Jesus was a preparer

JESUS WAS A PREPARER
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
John 14:3 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come back and take you to be with me that you
also may be where I am.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
The Work Of The Ascended Jesus
John 14:2, 3
D. Young
And yet manifestly it is only part of the work. So much is spokenof as needed
to be spokenof here. Jesus tells us that which will best blend with other things
that have to be said at the time. Who canimagine, who can describe, anything
like the total of what Jesus has gone from earthly scenes to do?
I. CONSIDERTHE OCCUPATIONS OF THOSE WHO WERE LEFT. Just
one word gives the suggestionthat these were in the mind of Jesus as he spoke,
and that is the word "mansions." The settled life is thought of rather than the
wandering one. Jesus knew full well what a wandering life his disciples would
have, going into strange and distant countries. They would have to travel as he
himself had never traveled. The more they apprehended the work to which
they had been called, the more they would feelbound to go from land to land,

preaching the gospelwhile life lasted. To men thus constantlyon the move, the
promise of a true resting-place was just the promise they needed.
II. THE FUTURE COMPANIONSHIP OF JESUS AND HIS PEOPLE. To
those who have come into the realknowledge and service of Jesus nothing less
than such a companionship will make happiness; and nothing more is needed.
Jesus needednot to have a place in glory prepared for him; he had but to
resume his old station, and be with his Fatheras he had been before. This is
the greatelement of happiness on earth - not so much where we are as with
whom we are. The most beautiful scenes, the most luxurious surroundings,
count as nothing compared with true harmony in the human beings who are
around us. And just so it must be in the anticipations of a future state. While
Jesus was in the flesh, his presence with his disciples was the chief element in
their happiness; and as they lookedforwardto the future, this was the main
thing desired, that they should be with Jesus. As Paul puts it, "Absent from
the body, present with the Lord."
III. THE PREPARATION OF A COMMON HOPE. Is this to be taken as a
real preparation, or is it only a way of speaking, to impress the promise of
reunion more deeply? Is there now some actual work of the glorified Jesus
going on which amounts to a necessarypreparationfor his glorified people?
Surely it must be so. We are not to go into another state, as pioneers, to cut
our own way. We are not as the Pilgrim Fathers, who had to make their own
houses, and live as best they could till then. It is clearthat a kindly Providence
made the earth ready for the children of men, storing up abundance for all
our temporal need; and in like manner Jesus is making heaven ready. Earth
was made ready for Jesus to come down and live in it, and for him and his
disciples to live togetherin. And when his disciples ascendto a higher state, all
things will be ready then. - Y.
Christ Gone to Prepare a Place for Us
T. De Witt Talmage, D. D.

John 14:1-4
Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me.…
In the days before the railway showeredits sparks upon the darkness ofthe
wilderness, people put out on foot, or in slow cumbrous waggons,from our
Easternhomes, and in the wild thickets of the far Westsought to clearfor
their families a home. Ofttimes leaving their tender little ones in the New
England village, with blanket, and gun, and axe, they dared the forest, terrible
with bear's bark, and panther's scream, and the war whoopcry of scalping
savages. After awhile the trees were felled, and the underbrush was burned,
and the farm was cleared, and the house was built. Then word came back
here, saying that everything was ready. The family would get into the waggon
and start on at a slow pace for a very long journey. After awhile, some evening
tide, the shout of recognitionwas heard, and by the fire of the great black log
the newly-arrived would recount the exciting experiences ofthe way. Well, my
friends, we are all about to become emigrants to a far country. This is no place
for us to stay. Our Older Brother, Jesus, Him of the scarredbrow and the
blistered feet, has gone ahead to build our mansion and to clearthe way for
us, and He sends a letter back, saying He has it all ready; and I break the seal
of that letter and read to you these words: "I go to prepare a place for you." I
might put it in another shape. A young man resolves to build a home for
himself. He has pledged himself in one of the purest of earthly attachments.
He toils no more for himself than for the one who will share with him the
results of his industrious accumulation. After awhile the fortune is made, the
house is built, the right hands are joined, the blessing is invoked, the joy is
consummated. So Jesus, the lover of our souls, has been toiling to make a
place for us. He is fitting up our mansion. He is gathering around it
everything that canpossibly enchant the soul, and after awhile he will say: "It
is all ready now," and He will reachdown His hand and take up to His fair
residence "the Church, which is the Lamb's wife." "I go to prepare a place
for you."

(T. De Witt Talmage, D. D.)
Christ Gone to Prepare a Place for Us
C. S. Robinson, D. D.
John 14:1-4
I was visiting a friend some years ago, who had just built a new house. It was
beautiful, useful. He took me upstairs. It had wardrobes, toiletglasses, books,
and paintings. It was furnished grandly. And the father turned to me, and
said, "This room is for our daughter. She is in Europe, she does not know we
are arranging it. Her mother and I have fixed up everything we could think of
for her. As soonas the house is fully finished, we are going to Europe to bring
her back;and we are going to bring her upstairs, and open the door and say,
'Daughter, this is yours.' And I thought of the joy it would give her, and I
thought, how kind these parents are! Just then I turned awayand thought,
That is what Jesus is doing for me. He says He is going awayto prepare a
place for me: he will come again, and receive me unto Himself. Then I
thought, This father and mother are rich: but they have not all treasures,
there are a greatmany things they do not know how to get. But Jesus, who is
furnishing my mansion in glory, has every. thing. He has undertaken to
furnish a place for me, and I shall be with Him forever.
(C. S. Robinson, D. D.)

Christ Preparing a Place for Us
Bp. Beveridge.
John 14:1-4
I. WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO HEAVEN BY NATURE (Ephesians 2:3).
II. NEITHER CAN WE HAVE RIGHT BUT BY CHRIST (Acts 4:12).
III. THIS TITLE CHRIST PURCHASED FOR US BY HIS DEATH
(Matthew 20:28; Ruth 3:9, 12; Ruth 4:1).
IV. Having purchased it, HE GOES TO TAKE POSSESSIONOF IT AND
HAVE IT SURRENDEREDTO HIM FOR OUR USE. (Hebrews 6:20).
V. Having takenpossessionofit in our names, HE PREPARESIT.
1. By getting us actually admitted or entitled to it; pleading (1 John 2:1) —
(1) That our sins are pardoned (Isaiah53:5, 6).

(2) Our persons justified (2 Corinthians 5:21).
(3) Our lusts subdued (Romans 6:14).
2. By preparing us for it, by —
(1) Enlightening our minds (John 3:8).
(2) Rectifying our wills.
3. Regulating our affections.
(Bp. Beveridge.)
Christ Preparing Heaven for the Believer
A. Maclaren, D. D.
John 14:1-4
It was customary for travellers in those old days to send some of their party
on in advance to find lodging and make arrangements for them in some great

city. Many a time one or other of the disciples had been sent before His face
into every place whither He Himself should come. Christ here takes that office
on Himself.
(A. Maclaren, D. D.)
Many Mansions
A. Maclaren, D. D.
John 14:1-4
Sorrow needs simple words for its consolation;and simple words are the best
clothing for the largesttruths. Note in these words —
I. THE "FATHER'S HOUSE," AND ITS AMPLE ROOM. There is only one
other occasionin which our Lord used this expression:"Make not My
Father's house a house of merchandise." Its courts, its many chambers, its
ample porches, with room for thronging worshippers, representedin some
poor way the wide sweepand space ofthat higher house.
1. How sweetand familiar this conceptionof heaven!

(1) There is something awful, even to the best souls, in the thought even of the
glories beyond. But how it is all softenedwhen we say, "My Father's house."
Mostof us have left behind us the sweetsecuritywhich used to be ours when
we lived as children in a father's house here. But we may all look forward to
the renewal, in far nobler form, of these early days, where the shyest and
timidest child shall feel at ease and secure.
(2) And considerhow this conceptionsuggestsanswersto so many of our
questions about the relationship of the inmates to one another. Are they to
dwell isolatedin their severalmansions? Surely if He be the Father, and
Heaven be His house, the relation of the redeemed to one another must have
in it more than all the sweetfamiliarity and unrestrained frankness which
subsists in the families of earth.
(3) But, further, this greatand tender name has its deepestmeaning in a
spiritual state of which the essentialelements are the loving manifestation of
God as Father, the perfect consciousness ofsonship, the happy union of all the
children in one greatfamily, and the derivation of all their blessednessfrom
their elder Brother.
2. The ample room in this greathouse.
(1) There was room where Christ went for eleven poor men. But Christ's
prescienteye lookeddown the ages, and some glow of satisfactionflitted
across His sorrow as He saw from afar the result of the impending travail of
His soul in the multitudes by whom God's heavenly house should yet be filled.
Perhaps that upper room, like the most of the roof chambers in Jewishhouses,
was open to the skies, andwhilst He spoke the innumerable lights that blaze in
that clearheaven shone down upon them, and He may have pointed to these
as He spoke. Ah! brethren, if we could only widen our measurement of the

walls of the New Jerusalemto that of the "goldenrod which the man, that is,
the angel" applied to it, we should understand how much bigger it is than any
of these poor communities on earth. If we would lay to heart, as we ought to
do, the deep meaning of that indefinite "many" in my text it would rebuke our
narrowness.
(2) That one word may also be used to heighten our own confidence as to our
own poor selves. A chamber in the greattemple waits for eachof us, and the
question is, Shall we occupyit or shall we not? The old rabbis said that,
howevermany the throngs of worshippers who came up to Jerusalemat the
Passover, the streets and the courts were never crowded. And so it is with that
greatcity. There are throngs, but no crowds. Eachfinds a place in the ample
sweepof the Father's house, like some of the greatpalaces that barbaric
Easternkings used to build, in whose courts armies might encamp, and the
chambers of which were counted by the thousand.
(3) There is only another occasionin this Gospelin which the word here
translated "mansions" is employed — "We will come and make our abode
with Him." Our mansion is in God; God's dwelling place is in us. When
prodigal children go awayfrom the father's house sometimes a heartbroken
parent will keepthe boy's room just as it used to be when he was young and
pure, and will hope and wearythrough long days for him to come back and
occupy it again. God is keeping a room for you in His house; do you see that
you fill it.
II. THE SUFFICIENCYOF CHRIST'S REVELATION FOR OUR NEEDS.
"If it were not so, I would have told you."
1. He sets Himself forward in very august fashionas being the Revealerand
the Openerof that house for us. There is a singular tone about all our Lord's

few references to the future — a tone of decisiveness. He stands like one on a
mountain top, looking down into the valleys beyond, and telling His comrades
in the plain behind Him what He sees. He speaks ofthat unseenworld always
as one who had been in it, and who was reporting experiences, and not giving
forth opinions. Very remarkable, therefore, is it that with this tone there
should be such reticence in Christ's references to the future. But my text
suggeststo us that we have gotas much as we need, and, for the rest, if we
needed to have heard it, He would have told us. Let the gaps remain. The gaps
are part of the revelation, and we know enough for faith and hope.
2. May we not widen the application of that thought to other matters? In times
like the present, of doubt and unrest, it is a greatpiece of Christian wisdom to
recognize the limitations of our knowledge andthe sufficiencyof the
fragments that we have. What do we geta revelation for? To solve theological
puzzles and dogmatic difficulties; to inflate us with the pride of quasi-
omniscience:or to present to us God in Christ for faith, for love, for
obedience, for imitation? Surely the latter, and for such purposes we have
enough.
My Father's House
J. B. Brown, B. A.
John 14:1-4

The very term changedthe whole characterand aspectof Hades. The invisible
became visible in the form of the most benign and beautiful of all the
institutions that lend charm and joy to life. My Father's house!then for the
first time men dared to think of death as a going home. It seems a vast, awful
world, this invisible which stretches out to the infinite all round us; the
trembling soulmay well shudder as it goes forth to meet its destiny. But the
thought "My Father's house," dissipates alldread. Be it what it may, and
where it may, this vast unknown, it is filled with that nameless benediction, a
Father's presence and lit with the light of a Father's smile. It is this sense ofa
loving Presence, meeting us at life's outer gate, and bringing us into a bright
home full of light and beauty and living joy, which, for the Christian, has so
utterly dissipatedthe terror; and this made death seemto St. Francis a sister
to take him by the hand and conduct him home. It is the activity, the
animation, the joyful tasks, the abounding interest, of the life of the invisible
world unveiled by Christ, which is the characteristic revelationofthe gospel.
It is not a world of shades, but a world of sons in strong immortal forms,
instinct with energy, rich in faculty, busy with the tasks that occupy the
angels;a world glad with work and bright with song.
(J. B. Brown, B. A.)
The House of Many Mansions
A. Raleigh, D. D.
John 14:1-4
From these words we learn —

I. The MAGNITUDE of heaven. Christ's going awaywould naturally seemto
them pure loss. Death, as a natural event, always seems so. ButChrist says
death is not a closing so much as an opening — not a going awayso much as a
coming home. It is the passing of a pilgrim from one mansion to another, from
the winter to the summer residence, from one of the outlying provinces up
nearer the central home. This is not a chance expression, far less a mere figure
of speech. There are many others. "The third heavens";Christ has "passed
through all heavens";"heaven, even the heaven of heavens," a place evidently
of inconceivable grandeur, for even that cannot contain the infinite presence
of God. This idea of immense capacityis a real relief from some of the more
popular conceptions ofthe future life, as that of a temple, etc. The population
of this world is something tremendous. It has been yielding immense numbers
to heaven in every age. Thus "a greatmultitude which no man cannumber,"
has been passing, and will pass, in ceaselessprocession. And we cannot help
wondering how they are all to be provided for!
II. Out of the idea of vastness arisesthat of an endless VARIETY. The variety
existing in God's works here is one of the principal charms of the natural
world. So as there are "many mansions," the adorning of them will be very
various. One will not be as another. We do not go to heaven to lose our
natural tastes, oursinless preferences, but rather to have all these gratified in
a far higher degree. Otherwise heavenwould be plainer, poorer, and less
interesting than earth. And unless our own nature were presseddown into
some kind of mechanicalexactness andshape, weariness wouldensue. There
would be a sighing for the lostseasonsofthe earth, its withered flowers, its
light and shade, its many countries, and its encircling seas. Butno! There will
be places, pursuits, and enjoyments for all.
III. Then, lest this vastness and variety should seem too large to our thought,
we have also in these words a sweetassuranceas to the HOMELINESS of
heaven.

IV. REALITY. ''If it were not so, I would have told you." This life in itself is
shadowyenough. We speak of "long days," and of "long years." But when the
awakenedimmortal soul looks atthose spaces oftime in the light of its own
eternity, how short and shadowy they seem I In those times we feelthat
everything depends on the reality and permanence of the future life! No man
who has not long been untrue to himself and to his God can be pleasedwith
the thought of annihilation. But who can tell him firmly where lies the realm
of life, or whether anywhere? He asks philosophy, and she answers, "Isee
something like it, but I cannotsurely tell. It may be land or it may be cloud."
He asks his own reason, and the instincts of his heart, and they answer"yes"
today and "no" tomorrow, according to the mood, and the aspects ofoutward
life. Then, turning to Jesus Christ, he asks by his sorrow, by his hopes, by all
the struggling instincts that will not die, by that upward look in which the soul
is "seeking a city with foundations," whether such a city is builded — whether
such a life is secure. And the answeris here. Conclusion:The love of heaven
has been derided by some as a selfish passion. No doubt heaven may be
representedand desired by the mind as a place of escape from conflict, of
mere ignoble rest. But if we take it just as it is projectedto our view in the
Scriptures — in its relations to earthly labour, and suffering, and desire; and
as the place where our higher toils and nobler enjoyments shall begin: — then
the desire of heaven is the noblestand purest passionwe cherish.
(A. Raleigh, D. D.)
The Work of the AscendedJesus
D. Young
John 14:2, 3
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told
you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And yet manifestly it is only part of the work. So much is spokenof as needed
to be spokenof here. Jesus tells us that which will best blend with other things
that have to be said at the time. Who canimagine, who can describe, anything
like the total of what Jesus has gone from earthly scenes to do?
I. CONSIDERTHE OCCUPATIONS OF THOSE WHO WERE LEFT. Just
one word gives the suggestionthat these were in the mind of Jesus as he spoke,
and that is the word "mansions." The settled life is thought of rather than the
wandering one. Jesus knew full well what a wandering life his disciples would
have, going into strange and distant countries. They would have to travel as he
himself had never traveled. The more they apprehended the work to which
they had been called, the more they would feelbound to go from land to land,
preaching the gospelwhile life lasted. To men thus constantlyon the move, the
promise of a true resting-place was just the promise they needed.
II. THE FUTURE COMPANIONSHIP OF JESUS AND HIS PEOPLE. To
those who have come into the realknowledge and service of Jesus nothing less
than such a companionship will make happiness; and nothing more is needed.
Jesus needednot to have a place in glory prepared for him; he had but to
resume his old station, and be with his Fatheras he had been before. This is
the greatelement of happiness on earth - not so much where we are as with
whom we are. The most beautiful scenes, the most luxurious surroundings,
count as nothing compared with true harmony in the human beings who are
around us. And just so it must be in the anticipations of a future state. While
Jesus was in the flesh, his presence with his disciples was the chief element in
their happiness; and as they lookedforwardto the future, this was the main
thing desired, that they should be with Jesus. As Paul puts it, "Absent from
the body, present with the Lord."

III. THE PREPARATION OF A COMMON HOPE. Is this to be taken as a
real preparation, or is it only a way of speaking, to impress the promise of
reunion more deeply? Is there now some actual work of the glorified Jesus
going on which amounts to a necessarypreparationfor his glorified people?
Surely it must be so. We are not to go into another state, as pioneers, to cut
our own way. We are not as the Pilgrim Fathers, who had to make their own
houses, and live as best they could till then. It is clearthat a kindly Providence
made the earth ready for the children of men, storing up abundance for all
our temporal need; and in like manner Jesus is making heaven ready. Earth
was made ready for Jesus to come down and live in it, and for him and his
disciples to live togetherin. And when his disciples ascendto a higher state, all
things will be ready then. - Y.
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(3) And if I go and prepare . . .—Forthe form of the expression, comp. Notes
on John 12:32, and 1John 2:28. It does not imply uncertainty, but expresses
that the fact is in the region of the future, which is clearto Him, and will
unfold itself to them.
I will come again, and receive you unto myself.—This clause has been
variously explained of the resurrection;of the death of individual disciples;of
the spiritual presence ofour Lord in the Church; of the coming again of the
Lord in the Parousia ofthe last day, when all who believe in Him shall be
receivedunto Himself. The difficulty has arisen from taking the words “I will
come again,” as necessarilyreferring to the same time as those which follow—
“I will receive you unto Myself,” whereas they are in the present tense, and
should be literally rendered, I am coming again. They refer rather, as the
same words refer when used in John 14:18, to His constantspiritual presence
in their midst; whereas the reception of them to Himself is to be understood of

the complete union which will accompanythat spiritual presence;a union
which will be commenced in this life, advancedby the death of individuals,
and completedin the final coming again. (Comp. John 17:24.)
MacLaren's Expositions
John
THE FORERUNNER
John 14:2 - John 14:3.
What divine simplicity and depth are in these words! They carry us up into
the unseenworld, and beyond time; and yet a little child can lay hold on them,
and mourning hearts and dying men find peace and sweetnessin them. A very
familiar image underlies them. It was customaryfor travellers in those old
days to send some of their party on in advance, to find lodging and make
arrangements for them in some greatcity. Many a time one or other of the
disciples had been ‘sent before His face into every place where He Himself
should come.’On that very morning two of them had gone in, at His bidding,
from Bethany to make ready the table at which they were sitting. Christ here
takes that office upon Himself. The emblem is homely, the thing meant is
transcendent.
Not less wonderful is the blending of majesty and lowliness. The office which
He takes upon Himself is that of an inferior and a servant. And yet the
discharge of it, in the present case, implies His authority over every corner of
the universe, His immortal life, and the sufficiency of His presence to make a
heaven. Nor can we fail to notice the blending of another pair of opposites:His
certainty of His impending death, and His certainty, notwithstanding and

thereby, of His continual work and His final return, are inseparably
interlaced here. How comes it that, in all His premonitions of His death, Jesus
Christ never spoke aboutit as failure or as the interruption or end of His
activity, but always as the transition to, and the condition of, His wider work?
‘I go, and if I go I return, and take you to Myself.’
So, then, there are three things here, the departure with its purpose, the
return, and the perfectedunion.
I. The Departure.
Our Lord’s going awayfrom that little group was a journey in two stages.
Calvary was the first; Olivet was the second. He means by the phrase the
whole continuous process whichbegins with His death and ends in His
ascension. Bothare embracedin His words, and eachco-operatesto the
attainment of the greatpurpose.
He prepares a place for us by His death. The High Priest, in the ancient ritual,
once a year was privileged to lift the heavy veil and pass into the darkened
chamber, where only the light betweenthe cherubim was visible, because he
bore in his hand the blood of the sacrifice. Butin our New Testamentsystem
the path into ‘the holiest of all,’ the realisationof the most intimate fellowship
with heavenly things and communion with God Himself, are made possible,
and the way patent for every foot, because Jesushas died. And as the
communion upon earth, so the perfecting of the communion in the heavens.
Who of us could step within those awful sanctities, orstand serene amidst the
regionof eternallight and stainless purity, unless, in His death, He had borne
the sins of the world, and, having ‘overcome’its ‘sharpness’by enduring its
blow, had ‘openedthe Kingdom of Heavento all believers’?

Old legends tell us of magic gates that resistedall attempts to force them, but
upon which, if one drop of a certain blood fell, they flew open. And so, by His
death, Christ has opened the gates and made the heaven of perfect purity a
dwelling-place for sinful men.
But the secondstage ofHis departure is that which more eminently is in
Christ’s mind here. He prepares a place for us by His entrance into and His
dwelling in the heavenly places. The words are obscure because we have but
few others with which to compare them, and no experience by which to
interpret them. We know so little about the matter that it is not wise to say
much; but though there be vast tracts of darkness round the little spot of light,
this should only make the spot of light more vivid and more precious. We
know little, but we know enough for mind and heart to rest upon. Our
ignorance of the ways in which Christ by His ascensionprepares a heaven for
His followers should neither breed doubt nor disregardof His assurance that
He does.
If Christ had not ascended, wouldthere have been ‘a place’at all? He has
gone with a human body, which, glorified as it is, still has relations to space,
and must be somewhere. And we may even say that His ascending up on high
has made a place where His servants are. But apart from that suggestion,
which, perhaps, is going beyond our limits, we may see that Christ’s presence
in heaven is needful to make it a heaven for poor human souls. There, as here
{Scripture assures us}, and throughout eternity as to-day, Jesus Christ is the
Mediatorof all human knowledge andpossessionofGod. It is from Him and
through Him that there come to men, whether they be men on earth or men in
the heavens, all that they know, all that they hope, all that they enjoy, of the
wisdom, love, beauty, peace, power, which flow from God. Take awayfrom
the heavenof the Christian expectationthat which comes to the spirit through
Jesus Christ, and you have nothing left. He and His mediation and
ministration alone make the brightness and the blessedness ofthat high state.
The very glories of all that lies beyond the veil would have an aspectappalling

and bewildering to us, unless our Brother were there. Like some poor savages
brought into a greatcity, or rustics into the presence ofa king and his court,
we should be ill at ease amidstthe glories and solemnities of that future life
unless we saw standing there our Kinsman, to whom we canturn, and who
makes it possible for us to feelthat it is home. Christ’s presence makes heaven
the home of our hearts.
Not only did He go to prepare a place, but He is continuously preparing it for
us all through the ages. We have to think of a double form of the work of
Christ, His past work in His earthly life, and His present in His exaltation. We
have to think of a double form of His present activity-His work with and in us
here on earth, and His work for us there in the heavens. We have to think of a
double form of His work in the heavens-thatwhich the Scripture represents in
a metaphor, the full comprehensionof which surpasses ourpresent powers
and experiences, as being His priestly intercession;and that which my text
represents in a metaphor, perhaps a little more level to our apprehension, as
being His preparing a place for us. Behind the veil there is a working Christ,
who, in the heavens, is preparing a place for all that love Him.
II. In the next place, note the Return.
The purpose of our Lord’s departure, as setforth by Himself here, guarantees
for us His coming back again. That is the force of the simple argumentation of
my text, and of the pathetic and soothing repetition of the sweetwords, ‘I go
to prepare a place for you; and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come
againand receive you unto Myself.’ Becausethe departure had for its purpose
the preparing of the place, therefore it is necessarilyfollowedby a return. He
who went awayas the Forerunner has not done His work until He comes
back, and, as Guide, leads those for whom He had prepared the place to the
place which He had prepared for them.

Now that return of our Lord, like His departure, may be consideredas having
two stages. Unquestionably the main meaning and application of the words is
to that final and personalcoming which stands at the end of history, and to
which the hopes of every Christian soul ought to be steadfastlydirected. He
will ‘so come in like manner as’ He has gone. We are not to waterdown such
words as these into anything short of a return preciselycorresponding in its
method to the departure; and as the departure was visible, corporeal, literal,
personal, and local, so the return is to be visible, corporeal, literal, personal,
localtoo. He is to come as He went, a visible Manhood, only throned amongst
the clouds of heaven with powerand greatglory. This is the aim that He sets
before Him in His departure. He leaves in order that He may come back
again.
And, oh, dear friends! remember-and let us live in the strength of the
remembrance-that this return ought to be the prominent subject of Christian
aspiration and desire. There is much about the conceptionof that solemn
return, with all the convulsions that attend it, and the judgment of which it is
preliminary, that may wellmake men’s hearts chill within them. But for you
and me, if we have any love in our hearts and loyalty in our spirits to that
King, ‘His coming’ should be ‘prepared as the morning,’ and we should join
in the greatburst of rapture of many a psalm, which calls upon rocks and hills
to break forth into singing, and trees of the field to clap their hands, because
He cometh as the King to judge the earth. His own parable tells us how we
ought to regardHis coming. When the fig-tree’s branch begins to supple, and
the little leaves to push their way through the polished stem, then we know
that summer is at hand. His coming should be as the approach of that
glorious, fervid time, in which the sunshine has tenfold brilliancy and power,
the time of ripened harvests and matured fruits, the time of joy for all
creatures that love the sun. It should be the glad hope of all His servants.
We have a double witness to bear in the midst of this as of every generation.
One half of the witness stretches backwards to the Cross, and proclaims

‘Christ has come’; the other reaches onwards to the Throne, and proclaims
‘Christ will come.’Betweenthese two high uplifted piers swings the chain of
the world’s history, which closes withthe return, to judge and to save, of the
Lord who came to die and has gone to prepare a place for us.
But do not let us forget that we may well take another point of view than this.
Scripture knows of many comings of the Lord preliminary to, and in principle
one with, His last coming. For nations all greatcrises of their history are
‘comings of the Lord,’ the Judge, and we are strictly in the line of Scripture
analogywhen, in reference to individuals, we see in eachsingle death a true
coming of the Lord.
That is the point of view in which we ought to look upon a Christian’s death-
bed. ‘The Masteris come, and callethfor thee.’ Beyond all secondarycauses,
deeper than disease oraccident, lies the loving will of Him who is the Lord of
life and of death. Deathis Christ’s minister, ‘mighty and beauteous, though
his face be dark,’ and he, too, stands amidst the ranks of the ‘ministering
spirits sent forth to minister to them that shall be heirs of salvation.’It is
Christ that says of one, ‘I will that this man tarry,’ and to another, ‘Go!’ and
he goeth. But whensoevera Christian man lies down to die, Christ says,
‘Come!’ and he comes. How that thought should hallow the death-chamber as
with the print of the Master’s feet! How it should quiet our hearts and dry our
tears!How it should change the whole aspectofthat ‘shadow feared of man’!
With Him for our companion, the lonely road will not be dreary; and though
in its anticipation, our timid hearts may often be ready to say, ‘Surely the
darkness shallcover me,’ if we have Him by our sides, ‘even the night shall be
light about us.’ The dying martyr beneath the city walllifted up his face to the
heavens, and said, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!’ It was the echo of the
Master’s promise, ‘I will come again, and receive you to Myself.’
III. Lastly, notice the PerfectedUnion.

The departure for such a purpose necessarilyinvolved the return again. Both
are stagesin the process, whichis perfectedby complete union-’That where I
am there ye may be also.’
Christ, as I have been saying, is Heaven. His presence is all that we need for
peace, forjoy, for purity, for rest, for love, for growth. To be ‘with Him,’ as
He tells us in another part of these wonderful lastwords in the upper
chamber, is to ‘behold His glory.’ And to behold His glory, as John tells us in
his Epistle, is to be like Him. So Christ’s presence means the communication
to us of all the lustre of His radiance, of all the whiteness of His purity, of all
the depth of His blessedness, andof a share in His wondrous dominion. His
glorified manhood will pass into ours, and they that are with Him where He is
will restas in the centre and home of their spirits, and find Him all-sufficient.
His presence is my Heaven.
That is almost all we know. Oh! it is more than all we need to know. The
curtain is the picture. It is because whatis there transcends in glory all our
present experience that Scripture canonly hint at it and describe it by
negations-suchas ‘no night,’ ‘no sorrow,’‘no tears,’‘former things passed
away’; and by symbols of glory and lustre gatheredfrom all that is loftiest
and noblest in human buildings and society. But all these are but secondary
and poor. The living heart of the hope, and the lambent centre of the
brightness, is, ‘So shall we ever be with the Lord.’
And it is enough. It is enough to make the bond of union betweenus in the
outer court and them in the holy place. Partedfriends will fix to look at the
same star at the same moment of the night and feelsome union; and if we
from amidst the clouds of earth, and they from amidst the pure radiance of
their heaven, turn our eyes to the same Christ, we are not far apart. If He be
the companionof eachof us, He reaches a hand to each, and, clasping it, the

parted ones are united; and ‘whether we wake or sleepwe live together,’
because we both live with Him.
Brother! Is Jesus Christ so much to you that a heaven which consists in
nearness and likeness to Him has any attraction for you? Let Him be your
Saviour, your Sacrifice, yourHelper, your Companion. Obey Him as your
King, love Him as your Friend, trust Him as your All. And be sure that then
the darkness will be but the shadow of His hand, and insteadof dreading
death as that which separatesyou from life and love and actionand joy, you
will be able to meet it peacefully, as that which rends the thin veil, and unites
you with Him who is the Heaven of heavens.
He has gone to prepare a place for us. And if we will let Him, He will prepare
us for the place, and then come and lead us thither. ‘Thou wilt show me the
path of life’ which leads through death. ‘In Thy presence is fullness of joy, and
at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
14:1-11 Here are three words, upon any of which stress may be laid. Upon the
word troubled. Be not castdown and disquieted. The word heart. Let your
heart be keptwith full trust in God. The word your. Howeverothers are
overwhelmed with the sorrows ofthis present time, be not you so. Christ's
disciples, more than others, should keeptheir minds quiet, when everything
else is unquiet. Here is the remedy againstthis trouble of mind, Believe. By
believing in Christ as the MediatorbetweenGod and man, we gain comfort.
The happiness of heavenis spokenof as in a father's house. There are many
mansions, for there are many sons to be brought to glory. Mansions are
lasting dwellings. Christ will be the Finisher of that of which he is the Author
or Beginner; if he have prepared the place for us, he will prepare us for it.
Christ is the sinner's Way to the Father and to heaven, in his personas God
manifest in the flesh, in his atoning sacrifice, and as our Advocate. He is the
Truth, as fulfilling all the prophecies of a Saviour; believing which, sinners

come by him the Way. He is the Life, by whose life-giving Spirit the dead in
sin are quickened. Nor can any man draw nigh God as a Father, who is not
quickened by Him as the Life, and taught by Him as the Truth, to come by
Him as the Way. By Christ, as the Way, our prayers go to God, and his
blessings come to us; this is the Way that leads to rest, the goodold Way. He is
the Resurrectionand the Life. All that saw Christ by faith, saw the Fatherin
Him. In the light of Christ's doctrine, they saw God as the Fatherof lights;
and in Christ's miracles, they saw Godas the God of power. The holiness of
God shone in the spotless purity of Christ's life. We are to believe the
revelation of God to man in Christ; for the works of the Redeemershow forth
his ownglory, and God in him.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
In my Father's house - Mostinterpreters understand this of heaven, as the
specialdwelling-place or palace ofGod; but it may include the universe, as the
abode of the omnipresent God.
Are many mansions - The word rendered "mansions" means either the act of
dwelling in any place (John 14:23, "we will make our abode with him"), or it
means the place where one dwells. It is takenfrom the verb to remain, and
signifies the place where one dwells or remains. It is applied by the Greek
writers to the tents or temporary habitations which soldiers pitch in their
marches. It denotes a dwelling of less permanency than the word house. It is
commonly understood as affirming that in heaven there is ample room to
receive all who will come;that therefore the disciples might be sure that they
would not be excluded. Some have understood it as affirming that there will
be different grades in the joys of heaven; that some of the mansions of the
saints will be nearer to God than others, agreeablyto 1 Corinthians 15:40-41.
But perhaps this passage mayhave a meaning which has not occurredto
interpreters.
Jesus was consoling his disciples, who were affectedwith grief at the idea of
his separation. To comfortthem he addresses themin this language:"The
universe is the dwelling-place of my Father. All is his house. Whether on earth
or in heaven, we are still in his habitation. In that vast abode of God there are

many mansions. The earth is one of them, heaven is another. Whether here or
there, we are still in the house, in one of the mansions of our Father, in one of
the apartments of his vast abode. This we ought continually to feel, and to
rejoice that we are permitted to occupy any part of his dwelling-place. Nor
does it differ much whether we are in this mansion or another. It should not
be a matter of grief when we are called to pass from one part of this vast
habitation of God to another. I am indeed about to leave you, but I am going
only to another part of the vast dwelling-place of God. I shall still be in the
same universal habitation with you; still in the house of the same God; and am
going for an important purpose - to fit up another abode for your eternal
dwelling." If this be the meaning, then there is in the discourse true
consolation. We see that the death of a Christian is not to be dreaded, nor is it
an event over which we should immoderately weep. It is but removing from
one apartment of God's universal dwelling-place to another - one where we
shall still be in his house, and still feel the same interest in all that pertains to
his kingdom. And especiallythe removal of the Saviour from the earth was an
event over which Christians should rejoice, for he is still in the house of God,
and still preparing mansions of restfor His people.
If it were not so ... - I have concealedfrom you no truth. You have been
cherishing this hope of a future abode with God. Had it been ill founded I
would have told you plainly, as I have told you other things. Had any of you
been deceived, as Judas was, I would have made it knownto you, as I did to
him."
I go to prepare a place for you - By his going is meant his death and ascentto
heaven. The figure here is takenfrom one who is on a journey, who goes
before his companions to provide a place to lodge in, and to make the
necessarypreparations for their entertainment. It evidently means that he, by
the work he was yet to perform in heaven, would secure their admission there,
and obtain for them the blessings ofeternal life. That work would consist
mainly in his intercession, Hebrews 10:12-13,Hebrews 10:19-22;Hebrews
7:25-27;Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 4:16.
That where I am - This language couldbe used by no one who was not then in
the place of which he was speaking, andit is just such language as one would

naturally use who was both God and man - in reference to his human nature,
speaking ofhis going to his Father; and in reference to his divine nature,
speaking as if he was then with God.
Ye may be also - This was language eminently fitted to comfort them. Though
about to leave them, yet he would not always be absent. He would come again
at the day of judgment and gather all his friends to himself, and they should
be ever with him, Hebrews 9:28. So shall all Christians be with him. And so,
when we part with a belovedChristian friend by death, we may feel assured
that the separationwill not be eternal. We shall meet again, and dwell in a
place where there shall be no more separationand no more tears.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
3. I will come again and receive you unto myself—strictly, at His Personal
appearing; but in a secondaryand comforting sense, to eachindividually.
Mark again the claim made:—to come againto receive His people to Himself,
that where He is there they may be also. He thinks it ought to be enoughto be
assuredthat they shall be where He is and in His keeping.
Matthew Poole's Commentary
The particle if in this place denotes no uncertainty of the thing whereofhe had
before assuredthem; but in this place hath either the force of although, or
after that: When, or after that, I have died, ascended, andby all these acts, as
also by my intercession, shallhave made places in Heaven fully ready for you,
I will in the last day return again, as Judge of the quick and the dead, and
take you up into heaven, 1 Thessalonians4:16,17;that you may be made
partakers of my glory, John 17:22. This is called, Romans 8:17, a being
glorified togetherwith him; and elsewhere,a reigning with him. So as this is a
third argument by which our Lord comforteth his disciples as to their trouble
conceivedfor the want of His bodily presence with them, from the certainty of
his return to them, and the end and consequentof his return: the end was to
receive them to himself; the consequent, their eternal abiding with Christ
where he was.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And if I go and prepare a place for you,.... Seeing I am going to prepare, and
will prepare a place for you, of the truth of which you may be fully assured:
I will come again;either by death or in persona secondtime, here on earth:
and receive you unto myself; I will take you up with me to heaven; I will
receive you into glory;
that where I am there you may be also:and behold my glory, and be for ever
with me, and never part more.
Geneva Study Bible
{2} And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will {c} come again, and receive
you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
(2) Christ did not go awayfrom us with the intent of forsaking us, but rather
that he might eventually take us up with him into heaven.
(c) These words are to be understood as being said to the whole Church, and
therefore the angels saidto the disciples when they were astonished, Why do
you stand gazing up into heaven? This Jesus will so come as you saw him go
up, Ac 1:11. And in all places ofthe Scripture the full comfortof the Church
is consideredto be that day when God will be all in all, and is therefore called
the day of redemption.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Expositor's Greek Testament
John 14:3. Neither will He prepare a place and leave them to find their own
way to it.—καὶ ἐὰν πορευθῶ … ἦτε. “If I go”;that is, the commencementof
this work as their forerunner was the pledge of its completion. And its
completion is effectedby His coming againand receiving them to Himself, or
“to His own home,” πρὸς ἐμαυτόν. Cf. John 20:10.—πάλινἔρχομαι καὶ
παραλήμψομαι, “Icome againand will receive”. The presentis used in
ἔρχομαι as if the coming were so certain as to be already begun, cf. John 5:25.
For παραλήμψομαι see Song ofSolomon8:2. The promise is fulfilled in the
death of the Christian, and it has changedthe aspectof death. The personal

secondcoming of Christ is not a frequent theme in this Gospel. The ultimate
objectof His departure and return is ἵνα ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγώ, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἧτε. Cf. 1
Thessalonians 4:17, 2 Corinthians 5:8, Php 1:23. The objectof Christ’s
departure is permanent reunion and the blessednessofthe Christian.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
3. And if I go]The ‘if’ does not here imply doubt any more than ‘when’ would
have done: but we have ‘if’ and not ‘when’ because it is the result of the
departure and not the date of it that is emphasized (see on John 12:32).
I will come again, and receive]Literally, I am coming again and I will receive
(see on John 1:11 and John 19:16). There is no doubt about the meaning of the
going away; but the coming againmay have various meanings, and
apparently not always the same one throughout this discourse;either the
Resurrection, orthe gift of the Paraclete, orthe death of individuals, or the
presence ofChrist in his Church, or the SecondAdvent at the last day. The
last seems to be the meaning here (comp. John 6:39-40).
Bengel's Gnomen
John 14:3. Ἐάν, if) A mild particle, used for ὅταν, when.—ἔρχομαι, Icome
[am coming]) The Present, as concerning His speedy coming: John 14:18, “I
will not leave you comfortless;I come to you.” It is a peculiar idiom of speech,
that the Lord is not wont to say, I will come, but I come, even when another
verb in the future tense is added. Comp., however, also Matthew 17:11
concerning the forerunner [Ἡλίας ἔρχεται, καὶ ἀποκαταστήσει πάντα], and
the LXX., 2 Samuel 5:3 [ἔρχονται—οἱ πρεσβύτεροι—καὶ διέθετο αὐτοῖς ὁ
βασιλεύς].—καί, and)The end of My departure infers [carries with it] this
very consequence,that I am to come again.—πρὸς ἐμαυτόν, to Myself) An
expressionfull of majesty. The house of the Father is the house of the Son: ch.
John 16:15, “All things that the Fatherhath are Mine;”
Pulpit Commentary

Verse 3. - And if I go and if I prepare a place for you - a simple condition,
soonto be realizedby the event - I come again;I am evercoming, as I am now
about to explain to you,
(1) in my resurrection(John 16:16, 17);
(2) in the bestowmentof the Comforter (Vers. 17, 25, 26;John 16:7, etc.);
(3) in the intimate relations which, through the power of the Spirit (Vers. 18,
23),
shall prevail betweenus. I am coming to you, in my glory and power, and in
my victory in you as well as for you over death and Hades, to receive you unto
myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. The full perspective of the
Lord's approachto faithful souls is given in the extraordinary pregnancy of
the "I am coming." Not until he comes m all his glory will the words be
perfectly fulfilled; but the early Church, on the basis of communion with
Christ himself in the power of his Spirit, expectedthat Christ had come and
takento himself one by one those who died in the faith (1 Thessalonians4:14).
Thus Stephen expectedthe Lord to receive his spirit (Acts 7:59); and the
dying thief was to be with him, in Paradise;and Paul knew that to be from
home, so far as body is concerned, was to be "athome or present with the
Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). "To be with Christ" was "far better" than to labor
on in the flesh (Philippians 1:23). The highest thought of peace and love was to
the apostles union and presence with Christ. Our Lord asserts here that by his
very nearness to them he will make their heavenfor them. How soonthis
wonderful idea spreadamong men! Within twenty years, Thessalonianswere
comforted about their pious dead, with the thought that they slept in Jesus,
and would togetherwith them be "foreverwith the Lord."
Vincent's Word Studies

If I go (ἐὰν πορευθῶ)
Πορεύομαι, go, ofgoing with a definite object. See on John 8:21.
I will come again(πάλιν ἔρχομαι)
The present tense;I come, so Rev. Not to be limited to the Lord's secondand
glorious coming at the lastday, nor to any specialcoming, such as Pentecost,
though these are all included in the expression;rather to be takenof His
continual coming and presence by the Holy Spirit. "Christ is, in fact, from the
moment of His resurrection, ever coming into the world and to the Church,
and to men as the risen Lord" (Westcott).
And receive (παραλήψομαι)
Here the future tense, will receive. Rev., therefore, much better: I come again
and will receive you. The change of tense is intentional, the future pointing to
the future personalreception of the believer through death. Christ is with the
disciple alway, continually "coming" to him, unto the end of the world. Then
He will receive him into that immediate fellowship, where he "shallsee Him as
He is." The verb παραλαμβάνω is used in the New Testamentoftaking along
with (Matthew 4:5, note; Matthew 17:1, note; Acts 16:33, note): of taking to
(Matthew 1:20; John 14:3): of taking from, receiving by transmission; so
mostly in Paul (Galatians 1:12; Colossians 2:6;Colossians4:17;1
Thessalonians 2:13, etc. See also Matthew 24:40, Matthew 24:41). It is scarcely
fanciful to see the first two meanings blended in the use of the verb in this
passage. Jesus, by the Spirit, takes His own along with Him through life, and
then takes them to His side at death. He himself conducts them to Himself.
Biblical Illustrator

If ye loved Me, ye would rejoice, becauseI said I go unto the Father.
John 14:28-29
The death of the gooda reasonfor joy
D. Thomas, D. D.
Note the view which Christ had of His death. "I go."
1. Whence? Fromthe world.
2. Whither? To the Father, not to destruction, eternal solitude, nor to
fellowship with minor souls.
3. How? Not driven. Other men are sent to the grave; Christ freely went. The
generaltruths of the text are these: —
I. THAT GENUINE LOVE REJOICESIN THE HAPPINESS OF ITS
OBJECT.We find illustrations of this in —
1. Creation. Love made the universe in order to diffuse happiness.
2. Christ's mission. Christ came to make happy the objects of infinite love.
3. Christian labour. Happiness is the end of all church work.
II. THAT THE HAPPINESS OF MEN DEPENDSUPON FELLOWSHIP
WITH THE FATHER.
1. Happiness is in love.
2. The love, to produce happiness, must be directed to the Father. His
perfection delights in it; His goodnessreciprocatesit.
3. Love for the Fatheryearns for fellowshipwith Him. Love always craves the
presence ofits object.
III. THAT DEATH INTRODUCESTHE GOOD INTO A SPECIALLY
CLOSE FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER. There were obstructions to
the fellowshipof the Man Christ Jesus with the Father.

1. The body with its infirmities.
2. The sinful world.
3. The influence of principalities and powers of darkness. These interfere with
the fellowshipof goodmen and God, and in addition they have what Christ
had not.
(1)Worldly cares.
(2)Inward depravity.
(3)Corrupt habits.At death, however, all these are removed, and the soulof
the goodman goes into the immediate presence ofGod. We need not, then,
sorrow for the departed good.
(D. Thomas, D. D.)
Joy and faith the fruit of Christ's departure
A. Maclaren, D. D.
I. THE DEPARTURE OF THE LORD IS A FOUNTAIN OF JOY TO
THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.
1. Christ's going is Christ's coming. The word "again" is a supplement, and
somewhatdestroys the true flow of thought. But if you strike it out and read
the sentence as being what it is, a description of one continuous process, you
get the true idea. "I go away, and I come to you." There is no moment of
absolute absence. To the eye of sense, the "going away" was the reality, and
the "coming" a metaphor. To the eye enlightened to see things as they are, the
dropping away of the visible corporealwas but the inauguration of the higher
and the more real.
2. Christ's going is Christ's exaltation. Hitherto we have been contemplating
Christ's departure simply in its bearing upon us, but here He unveils another
aspectof it, and that in order that He may change His disciples'sadness into
joy.(1). What a hint of self-sacrifice lies in this thought, that Christ bids His

disciples rejoice with Him because the time is getting nearerits end, and He
goes back to the Father! And what shall we say of the nature of Him to whom
it was martyrdom to live, and a supreme instance of self-sacrificing
humiliation to "be found in fashionas a man"?(2)The context requires that
for Christ to go to the Father was to share in the Father's greatness.Why else
should the disciples be bidden to rejoice in it? or why should He say anything
about the greatness ofthe Father? The inferiority, of whatever nature it may
be, to which He here alludes, falls awaywhen He passes hence. Now these
words are often quoted triumphantly, as if they were dead againstthe
doctrine of the Divinity of Christ. But the creedwhich confessesthatis not to
be overthrown by pelting this verse at it; for this verse is part of that creed,
which as fully declares the Father is greaterthan the Son as it declares that
the Sonis One with the Father. We candimly see that the very names
"Father" and "Son" imply some sort of subordination, but as that
subordination is in the timeless and inward relations of Divinity, it must be
supposedto exist after the Ascension, as it existedbefore the Incarnation; and,
therefore, any such mysterious difference is not that which is referred to here.
What is referred to is what dropped awayfrom the Man Jesus Christ when
He ascendedup on high. As Luther has it, "Here He was a poor, sad, suffering
Christ"; and that garb of lowliness falls from Him, like the mantle that fell
from the prophet as he went up in the chariotof fire, when He passes behind
the brightness of the Shekinahcloud that hides Him from their sight.
Therefore we, as His followers, have to rejoice in an ascended Christ, beneath
whose feetare foes, and far away from whose human personality are all the
ills that flesh is heir to.
3. On both these grounds Christ's ascensionand departure is a source of
icy.(1) There can be no presence with us, man by man, through all the ages,
and in every land, unless He, whose presence it is, participated in the absolute
glory of Divinity.(2) And surely if our dearestone was far awayfrom us, in
some lofty position, our hearts and our thoughts would ever be flung thither,
and we should live more there than here. And if we love Jesus Christ, there
will be no thought more sweetto us than the thought of Him, our Brother and
Forerunner, who has ascendedup on high; and in the midst of the glory of the
throne bears us in His heart, and uses His glory for our blessing.

II. HIS DEPARTURE AND HIS ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS DEPARTURE
AS THE GROUND AND FOOD OF FAITH (ver. 29). He knew what a crash
was coming, and with exquisite tenderness He gave Himself to prepare the
disciples for the storm, that, forewarned, they might be forearmed. And when
my sorrows come to me, I may say about them what He says about His
departure. Aye! He has told us before, that when it comes we may believe. But
note —
1. How Christ avows that the greataim of His utterances and of His departure
is to evoke our faith. And what does He mean by faith?(1) A grasp of the
historic facts, His death, resurrection, ascension.(2)The understanding of
these as He Himself has explained them.(3) And, therefore, as the essenceof
faith, a reliance upon Himself as thus revealed, sacrifice by His death, victor
by His resurrection, King and interceding Priestby His ascension — a
reliance upon Himself as absolute as the facts are sure, as unfaltering as His
eternal sameness.
2. These facts, as interpreted by Himself, are the ground and the nourishment
of our faith. How differently they lookedwhen seenfrom the further side and
when seenfrom the hither side. "We trusted," said two of them, with such a
sad use of the past tense, "that this had been He which should have redeemed
Israel." But after the facts were all unveiled, there came back the memory of
His words, and they said to one another, "Did He not tell us that it was all to
be so? How blind we were not to understand Him!"
3. Faith is the condition of the true presence ofour absentLord.
Love's importance
C. H. Spurgeon.
1. Jesus'love makes Him use the disciples'love to Himself as a comfort for
themselves when they are distressedabout His going away.

2. He appeals to the warmestfeeling in their hearts in order to raise their
spirits.
3. It is well when grace has put within us principles which are springs of
consolation. Fromour text learn —
I. THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO SEE THINGS IN CHRIST'S LIGHT.
1. He sees the whole of things. He says not only, "I go away," but also, "I come
againunto you."
2. He sees through things. He does not say, "I die," but He looks beyond, and
says, "I go unto the Father."
3. He sees the true bearing of things. The events which were about to happen
were in themselves sad, but they would lead to happy results. "If ye loved Me,
ye would rejoice." To see facts in His light we must dwell with Him, live in
Him, grow like Him, and especiallylove Him more and more.
II. THAT OUR LOVE SHOULD GO FORTH TOWARDS HIS PERSON. "If
ye loved Me." All about Him is amiable; but He Himself is altogetherlovely
(Song of Solomon5:16). He is the source ofall the benefits He bestows. Loving
Him: —
1. We have Him, and so His benefits.
2. We prize His benefits the more.
3. We sympathize in all that He does.
4. We love His people for His sake.
5. Our love endures all sorts of rebuffs for His sake.
6. The Father loves us (John 14:23)
7. We are married to Him.Love is the sure and true marriage-bond whereby
the soulis united to Christ. Love to a personis the most real of emotions. Love
to a person is the most influential of motives. Love to a person is, in this case,
the most natural and satisfying of affections.

III. THAT OUR SORROW OUGHT NOT TO PUT OUR LOVE IN
QUESTION. Yet, in the case ofthe disciples, our Lord justly said, "If ye loved
Me." He might sorrowfully say the same to us —
1. When we lament inordinately the loss of creatures.
2. When we repine at His will, because ofour severe afflictions.
3. When we mistrust His wisdom, because we are sore hampered and see no
way of escape.
4. When we fearto die, and thus display an unwillingness to be with our Lord.
Surely, if we loved Him, we should rejoice to be with Him.
5. When we complain concerning those who have been takenfrom us to be
with Him. Ought we not to rejoice that Jesus in them sees ofthe travail of His
soul, and has His prayer (John 17:24)answered.
IV. THAT OUR LOVE SHOULD MAKE US REJOICE AT OUR LORD'S
EXALTATION, THOUGH IT BE OUR PERSONALLOSS.
1. It was apparently the disciples'loss for their Lord to go to the Father; and
we may think certaindispensations to be our loss —
(1)When we are tried by souldesertion, while Christ is magnified in our
esteem.
(2)When we are afflicted, and He is glorified, by our sorrows.
(3)When we are eclipsed, and in the result the gospelis spread.
(4)When we are deprived of privileges for the goodof others.
(5)When we sink lowerand lowerin our own esteem, but the kingdom of God
comes with power.
2. It was greatlyto our Lord's gain to go to His Father. Thus He —
(1)Left the field of suffering forever.
(2)Reassumedthe glory which He had laid aside.

(3)Receivedthe glory awardedby the Father.
(4)Became enthronedfor His Church and cause.Conclusion:
1. It will be well for us to look more to our love than to our joy, and to expect
our joy through our love.
2. It will be well for us to know that smallness of love may dim the
understanding, and that growth in it may make us both wiserand happier.
3. In all things our Lord must be first. Yes, even in those most spiritual
delights, about which it may seemallowable to bane strong personaldesires.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
For My Father is greaterthan I.
Christ's equality with and subordination to God
Canon Liddon.
It is contended that our Lord here abandoned any pretension to be a person
internal to the essentiallife of God. But this saying can have no such force if
its application be restricted, as the Latin Fathers do restrict it to our Lord's
manhood. But even if our Lord is here speaking, as the Greeks generally
maintain, of His essentialDeity, His words express very exactlya truth
recognizedand required by the Catholic doctrine. The subordination of the
everlasting Son to the everlasting Father is strictly compatible with the Son's
absolute Divinity; it is abundantly implied in our Lord's language:and it is an
integral element of the ancientdoctrine which steadily represents the Father
as alone unoriginate, the Fount of Deity, in the eternal life of the ever-blessed
Trinity. But surely an admission on the part of One in whom men saw nothing
more than a fellow creature, that the everlasting Godwas greaterthan
Himself, would fail to satisfya thoughtful listener that no claim to Divinity
was advancedby the Speaker. Suchan admission presupposes some assertion
to which it stands in the relation of a necessaryqualification. If any good man
of our acquaintance should announce that God was greaterthan himself,

should we not hold him to be guilty of something worse than a stupid truism?
And should we not peremptorily remind him that the life of man is related to
the life of God, not as the less to the greater, but as the createdto the
Uncreated, and that it is an impertinent irreverence to admit superiority of
rank, when the realtruth can only be expressedby an assertionofradical
difference of natures? And assuredlya sane and honest man, who had been
accusedofassociating Himself with the Supreme Being, could not content
himself with admitting that God was greaterthan himself. Knowing himself to
be only human, would he not insist again and again with passionate fervour
upon the incommunicable glory of the greatCreator?
(Canon Liddon.)
END OF BIBLEHUB RESOURCEWS
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Thread: What did Jesus meanin John 14:3?
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Jun 10th 2011, 06:56 PM
#1
Heeves23
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What did Jesus meanin John 14:3?
In John 14:3 Jesus to his disciples "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come againand will take you to myself, that where I am you may be
also." So I have researchedthis a bit and some think Jesus is talking about
returning through the holy spirit at pentecost, and some think he is talking
about him returning to his disciples after he was resurrectedwhen he
appearedto all of them and some think he was referring to him returning for
the church at the rapture. Mostpeople think he is referring to the rapture in
this verse, but if he is, then why does he tell the disciples that he will come
back since the rapture obviously didn't happen in there lifetime? We know
Jesus was sinless, so whatdid he mean when he told his disciples he will come
back and take them to be with him? It sounds like an unfulfilled promise, but
we know that Jesus wouldnt do that.... so what did he mean in this verse?
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Jun 10th 2011, 10:49 PM
#2
nzyr
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Re: What did Jesus meanin John 14:3?
Well I believe his disciples are with him in heavenright now. (Philippians
1:21-23)Remember Jesus didn't know himself when he would return. (Mark
13:32)Maybe Jesus takes everyChristian when they die to heaven. And
maybe some like Enoch and Elijah go without dying. So I believe he is talking
about the rapture or the secondcoming. Or maybe when a Christian's life
here is over.
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Jun 11th 2011, 02:45 PM
#3
RockSolid
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Originally Postedby Heeves23
You will probably hear 5-10 different futurist interpretations for these verses.
So if you want to stayfuturist, you cannever be sure if your interpretations of
these verses are correct, you just have to pick one and go with it.
As a preterist, it means just what it says. Jesus came againwithin their
lifetime. No need to change the meaning.

Matt 16:27 For the Sonof Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of
his Father, and then he will repay eachpersonaccording to what he has done.
28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death
until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.
According to this verse, Jesus came with His angels in the glory of His Father
and repayed eachpersonaccording to what he has done before some standing
there tasted death.
Matt 10:23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I
say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israelbefore the
Son of Man comes.
According to this verse, He came before the apostles had gone through all the
towns of Israel.
Jesus predicted a first century return, the apostles taught a first century
return, therefore Jesus returned in the first century.
For some reason, futurists rejectthat this happened in the first century and
come up with all kinds of fanciful interpretations for these verses.
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Jun 11th 2011, 03:33 PM
#4
quiet dove
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Just because it might not have been fulfilled yet, we need not worry that it will
be, regardless ofthe correctunderstanding, it will be fulfilled according to the
purpose of God. Then we will all look back and OOOOOOhhhhhhhhh, thats
what He meant we He said that. A lot do apply it to the rapture, and while I
am pre trib, I am not sure about this verse really.

The rapture relation, and this is just a guess as I have not actually studied it in
regards to this verse so much, but according to Jewishtradition, after an
agreementwas reachedregarding a bride, the price was paid, and the groom
would go back to his fathers house and prepare a place for himself and his
bride to be. Then the groom would return for the bride and take her to his
fathers house, where they were then married.
If this is the case,there is strong support for the rapture in that the price has
been paid for the bride, and now the groom is at His Fathers house preparing
a place for her and will return for her at some point.
But at any rate, regardless ofthe correctunderstanding, we can rest confident
that the promise will be kept.
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Jun 11th 2011, 03:38 PM
#5
Uncle Bud
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Originally Postedby RockSolid
You will probably hear 5-10 different futurist interpretations for these verses.
So if you want to stayfuturist, you cannever be sure if your interpretations of
these verses are correct, you just have to pick one and go with it.
As a preterist, it means just what it says. Jesus came againwithin their
lifetime. No need to change the meaning.
Matt 16:27 For the Sonof Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of
his Father, and then he will repay eachpersonaccording to what he has done.
28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death
until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.
According to this verse, Jesus came with His angels in the glory of His Father
and repayed eachpersonaccording to what he has done before some standing
there tasted death.
Matt 10:23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I
say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israelbefore the
Son of Man comes.

According to this verse, He came before the apostles had gone through all the
towns of Israel.
Jesus predicted a first century return, the apostles taught a first century
return, therefore Jesus returned in the first century.
For some reason, futurists rejectthat this happened in the first century and
come up with all kinds of fanciful interpretations for these verses.
So now we have no Heaven to look forward to? I'm a partial preterist, but I
think the verse refers to death or the SecondComing (future).
"What then? ſhal we ſinne, becauſe we are not vnder the Law, but vnder
grace? Godforbid."
Romaines vi.15 - 1560 Geneva Bible
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Jun 11th 2011, 03:51 PM
#6
Beckrl
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Here's a excerptfrom a thread of mine in this I gave some reasons and verses
in support of Jesus indicating his death and comng unto his desciples again.
That thread canbe founded here.
Well, lets examine that passagefrom Acts 1:11 of which stated'shall so come
in like manner'.
11 who also said, “Menof Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?
This same Jesus, who was takenup from you into heaven, will so come in like
manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Strong's G5158 - tropos τρόπος (like manner) Strong's G3739 - hos ὅς (as)
Now one cantakes this literally or figuratively, and one example would be
that it is as figurative canbe found in the use that Jesus referred to himself as
a hen that would gather her chickens under her wings.
Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and
stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children
together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not
willing!

But more than this Jesus spokeofleaving to allow the Holy Spirit to come. It
is in this 'manner' that I believe the ones speaking to the Disciples were using.
John 16:7 “NeverthelessI tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go
away:for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I
depart, I will send him unto you.”
John 16:16, 18-20 “A little while, and you will not see Me; and againa little
while, and you will see Me, because I go to My Father.
18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see
Me. Because Ilive, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in
My Father, and you in Me, and I in you
Looking closelyat the above verses it becomes clearthat Jesus is speaking of
going awayand coming back in the same context as sending the Holy Spirit.
He says He is going awayso that He can send the Holy Spirit, then He says He
is coming back to them and that He and the Fatherwill make their home with
them. So from that context it appears that the particular “coming” that Jesus
is talking about to the Disciples is the “coming” of the Holy Spirit.
And if one wantedto view the manner in which Jesus was takenthat of a
cloud it could also be said of the coming of the Holy Spirit coming as a mighty
wind.

Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing
mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting
So his abode [home/place/room]is with the heart of man. That God may dwell
with man. As indicated by John 14:3 that 'we'shall come and make our
home/place/roomwith him. Abode or Dwelling place of the heart of man.
Strong's G3438 - monē Yet the only way to redeem us back to God was for the
Messiah[anointedone] to come and take on our sins. Therefore Jesus saidno
one comes to the Fatherbut by him. In the given of the Holy Spirit 'we' shall
abode with man.So the place/roomthat Jesus was to go and prepare was
through his going to the cross andpreparing our hearts so that 'we' can come
and abode with man with the given of the Holy Spirit.
John 14:23Jesusansweredand said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep
my words:and my Fatherwill love him, and we will come unto him, and make
our abode with him
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Jun 11th 2011, 04:35 PM
#7
Ta-An
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Think Jewishcustom
Parable of the wise/un-wise virgins and their lamp-oil.... the Bridegroom
(Jesus)goes to prepare a place for his (His) Bride (Those who belong to Him).
The Fatherwill decide when the place is ready, and then the Groom will come
and fetch the Bride..... as is described in 1 Thess 4 and Rev1.....
Here are two excellent sites to read about that.... This one is written by a
Monk, but I think he understands and This one on JewishMarriage Customs
Enjoy the read
The LORD is my Miracle
G_d was gracious He has shownfavor
Hope is a seed
God plants in our hearts

to remind us
there are better things ahead.
-Holley Gerth
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Jul 18th 2011, 09:54 AM
#8
jhardy35862
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God has purposed that a limited number of faithful followers ofChrist,
totaling only 144,000,will be resurrectedto heavenly life as spirit sons of God.
(Revelation14:1,*3)These form a heavenly government with Christ for the
blessing of mankind on earth.
The first ones to learn about this were Jesus’faithful apostles, to whom he
said: “In the house of my Father there are many abodes. Otherwise, I would
have told you, because I am going my way to prepare a place for you. Also, if I
go my way and prepare a place for you, I am coming againand will receive

you home to myself, that where I am you also may be.” (John 14:2,*3)Those
apostles and other early Christians died and had to wait unconscious in death
until Jesus’coming to reward them with a heavenly resurrection. Thatis why
we read that the first Christian martyr, Stephen, “fell asleepin death.”—Acts
7:60; 1*Thessalonians 4:13
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Jul 18th 2011, 09:52 PM
#9
nzyr
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Originally Postedby jhardy35862
Sleepis sort of a poeticalway of saying death. And maybe more so for
Christians. When people are sleeping they're also resting. I believe this sleep
only refers to their bodies. BecausePaulsaid he would go to be with Jesus
upon his death. (Philippians 1:23)
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Jul 19th 2011, 03:14 AM
#10
DDGresham1
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Let's assume that the 144, 000 is an actualnumber and not just meant to
mean "a lot." Those that are written in the book of life will be with Christ on
earth:
Revelation20
The ThousandYears
1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the keyto the Abyss
and holding in his hand a greatchain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient
serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He

threw him into the Abyss, and lockedand sealed it over him, to keephim from
deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After
that, he must be set free for a short time.
4 I saw thrones on which were seatedthose who had been given authority to
judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because oftheir
testimony about Jesus and because ofthe word of God. They[a] had not
worshiped the beastor its image and had not receivedits mark on their
foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a
thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand
years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessedandholy are those
who share in the first resurrection. The seconddeath has no power over them,
but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a
thousand years.
The Judgment of Satan
7 When the thousand years are over, Satanwill be releasedfrom his prison 8
and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog
and Magog—andto gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand
on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and
surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down
from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceivedthem, was
thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beastand the false prophet
had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
The Judgment of the Dead
11 Then I saw a greatwhite throne and him who was seatedonit. The earth
and the heavens fled from his presence, andthere was no place for them. 12
And I saw the dead, greatand small, standing before the throne, and books
were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead
were judged according to what they had done as recordedin the books. 13
The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the
dead that were in them, and eachpersonwas judged according to what they

had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The
lake of fire is the seconddeath. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written
in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
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Jul 29th 2011, 11:52 AM
#11
MichaelSnow
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totaling only 144,000,will be resurrected...

144,000 is not a literal number but a number of completion, rootedin the
twelve tribes of Israel. [12 times 12 is 144 for the math challenged, times 1000]
Anyone who has no graspof the symbolic use of numbers in Revelationwill
not getvery far in understanding it.
...now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,... and try to discern
what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works ofdarkness,
but insteadexpose them.
Ephesians 5
WELCOME to my homepage http://mikesnow.org/
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Jul 29th 2011, 06:48 PM
#12
David Taylor
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This verse has nothing to do with any endtime rapture doctrine.
This verse is simply comforting believers in telling them that Jesus is about to
leave the Earth and return to Heaven; but that He will not be leaving His
believers alone; in the harsh world, without hope and whithout help.
Paul later told us that to be absentfrom the body, is to be present with the
Lord.
Stephen told us that just as he was about to die from being stoned, he saw
Jesus in heaven, calling his spirit home.

We know Jesus will never leave or forsake us....notevenin death.
That is the hope of John 14....Jesus is going away, but we will never be alone;
He is preparing a home in heavenfor us that is unbelievable. As Paul longed
to die and depart and be with Christ, when we die likewise, we willreturn to
Jesus like Stephen did, and be with Him forevermore!
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Jul 31st2011,12:20 AM
#13
Adrianne
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...some think Jesus is talking about returning through the holy spirit at
pentecost, and some think he is talking about him returning to his disciples
after he was resurrectedwhen he appearedto all of them and some think he
was referring to him returning for the church at the rapture. Mostpeople
think he is referring to the rapture in this verse, but if he is, then why does he
tell the disciples that he will come back since the rapture obviously didn't
happen in there lifetime?
According to Genesis 1:1, the Holy Spirit was already presentfrom the
beginning.
Even though He was here, the Holy Spirit did not function as our comforter
until
after the resurrection.
When the rapture takes place, the dead in Christ will rise first to meet Him in
the air (I Thess 4:16-17). When Jesus returns to earth, He is coming back for
both dead and living believers.
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Jul 31st2011,04:04 AM
#14
Rufus
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Originally Postedby Gilligan
So now we have no Heaven to look forward to? I'm a partial preterist, but I
think the verse refers to death or the SecondComing (future).
Hey, Gilligan, I was beginning to think there weren't any partial preterists out
there. But even so, you guys must be as rare as a hen's tooth.
Question:Good PP sites are also very difficult to find. Can you recommend
any?
Many moons ago, I started out as a Dispenbut shortly after I was savedI
came to see that there were far too many problems with the system. So, then I
subscribed to Amillennialism. But this system, too, has problems, most
especiallywith Matthew 24 and the parallel passages in Mark and Luke, as
well. I can definitely see two comings in Matthew 24, which would certainly
reconcile the incongruities that exist with the 8 signs Jesus gave to the apostles
pertaining to the destruction of Jerusalemand the temple -- very specific
things they were to look for on the one hand, yet from v.36ff, he tells them that
no man would know the day or hour of his return and that mankind would be
spiritually complacentas they were in the days of Noah. This has long stymied
me and has left me scratching my head because I'm thinking: How in the
world would the believing Jews be complacentwhen they hear about or see

the armies of Rome marching on the city and they witness the very specific
signs Jesus gave unfolding before their eyes?
And of course, I have long wondered about the fanciful interpretations that
both Dispens and Amils have given for the phrase "this generation" in
Matthew 24. All of a sudden, we can't take this phrase at face value and
understand it as we normally would in numerous other passagesin the gospel
accounts. But I digress. I just wantedto tell you why I'm seeking
recommendations. I'm very interested in studying the PP system out in detail.
Thanks in advance,
Rufus
https://bibleforums.org/showthread.php/227697-What-did-Jesus-mean-in-
John-14-3
I Go to Prepare a Place forYou - John 14:1-3
JOHN 14:1-3
Jesus’Parting Words to His Disciples
"Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me.
There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would
have told you. I am going awayto make ready a place for you. And if I go and
make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so
that where I am you may be too.
The three verses we have now read are rich in precious truth. For eighteen
centuries they have been peculiarly dear to Christ's believing servants in

every part of the world. Many are the sick rooms which they have lightened!
Many are the dying hearts which they have cheered!Let us see whatthey
contain.
We have, first, in this passagea precious remedy againstan old disease. That
disease is trouble of heart. That remedy is faith.
Heart-trouble is the commonestthing in the world. No rank, or class, or
condition is exempt from it. No bars, or bolts, or locks cankeepit out. Partly
from inward causes andpartly from outward causes--partlyfrom the body
and partly from the mind--partly from what we love and partly from what we
fear, the journey of life is full of trouble. Even the best of Christians have
many bitter cups to drink betweengrace and glory. Even the holiestsaints
find the world a valley of tears.
Faith in the Lord Jesus is the only sure medicine for troubled hearts. To
believe more thoroughly, trust more entirely, rest more unreservedly, lay hold
more firmly, lean back more completely--this is the prescription which our
Masterurges on the attention of all His disciples. No doubt the members of
that little band which sat round the table at the lastsupper, had believed
already. They had proved the reality of their faith by giving up everything for
Christ's sake. Yetwhat does their Lord say to them here? Once more He
presses onthem the old lesson, the lessonwith which they first began--
"Believe!Believe more! Believe on Me!" (Isaiah. 26:3.)
Neverlet us forgetthat there are degrees in faith, and that there is a wide
difference betweenweak andstrong believers. The weakestfaith is enough to
give a man a saving interest in Christ, and ought not to be despised, but it will
not give a man such inward comfort as a strong faith. Vagueness anddimness
of perception are the defectof weak believers. Theydo not see clearlywhat
they believe and why they believe. In such casesmore faith is the one thing
needed. Like Peter on the water, they need to look more steadily at Jesus, and
less at the waves and wind. Is it not written, "You will keephim in perfect
peace whose mind is stayed on You"? (Isaiah. 26:3.)
We have, secondly, in this passagea very comfortable accountof heaven, or
the future abode of saints. It is but little that we understand about heaven

while we are here in the body, and that little is generally taught us in the Bible
by negatives much more than positives. But here, at any rate, there are some
plain things.
Heaven is "a Father's house,"--the house of that God of whom Jesus says, "I
go to my Father, and your Father." It is, in a word, HOME--the home of
Christ and Christians. This is a sweetand touching expression. Home, as we
all know, is the place where we are generallyloved for our own sakes,and not
for our gifts or possessions;the place where we are loved to the end, never
forgotten, and always welcome.This is one idea of heaven. Believers are in a
strange land, and at school, in this life. In the life to come they will be at home.
Heaven is a place of "MANSIONS"--oflasting, permanent, and eternal
dwellings. Here in the body we are in temporary lodgings, tents, and
tabernacles, andmust submit to many changes. In heavenwe shall be settled
at last, and go out no more. "Here we have no continuing city." (Heb. 13:14.)
Our house not made with hands shall never be takendown.
Heaven is a place of "MANY mansions." There will be room for all believers
and room for all sorts, for little saints as well as greatones, for the weakest
believer as well as for the strongest. The feeblestchild of God need not fear
there will be no place for him. None will be shut out but impenitent sinners
and obstinate unbelievers.
Heaven is a place where CHRIST HIMSELF SHALL BE PRESENT. He will
not be content to dwell without His people--"Where I am, there you shall be
also." We neednot think that we shall be alone and neglected. Our Savior--
our elder Brother--our Redeemer, who loved us and gave Himself for us, shall
be in the midst of us forever. What we shall see, and whom we shall see in
heaven, we cannotfully conceive yet, while we are in the body. But one thing
is certain--we shall see Christ.
Let these things sink down into our minds. To the worldly and carelessthey
may seemnothing at all. To all who feel in themselves the working of the
Spirit of Godthey are full of unspeakable comfort. If we hope to be in heaven
it is pleasantto know what heaven is like.

We have, lastly, in this passagea solid ground for expecting goodthings to
come.The evil heart of unbelief within us is apt to rob us of our comfort about
heaven. "We wish we could think it was all true." "We fear we shall never be
admitted into heaven." Let us hear what Jesus says to encourage us.
One cheering word is this--"I go to PREPARE a place for you." Heaven is a
prepared place for a prepared people--a place which we shall find Christ
Himself has made ready for true Christians. He has prepared it by procuring
a right for every sinner who believes to enter in. None canstop us, and saywe
have no business there. He has prepared it by going before us as our Head and
Representative, andtaking possessionofit for all the members of His mystical
body. As our Forerunner He has marched in, leading captivity captive, and
has planted His banner in the land of glory. He has prepared it by carrying
our names with Him as our High Priestinto the holy of holies, and making
angels ready to receive us. Those who enter heaven will find they are neither
unknown nor unexpected.
Another cheering word is this--"I will come againand receive you unto
myself." Christ will not wait for believers to come up to Him, but will come
down to them, to raise them from their graves and escortthem to their
heavenly home. As Josephcame to meet Jacob, so will Jesus come to call His
people togetherand guide them to their inheritance. The secondadvent ought
never to be forgotten. Greatis the blessednessoflooking back to Christ
coming the first time to suffer for us, but no less greatis the comfort of
looking forward to Christ coming the secondtime, to raise and reward His
saints.
Let us leave the whole passagewith solemnized feelings and serious self-
examination. How much they miss who live in a dying world and yet know
nothing of God as their Father and Christ as their Savior!How much they
possesswho live the life of faith in the Son of God, and believe in Jesus!With
all their weaknesses andcrossesthey have that which the world can neither
give nor take away. Theyhave a true Friend while they live, and a true home
when they die.
TechnicalNotes:

1. Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2. In
my father’s house are many mansions;if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you. 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come againand receive you to myself; that where I am, there ye may be
also.
1.--[Let not...troubled.] We must carefully remember that there is no break
betweenthe end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th chapters. Our Lord is
continuing the discourse He began after the Lord’s Supper and the departure
of Judas, in the presence ofthe elevenfaithful disciples. A slight pause there
certainly seems to be, since He turns from Peter(to whom He had been
speaking individually) to the whole body of the Apostles and addressesthem
collectively. But the place, the time, and the audience are all one.
Our Lord’s great objectthroughout this and the two following chapters seems
clearand plain. He desired to comfort, establish, and build up His downcast
disciples. He saw their “hearts were troubled” from a variety of causes—
partly by seeing their Master“troubled in Spirit” (13:21), partly by hearing
that one of them should betray Him, partly by the mysterious departure of
Judas, partly by their Master’s announcementthat He should only be a little
time longerwith them and that at last they could not come with Him, and
partly by the warning addressedto Peterthat he would deny His Masterthree
times. For all these reasons this little company of weak believers was
disquieted and castdown and anxious. Their gracious Mastersaw it and
proceededto give them encouragement:“Let not your heart be troubled.” It
will be noted that He uses the singular number “your heart,” not “your
hearts.” He means “the heart of any one of you.” Hengstenberg gives the
following list of the grounds of comfort which the chapter contains, in
systematic order, which well deserves attention.
(a) The first encouragementis: to the disciples of Christ heaven is sure (v.2,3).

(b) The secondencouragementis:disciples in Christ have a certain way to
heaven (v.4-11).
(c) The third encouragementis: disciples need not fearthat with the
departure of Christ His work will cease(v.12-14).
(d) The fourth encouragementis:in the absence ofChrist disciples will have
the help of the Spirit (v.15-17).
(e) The fifth encouragementis: Christ will not leave His people forever, but
will come back again(v.18-24).
(f) The sixth encouragementis: the Spirit will teachthe disciples and supply
their lack of understanding when left alone (v.25,26).
(g) Finally, the seventh encouragementis: the legacyof peace will be left to
cheerthem in their Master’s absence(v.27). These sevenpoints are well
worthy the attention of all believers in every age and are as useful now as
when first pressedon the eleven.
Lightfoot thinks one principal cause ofthe disciples’trouble was their
disappointment at seeing their Jewishexpectations ofa temporal kingdom
under a temporal Messiahfailing and coming to an end.
[Ye believe in God, believe also in me.] The Gospelwords rendered “Ye
believe” and “believe” in this place admit of being differently translated, and
it is impossible to say certainly whether our English versionis right. Some, as
Luther, think both words should be indicative: “ye believe and ye believe.”
Some think both should be imperative: “believe and believe.” My own opinion
is decided that the English version is right. It seems to me to express exactly
the state of mind in which the disciples were. They did, as pious Jews, believe
in God already. They needed, as young Christians, to be taught to believe
more thoroughly in Christ. Among those who think that both verbs are
imperative are Cyril, Augustine, Lampe, Stier, Hengstenberg, and Alford.
Among those who adhere to our English version and make the first “believe”
indicative and the secondimperative, are Erasmus, Beza, Grotius, and

Olshausen. Let us note that faith, and speciallymore strong and distinct faith
in Christ, is the truest remedy for trouble of heart. But we must never forget
that true faith admits of growthand degrees. There is a wide gulf between
little and greatfaith.
Ferus remarks that our Lord does not say“Believe my divinity,” but “Believe
personally in Me.” Toletus observes thatour Lord here teaches that Jewish
faith was somewhat distinct from Christian faith. The Jew, not seeing clearly
the Trinity, dwelt chiefly on the unity of God. The Christian was intended to
see three Persons in the Godhead.
Wordsworthremarks that the verb “to believe” followedby a preposition and
an accusative, is never applied to any but Godin the New Testament.
2.--[In my Father’s house.]This phrase can bear only one meaning. It is my
Father’s house in Heaven—anexpressionaccomodatedto our weakness. God
needs no literal house with walls and roof, as we do. But where He dwells is
calledHis house. (See Deut. 26:15, Ps. 33:14, 2 Chr. 38:27, 2 Cor. 5:1.) There
is something very touching and comforting in the thought that the heavenwe
go to is “our Father’s house.” It is home.
[Are many mansions.] The word rendered “mansions” means literally
“abiding-places.” Itis only used here, and in the 23rd verse of this chapter,
“abode.” We neednot doubt that there is an intentional contrastbetweenthe
unchanging, unvarying house in heaven and the changing, uncertain dwellings
of this world. Here we are ever moving; there we shall no more go out. (See
also Heb. 13:14.)
Our Lord’s intention seems to be to comfort His disciples by the thought that
nothing could castthem out of the heavenly house. They might be left alone by
Him on earth; they might be even castout of the JewishChurch and find no
resting place or refuge on earth. But there would be always roomenough for

them in heaven and a house from which they would never be expelled. “Fear
not. There is room enough in heaven.” Chrysostom, Augustine, and several
other ancient writers think the “many mansions” mean the degrees ofglory.
But the argument in favor of the idea does not appear to me satisfactory.
Bishop Bull, Wordsworth, and some few modern writers take the same view.
That there are degrees ofglory in heaven is undoubtedly true, but I do not
think it is the truth of this text.
The modern idea that our Lord meant that heavenwas a place for all sorts of
creeds and religions seems utterly unwarranted by the text. From the whole
context He is evidently speaking forthe specialcomfort of Christians.
Lightfoot’s idea, that our Lord meant to teachthe passing away of the Jewish
economyand the admissionof all nations into heaven by faith in Christ, seems
fanciful.
[If it were not so...you.]This is a gracious wayof assuring the disciples that
they might have confidence that what their Lord said was true. It is the tender
manner of a parent speaking to a child. “Do not be afraid because I am
leaving you. There is plenty of room for you in heaven. You will get there safe
at last. If there was the leastuncertainty about it, I would tell you.” We may
remember that our Lord called the Apostles “little children” only a few
minutes before (John 13:33).
[I go to prepare a place for you.] This sentence is meant to be another ground
of comfort. One of the reasons why our Lord went away, He says, was to get
ready a dwelling place for His disciples. It is like the expressionin Hebrews,
“the forerunner.” (Heb. 6:20; see also Num. 10:33.)The manner in which
Christ prepares a place for His people is mysterious and yet not inexplicable.
He enters heaven as their High Priest, presenting the merit of his sacrifice for

their sins. He removes all barriers that sin made betweenthem and God. He
appears as their proxy and representative and claims a right of entry for all
His believing members. He intercedes continually for them at God’s right
hand and makes them always acceptable in Himself, though unworthy in
themselves. He bears their names mystically, as the High Priest, on His breast
and introduces them to the court of heaven before they getthere. That heaven
is a prepared place for a prepared people is a very cheering and animating
thought. When we arrive there we shall not be in a strange land. We shall find
we have been known and thought of before we got there.
3.--[And if I go...receive you to myself.] These words contain another strong
consolation. OurLord tells the disciples that if He does go away, they must
not think it is forever. He means to come againand take them all home and
gather them round Him in one united family, to part no more. Poole
remarks:“The particle ‘if’ in this place denotes no uncertainty of the thing
but has the force of ‘although’ or ‘after that.’” (See also Col. 3:1.)
Many think, as Stier, that the “coming again” here spokenof means Christ’s
coming to His disciples after His resurrection, or Christ’s coming spiritually
to His people in comfort and help even now, or Christ’s coming to remove
them at last by death. I cannot think so. I believe that, as a rule, when Christ
speaks ofcoming againboth here and elsewhere, He means His own personal
secondadvent at the end of the dispensation. The Greek word rendered “I will
come” is in the present tense and the same that is used in Rev. 22:20: “I come
quickly.” The first and secondadvents are the two greatevents to which the
minds of all Christians should be directed. This is Cyril’s view of the passage
and BishopHall’s. [That where I am, there ye may be also.]Here is one more
comfort. The final end of Christ’s going awayand coming again is that at last
His disciples may be once more with Him and enjoy His company forever.
“We part; but we shall meet again and part no more.” Let us note that one of
the simplest, plainest ideas of heavenis here. It is being “everwith the Lord.”

Whateverelse we see ordo not see in heaven, we shall see Christ. Whatever
kind of a place, it is a place where Christ is. (Phil. 1:23, 1 Thess. 4:17.)
From Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (eBook)by J. C. Ryle
John 14
2 In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told
you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence,
so that you also may be where I am.
What is Jesus doing in heaven to prepare a place for us?
As always, please provide scripture you believe to support your answer(s)
wheneverpossible.
God Bless all.
Dec 19, 2018
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Dec 19, 2018
#2
SecondComing
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What about the word “prepare” don’t you understand?
Jesus is getting heaven ready for us, that is all we know. The scriptures don’t
describe how.
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Dec 19, 2018
Dec 19, 2018
#3
eleos1954
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SecondComing said: ↑
What about the word “prepare” don’t you understand?
Jesus is getting heaven ready for us, that is all we know. The scriptures don’t
describe how.
"What about the word “prepare” don’t you understand?" Uncalled for
statement- contemptuous at best
The scriptures don’t describe how. ok
Last edited: Dec 19, 2018
Dec 19, 2018
Dec 21, 2018
#4
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2Co 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal
in the heavens.
2Co 5:2 For in this we groan, earnestlydesiring to be clothed upon with our
house which is from heaven:
2Co 5:3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
2Co 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for
that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be
swallowedup of life.
Here our human body is likenedto a "house" and our spiritual body of the
resurrectionas a "building of God" which originates from heaven.

1Pe 1:3 Blessedbe the God and Fatherof our Lord Jesus Christ, which
according to his abundant mercy hath begottenus againunto a lively hope by
the resurrectionof Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not
away, reservedin heaven for you,
Again, something awaits us in heaven. Is it not the new glorified body given in
a heavenly resurrection?
If scripture interprets scripture then I submit:
Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions:if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Though Jesus was a carpenter's son, I do not believe he is literally speaking of
building a house in heavenfor us but this being a reference to what 2
Corinthians 5:1 touches upon, a new body.
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Dec 30, 2018
#5
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For me its like the old Jewishwedding. Well they father son would pay a price
for her. He would then go back to his fathers house to make them a place to
live. She stayed behind to getready and also had no clue when he was coming
back for her. Then about a year later he would come back with some friends

mostly at night and when he got close wouldmake some loud noise so she
knew he was coming..
He then takes her back to his fathers house for about a week. Now notin the
word but.. what are the oods. Not sure what your asking.. wellI go to prepare
a place for you so where I am you will be also.. very clear to me.. He is making
me a place to live. And when we read out BRIDE and things like this.. then I
find this old jewish wedding..
For me.. I am not looking for some mansion.. never have.. I dont care.. not
why I am in this.. I will take what ever He gives but.. I was once lost.. not
found.. holy JESUS...this giftalone.. is more then I would have hoped
dreamed of. Every moment I am given a new breath.. WOW....to finally see
Him.. as He is.. to have him hold you and never let go.. never..NEVER!At His
feet.. I can ask for nothing more.. yet.. He made ALL for us and its ALL ours..
WOW
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Blade said: ↑
He is making me a place to live.
And we shall LIVE in an eternal body
We don't live in heavenfor eternity but on the Earth and the Father and Son
will live there with us so it is something in heaven he is preparing but it
doesn't remain in heaven.

Dec 30, 2018
Jan 5, 2019
#7
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Yes, but only for those with a heavenly calling. The earth will remain forever
and the resurrectedand those that survive the foretold tribulation-deemed

righteous-will remain on earth. Psalms 115:16;Isaiah 45:18;Proverbs 2:21,
22; 10:30;John 10:16; Revelation7:13-17
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In John 13 and 14, Christ is talking to the 12 only and, therefore, everything
He said applied only to the 12. It is absurd to think otherwise. Christ is talking
about the New Jerusalem, which comes downout of the New Heavens and
attaches to the New Earth. The NJ is not Heaven. It will be the abode of the 12
and the other Israelelite. The only Gentiles in the NJ will be those from the
Acts church, all of which were part of Israel, since they were all grafted into

Israel. The NJ even has a gate for eachtribe to go in and out of. There are no
Gentile gates.
A main reasonthere are 40,000denominations (supposedly) in the world is
because we are falselytaught in the denominational churches that everything
given in the Bible is ours to claim, whether it was given to us or not. So,
therefore, there are 1000softhings to pick and choosefrom that were never
given to you. Some were given only to Israel and some were only given to
Gentiles in Acts. Since they were never given to you, you'll never getthem
anyway. Different churches pick and choose a different assortmentof these
things they'll never get. Thus, there are 40,000denominations, every one of
which is wrong.
Miles Coverdale's (1488-1569)famous quote is still one of the best guides for
the interpretation of scripture.
“It shall greatlyhelp ye to understand the Scriptures if thou mark not only
what is spokenor written, but of whom and to whom, with what words, at
what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what
goethbefore and what followethafter (context). ”
All of these will help determine whether, or not, the passageis TO or ABOUT
you.
Last edited: Jan18, 2019
Jan 16, 2019

Jan 16, 2019
#9
Soyeong
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eleos1954 said:↑
John 14

wheneverpossible.
God Bless all.
Click to expand...
In Jewishweddings, after the couple was betrothed, the man would return to
his father's house to prepare a place for his betrothed. In other words, he
would build an addition onto his father's house and only the father knew the
day or the hour when they were done and it was time for his son to return for
his bride.
Jan 16, 2019
Jan 16, 2019
#10
eleos1954
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Soyeong said: ↑
In Jewishweddings, after the couple was betrothed, the man would return to
his father's house to prepare a place for his betrothed. In other words, he
would build an addition onto his father's house and only the father knew the
day or the hour when they were done and it was time for his son to return for
his bride.
I'm thinking it is Him being our High Priestand interceding for us, getting
ready to receive us upon His return.
But you are correct, as Christ does liken himself as a husband to the church
(the saved), refers to her as the bride etc. so that analogyfits as well. Thanks
for the historicalinfo. interesting.
Hebrews 7

25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God
by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercessionfor them.
Jan 16, 2019
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#11
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eleos1954 said:↑
I'm thinking it is Him being our High Priest and interceding for us, getting

Hebrews 7
Click to expand...
I would recommend looking up some articles or videos about parallels
betweenJewishwedding customs and what is spokenabout in the Bible.
Jan 16, 2019
Jan 18, 2019
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eleos1954 said:↑
I'm thinking it is Him being our High Priestand interceding for us, getting
Hebrews 7
Click to expand...
Where does Christ refer to the church as the bride? It doesn't. The New
Jerusalem(its occupants)is referred to as the bride in Rev. The NJ will NOT
contain today's church. The Bride is all-Israel, except for those Gentiles on
Acts who were grafted into Israel. There's a gate for eachtribe to enter and
leave from and there are no Gentile gates.
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Jan 18, 2019
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eleos1954
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ac28 said:↑
Where does Christ refer to the church as the bride? It doesn't. The New
Jerusalem(its occupants)is referred to as the bride in Rev. The NJ will NOT
contain today's church. The Bride is all-Israel, except for those Gentiles on
Acts who were grafted into Israel. There's a gate for eachtribe to enter and
leave from and there are no Gentile gates.
The church are the calledout ones ... they are all the believers in Christ ... we
are all the same in Christ Jesus ... so all the believers are His Israel/His
church.
Galatians 3:28
28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male
and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
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eleos1954 said:↑
The church are the calledout ones ... they are all the believers in Christ ... we
are all the same in Christ Jesus ... so all the believers are His Israel/His
church.
Galatians 3:28
28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male
and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
That was true during Acts, when everyone, including the savedGentiles, who
were grafted into Israel, were part of Israel's program. In Acts of the Apostles
28:25-28, about64AD, Israelwas set aside by God, through the mouth of Paul
pronouncing the curse of Isa 6:9-10 for the 7th and last time, vs 25-27, and
passing the Salvation of God (Jesus Christ) to the Gentiles, Acts of the

Apostles 28:28. They have ceased to be a nation in God's eyes ever since. Also,
at that time, everything associatedwith Israelwas postponed - the Acts
church, the rapture, the secondComing, the Gifts, the Kingdom, the
tribulation, you name it. Israelwill most likely be back on the scene in about
2064 and prophecy will once more be fulfilled.
After Acts, Paul receiveda specialrevelationfrom Christ, Ephesians 3:3, to
setup a new, all-Gentile church, contained in a mystery which had been hid in
God since the word began, Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:26, and which can be
found ONLY in Paul's 7 post-Acts epistles. In those 7 books, no Jew is ever
addressedor is spokenof as being involved in the present Church. Everything
is addressedto Gentiles. Today's Gentile church are the only people in the
Bible to have a Hope of spending eternity in the Heavenly Places, Ephesians
2:6, Far above all Heavens, Ephesians 4:10, God's abode, where Christ sits at
the right hand of God, Ephesians 1:20. This Church is Christ's actualBody,
Ephesians 5:30, where Christ is the Head. Therefore, since we are THE Body
of Christ, and Christ is the bridegroom, is is impossible for us to be the Bride.
The JewishChurch in Acts, which WILL make up part of the Bride, is non-
existent today.
The body in 1Cor12 was a body of believers that made up the figure of a man
composedof the Gifts distribution. It was never called a church. The only
church during Acts was the Church of God, which doesn'tnow exist.
The Jews todayare treatedby God as Gentiles. To get saved, they must
believe in Christ as Savior. Just believing in Him as their Messiahwon'twork
at the present time.
In Acts it was a 100%Jewishprogram. After Acts it is a 100% Gentile
program. In both, the Gentiles and Jews in the church have an equality. But,

the 2 churches are totally different, with totally different Callings, Hopes, and
Futures.
Jan 18, 2019
Jan 18, 2019
#15
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ac28 said: ↑
Where does Christ refer to the church as the bride? It doesn't.
The church is the bride of Christ.
Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage
of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herselfready.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen,
cleanand white: for the fine linen is the righteousness ofsaints.
Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of
the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to
their own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and
gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctifyand cleanse it with the washing of waterby
the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might presentit to himself a glorious church, not having
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without
blemish.
Eph 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth
his wife loveth himself.

Eph 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and
cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be
joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32 This is a greatmystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the
church.
New Jerusalemis used as a metaphor for it's inhabitants. Christians are the
bride:
Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the
body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is
raisedfrom the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God
church.
Explicitly explained that the church is the bride Christ will marry.

2Co 11:2 ForI am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused
you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Spokento Christians, the church, being presentedas Virgins in a spiritual
sense...neverhaving been violated by another personnamely Satan.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from
God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev_17:18 And the woman which thou sawestis that greatcity, which
reigneth over the kings of the earth.
If a woman, Babylon also calleda city, can representa group of unsaved
people then certainly the bride of Christ can also representa group of saved
people and can be representedas a city, New Jersalemas well.
Jan 18, 2019
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#16
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ewq1938 said:↑
The church is the bride of Christ.
Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage
of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herselfready.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen,
cleanand white: for the fine linen is the righteousness ofsaints.
Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of
the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to
their own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and
gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctifyand cleanse it with the washing of waterby
the word,

Eph 5:27 That he might presentit to himself a glorious church, not having
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without
blemish.
Eph 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth
his wife loveth himself.
Eph 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and
cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
church.
New Jerusalemis used as a metaphor for it's inhabitants. Christians are the
bride:
Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the
body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is
raisedfrom the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God
church.

Explicitly explained that the church is the bride Christ will marry.
2Co 11:2 ForI am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused
you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Spokento Christians, the church, being presentedas Virgins in a spiritual
sense...neverhaving been violated by another personnamely Satan.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from
God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev_17:18 And the woman which thou sawestis that greatcity, which
reigneth over the kings of the earth.
If a woman, Babylon also calleda city, can representa group of unsaved
people then certainly the bride of Christ can also representa group of saved
people and can be representedas a city, New Jersalemas well.
Click to expand...
The Acts Church, which is now temporarily defunct, is part of the Bride.
Today's post-Acts church is NOT part of the Bride. It is not the Groom,
either, but since it is literally Christ's Body, it will be where Christ, the Head,
is.
In Ephesians, Paul is comparing Christ's love for the church with the waya
man should love his wife. Nothing is saidabout the church being the Bride of

Christ. It would be impossible anyway, since the Hope of the church in
Ephesians is NOT the New Jerusalem. Its Hope is to be resurrectedin
Heavenly Places, Ephesians2:6, Far Above All (starry) Heavens, Ephesians
4:10, where Christ sits at the right hand of God, Ephesians 1:20. This church
in Ephesians is made up of today's Gentiles plus Jews who believe in Christ as
their Savior, not just their Messiah.
I've never used the CEB Bible, but they sure nailed Eph 5:31-33 perfectly:
31 This is why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his
wife, and the two of them will be one body.
32 Marriage is a significant allegory, and I’m applying it to Christ and the
church.
33 In any case, as for you individually, eachone of you should love his wife as
himself, and wives should respecttheir husbands.
Rom and Cor were written to the Acts Church, only, which was composedof
Jews and Gentiles who were part of Israel, since they were grafted into Israel.
Those in this all-Israel Acts church, both Jews and Gentiles, had a Hope of the
New Jerusalemand will be part of the Bride. The only Gentiles in the New
Jerusalemwill be those grafted into Israel during Acts. Eachtribe has their
own gate in the NJ. There are no Gentile gates. The NJ isn't the same as the
uncreated Heavenly Places.The NJ comes out of the createdNew Heavens
and settles on the Earth, It certainly isn't Heavenly Places.
Jan 18, 2019

Jan 18, 2019
#17
ewq1938
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ac28 said: ↑
The Acts Church, which is now temporarily defunct, is part of the Bride.
Today's post-Acts church is NOT part of the Bride.

There's only one church and one body of Christ. It is composedof Jews and
Gentiles that acceptedChrist.
Jan 18, 2019
Jan 19, 2019
#18
ac28
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ewq1938 said:↑
There's only one church and one body of Christ. It is composedof Jews and
Gentiles that acceptedChrist.

That is true, but only about the Church which is the Body of Christ, where
Christ is the Head, found ONLY in Paul's post-Acts books. It has nothing to
do with the "body" in 1Cor12.
Jan 19, 2019
Jan 19, 2019
#19
ewq1938
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ac28 said: ↑
That is true, but only about the Church which is the Body of Christ, where
Christ is the Head, found ONLY in Paul's post-Acts books. It has nothing to
do with the "body" in 1Cor12.
No, it's the same body there or anywhere. The church in Acts is the same
church found in any Nt scripture. The idea that there are somehow two
different churches is false.
Jan 19, 2019
Jan 21, 2019
#20
StevenMerten
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eleos1954 said:↑
John 14
wheneverpossible.
God Bless all.
Click to expand...

Acts 26:17
I shall deliver you from this people and from the Gentiles to whom I send you,
to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the
powerof Satanto God
I agree with those who notice that Jesus is talking to His Church, the Twelve
Apostles, rather than to individual believers. I think Jesus is talking about His
SecondComing in John 14. In Jesus'prayer to The Father, in John 17, Jesus
asks His Father, for Him to be united with His Church on earth, and His
Church protectedfrom 'The evil one'. Jesus asksthat, "so that they may all be
one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us"
When God brought His Presence to reside with Israelin the desert, God
consideredthis His Marriage to Israel. In John 17, Jesus is asking for His
Church's hand in marriage, on earth. Jesus wants to bring His Presenceinto
His Church as the Father brought His Presenceinto a stone temple in
Jerusalem.
Jesus says, "Ido not ask that you take them out of the world but that you
keepthem from the evil one." In Jesus', 'The Lord's Prayer', we are praying
for Godto deliver us from the 'evil one'. If Jesus simply pulls His Church
from earth and puts them in heaven, then who is left on earth to build up
Jesus'Church with converts?
Upon the SecondComing of Jesus, Jesuswill Rule the world. With Jesus, a
descendantof king David, Ruling the world, Israel is Restored. Jesuswill Rule
with and through His Church. The New Jerusalem, in Revelation19, is the
Bride of the Lamb, Christ's Church on earth, with Jesus', as the Lamp, with
His Presence, having Come to reside within His Church (in a new and
spectacularway), to guide the nations of the earth, to God.

In John 14:2, Jesus is talking about bringing His Presence to earth, in the
SecondComing, so that His Church can be with Him. Ratherthan Jesus
taking His Faithful to heaven, to be in His Presence.In other words, Jesus is
talking about, 'The Wedding Day of the Lamb', which happens upon Jesus'
SecondComing. There are rooms for everyone who is prepared for the
Wedding Day of the Lamb, and they will live in Christ's Kingdom Come, on
earth.
Conceptquoted from:
Jesus is Getting Married
John 17 Prayer of Jesus.
When Jesus had said this, he raisedhis eyes to heaven and said, 'Father, the
hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just
as you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to all
you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true
God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by
accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with
you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began.
I revealedyour name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They
belongedto you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.
Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words
you gave to me I have given to them, and they acceptedthem and truly
understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sentme. I
pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me,
because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of

yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longerbe
in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you. Holy
Father, keepthem in your name that you have given me, so that they may be
one just as we are. When I was with them I protectedthem in your name that
you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lostexcept the son of
destruction, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am
coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy
completely. I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they
do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask
that you take them out of the world but that you keepthem from the evil one.
They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.
Consecratethem in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the
world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecratemyself for them, so that
they also may be consecratedin truth.
I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through
their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I
have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are
one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfectionas one,
that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as
you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they
also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because
you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world
also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I
made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with
which you loved me may be in them and I in them.
Revelation19:6
The Lord has establishedhis reign, (our) God, the almighty. Let us rejoice
and be glad and give him glory. For the wedding day of the Lamb has come,

his bride has made herselfready. She was allowedto weara bright, clean
linen garment.
Revelation21:9 The New Jerusalem.
"Come, I will show you the woman who is the bride of the Lamb." He carried
me awayin spirit to the top of a very high mountain and showedme the holy
city of Jerusalemcoming down out of heaven from God. It gleamedwith the
splendor of God.
https://www.christianforums.com/threads/john-14-2-3-jesus-preparing-a-
place.8094667/
What, exactly, are the mansions in John 14:1-3, which Christ is preparing for
His disciples?
Christ saidthe following in John 14:1-3:
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. In My
Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I
go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come againand receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be
also.”
First of all, please notice that after Jesus has prepared these “mansions,” He
will come againto the earth and receive His disciples to Himself so “that
where I am, there you may be also.” WhenChrist spoke these words, He was
here on earth. That is where His disciples “may be also”–hereonearth, not in
heaven.
The mansions which Christ was going to prepare are in no wayhomes which
Christians will occupy in heaven, after their death, as many denominations
and even some in the Church of God erroneouslyteach.

Rather, as we point out in this week’s Editorial, “Moving to a New Home,”
“we have long understood that these mansions or dwelling places represent
rulership positions of authority given to the saints here on earth, at Christ’s
return (compare Revelation5:10; 22:12;Luke 19:17, 19). In our booklet“Is
That in the Bible? – The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation!,” on pages
39/40, we state the following:‘The Greek word for “mansions” refers to
dwelling places. It literally means, “dwellings” (compare the margin of the
New King James Bible). The same word is used in John 14:23, where it is
translated as “home.” According to the NelsonStudy Bible, “Everybody has a
longing for a permanent, secure place. Suchplaces have already been setaside
for all of God’s children.”‘”
Why and how did the Church come to the understanding that the mansions in
John 14:1-3 are indeed “rulership” positions?
First, we are setting forth the following excerpts from an article by Herman L.
Hoeh, which was published in 1972 in “The GoodNews of Tomorrow’s
World.” The article was titled, “What Is The Place that Jesus Is Preparing?”
In the article, it was stated:
“In His Father’s house, Jesus saidplainly, there were many ‘mansions.’ If it
had not been true, He said, He would have told us. The Greek word ‘move’
translated ‘mansion’ means in more modern English, ‘a room, a place of
staying, an abode, a chamber.’ So in the Father’s house there are a number of
ROOMS OR CHAMBERS… When in the Temple, Jesus saidto the Jews who
were selling doves and cattle therein: ‘Make not my FATHER’S HOUSE an
house of merchandise’(John 2:16)… The TEMPLE at Jerusalemwas an
earthly type (Heb. 8:5) of the Father’s house in heaven. Luke 19:46 and Isaiah
56:7, also quote the Lord as saying of the TEMPLE. ‘MY HOUSE is a house
of prayer ….” So the Temple at Jerusalemin Christ’s day was a type of the
Father’s house in heaven…
“In turning to Jeremiah35:2, we read this: ‘Speak unto them, and bring them
into the house of the Lord, INTO ONE OF THE CHAMBERS.’In the fourth
verse of the same chapter, we notice that different chambers were for persons
of different rank. Hanan, a man of God, had his chamber or room ‘BY the

chamber of the princes … which was ABOVE the chamber of … the keeperof
the door.’
“The various chambers or ‘mansions’ correspondedto the ranks of the
persons residing in them. Eachroom of the Temple — a type of the Father’s
house — not only designatedthe RESIDENCE ofeachofficial, but also
indicated his POSITION OR OFFICE, whetherhe was a doorkeeperor
prince…
“Jesus said:‘I go to prepare a place for you.’ We learn from other scriptures
that Jesus did go to heaven, to the right hand of the Father, where He now
acts as our ‘High Priest’ (Heb. 9:11)… A part of the function of the office of
High Priestis the preparation of a place for eachof us as Jesus promised the
disciples…
“There are TWO TEXTS in the Bible which tell us what is being
PREPARED.
“The first is in Matthew 25:34. Here Christ said: ‘Come, ye blessedof my
Father, inherit the kingdom PREPAREDfor you from the foundation of the
world.’ The other text is in Rev 21:2, ‘And I John saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down from God OUT OF HEAVEN, PREPARED as a
bride adorned for her husband’… Since it is the Kingdom and the Holy City
that are finally PREPARED forus ALL, then what Jesus is preparing for
EACH of us must be individual positions IN THE KINGDOM AND IN THE
NEW CITY, JERUSALEM…
“The Temple had rooms which servedas offices for the various residents
holding different ranks. In the same way, eachof us will have his own
personalplace or office in the Holy City, in accordance withhow well we use
the talents God has given us in this life. The more we overcome in this life, the
more honorable will be our places in the New Jerusalemand the greaterwill
be our offices of responsibility in the Kingdom…
“Revelation21:2 plainly proves that the Holy City — the Father’s house or
home, SINCE HE WILL MAKE IT HIS PLACE OF FUTURE RESIDENCE

(Rev. 21:3 and 22:3) is one of the two things that Jesus is preparing now in
heaven…
“Jesus returned to heaven to receive the Kingdom (Luke 19:12). He must be
preparing it while acting in the office of High Priest. Since the Kingdom is
prepared for all of us to inherit, then the particular place Christ is preparing
for eachof us must be our own position or office in that Kingdom. PLACE
means POSITION, OFFICE,RANK, as wellas geographicallocation. Our
places or positions in the government of God will depend on the office we
hold. Christ has FIRST PLACE, as He is King of kings. We shall all have
secondaryPLACES, lesserpositions under Him.
“The Kingdom of God is the government of God, the members of which are to
be born of God. Being born of God makes the entire Kingdom, then, the
FAMILY of God… That is why Jesus used the ancient Temple as a physical
type of the spiritual FAMILY or KINGDOM OF GOD.
“Now it is becoming obvious why our places or positions in God’s government
had to be prepared in heaven by Jesus. We could not receive the Holy Spirit,
the only means by which we can enter the Kingdom, until Christ ascended
(John 16:7.) Christ prepares our places orpositions in the Kingdom by being
our High Priest, interceding for us and by giving us the Spirit of God. The
places or positions — the responsibilities of office — are being prepared by
training us to fill those offices. Jesus, as ourHigh Priest, has been calling,
justifying and perfecting eachof us for His Kingdom so that when the
Kingdom of God comes to this earth (Matt. 6:10), eachposition or place in it
will be fully prepared by having one of us fill that particular office… Jesus
will return from heaven in clouds. We are going to meet Him in the air (I
Thes. 4:15-17). At that time Jesus willgive us our places or positions in the
Kingdom, according to how well we have done with what we have been
given…
“Christians are not going to heaven after all. We are to be with Jesus here on
this earth — ‘that where I AM, THERE ye may be also.’We shall be ruling
with Christ on earth over the nations (Rev. 20:4). And after that, the New
Jerusalemcomes downout of heaven to the new earth. Even the Father

Himself will dwell among us here on the new earth where we shall live and
reign forever (Rev. 22:3-51.).”
Now notice VERY carefully:
The “mansions” orpositions of rulership which Christ is preparing in heaven
will be given to us when He returns to this earth as the King of kings and the
Lord of lords, in great powerand greatglory. It is THEN when He will give us
those positions! Even though the earthly Temple–the Father’s house–wasmost
certainly an earthly type of the Temple of God in heaven, Christ’s reference in
John 14:1-3 was not in any way LIMITED to the physical Temple on earth or
the Temple in heaven. Please notice too that when the heavenly Jerusalemwill
descendto this earth in the future, there will be NO Temple in it, “for the
Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Revelation21:22).
Therefore, the “Temple” or the “Father’s house,” whichJesus refers to in
John 14, must be viewedforemostin a spiritual way. As the Editorial in this
week’s Update points out, “We know from John 2:16 that the Father’s house
is the Temple of God, but in John 14, Jesus is referring to God’s spiritual
Temple–the Church of God (compare 1 Peter 2:5; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17;2
Corinthians 6:16).”
Christ mainly refers to the Church of God, when talking about the “Father’s
house.” Indeed, in the Church in which the Fatherand Jesus Christ “dwell”
(compare John 14:23), there are many mansions or “homes.” Goddwells in
eachand every one of His disciples. And eachdisciple will receive his or her
place in that Temple–the born-again Church of God–basedon how wellhe or
she performed in this life. As this week’s Editorialcontinued:
“This does not mean that we will go to heavenbefore or at the time of Christ’s
secondcoming; rather, we have long understood that these mansions or
dwelling places representrulership positions of authority given to the saints
here on earth, at Christ’s return (compare Revelation5:10; 22:12; Luke
19:17, 19).”
As Herman Hoeh’s above-quoted article pointed out, Christ will give us our
rulership positions when He returns. We will rule with Christ for one

thousand years, on this earth, not in heaven, and our authority will be
dependent on how well we have overcome–inthis life–our sinful nature, this
societyand Satan the devil. Today, we are part of the spiritual Temple of
God–the Church–but only as begottenmembers. We still can leave the
Father’s house–the Church–while in this flesh. We still can fall away, by
losing the Holy Spirit and committing the unpardonable sin (Hebrews 6:4-8).
When Christ returns, we will become Spirit-born members–members of the
very FAMILY OF GOD–andas such, we will be incapable of sinning, as GOD
cannot sin. God the Father and Jesus Christwill then for all eternity dwell “in
us,” and we in Them (compare John 17:21-23). Then, we can and will never
fall away;we will never leave God’s spiritual house–His spiritual Temple.
Rather, we read in Revelation3:12: “He who overcomes,I will make him a
pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more.”
The RevisedStandard version says:“… never shall he go out of it.” The
RevisedEnglish Bible says:“… they will remain there forever.” Moffat
writes: “As for the conqueror, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my
God (nevermore shall he leave it)…” Very interesting is the rendition of the
New JerusalemBible: “Anyone who proves victorious I will make INTO a
pillar in the sanctuary of my God, and it will staythere for ever…”
Since we will be in the new Jerusalemand since there will be “no temple in it,”
and since we will stay forever in God’s Temple, the reference in Revelation
3:12 must be understood foremostin a spiritual way: We will never leave the
Church of God–the spiritual Temple of God. Today, the Church is the
“Kingdom of God in embryo,” as Herbert Armstrong referred to it many
times. But when Christ returns, truly convertedbegotten Church members
will change to born-again Spirit beings, and as such, the Church of God will
BE a full part of THE KINGDOM OF GOD and the DIVINE FAMILY of
God. At that time, Christ will give us our place in the Kingdom of God–one of
the many mansions or offices whichHe is preparing for eachand every one of
us, individually, “to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation
22:12).
Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Sermon: John14:1-3: IGo To Prepare APlace ForYou
Old TestamentReading: Ezekiel37:15–28
“The wordof the Lord came to me: ‘Sonof man, take a stick andwrite onit,
‘ForJudah, and the people of Israelassociatedwithhim’; then take another
stick and write on it, ‘ForJoseph(the stick ofEphraim) andall the house of
Israelassociatedwithhim.’ And join them one to anotherinto one stick, that
they may become one inyour hand. And when your people sayto you, ‘Will
you not tell us whatyou mean by these?’sayto them, Thus says the Lord God:
Behold, Iam about to take the stick ofJoseph(thatis in the hand of Ephraim)
and the tribes ofIsraelassociatedwithhim. And I will join with it the stick of
Judah, and make them one stick, thatthey may be one in my hand. When the
sticks onwhichyou write are in your hand before their eyes, thensayto them,
Thus says the Lord God: Behold, Iwill take the people ofIsraelfrom the
nations among which they have gone, andwillgatherthem from all around,
and bring them to their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land,
on the mountains ofIsrael. And one king shallbe king overthem all, andthey
shallbe no longertwo nations, andno longerdivided into two kingdoms. They
shallnot defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things,
or with any of their transgressions. ButIwill save themfrom all the
backslidings inwhich they have sinned, and will cleanse them; andthey shallbe
my people, andI will be their God. Myservant Davidshall be king overthem,
and they shall all have one shepherd. Theyshallwalk in my rules and be
carefulto obeymy statutes. Theyshalldwellin the land that I gave to my
servantJacob, whereyourfathers lived. They and their children and their
children’s children shall dwellthere forever, andDavid my servantshallbe
their prince forever. Iwill make a covenantofpeace withthem. It shall be an
everlasting covenantwiththem. And I will setthem in their land and multiply
them, and will setmy sanctuaryin their midst forevermore. Mydwelling place

shallbe with them, and I will be their God, and they shallbe my people. Then
the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, whenmy
sanctuaryis in their midst forevermore.’”(Ezekiel37:15–28, ESV)
New TestamentReading: John14:1-3
“Letnot your hearts be troubled. Believe inGod; believe also inme. In my
Father’s house are many rooms. Ifit were not so, wouldIhave told you that I
go to prepare a place foryou? And if I go and prepare a place foryou, I will
come againandwill take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
(John14:1–3, ESV)
Introduction
Brothers and sisters, Iwantto beginto our considerationofthe text before us
by remembering things that happened long ago. Itwilleventually become clear
why it is that I am introducing this sermonin this way. We shouldbegin our
considerationofJohn14 by first ofall remembering that “In the beginning,
Godcreatedthe heavens and the earth”, thatis, allthings visible and invisible.
The scriptures tell us that “the earth was withoutform and void, and darkness
was overthe face ofthe deep. And the Spirit of Godwas hovering overthe face
of the waters.” (Genesis1:1–2, ESV) Ithink you would agree withme, this was
no place forman to dwell. This empty and chaotic darknesswas byno means
suitable for man. There was no place forhim in this dark and chaotic abyss.
And so Godbeganto bring the earth into shape. He began, bythe powerof his
word, to form and fashion the earthinto a realmsuitable for his creatures.
“Godsaid, ‘Letthere be light,’and there was light. And Godsaw thatthe light
was good. And Godseparatedthe light from the darkness.”(Genesis1:3–4,
ESV) He then divided the waters below fromthe waters above – the skyand
the sea were created. Andthen he separatedthe seasfromthe dry land, and the
dry land produced vegetation. These realms Godcreatedso thattheymight be
filled with their proper rulers.
And that is in factwhatGodproceededto do. Now thatthe earth was brought
into shape – now that suitable realms had beencreated– he proceededto fill
those realms with things that would governthem. The scriptures tell us that on

day four of creationGodcreatedthe sun, moon, andstars. Thesewereplaced
within their proper realm in orderto rule the day and the night. In like manner
God, onday five, createdthe flying creatures andthe sea creatures, andthey
were placedwithin the realms createdforthem onday two. Theywere to
multiply and fill the skyand the sea. And onday six we are told that God filled
the land, which was createdondaythree, with“the beasts ofthe earth
according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and
everything that creeps onthe ground according to its kind. And Godsaw thatit
was good.” (Genesis1:25, ESV)
The creationaccount ofGenesis 1 followsthis pattern: realms were created,
and then those realms were filled with creature kings. Aplace was made – light;
the skyand the sea; dryland – and then those places were filledwithGod’s
creatures who were giventhe task ofgoverning in one way oranother.
But you say, there is more to the creationstory! And you are right! In Genesis
1:26 we hearofthe pinnacle of God’s creation:
“ThenGodsaid, ‘Letus make man in our image, afterourlikeness. Andlet
them have dominion overthe fish of the sea andoverthe birds of the heavens
and overthe livestock andoverall the earth and overevery creeping thing that
creeps onthe earth.’So Godcreatedmanin his ownimage, inthe image of God
he createdhim; male and female he createdthem. And Godblessedthem. And
Godsaid to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and
have dominion overthe fish ofthe sea andoverthe birds of the heavens and
overevery living thing that moves on the earth.’And Godsaid, ‘Behold, Ihave
given you everyplant yielding seedthat is on the face ofallthe earth, and every
tree with seedin its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to everybeastof
the earthand to every bird of the heavens andto everything that creeps onthe
earth, everything that has the breath oflife, I have givenevery greenplant for
food.’And it was so. AndGodsaw everything that he had made, and behold, it
was verygood. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”
(Genesis 1:26–31, ESV)
Much canbe said aboutthe creationaccount ofGenesis 1, butwhat I wantyou
to see is thatat the heartof it is this idea: Godmade a place for man. He created

all things visible and invisible by the powerofhis Word. He then, by the power
of his Word, brought the earth out ofits formless, empty, anddark state. And
he did so until there was a place where mancould dwell.
Genesis 2 tells us the same storybut from a different vantage point. It zooms in
upon man. Man, we are toldwas createddirectlyby God. He was createdfrom
the dust of the ground. Godbreathed into him the breath oflife. And the
womanwas takenoutof man. After man was createdby Godhe “put the man
whom he had formed” into the gardenparadise that he had created(Genesis
2:8, ESV).
Church, there is a question that we must answerbefore we move on. And the
question is this: whatmade that gardenparadise, paradise? Have youever
consideredthat? We might be tempted to think that it was the climate, orthe
lushness ofthe place? Perhaps itwas the abundance offood? Ormaybe it was
the absence ofsicknessanddeath. Thesethings certainlycontributed to man’s
enjoyment of paradise, butmay I suggestto youthe thing that made paradise,
paradise, hadnothing to do with the physical creation, butrather had
everything to do with the factthat it was there that man walkedwithGod.
Eden – the original creation– was like a temple where manenjoyed unbroken,
unhindered, unmediated, fellowshipwith the Godwho made him. Adam and
Eve walkedwith God. He was theirGod, andthey his people. Godtabernacled
with man there in that place. Godis whatmade paradise, paradise.
Those ofyoufamiliar with the Bible are aware ofthe factthat Genesis 1and2
are followedquickly by Genesis 3 whichtells us ofman’s original sin, the fall.
The consequence ofthe sinof our first parents was that paradise was lost. The
wages ofsinis death. Sickness andsuffering became the norm. Manwas put
out of the gardenparadise, the wayto the tree oflife being blocked. Butmore
than all of this we should notice that man losthis place before God. No longer
would he walk withGod in an unbroken, unhindered, unmediated way. No, he
was now a sinner. He was a child of wrath. He stoodguiltily before God–
condemned.
But as you know, Godshowedmercyto fallen man. In anactof sheergrace he
promised to redeem. He promised to defeatthe evil one. He promised to send a

Savior. Godpromisedto make a way forfallen man to dwell with him. The
Bible, as complicatedas itmay seem, is reallyquite simple – itis the storyof
Godmaking and keeping his promise to save a people unto himself through
Jesus who is the Christ.
With that in mind let us now move from our considerationofthe creationand
fall forwardthrough the history ofredemption. Let us pass by Able and Seth,
Enochand Noah. Letus move pastAbraham, Isaac andJacob. Andpassing by
Moses andDavidletus now fix our attention upon Jesus, who is the Christ, the
Promisedone from long ago.
Picture him there in the upper room with his disciples. He hadwalkedwith
them for over three years. He taughtthem many things. He preformed miracles
before their eyes, andin the sightof others. Theybelievedthat he was the
Christ, the Saviorofthe world, and they expectedhim to remain forever. But
now he is talking aboutgoing away. InJohn13:33 wehearJesussay, “Little
children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, andjustas I said to
the Jews, so now Ialso sayto you, ‘Where Iam going you cannotcome.’” (John
13:33, ESV)
The disciples were troubled atthis word. Theywere greatlydistressed. They
were botheredat the thought oftheir Mastergoing away. Afterall, they
expectedhim to remain forever! Theythought to themselves, whydoes he need
to leave? Where doeshe planto go? Willwill see him again? Andhow will we
possiblygetalong in this worldwithout him? These were the thoughts that
were troubling the disciples ofJesus.
Notice thatJesus brings comfortto his disciples. Thatis whatJohn14 is all
about. Jesus is comforting his disciples concerning his departure. And not only
did he comfortthe 11 who remained with him in the upper room on the night of
of his betrayal and arrest, but he, by wayof extension, alsocomforts youandI
who live in this age betweenChristfirst and secondcoming.
And how does Christcomfortthose who are his who will live in the time
betweenhis first and secondcomings?
Christ commands us, saying, “letnotyour hearts be troubled.”

Look atverse 1. Jesussays, “Letnotyour hearts be troubled. Believe in God;
believe also in me.” (John14:1, ESV) Isn’tthis like our Lord! We know that he
himself was “troubledin spirit”, and yet, evenwith with the weightof the world
upon his shoulders, his gives himself to the task ofcomforting his disciples with
the words, “Letnotyour hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in
me.”
These words were originallyforthe 11 disciples who remained, itis true. But
they are also foryou and me. Jesus says to allwho are his who live in this world
betweenhis first and secondcoming, “Letnotyourhearts be troubled”.
Christian, do you see that this is a command? “Letnot your hearts be
troubled”, Jesus says. Itis an imperative in the Greek. And as a command it is
something that we are to obey. Whenour hearts are anxious – whenourhearts
are troubled with the cares thatcome withliving in this world– we are to hear
the command ofour Saviorsaying, “letnotyour hearts be troubled.” And upon
hearing his words, we are to obeythem.
Christ urges us, saying, “believe inGod, believe also inme.”
Thankfully there is substance to the command. There is weightbehind it! You
and I might sayto one another, “don’tworry”, or“be happy”, but there is little
substance to that. We might respond to encouragement like thatsaying, but
why should I not worry? Or, whyshould I be happy? Jesus gives us a reason.
He says, “letnotyour hearts be troubled”, but he does not leave us with and
empty command. He directs our attention to Godand urges us to take comfort
in him! “Believe inGod; believe also inme”, he says. Icanthink ofno greater
reasonto refrain from fretting than to remember the Godwho made us and
love that he has for us in Christ Jesus. Andthat is where Jesus directs our
attention. “Believe inGod”, he says. And“believe also inme”
And so whatare we to do whenour hearts are filled with angst? We are to heed
the command ofChrist! We are to run to Godand place all ofour trust in him.
We are to follow the advice of Peterwho urges us to, “[cast] all[our] anxieties
on [God], becausehe caresfor[us].” (1 Peter5:7, ESV)
Christ encouragesus, saying, “Igo andprepare a place for you.”

But Jesus goesfurtherthan this as he comforts his disciples assuring them that
he his departure is for gooda reason. Itwas nota purposeless departure, but a
purposeful one. His departure was fortheir benefit as he would go awayin
order to prepare a place forthose who belong to him.
Verse 2: “Inmy Father’s house are many rooms. Ifit were not so, wouldIhave
told you that I go to prepare a place foryou?” (John14:2, ESV)
When I hearthese words the image that comes to mind is that of a husband
going awayto prepare a place for his bride. Now there is a vastdifference
betweena husband leaving his bride for no goodreason, anda husband going
awayin order to prepare a place forher. In both instances the bride will
undoubtably experience a measure oftrepidation concerning the departure of
her husband, but the two things are entirely different. In the one the departure
is for no goodreasonandto no goodend; in the other the departure is for a
goodpurpose – a purpose that will eventually benefit the bride. When a
husband separatesfromhis wife for a time in order to prepare a place forher,
the wife ultimately rejoices, forshe knows thathis leaving is essentiallygood,
though it may be difficult for a time. His leaving will bring about something
better than what currently is.
So it was with Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, andassertionto the Father.
He would leave his disciples onearth for a time, but for goodreason. He
departed in order to prepare a place for those who belong to him – he has gone
to prepare a place for us.
Clearly, Jesuswas talking aboutheaven. He refers to heavenas “myFathers
house”. Heavenis the place where Goddwells. Itis true, there is a sense in
which Godis everywhere – he is omnipresent. Butheavenis that place where
his glorydwells. In the scriptures we are, fromtime to time, givena glimpse
into heaven– that is, ofthe third heaven– where Godis worshippedday and
night by the heavenly hosts and the saints who have passedfromthis world into
glory. Jesus here refers to this place as “myFathers house”.
I suppose it canalso be saidthat Jesus ultimately has in mind the new heavens
and the new earth that those who are in Christ will enjoy for all eternity atthe

consummation. This is ultimately whatwe should have in mind whenwe hear
Jesus say, “Igo to prepare a place foryou.” Ultimately, the place that Christ
will prepare for us is the new heavens andthe new earth.
Johndescribes this place for us at the end of the book ofRevelation, saying,
“ThenI saw a new heavenand a new earth, forthe first heavenand the first
earth had passedaway…AndI saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down
out of heavenfrom God, preparedas a bride adorned for her husband. And I
heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place ofGodis
with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, andGodhimself
will be with them as their God. He will wipe awayeverytearfrom their eyes,
and death shallbe no more, neithershallthere be mourning, nor crying, nor
pain anymore, for the former things have passedaway.’And he who was seated
on the throne said, ‘Behold, Iammaking all things new.’Also he said, ‘Write
this down, forthese words are trustworthy and true.’” (Revelation21:1–5,
ESV)
This is the ultimate and final place thatChrist is preparing for those who are
his – thatis, forhis bride, the church.
Jesus tells us that “in his Fathers house theirare many rooms.” Are we to think
of heaven(as itis now), orthe new heavens and new earth (as theywillbe at
the consummation) as giantapartmentcomplex, then? A mansionwith many
individual rooms in which the people of Godwill dwell? No. Itseems to me that
Christ is using figurative language here. The pointis that Christ is going away
to prepare a place for those who belong to him, and that in that place there is
ample roomfor his people.
There is a reasonwhyI beganthis sermonby rehearsing the creationaccount.
When thinking of the new heavens and the new earthwe ought to have in mind
the original creation. Inthe end, the original creationwill be restored. Inthe
end, the people ofGod will possessthatwhichthe first Adam forfeited. We will
possesswhatthe first Adam forfeitedby trusting in the secondAdam, who is
the Christ, who accomplishedsalvationforus. Justas Godcreatedthe heavens
and earth in the beginning (making a place suitable forthe first Adam to

dwell), so tooChristwill usherin the new creationatthe end of time (having
prepared a place suitable for those united to him to dwell).
The difference betweenthe first creationandthe new creationis that in the
new creationthere will be no possibility for rebellion. We willenter into
consummate rest– secure rest– everlasting rest. The firstparadise couldbe
lost. The secondparadise cannotbe lost, becauseithas beenearned(paidin
full!) by Jesus, who is the Christ, the secondAdam. This is difference between
Eden and the eternal state.
The similarity is this: in both the original creationandthe new creation, the
centraland significantfeature that Goddwells in the midst ofhis people. The
people of Godwill enjoy unbroken, unhindered, unmediated, fellowshipwith
the Godwho made them. This is what makes paradise, paradise.
When talking about heavenpeople are accustomto speakingofpearlygates,
streets ofgold, andmansions onhills. We speak oftenofno more sin, sickness,
or death. And it is true that we long for these things. Butwe are amiss – terribly
amiss – if, whenthinking of the new heavens andthe new earth, we failto see
“Godwith us” as the mosttreasuredfeature ofall. He is what makes heaven,
heaven. He is what makes paradise, paradise. He indeedis our life.
It was true ofthe first creation, andwillbe true of the last. We willwalk with
Godin the coolofthe evening.
When the prophet spoke ofthe glories to come this is very thing that they
emphasized– Godwith us! RememberEzekiel37? The promise was this, “ButI
will save them from all the backslidings inwhich they have sinned, and will
cleanse them; andthey shallbe my people, andI will be their God.” (Ezekiel
37:23, ESV)
Again in verse 26,
“I will make a covenantofpeace withthem. It shallbe an everlasting covenant
with them. And I will setthem in their land and multiply them, and will setmy
sanctuaryin their midst forevermore. Mydwelling place shallbe with them,
and I will be their God, andthey shall be my people. Thenthe nations will know

that I amthe Lord who sanctifies Israel, whenmy sanctuaryis in their midst
forevermore.” (Ezekiel37:26–28, ESV)
These things have alreadybeen fulfilled in part atChrist’s first coming, but
they will be fulfilled fully athis secondcoming.
And the book ofRevelationpaints the same picture for us, doesn’tit? The voice
that John heard, said, “Behold, the dwelling place ofGodis with man. He will
dwell with them, and they will be his people, andGodhimself will be with them
as their God.” (Revelation21:3, ESV)
This is whatmakes paradise, paradise – Godwithus. We willindeed enjoy
unbroken, unhindered, unmediated, fellowshipwith the God, and our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Do you see thatthis is preciselywhatJesus emphasizes inJohn14? He says,
“And if I go and prepare a place foryou, I will come againandwill take youto
myself, that where I am you may be also.”(John14:3, ESV)
Oh church, are you not comfortedby these things? Are you not comfortedby
the factthat, though we may struggle here on earthin the time between
Christ’s first and secondcoming, he has prepareda place foryou?
What you and I deserve is to be castfrom the presence ofGodinto utter
darkness – into the void if you will. But just as Godmade a place suitable for
Adam, so too Christas had made a place suitable for you and me through his
obedient life, his sacrificial death, andhis resurrection.
And he has promised to return for us! He would depart for a time. But this
separationwillnot be final. He will return for his bride at the end oftime so
that where he is we may also be.
Postedin Sermons Joe AnadyJohn 14:1-3
Comments Off on Sermon: John14:1-3: IGo To Prepare APlace ForYou
Postedby Joe http://emmausrbc.org/2015/11/01/sermon-john-141-3-i-go-to-
prepare-a-place-for-you/

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Whatdid Jesusmeanby sayingHeisgoing"to preparea place"for usin Jn
14:3?
WasHemeaningHewouldraptureusinto heavenwithHim, or make
mansions/roomsforusto livein, wasHereferringto ourglorified bodiesthat
we willreceive, or somethingelse?
John 14:3
ESV - 3 Andif I go andpreparea placeforyou, I willcomeagain andwilltake
you to myself, thatwhereI am youmaybealso.
Clarify • Share• Report• AskedSeptember07 2017• Anonymous
Answers(3)
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RotimiEWEDEMIVerykeenBibleResearcher
First, weshould try to understandwhomJesuswasaddressingthosewordsin
John 14:1-4to. TheBiblerecordshowsthat Jesushadmanydisciples, but we
arenot toldhowmany.Therewereup to 500presentattheascension, 1
Corinthians15:6; Acts1:12

However, wearenottoldhowmany thediscipleswerewhen theevent
recordedin Luke6:12-15tookplace. Therecordsays: "Oneof thosedaysJesus
went out to a mountainsideto pray,and spentthenightpraying to God.When
morningcame, hecalledhisdisciplesto himandchosetwelveof them, whom
he also designatedapostles: Simon(whomhenamedPeter),hisbrother
Andrew,James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, Jamessonof
Alphaeus,Simonwho wascalledtheZealot, Judassonof James, and Judas
Iscariot, who becameatraitor (Luke6:12-16NIV).
Mark 3:13-19presentsa similar scenario. In thesepassages, welearn thatJesus
chosea selectgroupof 12outof thecrowd of disciplesandcalledthem
"apostles". Thenameson listof thechosen12arealsothenamesof thefirst
disciplescalledby Jesus. Whatthis impliesisthatBiblewritersdecidedto tell
us howJesuscalledthediscipleswholater becameapostles.
Biblewriter Mark gavesomereasonswhy thegroupof 12 waschosen.Hesays:
"...thattheymightbewithhimandthathemightsendthemoutto preachandto
haveauthorityto driveout demons(Mark 3:14-15NIV).
Clearly, then, theapostleswerechosenfor specialassignments. Jesushimself
actuallystatedtheultimateassignment thattheapostleswillperform.
Let usobservethatJesusparticipatedin theJewish Passoverof 33CE, thelast
thathe partook of, in companyof the12 apostlesonly,Luke22:14. Theother
disciplesobviouslywerenotcalledby JesusforthePassover feast butthese
musthaveobservedtheeventwiththeir familiesat their varioushomes,
Exodus12:20. In thecourseof theevening, JesusinstitutedtheLord'sSupper,
or theLord'sEvening Meal, in whichhepassedthebreadand thewineas

emblemsof hisfleshand blood. In Luke22:20, Jesussaid "...Thiscup isthenew
covenant in myblood, eventhatwhichispouredoutforyou".
Jesusexpandedthispointin Luke22:28-30,explainingwhatthenewcovenant
is about: "Andyouarethosewho haveremained...withMein Mytrials; Andas
My Father hasappointed a kingdom and conferrediton Me, so do I confer on
you [theprivilegeanddecree], ThatyoumayeatanddrinkatMy tablein My
kingdomand siton thrones, judgingthetwelvetribesof Israel(Luke22:28-30
AMP).
Fromtheabove,welearnof anotherreason whytheapostleswerechosen: to
be takento heavento becomekingswithJesusChrist.
Now let usrelatetheabovescripturaldiscussionto thequestionraised. In Luke
12:32, Jesussaid: "Fearnot, littleflock;forit isyourFather’sgoodpleasureto
giveyouthe kingdom"(Luke12:32KJV).Clearly, thesewordsappliedto the
apostles, andnotto thegenerality of Christ'sfollowers. DANIELreferredto
thosethatGodwillgivethekingdom to (ascorulerswithJesus) as"saints", in
DANIEL2:44; 7:13-14,18,21-22,26-27.
It thusbecomesapparent thatthescriptureunderreference, JJohn14:1-4,
eferredto the"littleflock", or "saintsof theMostHigh".
In thelightof theabove, Jesuswasencouragingandpromisingor assuringthe
apostlesthattheyshouldnotbeafraid, or fear,astheFatherhadapprovedof
givingthemthekingdom. Hewasto go aheadof themto heavenandprepare
the kingdomforthem. Andthen, afterwards, hewouldcomeandtakethem to
heavento rulewithhim.

So, to usepopularparlance, itistheapostlesandotherschosenassaintsthat
willbe"raptured"to heavenwhenJesusreturns. Butitshouldbeclear that
thoseotherdisciplesnotapostles/saintswillbeon earthassubjectsof the
Kingdomof God.The kingdomwilltakeover rulershipof theearthandturnit
into a paradise. SeeDaniel2:44; Revelation21:2-4.
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Tim MaasRetiredQuality AssuranceSpecialist withtheU.S. Army
I viewJesusassayingin John14:3thatHewasgoing(through Hisimminent
death, resurrection, andascension) for thepurposeof preparingthemany
roomsor abodesin HisFather'shouseto which Hehadjustmadereferencein
the priorverse(John14:2).
It wasHisatoningdeathandsubsequent resurrection thatwouldmake
believers'accessto thoseabodespossible. Thataccesswouldthen befully
realizedwhenJesusreturned(whetherthatreturn isviewedasoccurringat
eachbeliever'sdeath, or attheendof time). (However,I do notseeany
connection betweenthisparticularcommentof Jesusandtheglorified bodies
thatbelieverswillpossess, norwiththeraptureof thechurchdiscussedin 1
Thessalonians4:13-18.)

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Jack GutknechtABC/DTSgraduate, guitar musicministryBaptistchurch
John 14:3isa clear promiseof ourLord’sreturnfor Hispeople.Somewillgo to
heaventhroughthevalleyof theshadow of death, but thosewho arealivewhen
Jesusreturnswillneverseedeath(John 11:25-26). Theywillbe changedto be
likeChristandwillgo to heaven(1 Thess4:13-18).Wewillthenbea prepared
peoplefor a preparedplace.
[Joh14:3] LordJesus, Come
LordJesus, come!Nor letuslongerroam
Afarfrom Thee,andthatbrightplace
WhereweshallseeTheefaceto face.
LordJesus, come!LordJesus,come!
LordJesus, come!Thineabsenceherewemourn:
No joyweknowapartfromThee,
No sorrowin Thy presencesee.

LordJesus, Come!
And claimusasThineown;
Withlongingheartsthepathwetread,
WhichTheeon high to gloryled,
LordJesus, come!AndtakeThy peoplehome:
ThatallThyflock, so scatteredhere,
WithTheein glorymay appear.
LordJesus, come!LordJesus,come.
https://ebible.com/questions/18354-what-did-jesus-mean-by-saying-he-is-
going-to-prepare-a-place-for-us-in-jn-14-3
ExplainJohn 14:3- "Igo andpreparea placefor you"?
John 14-3says“If I go andpreparea placeforyou, I willcomeagainandreceive
you to Myself,thatwhereI am, youmaybealso. Whois“I” that will“preparea
placefor you”, andcanyoudescribetheplace“I” speaksof? “for I go to prepare
a placefor you.” Whatismeant by beingreceivedto... show more
BestAnswer: Who is"I"-TheLordJesusChrist.

I willcomeagain,andreceiveyouunto myself. Thereferenceisnot to Christ's
return fromthegrave, butto a return fromheaven, thesecondcomingof the
Lord, whichisa part of theChristianfaith. Compare1Th4:17Php 1:23.
Thispromiseof a secondadventof Christisto bedistinguishedfrom Hisreturn
in gloryto theearth; itisthefirstintimationin Scriptureof "thedayof Christ".
HereHecomesforHissaints1Th4:14-17thereMt24:29,30.Hecometo judge
the nations,etc.
Whatis“Myself”can thisalso bethesecondcoming event? Yes.
The presenttense; I come, notto belimitedto theLord'ssecond andglorious
comingat thelastday, nor to anyspecialcoming, suchasPentecost, though
theseareallincludedin theexpression; rather to betaken of Hiscontinual
comingandpresenceby theHolySpirit. "Christis, in fact, fromthemomentof
His resurrection,ever coming into theworldandto theChurch, andto menas
the risenLord" (Westcott).
Whatwastheplacethat’sbeingprepared? Most interpretersunderstandthisof
heaven, as thespecialdwelling-placeor palaceof God; but itmayincludethe
universe, astheabodeof theomnipresentGod.
The happinessof heavenisspokenof asin a father'shouse. Therearemany
mansions, for therearemanysonsto bebrought to glory. Mansionsarelasting
dwellings.Christ willbetheFinisher of thatof whichheistheAuthoror
Beginner; if hehavepreparedtheplaceforus, hewillprepareusfor it. John
14:2
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+++TheI of courseisChrist!!TheplaceistheNew Jerusalem! Thisisnotthe
2nd Coming, thisistheRaptureof thechurch. If youreadRevelation Chapter 19
the churchwillbeatthemarriagesupper of theLamb! The2ndcoming, asyou
read in thesamechapter, wewillcomebackwithChrist!! Theplacein heaven,
Jesushasbeen preparingthisfor thesaintsfora longtime now. I believeHeis
almostthroughandreadyto callushome!! ++++
Jesushasascendeduntilwhen? Acts2:27-35; Heb.1:1-13;
Whenwillhisenemiesbeunder feet of himandheavenly?
As longasSatan atJob2:1,2, isamongtheangels, no place
is prepared,whocontendswith Satan, Jude9, who willbein
the timeof theend, Dan.12:1-13, who willgiveSatanand 1/3
of theangels[Job38:4-7, calledmorningstarsandsonsof
God],a shorttimedown,Rev.12:3,4,6,7-11,12; what isthe
lastthingfor Michaeldoes,1Thes.4:15-17,so a placewas
prepared forLuke20:34-36, thoseequalto angels,John6:44,
14:3, Heb.12:22-24; Rev.3:12,1Cor.15:22-28,51-53, firstfruits
arefirst[fromPentecostonward, Acts2:1-4,anointed].
John 17:1-26, Jesusisasking forhisownto bewithhim, he

beganit, Luke16:16,17, Acts28:28-31,Matt.24:3,7,14,15[as
Daniel'stimeof theend],22-24,34,36[alltimegiven,Godknows
day andhour], Matt.25:31-34, holyangelsonly andthosealive,
as Rev.7:9-17.ThefirstfruitsarewithJesusathis2ndcoming.
Rev.20:1-6, until, Rev.20:7-10, to Rev.21:1-5,clean,8.
Source(s):
Bible.
jen · 9 yearsago
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Revelation 21:10-22:7

Ashley · 4 yearsago
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JesusistheI andheaven istheplace
try this:
Jhn 14:1"Don'tbetroubled. YoutrustGod, nowtrustin me.
Jhn 14:2Therearemanyroomsin myFather'shome, andI am goingto prepare
a placefor you. If thiswerenot so, I wouldtellyou plainly.

Jhn 14:3Wheneverythingisready, I willcomeand getyou, so thatyouwill
alwaysbewithmewhereI am.
"and AFTER I go andpreparea placeforyou, I willcomebackand takeyouto
myself, so thatyouwillbewhereI am.""I" meansJesus. After Heascendsto
Heaven, Hewillpreparea roomforusbelievers. Hewillreturn, asitsaysin the
Bookof RevelationandtakeuswithHimback to Heaven.
It seemsthat theLordhave2 greatjobsto do. To preparea placefor usandto
prepareusforthatholyplace. Hewillreceiveusto Himself denoting thegreat
lovehehaveforHischildren. Hedidnotsay(receiveyouinto my home)but
into myself. PraiseHim
I thinkthismeansthatJesuswillpreparea placefor hisdisciplesin thecoming
Kingdomof God.
i is jesusgoingto heavenandpreparea placewherealltheredeemedof god
willlive
it is calledthenewjerusalem in revelationchapter 21
the I willcomeagainandreceiveyouto Myself, thatwhereI am, youmaybe
also istalkingabouttheraptureandthefirst resurrection.
the i isjesuswho willreturnattheraptureand thefirstresurrectionto
welcomehisfollowersto cometo him.

KJV: Revelationof John Chapter21
[2] AndI John saw theholycity,newJerusalem, comingdown fromGodoutof
heaven, preparedasa brideadornedforher husband.
[3] AndI heard a greatvoiceout of heavensaying, Behold, thetabernacleof God
is withmen, andhewilldwellwith them, andtheyshallbehispeople, andGod
himself shallbewiththem, andbetheir God.
[4] AndGodshallwipeaway alltearsfromtheireyes; and thereshallbeno
moredeath, neither sorrow,nor crying, neithershalltherebeanymorepain:
for theformer thingsarepassedaway.
Gregory· 9 yearsago
"I" isjesusspeakingto hisdisciples.. Whatjesusistalkingabout. that hewill
preparea placeforyou in heaven. Thenhewillacceptyou. Andcareforyou.
Thiswaswhen hewasatwhattheycall"TheLastSupper. beforehewas
crucified.
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?
John 14:1-14
I Go To Preparea PlaceforYou

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John 14:1-14
I Go To Preparea PlaceforYou
The Rev.BillyD. Strayhorn
INTRODUCTION:
DawneOlson, a SouthDakotamother of four, waspreparingto givea talk on
unity ather women’sBiblestudy. Shewokeup early to typeoutthescripture
verses. Shewasn’tquitefinishedwhenher four childrenbegancoming
downstairsaskingfor breakfast. Shecouldhear thechildren just around the
cornerin thekitchenastheyrummagedthroughtherefrigerator and
cupboardsfor somethingto eat. At somepointthey discoveredhalf of a toaster
pastryon thecounterfromthenightbefore. Theyallbeganscreamingand
fighting; eachclaimingthehalf-eatenPopTart.
As Dawnemadea coupleof futileattemptsto quiet themdown,shefinished
typingtheversein Matthew5:9that says,“Blessedarethepeacemakersfor
they shallbecalled sonsof God.”Takingher cuefromscripture, shehollered
into thekitchenabovethenoise, “Would somebody PLEASEbethe
peacemaker?!”
Therewasa moment’ssilenceand thenGarret, 6, pipedup, “I’llbethepiece
maker, Mom!”
Then to hisbrotherandsistershesaid:“Here’sa pieceforyou andyou, anda
pieceforyouand onepiecefor me.”

Needlessto say, Dawnehad heropeningillustrationon unityandpeaceforthat
evening’sBiblestudy!(1)
Aren’tchildren amazing? Younever knowwhat’sgoingto popoutof their
mouth. You neverknowhowGodis goingto taketheirinnocentearsand
througha twist of wordsor a misunderstoodphrasetouchourheartsandlift
our spirits. Eachchildisa treasuregivento usby God.I truly believethat
childrenarespecialin God’seyes. Theyshouldbespecialto usaswell, because
they can teachusaboutthefaithandthesimplicityof faith.
I. A BLESSING:
A. Jesusknew thatchildrenarea blessing. Theyaretreasuresin theKingdomof
God. That’swhy hesaid wemustcometo God likelittlechildren. Childrenare
instrumentsof God’sgraceandallowusto seethingsfroma different
perspective. That’spartlywhyPeter sayswemust be“likenewborninfants,”
and “longforthepure, spiritualmilk, so thatby it [we] maygrowinto salvation,
[forwe] havetasted thattheLord isgood.” (1 Peter 2:2-3)
B. Onelittleboy knew exactlyhowgoodGodis. Heeven admitted itin his
bedtimeprayer.
“DearGod,pleasetakecareof mydaddyand mymommyandmy sisterandmy
brotherand mydoggyandme. Oh, pleasetakecareof yourself, God. If anything
happensto you,we’regonnabein a bigmess.” (2)
II. THEYTEACH US:
A. If youlistento childrenastheypray, youhearjusthowprofoundtheycan be.
Oneparticular four-year-oldprayed: “Andforgiveusourtrashbasketsaswe
forgivethosewho puttrashin ourbaskets.”(3)
I thinkthat’sprettyprofound. That’sexactly whatsinis. It’sthetrashin our
lives. Themorewesin themorethebasket getsfull. Andwhensomeonesins
againstus, it goesintothebaskettoo, alongwithour feelingsfor thatperson.
The pointof ourfaithisto emptyourtrashbasketsatthefootof thecross. And
to forgivethosewho havesinnedagainstus.

B. Of course, likeadults,kidsdon’t alwaysliveouttheirfaith. Theymay know
whatto do butnotdo it.
OneSundaya littleboywas“actingup” duringthemorningworshiphour. The
parentsdidtheirbestto maintain somesenseof order in thepew butwere
losingthebattle.Finally thefatherpickedthelittlefellow upandwalkedsternly
up theaisleon hiswayout. Justbeforereachingthesafety of thefoyerthelittle
boy calledloudlyto thecongregation,“Prayforme!Prayfor me!” (4)
Sure,sometimestheygetit wrong.Butmoretimesthannot, children letussee
thingsthrough God’seyesandfeelwhatGodfeels. Butwehaveto takethetime
to listenandlook throughtheir eyes.Onelittlegirlmisquotedthe23rd Psalm
butprobablygotitbetterthananyoneelseexceptmaybetheauthor. “TheLord
is my shepherd, that’sallI want!” (5)
Sometimestheygetitwrong, butsometimesthegetit morerightthan wecould
ever imagine.
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III. PREPARE A PLACE:
A. JohnToddwasborn in Rutledge, Vermont into a familyof severalchildren.
They later movedto thevillageof Killingsworthbackin theearly1800’s. And
there, ata very earlyage, Johnhadbothhismotherandfather die, andhe was
left withoutparents.
The relativeswonderedwhatthey woulddo with thenumber of children,how
they could parcelthemoutto friendsandrelatives.Onedearand loving aunt
said shewouldtakelittleJohn. Theauntsenta horseanda slaveto get John
who wasonlysixatthetime. TheslavenamedCaesar, cameand putthelittle
boy on theback of thehorse. On theway backan endearingconversation takes
place:
John: Willshebethere?
Caesar:Oh, yes, she’llbetherewaitingupforyou.
John: WillIlikelivingwith her?
Caesar:My son,youfallinto goodhands.
John: Willsheloveme?
Caesar:Ah, shehasa bigheart.
John: WillIhavemyownroom? Willshelet mehave a puppy?
Caesar:She’sgot everythingallset, son. I think shehassomesurprises, John.
John: Doyou think she’llgo to bedbeforewegetthere?
Caesar:Oh no!She’llbesureto waitupforyou. You’llseewhenwegetoutof
thesewoods. You’llseehercandleshining in thewindow.”
Whenthey gotto theclearing, sureenough, thereshewasstandingin the
doorway witha candlein thewindow. Shereached down, kissedhim andsaid,
“Welcomehome!” Shefedhimsupper, tookhim to hisroomand waiteduntilhe
fellasleep.

John Todd grewup to bea great minister of theGospel. Butitwasthereathis
aunt’shome,withher ashisnewmother, thathegrewup. Itwasalwaysa place
of enchantment becauseof hisaunt; it awedhim thatsucha placeof
replacementexisted. Shehad givenhim a secondhome. Shehadbecomea
secondmother to him.
Yearslater, longafter hehadmovedaway,hisauntwroteto sayherown death
wasnear. Her healthwasfailingandshewonderedwhatwasto becomeof her.
ThisiswhatJohnToddwroteher:
“My Dear Aunt, Yearsago I lefta houseof deathnotknowingwhereI wasto go,
whether anyonecared, whether itwastheendof me.Theridewaslongbut the
slaveencouragedme. Finally, hepointed out yourcandleto meandtherewe
werein theyard, andthereyoustoodembracingmeandtakingmeby thehand
into my ownroomthatyouhadmadeup. AfteralltheseyearsI can’t believeit,
how youdid allthatfor me; I wasexpected; I feltsafein thatroom,so
welcomed. Itwasmy room.
Now it’syourturn to go, andasonewhohastriedit out, I’mwritingto letyou
know, someoneiswaitingup, your roomisallready, thelight ison,thedoor is
open, andasyourideinto theyard — don’tworry, Auntie.You’reexpected!I
know. I oncesaw Godstandingin your doorway— longago!” (6)
B. In our passagefrom John, Jesustellsthedisciples, “Igo to preparea placefor
you, so thatwhereI am youmay bealso.” Asa child,JohnToddfoundthatto be
truethroughtheloveof hisAunt. Andin her oldage, hisAuntfounditto betrue
as well.
Thismorningwefindit to betruein another way. Forour Lordhasprepareda
placefor us, a placewherewecanfeastwithHim. A placewherewecantaste
the goodnessof Godandbefilled withthebreadof heaven.
CONCLUSION:
Thismorningwealso havetheopportunityto look atfaiththroughtheeyesof
our children andallowthemto minister to usin a veryuniqueway. This
morningweget to seethehandsof Jesusthroughthehandsof ourchildrenas

they break thebread andshareit withus.I willservethem firstandthenthey
willhelp meserveyou. Lettheirhandsbea blessingto you. Let their servicein
thisway bea blessingto youaswell. Wewillbedependinga loton God’sGrace.
So be in prayer alsoasour childrenserveusthismorningin thismostsacred
way.
ThisistheWord of theLord for thisday.
Copyright 1999, BillyD. Strayhorn. Usedby permission.
I Go Now to Prepare a Place forYou?
By Jeremy Myers
17 Comments
A reader sent in this question about Jesus’statementin John 14:2, “I go now
to prepare a place for you.” Here is the question:
If Jesus is all powerful, why does he say, “I go now to prepare a place for
you”?
On a relatednote, I remember watching old movies when the white colonialist
looks downon natives who believe their God will return and thinks they’re
simple; but isn’t that what we are doing when we say Jesus will return?
Also, I’ve sometimes heard people say that the reasonJesus is waiting to
return is because He wants to save more people, but if that is true, why
doesn’t He just wait forever?

I started to look at these questions yesterday, and gave a broad-brush answer
to the questions. This post will look in more detail at the statementof Jesus in
John 14:2 where He says, “I go now to prepare a place for you.”
John 14:2 in Tradition
John 14:2 is part of the Upper Room Discourse,and is usually understood to
mean that Jesus is going to go back to heaven, where He will be at work to
prepare mansions or dwelling places for the church, and when He is done, He
will come back and take us to live with Him forever.
In fact, it is often taught (and I have taught it this way myself) that Jesus has
in mind the Jewishwedding tradition where after a man and woman were
betrothed to be married, the man would go off and build a home for his new
bride.
The constructionof this new home would take severalmonths, or even up to a
couple years, and the bride-to-be did not know exactly when the groom-to-be
would be finished. Her only option was to wait and to be prepared.
When the man finished building his home, he would gather his friends and
family and begin a wedding processionfrom his new home through town to
his bride’s house. By the time they arrived, it would be a huge parade and
party. The bride would go out to meet her husband, and they would return to
his new house, where there would be a big Jewishwedding, full of food and
festivities.
So it is often taught that when Jesus says, “Igo now to prepare a place for
you” this is what He had in mind. He is the Groomand the church is His
Bride, and He has gone off to prepare a dwelling place for us, and we do not
know how long it will take or when He will come for us, but we need to be
ready and wait patiently. When he returns, He will take us to be with Him,
and there will be a big party.
That is how John 14:2 is often read, interpreted, understood, and taught.

Honestly, I don’t have too much of an issue with this understanding of Jesus’
future return. I do think that Jesus will return physically in the future, and
that since we do not know exactlywhen this will be, we need to be ready and
wait patiently. Having saidthis, however, I do not think that this is what Jesus
was referring to in John 14:2 when He said, “I go now to prepare a place for
you.”
What did Jesus Meanwhen He said, “I go now to prepare a place for you”?
To understand what Jesus means when He says, “I go now to prepare a place
for you” we must look at the context. In the first half of John 14:2, Jesus says,
“In My Father’s House are many mansions.”
Mansions is not the best translationof the word used here. It might be best
translated as “dwelling places.” It is not exactlyreferring to buildings, but to
rooms within a building.
Many people hear this, and think, “What? All I’m going to getin heaven is a
room? What about the mansion I was promised?” Well… the truth is that
Jesus is not promising to pass out mansions. Sorry! Of course, if you were
only a followerof Jesus because youwanted to get a mansion, you probably
were not following Him for the right reasons.
So okay, what does Jesus mean by “dwelling places?” Well, it is critical to
understand first what Jesus means by “My Father’s House.” The Jews to
whom Jesus was talking would have understood Him to be talking about the
temple in Jerusalem. This is also how Jesus referredto the temple on occasion,
as in when He cleansedthe temple in John 2:16.
Furthermore, it is important to know that there were many rooms, or
“dwelling places” in the Jerusalemtemple (cf. 1 Kings 6:5-6; Jeremiah35:1-
4). From this, it seems that when Jesus says, “In My Father’s House are many
dwelling places… and I go now to prepare a place for you,” He is saying that
He is going to prepare a place for His disciples in the temple.

But why would He do that when He has prophesied that the temple is going to
be destroyed? And why would the disciples want a room in the temple
precincts? Those rooms were generallyreservedfor priests and temple
servants. The disciples were not priests, and they already had families, jobs,
and homes of their own.
Here we getinto the New Testamentteaching about how we as believers in
Christ are the new temple (1 Corinthians 6:19), and how we are the new
priesthood (1 Peter2:9).
Though it would take time for His disciples to understand all this, Jesus was
not talking about preparing a place for His followers in the temple on a hill in
Jerusalem. No, Jesus was talking aboutpreparing a whole new Temple and a
whole new Priesthood. The true Father’s House was about to be revealedto
the world, and Jesus was going to prepare it. Jesus was going to revealit.
How, when, and where did Jesus do that? He did it on the cross, and through
His death, burial, and resurrection.
When Jesus said, “I go now to prepare a place for you,” He was not talking
about going to heaven so that at some future date He would return and bring
us to be with Him. No, when Jesus said, “I go now to prepare a place for you,”
He was talking about making a new temple, a new priesthood, and a new way
of living as God’s family.
When Jesus said, “I go now to prepare a place for you,” He was talking about
going to the cross.
Again, this fits with the entire context of the Upper Room Discourse. Johnhas
been telling them that He is going to suffer and die, and that they are going to
deny and betray Him (John 13). The disciples are understandably upset about
this, and so Jesus begins his Upper Room Discoursewith some encouraging
words: He is doing this for their benefit. He goes to prepare a place for them
so that they can be with Him forever.
What does this Meanfor Us as the Church?

What does this mean for us as the church? Does this mean that Jesus is not
going to return? Of course not! He will return.
But here is the thing. In some sense, in and through the church, Jesus has
already returned! He returns in us. We are the ongoing incarnation of Jesus
Christ. We are His hands and feet the world. We are the Body of Christ on
earth.
Yes, Jesus is still going to return physically at some point in the future, but
betweenHis resurrectionand His future secondcoming, the church is to live
and love others like Jesus did.
The world needs Jesus, and Jesus sentthe church to be Himself to the world.
So what happens to the world if the church just sits around and waits for
Jesus to return?
Jesus wentto the cross to prepare a place for us. His resurrectionand the
coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecostis His coming in Spirit and power into
our lives, showing that the place for us has been finished. And where is our
place? Notin heaven, sitting on a cloud, strumming a harp, enjoying eternal
bliss. No, the place that Jesus prepared for us is right here on planet earth.
This is our place. This is our home. This is our “mansion.”
Jesus, through His death, burial, and resurrection, creationa new people of
God on earth to be the living temple of God, which is filled with the Spirit of
God, so that all people on earth have unmediated accessto God. Becauseof
how Jesus made dwelling places for the church in the Father’s House, people
no longer have to travel to a building on a hill in Jerusalemto meet with God.
The temple of God is whereverthe church is, because we are now the temple
of God, and God’s dwelling place is with us and we with Him.
If you are a followerof Jesus, pleaseunderstand that Jesus did not give us
eternal life simply so we could wait around on earth until we die so we can
finally be with God foreverin heaven. No!

We are not waiting for Jesus to finish preparing some dwelling place in the
sky so that when He is done, we canescape this sinful earth to be with Him
forever. No, the dwelling place is alreadyfinished. He finished it through His
death and resurrection. And since He rose from the dead, He receivedus to
Himself so that we are in Him and He in us, and together, we go out to batter
down the gates ofhell, to setthe captives free, and to proclaim liberty to the
oppressed.
Didn’t Jesus go to heavento prepare a place for us?
Text in question: John 14:1, 2
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in
Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
Proof text: John 14:3
A common sentiment heard at funerals, spoken in an effort to bring
peace to the hearts of those left behind, is that the departed loved
one has gone on to be with Jesus and is now enjoying the afterlife in
the heavenly paradise, looking down upon us. When the person
presiding over the funeral uses Scripture to support this claim of
immediate life after death, he often uses a handful of verses. One of
those is the passage in question from John 14.

Jesus did, indeed, promise that He left the earth to go and prepare a
place for those who would eventually follow Him to heaven. On that
point, the Scriptures are unmistakably clear. As Christians, we are
right to find comfort in that promise. The Creator God, the Savior of
the universe, has promised us that one day we will live with Him in a
place He prepared especially for us. What better outcome can we
hope for?
The theological problem these two verses pose surrounds the question
of when, exactly, we get to inherit these places the Savior is preparing
for us. The time frame commonly presented at funerals is immediate;
that the deceased person has gone immediately to heaven to receive
that promised new home. The verses, however, do not expressly state
this. It is an assumption on our part.
If we add the verse following right after the text in question, verse 3,
the entire passage paints a different picture of life after death. It now
reads:
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in
Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And 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 14:1–3).
With this additional verse, we no longer have to guess or assume when
our eternal inheritance will occur. Jesus tells us quite plainly that He
“will come again” to take us there.

The difference is important. If we immediately inherit this prize when
we die, our disembodied souls go to heaven to join Jesus. However, if
we inherit the prize when Christ returns, we go nowhere at death.
Christ comes to get us at the second coming. The power to reach
heaven remains with Jesus, not with us.
There are some Bible texts that pose legitimate difficulties for Bible
students. What a shame when we make problematic texts out of easy
ones like these! To understand Christ’s message regarding the place in
heaven He is preparing for us, we need only read His entire
statement.
*All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from
the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson,
Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, Iwill come again and willreceive
you to myself so that where Iam youwill be also.
“I will come again.” John 14:3 isclear that Jesus will receive people
whenhe comes again, not when they die. Jesus does not say that he will
welcome people into heaven when they die. He said he would come
back—hisSecondComing—and receivebelieversto himself. Jesuswillreceive
them so that wherehe is—onearth—believerswillbetherealso, evenif they
havedied,becausehewillraisethem(John5:28-29).
OrthodoxChristianityteaches thatJohn 14isaboutpeoplegoingto heaven. Itis
not: Jesussaid,“Iwillcomeagain.” TheverseisaboutJesuscomingback and
welcoming peopleinto hiskingdomon earth. Furthermore,althoughthe

translation“takeyou” isnotasclearas“receiveyou,” evenif theverseis
translated, “takeyou to myself,” itstillisreferringto when Jesuscomesback
and thathewilltakelivinganddeadbelieversto bewith himin hiskingdom. So
fromthescopeof Scriptureweseethatthisverseissaying, “Andif I go [to
heaven] andpreparea placefor you[do thepreparationsfor mycoming
kingdomon earth], I willcomeagain [back to earth]andwillreceiveyouto
myself [by welcominglivingbelieversin thekingdom(Matt. 25:31-46) and
raisingdeadbelievers(John5:28-29)] so thatwhereI am [onearthin my
kingdom] youwillbealso.”
Christwillcomebackto earthin theeventknownastheSecondComing. Athis
SecondComing, Jesuswillcomedownfromheavenwithhisarmiesand
conquer theearth, an eventdescribedin Revelation19:11-21. Christ’sconquest
of theearthwasforetoldin scripturessuch asIsaiah63:1-6andZechariah14:3-
10, andscripturessuchasDaniel2:35, 44-46speak of Christ’skingdom filling
the earth. Manypropheciesspeak of theSecond Comingof Christ, andJesus
himself spokequiteoftenaboutit andtheeventsassociatedwithit (Matt.
16:27, [cp. Mark 8:38and Luke9:26]; Matt. 24:30-44,[cp. Mark 13:26andLuke
21:27]; Matt. 25:31-46;26:64[cp.Mark 14:62]; Mark8:38; Luke12:40;17:24-
30; John14:3, 18; 21:22). Also, Christ’s“SecondComing” isnotthesameevent
as theRaptureof Christians, which isdescribed in 1 Thessalonians4:17.
The OldTestament doesnot clearlyshowthatChrist’s“coming” wouldbein
two distinctstages: hisfirstcomingwhenhewascrucified, andhisSecond
Comingwhenhecomesfromheavenandconquerstheearth. Theinformationis
there, butitisunclearand canonlybeclearlyunderstood with20-20hindsight.
In contrast, theNewTestamentisveryclear aboutthefirst andsecondcomings
of Christ. Nevertheless, even thoughtheyaresomewhatveiled,Old Testament
passagesthatspeak of theSecondComingof ChristincludeIsaiah 63:1-6;
Daniel2:34-35, 44; Zechariah14:3-6, andtherearemanymorethatspeak of
Christrulingtheearth(seecommentaryon Matt. 16:27).
The Greektextemphasizestheword“again” by movingitto thefrontof the
sentence: “AgainI willcomeand willreceiveyouto myself.” Christ cameto
earthonce, andhewillcomeagain asconqueror andking.

[For moreon Christ’sfuturekingdomon earth, seeAppendix3,“Christ’sFuture
Kingdomon Earth”].
“preparea placeforyou.” Seecommentary on John14:2.
“andwillreceiveyouto myself.” Therehasbeen mistranslationand
misunderstandingof thisphrasedueto thetraditionalbelief thatwhena saved
person diestheir soulgoesimmediatelyto heaven andiswith Jesus.
TranslationssuchastheNLT, “Iwillcomeandgetyou” arean unwarranted
translationof theGreek textdueto thebiasthatpeoplego to heavenwhenthey
die. Actually, theverseissimple. Jesussaidthathewouldcomeback andthen
receivebelieversto himself. Jesus’statementappliesto bothlivinganddead
believers:Thelivingbelieverswillbeallowedinto thekingdomwhilethedead
believerswillberaised andenter thekingdom. Christiansarein a different
categoryentirely, becauseChristiansexperiencean eventknownasthe
Rapture, whichoccursbeforetheSecond Coming. AttheRapture, bothliving
and dead Christianswillbetakeninto theairto bewithChristandthenwill
return to earthwithhim athisSecondComing[Formoreinformation on the
Raptureof Christians, seecommentaryon 1 Thessalonians4:17].
The believerswho arealiveat theSecondComingwillbeallowedto enter Jesus’
kingdom, justasJesussaid:I “willreceiveyouto myself.” TheGreatTribulation
and Armageddonwillnotkilleveryoneon earth. Manypeoplewillstillbealive,
and so when Jesuscomesto earthhewillgather allthenationsbeforehim and
judgethem.Thosepeoplewho arejudgedunworthywillbethrowninto the
lakeof fire, whilethosepeoplewho arejudgedworthywillenterinto Christ’s
Kingdomon earth(Matthew25:31-46, seecommentaryon Matt. 25:32). Thus,
at Christ’sSecond Coming, believerswho livedthroughtheGreatTribulation
willbe“received” by Christ andwillenterintohiskingdom.
The believerswho aredeadat thetimeof theSecondComingwillberaised
fromthedead andreceivedby Christ into hiskingdomon earth. Thedead
believerswho Christwillraisewillbethosebelieverswho diedbeforetheDay
of Pentecostor who diedafter theRapturebutbeforetheSecondComing(in
other words, Christwillraiseeverydeadbeliever fromAdamto hisSecond
Comingwiththeexceptionof theChristianChurch, becauseChristianswill have

been raisedearlier, attheRapture). At theSecondComing, whenChristcomes
back to earth, hewillcallthedeadbelieversoutof thegroundandreceivethem
to himself andbringthem into hiskingdom(Ezek. 37:12-14).
John 14:1-3helpssettletheargumentaboutwhetheror notOldTestament
believerssuchasAbrahamandSaraharein theRapture.They arenot. To
understandwhatJohn 14:1-3issayingitisimperativethatweunderstandthe
differencebetween whathappensto believersif theydiebeforeor aftertheDay
of Pentecost. TheChristianChurchstartedon theDayof Pentecost(Acts2), and
everybeliever who diedbeforetheDay of Pentecost willbein theResurrection
of Life(John5:28-29). In contrast, believerswho dieaftertheDayof Pentecost
areChristians, andthey willbein theRapture(1 Thess. 4:15-18).
The peoplewho diedbeforetheChristianChurchstartedon theDayof
Pentecost willbein theResurrectionof Life, andwillgetupoutof thegraveand
go to bewithChrist in hiskingdom(Ezekiel37:12-14). In John 14:1-3, Jesus
wasspeakingattheLastSupper,whichwasbeforetheDayof Pentecost, and
noticethatJesussaysthatbelieverswillnotbewith himuntilhecomesbackto
earthagain, andhewillnotcometo earthagainuntilhecomesandfightsthe
Battleof Armageddonandconquerstheearth(Rev.19:11-21). Atthattimehe
willsetup hiskingdomon earthandwillraisefromthedead thebelieverswho
diedbeforetheDayof Pentecost, andalso allowthelivingbelieversto enter his
kingdom(Matt. 25:31-46; cp. Matt. 13:24-30,40-43).Thisisfurther
substantiatedby Revelation11:18(cp. 1 Thess. 4:16).Thetimeto giverewards
to thebelieversiswhentheyareraisedfromthedead, whichhappens
immediatelyaftertheSecondComing.
The word “receive” in John14:3istheverb paralambanō (#3880
παραλαμβάνω), andit isin thefuturetense, middlevoice.Thayer’sGreek-
Englishlexiconspeaksspecificallyabout John14:3 andsays, “middle[voice]
with πρόςἐμαυτόν[to myself],[means] to mycompanionship, whereI myself
dwell.” Friberg’sAnalyticalLexiconagrees, andalso referencesJohn14:3and
saysthatin John 14:3paralambanō means“receiveto oneself,” andtheBDAG
Greek-Englishlexiconsalso referencesJohn14:3andhas“Iwilltakeyouto
myself.”TheTheologicalDictionaryof theNew Testamentsaysparalambanō is

used“for acceptanceinto thekingdomof Christ.” A numberof Englishversions
translatethephraseas“receiveyou to myself” (cp. ASV;HCSB; ERV; Geneva
Bible; KJV; NASB; WEB; YLT).
WhenJesuscomesbackto earthhewillraisethedeadbelievers, who willjoin
the livingbelievers,andJesuswill“receive” allof themto himself andintohis
kingdom. Thatiswhy Ezekiel37:12-14saysthatwhenthedead getupthey will
go to thelandof Israel, andwhy Jesussaidthatthe“sheep” amongtheliving
believerswouldalsobein hiskingdom. Jesuswillbein Israel, rulingfromthe
newly rebuilt cityof Jerusalem(theboundariesof Israelincludingthesizeof
Jerusalemaredescribed in Ezek. 47 and48).
In John14:3Jesusspoketo theApostlesandtoldthem he“willcomeback and
willreceiveyou[“youall,” the“you”isplural] to myself so thatwhereI am you
willbealso.”What Jesuswassayingto theApostleswasin essence:“Iwillcome
back to earthat mySecondComing, andreceiveallthebelieversto meso that
whereI am, on thewonderfulnewearth, theywillbetoo.”
[For moreon thefirstandsecondresurrection, seecommentaryon Acts24:15.
For moreon thedeadbeingdeadandnotalivein any form,seeAppendix4,
“TheDeadareDead”].
Commentary for:John14:3
https://www.revisedenglishversion.com/John/chapter14/3
"The Preparations Jesus Made for You" John 14:2-3 The Funeral Sermon in
Memory of Erna Cook 22 November Anno Domini 2005 Our Redeemer
Lutheran Church of Emmett, Idaho PastorMichaelL. McCoy
Dearfamily members of Erna, her friends, neighbors and congregational
members,

May God’s grace, mercy and peace ever be yours in the Name of the LORD
our God - in the Name of the Father and of the … Son and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen.
Dearly Beloved,
Nearly twenty years ago, on March 14, 1986, Erna filled out a sheetwith the
preferences forher funeral. She listed her preferences for the readings which
she wantedyou to hear today and she had a list of some eight hymns that
could be chosenfrom for the service. The hymn we just sang, “I Am But A
StrangerHere,” is one of them, and “I Know That My RedeemerLives,”
which we will sing in a few minutes was another – a hymn which proclaims
the ResurrectionofJesus from the dead and His defeatof death.
While here in this life, Erna was a Lutheran; that is, she was a Christian. She
came to Church to be in the Presenceofthe LORD God, to hear that she was
forgiven of all her sins and to receive the gifts that God graciouslyshowers
upon those who repent of their sin and look to Christ for grace, mercy and
peace. This she received. Erna desired to hear the Word of God and had
copies of the services onDVD and video cassette thatshe watchedwith
hymnal in hand and heard that Jesus died on the cross for all of her sins. She
listened to the CDs that were provided, including an audio book titled,
“Preparing for Death.” She had a holy hunger for the Lord’s Supper and
wheneverI stopped by with the Sacrament, she would pull out her hymnal
from the table next to her chair and we would sing a hymn or two as part of
the liturgy for the Holy Communion.

In addition, for her funeral service, she wanted the pastor, whoever he might
be, to prepare and to preach a sermon to you on a very specific text, John
14:2-3. Please listento that sectionof the Bible and ponder . . .
. . . “The Preparations Jesus Made for You.”
In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told
you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may
be also.
Thus far the Word of the LORD our God; that is, thus far the words of Jesus.
Jesus is not just a goodman, or a fine teacher, or a greatperson. He is, of
course, all these, but He is infinitely more. He is the Son of God; that is, He is
true God – eternal, omnipotent, almighty. He was
40 John 14 2-3 - Jesus Prepared- Erna Cook 2005(MLM) – page 2
www.scholia.net
sent by the Fatherinto this fallen world to be its Savior and Redeemer. He
was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. That’s what
Christmas is all about – Godborn in Bethlehem. Then Jesus lived the perfect
life that you and I are expected and commanded to live, but don’t. Jesus grew
up and was an adult man.
That’s when Jesus spoke these words:In My Father's house are many
mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for
you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive
you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Notice that Jesus saidthat He was going to prepare a place for us. That means
that neither Erna, nor you, nor I, nor anyone in the world would be able to
prepare a place for ourselves in the mansions of heaven. It would take
perfection and, as you are fully aware, no one born of a man and a woman is
perfect. Not only are there things that we do which are sin, so are those sins
that we don’t do but are commanded to do. Even imperfect thoughts render a
soul unfit for heaven. So, no one is able to earn the way to heaven, and any
attempt to do so and any sort of preparations we undertake to impress God
and to earn His favor is a rejectionof Christ, both Who He is, and what He
has done, for us to be in heaven.
Jesus saidthat He was going to prepare a place for us. In order to do so, He
doesn’t pack up His suitcase and zip up into heaven. No indeed. To prepare a
place for us He has a specific course to follow. In order for Erna, or you, or
me, or anyone to ascendto the joys of the Father’s heaven, Jesus must
descendto the sorrows ofthis fallen world. In order to remove the curse from
us, Jesus must become a curse in our place. In order to be forgiven of all our
sins, Jesus must take all our sins upon Himself and then pay the awful price of
all of them. This He did when He was crucified and when He hung from the
cross.
There, on that cursed, barren, leafless tree He was preparing a place for us in
our Father’s House. To the repentant thief who prayed to God, “Lord,
remember me when you come into Your Kingdom,” Jesus said, “Truly I say
to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” WhenJesus sufferedand died
on the cross, He bought us back, He redeemedus from sin and from an
eternity apart from Him, which is hell. This is what Erna believed and
confessed. This is what gave her a joyful hope in the dark days of the past year
and what sustainedher soul in the long hours of the painful nights.

Jesus saidHe was going to prepare a place for us in our Father’s House. In
order to do so, He died on the cross and His Body was placedin a tomb of
death. It did not look like He was going anywhere, let alone to prepare a place
for us. But behold, on the third day Jesus the Christ rose againfrom the dead.
That grave could not keepHim, for He is God and He was going to prepare a
place for us. If the cross tells us that our sins have been paid for and that
God’s wrath has found satisfactionin Christ’s crucifixion, then the empty
tomb on Eastermorning shouts the truth that death has been defeatedand
that those who depart this life trusting in Christ, are with the Lord where He
is, just as Erna now is. It is also the promise that, on the lastday, our bodies
with be raised from the dead and united with us and we will be with the Lord
forever in our Father’s House. Is it any wonder why Erna wanted us to sing,
“I Know that My RedeemerLives”?
Following His sin-atoning Deathand His death-defeating Resurrection, Jesus
ascendedinto Heaven in the final preparations necessaryfor Erna, for you,
for me, and for everyone. All things are now ready and Christ has given to His
Church the means for granting people the gift of faith and of making them
children of God and heirs of heaven. This takes place through Baptism, which
is for
40 John 14 2-3 - Jesus Prepared- Erna Cook 2005(MLM) – page 3
www.scholia.net
you and for your children. In Baptism God calls you His own and gives His
gifts to you. Jesus said, “Whoeverbelieves and is baptized will be saved.” This
is what Erna believed and it was so from the very day of her Baptism.
The Church is given the authority to forgive sins and this is what Erna heard
when she came to Church – namely, that she was forgiven of all her sins in the
Name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit. When she was no
longerable to come to Church, the Ministry of the Word came to her and she
heard the same Word of forgiveness as she prepared for and receivedthe

Body and the Bloodof Jesus in the Lord’s Supper. Is it any wonder that Erna
could commend herself – her body and soul – into the nail-pierced hands of
the Lord and depart in peace according to the promise of Jesus Who said, In
My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told
you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may
be also?
So here we are this day. A generationof the Cook Family has now entered
eternity. The next generation now steps forward and toes the line. Each
member thereof awaits that one day that will come sooneror later. Dearly
beloved, all preparations have been made for eachone. Not everyone,
however, cares. How about you? How about your children? I implore you. I
plead with you. I beg you, that if you have neglectedthe spiritual care of
yourself and your family, to not let such continue another week, oranother
day, or even another hour.
God will have the last Word. Listen to the GospelReading once again, noting
as you listen that three things that are certain – one, God in Christ has died
for all your sins and prepared the way for you to be with Him forever in
heaven; and two, there will come a day when your coffin will not be empty;
and three, you either will, or you will not, receive the promised blessings
because ofall . . .
. . . “The Preparations Jesus Made for You.”
“’Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My
Father's House are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I
go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be

also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.’Thomas saith unto
Him, ‘Lord, we know not whither thou goest;and how can we know the way?’
Jesus saithunto him, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh
unto the Father, but by Me’” (John 14:1-6). Amen.
Thanks be to God for Erna, Who is, according to the Promise of the God, with
the LORD in those many mansions of the Father’s House. Amen
http://scholia.net/files/sermons_funerals1/40%20John%2014%202-3%20-
%20Jesus%20Prepared%20-%20Erna%20Cook%202005%20(MLM).pdf
A Prepared Place
Contributed by Jimmy Dillon on Jun 27, 2018
Scripture: John 14:1-3
Denomination: Baptist
Summary: Sermon for Funeral
Jesus, in his text tells us He has provided…
1. A PREPARED PLACE
Jesus has prepared a place – a final resting place
A place called Heaven – no more pain, sorrows, tears
It’s a place of greenpastures; flowing streams; streets ofgold
It’s a place that we should all long to dwell
But, this place Jesus prepared is a place for…
2. A PREPARED PEOPLE

This place is only for those who have prepared to go there
Knowing life on earth will end – we must prepare for the eternal after-life
Can’t prepare by being goodenough – going to church – doing gooddeeds
Well, how do we prepare? Even Thomas askedthat in vs 5
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“Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way”
In vs 6, Jesus gives all of us the answerto being a prepared people
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me”
Jesus saidthe only wayto prepare for the place he has for us is to realize that
He is the only way to that place
Rev 3:20 Jesus says he stands at the door and knocks…
(Name) knew that Jesus prepareda place for a prepared people and He
acceptedJesus as the only way in His life
You and I must make the same decisionbefore this life passes becauseif we
leave this life without accepting Him
There is a prepared place as well for those who rejectChrist – a terrible place
calledHell – and no one should want to go there.
May we all prepare for the journey after this life
Pray

View all Sermons
A Prepared Place
Contributed by Jimmy Dillon on Jun 27, 2018
(rate this sermon)
| 2,753 views
Scripture: John 14:1-3
Denomination: Baptist
Summary: Sermon for Funeral
Jesus, in his text tells us He has provided…
1. A PREPARED PLACE
Jesus has prepared a place – a final resting place
A place called Heaven – no more pain, sorrows, tears
It’s a place of greenpastures; flowing streams; streets ofgold
It’s a place that we should all long to dwell
But, this place Jesus prepared is a place for…
2. A PREPARED PEOPLE

This place is only for those who have prepared to go there
Knowing life on earth will end – we must prepare for the eternal after-life
Can’t prepare by being goodenough – going to church – doing gooddeeds
Well, how do we prepare? Even Thomas askedthat in vs 5
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church media.
Free With PRO →
“Lord, wedon’t knowwhereyouaregoing, so howcan weknowtheway”
In vs6, Jesusgivesallof ustheanswerto beinga preparedpeople
“I am thewayandthetruthandthelife. No onecomesto theFather except
throughme”
Jesussaid theonlywayto preparefor theplacehehasforusisto realizethat
He is theonlywayto thatplace
Rev 3:20Jesussayshestandsatthedoorandknocks…
(Name) knewthatJesusprepareda placefora preparedpeopleandHe
accepted Jesusastheonlywayin Hislife
You andI mustmakethesamedecision beforethislifepassesbecauseif we
leavethislifewithout accepting Him
Thereisa preparedplaceaswellfor thosewho reject Christ – a terribleplace
calledHell – andno oneshouldwantto go there.
May weallpreparefor thejourney after thislife
Pray

John 14:3JesusPromiseMeA HomeOverThereIn Heaven
November16,2015
John 14:3- Andif I go andpreparea placeforyou, I willcomeagainandreceive
you to Myself,thatwhereI am, youmaybealso.
Jesusspoketheseprofoundwords of promiseto Hisdisciples. Thesewordsstill
yetringstruetodayto everybelieverin JesusChrist.
After Hisresurrection, Jesusappearedto manyfor 40days,thenascendedback
to heavenwithGodtheFather.
JesusdeclaredthatHeiscomingback.When isHecoming?Theday andhour is
unknown. Let'slisten to Matthew24:36-Concerningthatdayand hourno one
knows,not eventheangelsof heaven, butMyFatheronly.
Onethingfor sureisthefactthatJesus"WILL"return. WhenHedoes, manywill
be unpreparedjustlikemanyin thedaysof Noah.
Let'slisten to Matthew24:37-41-37Aswerethedaysof Noah, so willbethe
comingof theSonof Man.38 For asin thedaysbeforetheflood, theywere
eatinganddrinking, marryingandgivingin marriage,untilthedayNoah
enteredtheark,39 anddidnot knowuntiltheflood cameandtookthemall
away, so willbethecomingof theSon of Man. 40Two willbein thefield;one
willbetaken, andtheotherleft. 41Two womenwill begrindingatthemill; one
willbetaken, andtheotherleft.
God toldNoah to buildthearkbecausea flood wascoming. Yearswentby and
the floodnevercame,butNoahkeptbuildingby faith. I am sureNoahwas
scoffedandmockedwithoutlimit. Themorehebuiltand themorehe preached
to warnthepeople, themorehewaslaughedatandcalleda fool, or asthefolks
wouldsaytoday,"Jesuscrazy".
Scripturedescribesthedaysin whichtheark wasbuiltandthefloodcameasa
timeof sorrow forthepeoplehadbeencaughtoff guard, livinglifeaccordingto
whatwasright in their owneyes.

Let'slisten to thebibledescriptionof how thepeoplewerelivingwhenNoah
wastoldto build theark andwarnthepeoplein Genesis5:11-Theearthwas
corruptbeforeGodandfullof violence.
Doesthedaysof Noahsoundsfamiliarto thetimein whichwenow live?
The "Ark"wasa foretasteof whatwasto come. Symbolicof ChristasSaviorfor
thosewho believein Him.
Manytoday arelivingjustlikethosein thedaysof Noah. Eat, drinkand be
merry.MockingGodand thoseHesentforth to proclaimHisGospel.
Likein thedaysof Noah, thefloodcameandallthepeopleof theearth drowned
acceptNoah, hiswife, his3 sonsandtheir wives, everyanimal, creatureand
bird accordingto it'skind wassavedthatday.
The floodcameunexpectedto thosewho didnot believe. Therainlasted for 40
daysand 40nightsandallthepeopleof theearthperished.They wereall
caught offguardbecauseGodcameatan unexpectedtime. A timethey hadnot
prepared for. Therefore, theirlivesperishin theflood.
Whatmanyhavefailedto realizedtodayalso isthefactthatit isGod'swillthat
noneshouldperish. Godisnotslack concerningHispromise, for Hewilldo just
whatHesaysHewilldo.
God ispatientlywaitingandgivingman a chanceto makea totalsurrender of
his willto thewillof Godforhisor herlife. In other words, Godisshowingthem
mercy, butonlyfora while,thenChristwillreturn.
Onethingto keep in mindisGod'stimeisnotthesameisour times. Scripture
declaresthata thousandyearsisasonedayunto theLord.
The pointtoday isto "keep watch"becausenoneof usknowwhenChristwill
return,therefore, wemustliveeachdayasif itisour last in doingwhatGodhas
commandedusto do.
We mustbereadyforweknownotthehournor thedaywhenChristwill
return.

My wordsto theunwiseon today, thosewho havebeenputtingoff salvationis
"nowistheacceptabletime.Nowisthedayof salvation. Nowisthetimeto seek
the Lord whileHemaybefound".
To thoseof youwho havebeenputtingoffthesalvationof yoursoulthrougha
personalrelationshipwithChrist, I plea, urgeandbegyouon today to seek the
LordwhileHemay befound.It istimeto getrightwithGodanddo it now!
Therewillcomea daywhen youwilllookfor HimandwillnotfindHim. That
day willbetoolateforyou.
Jesusdeclaresthesewordsto thosewho arewillingto seekHim for thesaving
of theirsoulsin John6:37AllwhomtheFather givesMewillcometo Me, andhe
who comesto MeI willnever castout.
If youhaveacceptedJesusChristasyour LordandSavior, Christpromisesyoua
homeover therein heaven.
As a matterof fact, Jesusdeclaresthesewordsto youand I on todayin John
14:3-Andif I go andpreparea placefor you,I willcomeagainandreceiveyou
to Myself, thatwhereI am, youmaybealso.
If youhavenotpreparedto meetChristwhenHereturnsfor His people, where
willyouspendeternity? Heavenisa prepared placefor preparedpeople.
Remember, Jesusiscomingback, therefore“bewatchful” for youdo notknow
the day or hour of Hisreturn.
The questionleftto beansweredby allof uson today is"willwebereadyto
meetChrist whenHereturns?"
Saintsof God, youcanrejoiceon today becauseJesuspromisesyoua homein
heaven.
God blessandI loveyouall.
Debra
http://www.tellthelordthankyou.com/blog/2015/11/15/john-143-god-
promised-me-a-home-over-there

Jesus was a preparer

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