The Promise of Heaven
(A Night Like No Other – Part 3)
#139 in Series: “The Life of Christ – in a Harmony of The Gospels”
In our series in the life and ministry of Jesus, we have come to one of my favorite sections of God’s Word; Johnchapters 14-17… John records what Jesus said and did on the night, before Jesus was arrested, “tried” and then crucified…
Most believe that Jesus and the remaining 11 apostles are still in the Upper Room when Jesus shares this message with the disciples… Let’s read our text for today:
John 14:1-6
1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 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. 4 And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Pastor:“This is the Word of the Lord”
Congregation:“Thanks be to God”
As we begin to think through what Jesus is saying, we encounter –
1. The Compassion and Comfort in Jesus’ Words
Jesus has been speaking many words over the previous few years to these disciples. There have been words of instruction – words of correction – and even words that challenged them to their deepest core… Jesus always knew what to say, and when to say it.
Here, on the night before the greatest trial of all, Jesus purposefully speaks words of compassion and comfort to those whom He loved most, His disciples…
Notice first, that Jesus speaks to –
Life in this fallen world is full of trouble, and Jesus knows exactly what these guys are experiencing – and He knows all that they will be facing in the hours and days to come!... And He says –
John 14:1
“Do not let your heart be troubled;
Jesus knows … trouble. He has already been experiencing it Himself that night! Judas has already left the room to betray Him! He knows what He is about to face! And John already told us about how all of this was impacting Jesus!
In chapter 12, when Jesus was about to tell His disciples that the hour for His departure was just about here, He said –
John 12:27
“Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
The point is – Jesus knows trouble, but even in the midst of all that is going on in His heart – He is concerned for His disciples!
He is aware of the internal stress they were experiencing! For the past several hours He has been telling them … things about to change, and He would be leaving. He just told them that one among them is betraying Him, and He just told Peter that before the rooster crows in the morning, he will actually deny that he even knows Jesus, and he will do this … three times!...
There is plenty of reason for the disciples to be troubled!... And Jesus turns to them to bring … good news to them, that they need to grasp, trust, and apply!
Let’s press on, and read of the –
The remedy for trouble … comes from God! Jesus said –
John 14:1
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
These are direct words for His disciples then – and they are still valid for His disciples now! Jesus specifically, and directly calls for us to look upward!
You were not designed to face the troubles of life … independent of God. In fact, you and I were designed to look to the Lord in everything in life… Trials have a way of especially pointing us to our need to look to the Lord!
Grammatically there is some question about how this appeal reads in English… In the NAS it reads that Jesus is encouraging the disciples to believe in God – and also encouraging them to believe in Him… Though we always need encouragement to trust in the Lord, Jesus is actually, first … affirming the disciples for their belief in God!
“You believe in God … you trust in God” is the first part of Jesus’ statement… Jesus is encouraging us, that just as they believe in God – just as they trust in the Father – they / we need to trust in Jesus!
Jesus is from the Father. He is going back to the Father… Our trust in the Father is actually strengthened when we trust in Jesus!... In fact … as we will see later in Jesus’ words, one comes to trust, know, and love the Father … ONLY by trusting in Jesus!
The remedy for our troubled heart is not only provided BY God … the remedy is GOD Himself!...
Do you believe in Him? Are you trusting Him?...
What follows is … profound and precious… Let’s think about –
2. The Profound Promise in Jesus’ Words
This is important, and every disciple / every Christian needs to know this promise from our Lord… Jesus said –
John 14:2-3
2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 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.
There is a lot in what Jesus says… Let’s take it a phrase at a time…
First, Jesus gives –
John 14:2a
In My Father’s house are many dwelling places;
Jesus describes heaven as the Father’s house… He invokes the illustration of a house – a house in that culture – to describe the dwelling place of God…
“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places”, or “many rooms”, brings to the disciples’ minds the image of a father with a large house where rooms have been added as the family had expanded… This pictures heaven as … home!
Many have commented on the practice Jewish culture then, was that a father would build additional rooms onto his house for his sons and their families… You can think of this as large rooms or apartments in the Father’s “spacious house”.
The emphasis Jesus is making, is that Heaven is a place where –
Revelation 21:3
And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them
– God “tabernacles” among His Own! He is our God, we are His people! Heaven is the intimate, ongoing fellowship with our Lord!
I came across a quote [not in your notes] from Joseph Stowell, who was once the president of the Moody Bible Institute, and I use to read and listen to him a lot… God has used him to help me grow in Christ… Stowell said –
Joseph Stowell – “Home is where you feel comfortable, secure, safe, and at peace. Christ made clear that He came here to take us there. When heaven is home, earth becomes a far different place. It can threaten but not thwart. Trouble but not traumatize. Tempt but not conquer. Belief in heaven as home has led thousands of martyrs to brave the cruel reproaches of a hostile world and ordinary folk to live victoriously against everyday odds.”
The Christian is less and less “at home” here… and grows in their awareness and assurance that Home is there … and we’re going Home one day!
In speaking of this, Jesus also gives –
John 14:2b
In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you;
These men have been with Jesus for more than three years! They have known only truth to flow from His lips! They know His integrity for telling the truth – and Jesus simply reminds them of this!
Jesus is assuring the disciples that He would have told them otherwise – if there was an otherwise!...
You can count on Jesus for the truth!
Next, Jesus gives –
John 14:2c-3a
… for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you,...
Let’s stop there for a moment… The repeated word; “prepare” is significant!
Let’s pay attention to the verb here! Jesus is speaking about going to a place, and preparing it!... Question, is heaven a prepared place, or is it a place being prepared?... The answer is yes!
Heaven is the eternal place, where God resides! It is His home!... But Jesus here is speaking that He is … readyingheaven for bringing His disciples home to live with Him there!
Heaven is a place being prepared… for a people who areprepared to go!…
Are you prepared for heaven?...
And just as assuredly that Jesus has gone to heaven – He gives another assurance, and that is –
Now this is important… Why is Jesus going to return?... That is a big question, and the balance of Scripture has a lot to say about it. But, specifically, what is Jesus saying in this passage? Well, I agree with John MacArthur here. Listen carefully –
John MacArthur – “This is one of the passages that refers to the rapture of the saints at the end of the age when Christ returns. The features in this description do not describe Christ coming to earth with His saints to establish His kingdom (Rev. 19:11-15), but taking believers from earth to live in heaven. Since no judgment on the unsaved is described here, this is not the event of His return in glory and power to destroy the wicked (cf. Mt. 13:36-43, 47-50). Rather, this describes His coming to gather His own who are alive and raise the bodies of those who have died to take them all to heaven. This rapture event is also described in 1 Cor. 15:51-54; 1 Thess. 4:13-18. After being raptured, the church will celebrate the marriage supper (Rev. 19:7-10), be rewarded (1 Cor. 3:10-15; 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:9-10), and later return to earth with Christ when He comes again to set up His kingdom (Rev. 19:11-20:6).”
In our text, Jesus is simply stating the promise to come … for His Own!...
Notice what He will do with His Own, when He comes. We see it in –
Jesus will welcome His Own!...
John 14:3
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.
Jesus is going to “receive” His Own into His presence!... This is no small promise!
Jesus does not want His disciples to doubt this! We are given the assurance that if we are believing in God / believing in Jesus, we are the recipients of His great and … guaranteed promises! We don’t have to wonder if we will go to heaven – we are assured that that we are, and that He will … receive us!
Now, let’s lean into another nuance to His promise, and this too is important!
Jesus gives –
We will be with Him!
John 14:3
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.
The assurance is – we will be with Jesus!
Jesus is what makes heaven, heaven! It’s not so much the gates of pearl, the streets of gold, or the walls of jasper! It is the very presence of Christ!... Being in His presence… Being with HIM is what makes heaven … heaven!
We need to move on… What comes next, has challenged the minds of multitudes!... It is –
3. The Exclusive Claims within Jesus’ Words
Jesus offers the exclusive claim to being the Way, the Only Way – the Truth, the Absolute Truth – and the very source of Eternal Life… Let’s read it. Jesus says –
John 14:4-6
4 And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
The first thing we must address, is the question Thomas raised… Thomas is one who … had to be shown. He was a man who needed details. And here, he raises a question that may reflect his … doubts.
Thomas wasn’t getting that Jesus was talking about heaven, or that He – that is Jesus – is the way to heaven!... So, he posed this question –
John 14:5
Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?”
When it comes to trusting in what God has said, do you have doubts?... Are you living in … uncertainty, when it comes to what the Lord clearly says?...
Adrian Rogers once said – “Trying to live the Christian life with doubts is much like driving an automobile with the brakes on. You need to have not a hope-so, think-so, maybe-so, but a know-so salvation.”
Thomas is remembered for being the “doubting disciple”. We will see that later when it comes to him being able to accept that Jesus rose from the dead – and we may see a glimpse into his doubting nature even in the question he raised here… But what is more important, is that we see Jesus giving Thomas, and us, exactly what we need to know when it comes to dealing with our questions!
Let’s look at it. Jesus first assures us that –
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way… no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Notice the verb of being; “I am”... It is present tense! Jesus is not a “was”, or “will be” – He is “AM” – present tense! Right now – and always!
And Jesus is the-right-now, and … only means to heaven! This is the message of Christianity, because this is the message Christ – the message from God!... Jesus is the means – the Only means!
And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
It is interesting to note that the early church was known as … “The Way”!
(Acts 9:2, 19:9, 23, 24:14, 22)
Jesus gives another exclusive claim!
John 14:6b
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth…
Truth is not arbitrary, or fickle! Jesus tells the truth. He lives the truth. He IS the Truth!
God is a God of Truth! God does not change. Truth does not change! In our postmodern world, a world that likes to claim there is no such thing as truth, people are … dying for lack of truth!... Give them Jesus!
There is more that can be said here, but let’s move on and see Jesus’ exclusive claim that –
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Life itself is a gift from God! Sin entered the world and brought death! God in His Grace, sends us His Son, Who then brings the restoration of that life – eternal life!
Let’s be reminded of how John opened his Gospel report in the first chapter… Write down this reference –
John 1:1-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
There is more being said here about Jesus, but let’s not miss the emphasis for this point! Verse :4 says –
John 1:4
In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
Write down –
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Jesus’ whole life and ministry has been about bringing … life! He did so then! He does so now!
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Jesus is God’s Provision – God’s Solution to our greatest need! As long as there is sin, death, and darkness in the world – there is the need for Jesus!
Are you headed to heaven … through Christ? Rest in Him if you are… If you are not, repent of your sin, call out to Him in full surrender and become the recipient of His great salvation that is in Christ … Alone!
Questions to Consider in Community Group:
