"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."
John 14:1-3 (ESV)
This is during the last discourse Jesus has with the twelve. They are unsure about what is about to happen. Focused on being left alone after his departure they are trying to hear what he predicts for them.
He tells them where he is going and it is greater than a place. We have often heard this text read at funerals to assure family and friends that there is something beyond the grave. There is and it is included here, but there is more. Jesus is going to the Father. The destination is a person. He is going to the intimate relationship of the triune Godhead. The astounding news is that he is preparing a place in that relationship for his followers. No wonder they didn't get it. We still don't. We get all teary-eyed about getting to heaven to see relatives and friends and walking on streets of gold while playing our personalized harp. For many, it is the big weekend in the sky. No! It is the place of ultimate intimacy. Whatever the Father and the Son and the Spirit have in fellowship...the followers get.
Jesus didn't come just so we could go to a better place in the universe. Neither did he come just to give us a clearer purpose for living. As wonderful as it is to know that we have a purpose and to have some idea of how to fulfill it, this is something much greater. Jesus certainly didn't just prepare a way for us to live by better principles than some others. It seems some are content to reduce Christian living to modeling some moral principles while waiting to move to the big house in the sky. Look! He came to prepare a place with the Father.
We were made to be related to the Father. The universe was created on the Father/Son continuum. Society is built with the father as leader. The human soul is designed to be related to a father. No wonder the forces of hell try to distort and destroy the image of father for all kids. The only way any of us can ever be satisfied is to have a restored relationship with the Father. Jesus has prepared a way for us to be restored not to an earthly father figure, but to the original Father. We have the opportunity to have the same level of fellowship with the Father as Jesus.
How did Jesus prepare the way? Because mankind is guilty of rebellion and because of the defilement of sin, there had to be an acceptable sacrifice that would adequately pay the price. There has been only one person qualified for that task. All others born of woman have sinned themselves and disqualified themselves as substitutes. Only the spotless Lamb of God could enter the Holy of Holies and present himself as the ultimate and final sacrifice for our sins. When God raised him from the dead, he was announcing that the sacrifice had been accepted and the way was open for us to enter the relationship with the Father. It was not some small thing that Jesus did to prepare the way to the Father. There is room in the Father for all who believe in Jesus as the Way. There is no good reason to remain in the state of estrangement. No good comes from another orphan refusing to come home. We as believers must spend our time learning how to live in such a rare relationship. It is the ultimate privilege.
SYNERGY - Better Together: October 01, 2010 click for more > Five Pillars of New Testament Discipleship: : October 15, 2010 click for more > Family Reunion Retreat: December 03, 2010 click for more >
