Jesus' Love at the Gates of Heaven

Jesus Welcomes Us With An Eternal Embrace Regardless of Position

Imagine Jesus’ Heavenly Welcome!

Charlie K. and My Friend Entered Heaven the Same Day.

The afternoon Charlie Kirk was shot was one of those memorable events that shakes the whole nation and reverberates outward. News of his death eclipsed the news of several students dying in a CO school shooting, all horribly tragic.

What I didn’t know until the next morning was that a woman from my last spring’s Bible Study group, LeAnn (not her real name), had stepped into heaven that night as well.

As everyone now knows, Charlie was a public figure, a popular podcast host, debater, and friend of people in high places. His topics—politics and the apologetics of the Christian faith—are controversial in today’s culture. He employed an entire team for his Turning Point organization, including bodyguards when he traveled.

Before his shooting, I hadn’t known much about Charlie. And I’ve only known this friend, LeAnn, since our spring Bible study began last January.

LeAnn might have been labeled a “nobody” by society— a former addict striving for a turnaround with Jesus’ guidance. She fought tirelessly to meet basic needs for her child, battling against the toll that addiction had taken on her life. Not long before joining our group, she narrowly escaped death. That evening, as we all grappled with Charlie's death, LeAnn lay in a hospital, where her body finally gave up.

What Charlie and LeeAnn Had In Common

I find it powerful to reflect on the contrast of these two different individuals arriving before Jesus on the same day. Jesus welcomed them both into heaven just hours apart. And I imagine:

Jesus hugged Charlie and said, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

And Jesus hugged LeAnn and also said, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Why? They were completely different people, yet they both committed their lives to Christ and kept their faith to the end.

• Charlie enjoyed a national platform to lift up Jesus, while LeAnn’s opportunities came through her family, friends, and our Bible study, where she shared how God was guiding her through the struggles.

• Charlie mingled with presidents; LeAnn connected with counselors from church and her child’s school.

• Both were dedicated to raising families—Charlie with his wife, Erika, and their children, and LeAnn with her own.

Jesus Loved Them Both the Same

No matter what their life or family situation looked like on earth, Jesus loved them both the same. Just like us, they were imperfect people. Jesus met them both at the gates of heaven, and neither one was loved more or less.

As grateful as I know Jesus is for Charlie’s public stand for the Christian faith, I know he is just as proud of all the quieter stand LeAnn took to love and parent her child amid adversity.

Some Give All

LeAnn’s situation reminds me of the story of the widow who could only give two small coins to God at the temple. Yet Jesus praised her for giving more than anyone else, simply because she had given everything she had to live on. (See Mark 12:42-44).

Although Charlie and LeAnn arrived in heaven in different ways, they both surrendered their earthly lives to Jesus that day. Their crowns in heaven may look a little different, but it doesn’t matter because they will both end up casting them before the throne anyway.

Jesus loves us all the same, friends---eternally and extravagantly. His love for us is endless and profound. His friendship is loyal and true. And it begs the question, how well are we loving Jesus? How much of a friend are we being to Him?

When we hit those glorious gates of heaven, our earthly struggles will fade in the light of Christ’s brilliant love.

We will be eternally cherished, no matter what our lives looked like on earth —whether we stood in the public eye or quietly served those around us.

All we need to do is say “yes” to Jesus as our Savior and Lord, and that will be all that matters when we enter those gates and forevermore. (See Rom.10:9 and 1 John 5:12).

For Prayer:

Thank you, dear Jesus, that our heavenly welcome rests only on knowing you as our Lord and Savior, and embracing what You have already accomplished! AMEN.

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ (Matt. 25:23, ESV).

For Worship:

Homesick for Heaven by Phil Wickham

(this one always gets me in the heart. . .)

Photos by 1) Karl Moore and 2) Todd Rhines on Unsplash