because Jesus will come again. Because Jesus promised that He would come again, we also have a promise that we can go to a real place called Heaven. In the same promise that He said He would come again was the promise that He was preparing a place for us in Heaven. If you are saved, you have something to look forward to; you have the promise of His coming and the promise of Heaven to look forward to.
Second, the believer has comfort because Jesus will come again. The promise of Christ’s return gives comfort to the believer that we don't have to endure our heartaches and troubles forever. Jesus tells us to comfort one another with the words that He is coming again. Whatever you face today is not a forever trial and heartache because Jesus is coming again. You can receive comfort that your struggles, heartaches, and trials will end at one of two times, when Jesus comes again or if He takes you home to a real place called Heaven.
Third, the believer has purpose because Jesus will come again. The believer's purpose is to reach the lost for Christ before He returns. The fact that Jesus is coming again should motivate the believer to be diligent in reaching the lost before He returns. Jesus is coming again; therefore, our time is short to reach the lost. The brevity of time before Christ returns should be what gives you a sole purpose for living, and that is to reach the lost for Christ.
Fourth, the believer should live holy because Jesus will come again. The promise of Christ’s return should cause you to do right because you should not want Him to catch you living in sin. You will live a holy life if you truly believe in the promise of Christ’s imminent return.