learning DAILY



 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 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.”

Let me give the background to what Jesus said in these verses.  He is with His disciples in the Upper Room sharing their last meal together.  Jesus has washed the disciple’s feet, told them one of them will betray Him to the Pharisees, and told them to love one another.  The disciples had been with Jesus for three years, heard His teachings, but still did not understand His purpose on earth.  Now, He is telling them that He is going to leave them; where He is going, they cannot follow.  Imagine the confusion that must have surrounded them.  Peter is willing to lay His life down for Him – only to hear that he would deny Jesus three times that night.  Then Jesus tells them to not let their heart be troubled because He is going to His Father’s house where there are many rooms.  He is going to prepare a place for them and then come back and get them.

In John 2, Jesus had called the earthly temple His Father’s house.  Now He is going to His Father’s house in heaven, the eternal and heavenly temple.  He is going to prepare a place for all who follow Him.  There will be “many mansions” in God’s house.  Matthew Henry wrote that the mansions refer to “apartments” or “distinct dwellings”.  The Jimmy Swaggart Study Bible states, “Heaven is a large place; a place so large actually, that the possibilities transcend one’s imagination and exceeds our comprehension.”

Here again, the promise is to return from His Father’s presence to take His followers to be with Him in Heaven to the place prepared for them.  This is the hope of all who have believed in Him.  This is the reward for doing all we can to live a life pleasing to God!

Jesus’ words, “receive you to Myself” are interesting.  The research I did on this referred to two thoughts to consider.  First, when a Christian dies, the Lord receives or welcomes him or her with His love into the abundance of heaven.  The second thought in this phrase refers to the rapture of the church when all living Believers are “caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord and shall ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).  What a comforting thought as we go through this life and all the struggles it brings.  Jesus will welcome us into His presence for eternity!  What a wonderful hope we can have today!

1 Thessalonians 4:18, Therefore comfort one another with these words.

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