by Debbie Wicker BCC
We have finally reached the last major event in the Bible: the return of Jesus Christ.
After His resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven with a promise—He will return. When He does, He will establish God’s eternal kingdom and bring His people into a new heaven and a new earth. Scripture tells us that believers will live with Him forever in perfect peace, free from sorrow, suffering, and death.
This raises an important question: Why did Jesus leave in the first place? If He intended to return, why not simply remain on earth and bring everyone with Him immediately?
Why Did Jesus Leave Earth?
Jesus came to earth to fulfill God’s plan of salvation. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He provided the way for all people to be reconciled to God. Having completed His mission, He returned to heaven and now gives each person the opportunity to choose whether they will follow Him.
Before Jesus came, the path to salvation was not fully revealed. Through His teachings and His sacrifice, He showed us how to know God and how to receive eternal life. Jesus did not merely point the way—He declared that He is the way.
Jesus: The Way to the Father
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.”
Jesus showed us the way to the Father. Now it is up to each of us to decide whether we will follow Him. He left the earth to give humanity time to hear His message, seek Him, and place their faith in Him.
When Jesus returns, He will not come as a teacher calling people to repentance. He will come as King and Judge, separating those who have chosen Him from those who have rejected Him.
For those who trust in Christ, there is tremendous comfort in knowing that their names are written in the Book of Life. There is great peace in knowing that we are loved by Jesus and that our eternal future is secure in Him.
Jesus Will Return in Judgment
Jesus left temporarily so that every person would have the opportunity to hear the gospel, repent of sin, and turn to Him. God’s patience is an expression of His love, giving people time to respond to His invitation.
Yet Scripture is clear that a day of judgment is coming.
The idea of final judgment can be unsettling, but it is also necessary. If evil is never judged, then justice does not exist. God is perfectly holy and righteous, and therefore sin must be addressed.
Jesus will return to bring an end to evil and to remove its curse from creation forever.
The Final Judgment
And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide.
I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
— Revelation 20:11-15 (NIV)
God Cannot Ignore Sin
Many people struggle with the idea of God’s judgment. They ask, “How can a loving God judge people?” But perhaps the better question is, “How could a just God not judge evil?”
God is perfectly holy and righteous. If He ignored sin, injustice, violence, and rebellion against Him, He would not be just. Throughout history, humanity has caused immense suffering through greed, hatred, pride, and disobedience. A loving God cannot simply pretend that evil does not matter.
That is why Jesus came the first time—not to condemn the world, but to save it. He took upon Himself the punishment that we deserve and offered us forgiveness through faith in Him. God’s judgment is real, but so is His mercy.
Every person has a choice. We can accept the gift of salvation that Jesus freely offers, or we can reject it. God does not force anyone into a relationship with Him. Instead, He gives us the freedom to choose.
Justice Belongs to God
One of the great comforts of Christ’s return is knowing that justice ultimately belongs to God.
When people harm us, betray us, or commit terrible acts, our natural response is often anger and a desire for revenge. Yet because Jesus will return as Judge, we do not have to carry that burden. We can trust that God sees every action, knows every motive, and will judge perfectly.
This does not mean evil goes unpunished. It means that punishment belongs to God, not to us.
Knowing that Christ will one day set all things right allows us to live in peace rather than bitterness. We can forgive others because we know that God’s justice is perfect and that nothing escapes His attention.
Jesus Left Temporarily
The Bible shows us that God has judged humanity before. In the days of Noah, He brought a flood upon the earth because of mankind’s wickedness. Yet even then, He provided a way of salvation for those who trusted Him.
Today, God has once again provided a way of salvation—but this time through His own Son.
Jesus left earth temporarily, but He promised that He would return. His delay is not weakness or indifference. It is patience. God is giving people time to hear the gospel, repent, and place their faith in Christ.
The question is not whether Jesus will return. The Bible makes that promise clear.
Will we be ready
The real question is whether we will be ready when He does return.
For those who have accepted Christ, His return is not something to fear. It is a day to anticipate with joy. It is the day when evil will finally be defeated, suffering will end, and God’s people will be welcomed into His eternal kingdom.
Jesus left temporarily. One day He will return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Until then, He invites each of us to follow Him, trust Him, and receive the gift of eternal life that He freely offers.
The choice is ours.
About the Author
Debbie Wicker is a Board Certified Christian Counselor who brings a thoughtful mental health perspective to the study of the Bible. With more than 15 years of counseling experience, Debbie helps individuals understand Scripture not only spiritually, but emotionally and psychologically as well.
Before entering counseling, Debbie was a partner in a Big 8 public accounting firm, where she built a successful career in management consulting. After a mid-life career change, she felt called to integrate faith and mental health — equipping others to grow spiritually while addressing real-life struggles with wisdom and compassion.
Through the-Bible.net, Debbie writes to help readers better understand God’s Word, human nature, and the transforming power of Christ.