Recently a friend who sold homes for a living died of cancer. As my wife and I reminisced about Patsy, Sue recalled that many years ago Patsy had led a man to faith in Jesus and he became a good friend of ours.
How encouraging to recall that Patsy not only helped families find homes to live in here in our community, but she also helped others make sure they had an eternal home.
As Jesus prepared to go to the cross for us, He showed a keen interest in our eternal accommodations. He told His disciples, I go to prepare a place for you and reminded them that there would be plenty of room in His Fathers house for all who trusted Him (John 14:2 nkjv).
We love to have a nice home in this lifea special place for our family to eat, sleep, and enjoy each others company. But think of how amazing it will be when we step into the next life and discover that God has taken care of our eternal accommodations. Praise God for giving us life to the full (John 10:10), including His presence with us now and our presence with Him later in the place He is preparing for us (14:3).
Thinking of what God has in store for those who trust Jesus can challenge us to do as Patsy did and introduce others to Him.
Lord, while we anticipate the home Youre preparing for us,
INSIGHT
John 14:16 is a familiar passage in which Jesus states He is the way, the truth, and the life. He then discusses going away to prepare rooms for His followers. As believers, we look forward to the day when we will be with Christ (v. 3). But these statements would have sounded completely different to the ears of the disciples. For us, these words assure us we will someday meet Jesus face to face. But for the disciples, this will be a reunion.
The focus of this passage is not the rooms in the Fathers house but being with Jesus. Jesus is coming back to take His followers with Him so that they will be where He is (v. 3). Being with Jesus is the encouragement He was offering the disciples, and its the same encouragement He offers us.