Monday, January 23, 2012

The Hope of Heaven!

John 14:1-3 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 again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.


Jesus starts out this chapter by stating .... “Let not your heart be troubled...”. Why would his disciples be troubled? Keep in mind that Jesus is giving essentially, his final instructions to his disciples before his arrest later on in that evening. Not only that, he has already made some troubling statements during the passover observance and Jesus’ institution of the Lord’s Supper memorial....


John 13:21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.


John 13:33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.


John 13:38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.


Jesus is giving hints that he is not going to be around very much longer. For them, that was very troubling. However, Jesus sensed that and tried to calm their fears. He calmed their fears, in part, by giving them Hope. Hope of a better life. Hope of better things to come. A hope of escaping from the burden of this life.


While most people focus on the beginning of verse 2 ... that he is preparing a mansion, I think there is something much better to look forward to. In the end of verse 3, he tells us about a characteristic of heaven that I look forward to the most....


John 14:3 ... that where I am, there ye may be also.


If you are in heaven, and you have a chance to spend time with Jesus or spend time in a house, even if it is a MANSION .... which would you choose? I would choose Jesus!


This past weekend, I had some friends that had the opportunity to meet John Calipari, the basketball coach for the University of Kentucky. I too would like to meet him because I have been a huge fan of KY most of my life. But, meeting John Calipari, or the president of the United States ... or any other human, does not hold a candle to being able to meet the man that left heaven, to come down to earth, and died on the cross for MY sins.


In my opinion, the greatest hope of heaven is the opportunity to be in the presence of the Creator; my Father in Heaven and he amazing, loving sacrificing Son that went to the cross of Calvary so that I would have that very opportunity. You can have your mansion. I want to spend time with my Father and my Savior!

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