In My Father's House

In My Father's House

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:1-3

The text for today is no doubt one that all of us have heard on many different occasions. So, where is this place? And, what is this place? And, is it a place that can be accessed right nowor is it a place that only may be experienced in the afterlife? This is one of the most misunderstood texts as well-even in the world of fulfilled prophecy.

One of the reasons we prefer to speak about "covenant" eschatology is because once we leave the arena of covenantal transition, (that first century period of time when the O.Cov is going out and the N.Cov is coming in) we are cut from our moorings and floating hopelessly into a sea of conflicting ideas and theologies as to what the New Testament writers are speaking about.

John is not leaving our present dimension in hopes of addressing some place many people refer to as "heaven." John is staying rooted in a covenant story about a relationship between a covenant people and their God. This story is as old, and is the same, as the story of Abraham.

The Book of Hebrews tells us about the contrasting systems of the "earthly" and "heavenly" aspects of two covenant ages. It tells us that the "heavenly" tabernacle is not made with hands (Heb. 9:11,23,24) and that it stands in direct contrast to the "worldly" or "earthly" tabernacle of the Old Covenant order (Hebrews 9:1-10).
This same covenantal contrast is seen with reference to Abraham and his faith.

His vision, his faith was fixed on the heavenly country and city (Heb. 11:9-16) rather than on the "earthly" country (Canaan) and city (Jerusalem). But the writer of Hebrews makes it clear that these were shadows of the coming good things of what?-of the New Covenant. Not afterlife!

In other words, this heavenly city for which Abraham yearned, was about a relationship with God and not a "place" per se. This is the same understanding of Paul as well as he writes in Galatians 4 the two children are two covenants representing two cities an earthly and a heavenly, but they are then correlated to two covenants and the heavenly city we are told is the New Covenant-a covenant, we might add, that was about to be the only one standing when the old city, the old covenant, was cast out (Galatians 4:21-31).

We see the same language in the Book of Revelation regarding the coming of the new heaven and earth and the new Jerusalem they are representative of a covenantal relationship with God that "must shortly come to pass" (Rev. 1:1,3).

So, when John reports the words of Jesus as telling the disciples that he is going to prepare a place for them in the Father's house-he is certain to stress that he would come again and take them to himself, to Jesus, that they might be in the same "relationship" with the Father that Jesus would experience ie., reconciled with God.

How do we know this is what he is saying?

It was not uncommon in Scripture for the people of God to put great emphasis on being "face to face" with God and each other. This is how covenants were made. This is why God said he would take his people by the right handthat's what we do when we shake hands-we are face to face. In verse 3 of John 14, Jesus literally says, "I will come again and make you to be face to face with me."

It isn't about gaining release from this realm, this dimension, it is about gaining the embrace of heaven. It is about winning reconciliation with the Father. It is about Jesus making good on his promise that he was from the world above and that heaven did in fact come down in other words, in the covenantal presence or return of Christ, all of space has become sacred space.

There is no longer a gap between us and God. The old covenant world that kept us separate from God and ourselves and each other was overcome. The promise of Jesus was made good. The power of his word was made evident. The old heaven and earth vanished (covenantally speaking) and the new arrived.

Now, today, this moment, you and I have been gathered to Jesus and enjoy a face-to-face relationship with God. There is no sin hanging over us, no gap between us. This is the reason Jesus admonished the disciples not to let their hearts be troubled. His mission would succeed humanity would be restored to the Father.

This webcast is the 22st program in a series on "The Gospel of John." Listeners are encourage to read along in the Gospel as a way to delve deeper into this study. Programs will be released every two weeks. The "Presence Today" show premiered a year ago and has become the leading webcast of the fulfilled world. Shows are archived, so viewers can watch them anytime. See full story and instructions.

Viewers with slower modems may also download the program to their computer, rather than view the program online. This will help prevent the audio/video from spooling, if you watch it "offline." Either way, viewers need the RealOne Player, a free browser plug-in. Click here to learn how to get the latest player. Click the "Real Media" button below to view our Jan. 19th program.

The Gospel of John, Pt 22, Jan 19, 2005