Isn’t it interesting that everybody (I assume) wants to go to heaven, yet very few people seem excited about the idea of actually being there? Of course, there are lots of reasons why the idea of living in heaven is attractive. There is, however, one life-changing reason that is far and away the most important motivation for wanting to go there.

Heaven, of course, is a suffering-free zone. In that place, there is no pain, no exhaustion, and no illness—in short, there are no physical problems. The older I get and the more aches and pains I endure, the more attractive that sounds to me (See Philippians 3:20-21). Although that will be great, it is NOT the greatest thing about heaven.

In heaven, there is no anger, no bitterness, no bigotry, and no relationship quarrels. Everyone lives in perfect, carefree harmony. What a joy it will be to get away from all of life’s arguing and disagreements. That will also be great, but that is NOT the greatest thing about heaven.

God promises that there will be no tears in heaven. The inhabitants of heaven will never attend another funeral! In heaven God will, “wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain…” (Revelation 21:4). All that will no doubt be fantastic, but those are NOT the greatest things about heaven.

Heaven is also a place where Christ’s followers will be reunited. I have had to say goodbye to many wonderful believers. I miss them more than I can say, and I can’t wait to see them again. I have good reason to believe that my mother is in heaven, and I miss her dearly. Being with loved-ones again will be a fantastic thing about heaven, but even that is NOT the greatest thing about heaven.

What is that greatest thing about heaven? Jesus told us what it is in His prayer in John 17:24: “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”

The greatest joy about heaven, the one that pales in comparison to all other the other joys, is the thrill of being in the presence of Jesus Christ Himself! That is why Paul wrote these words from a Roman prison, not knowing if he would ever get out alive: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain…. having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better” (Philippians 1:21, 23).

Paul said much the same thing to the believers in Corinth: “We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Sadly, my experience tells me that being with Jesus is NOT what thrills most people about heaven. It’s as if a lot of people wouldn’t care if Jesus was in heaven at all. The problem is, there is NO such thing as heaven without Jesus. Pastor John Piper said it well: “Christ did not die to forgive sinners who go on treasuring anything above seeing and savoring God. And people who would be happy in heaven if Christ were not there, will not be there. The gospel is not a way to get people to heaven; it is a way to get people to God. …. If we don’t want God above all things, we have not been converted by the gospel.”

The greatest joy of heaven is to be in the presence of the One who suffered to pay off our sin debt. If you have turned to Jesus and away from your sin, then He is the ultimate thrill of heaven to you. That is why Jesus told us: “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3).

“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). Augustine, an early African church father (354-440 A.D.), said it very simply: “Christ is not valued at all unless He is valued above all.”