September 30, 2010

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And 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. You know the way to the place where I am going." Jesus the Way to the Father Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:1-6

Jesus was preparing His disciples for his impending death and departure.

First, He wanted to get them focused beyond the grave. Death brings separation and seems very final to those who lose loved ones. Jesus wasn't looking forward to being separated from them and He knew they were not ready to be separated from Him. This was going to be some difficult days. Jesus was about to be arrested and abused and saddistically murdered. If they are not focused beyond death and the grave they will be devastated.

Second, He wanted to give them a big picture idea of where He would be and plant in their spirit the possibility of them being able to come and join Him some day. Just as He would have a safe and serene place to be for eternity, so would they if they will follow Him. Just as they believed in His life they must believe in His death and His "happy ever after".

We are the beneficiaries of this assurance Jesus gave to His disciples. Over the next few days we will learn about this eternal place where Jesus went and where the disciples have subsequently joined Him. Understanding that this place exists, what it is like and how to get there is crucial to having peace when death invades us to steal a loved or when it stares us in the face. When we can look beyond death to a better destination we can take courage to face death.

There is a very real sense in which Jesus came to live to teach us how to live. But He also came to prepare to die. He prepared us to die by assuring us that real life begins on the other side of death. And just as the Father created a beautiful place for us to live our 70 plus years, He also has created an unbelievably incredible place where we can live our eternity.

Don't you want to know about THAT place?

Stay with me the next few days! It will be "Heavenly"!