Ever tried describing heaven to someone? Concentrate on who, not what.

Heaven’s pretty difficult to explain since none of us have been there and returned to give a thorough first-hand report.

So we concentrate on what heaven will look like. We describe streets paved with gold, walls and gates made of precious stones. We’d really like to talk about the ‘mansions’ but Downton Abbey is our best known mansion and we cannot conceive of living in such extravagance. We struggle with describing heaven by what we will see there.

But the place God has prepared is not about ‘what’ is there … but ‘who’ is there.

Long after we’re tired of iPhone pictures of shiny streets and have learned the names of all the precious stones in its gates … when we’ve pushed back from the table at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and gazed at the brilliant light coming from the throne … we’ll comprehend that heaven is more about who we are sharing it with, than with the location and its accouterments.

Obviously our family reunions will be breathless. Parents reunited with children, brothers and sisters together again. The pain of still births, miscarriages and tragic abortions will be erased eternally in an instant. God will put generations of families together to enjoy each other for eternity.

And for entertainment, how about this? Hearing Jonah tell his personal testimony – listening to Paul describe how his thorn in the flesh fit into his ministry years – asking Daniel if he really could sleep that night with the lions. I’d love hearing Joseph describe his journey from privilege to the pit to Potipher to prison and ultimately to the palace.

But surrounded by family, friends and characters of extraordinary fame … there’s One alone who makes heaven -heaven. His Name is Jesus!

He’s the wave walker, the death destroyer, the friend who has always stayed closer than a brother. He’s heaven’s sinless One who took on the sins of the planet so we could spend eternity in his house! He’s the Alpha – He started it all. He’s the Omega – He’s finishing it all. There will not be enough time in all eternity to adequately praise Him for loving us, forgiving us, redeeming us and getting us to this exquisite place!

“Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world

and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus.

Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it.”

Ephesians 2:7,8 The Message