I Am Going to Come Again

JOHN 14:1-iii

Jesus' Parting Words to His Disciples

"Exercise not let your hearts be distressed. Y'all believe in God; believe also in me. There are many domicile places in my Father's house. Otherwise, I would have told you. I am going away to make prepare a place for you. And if I go and make gear up a place for yous, I will come again and take you lot to be with me, so that where I am you may be likewise.

The iii verses nosotros have now read are rich in precious truth. For eighteen centuries they have been especially beloved to Christ's believing servants in every part of the globe. Many are the sick rooms which they have lightened! Many are the dying hearts which they have cheered! Let the states see what they comprise.

We have, beginning, in this passage a precious remedy against an former illness. That disease is trouble of heart. That remedy is religion.

Heart-trouble is the commonest matter in the earth. No rank, or class, or condition is exempt from it. No confined, or bolts, or locks can keep information technology out. Partly from inward causes and partly from outward causes--partly from the body and partly from the mind--partly from what we love and partly from what nosotros fright, the journeying of life is total of trouble. Even the all-time of Christians accept many bitter cups to drink between grace and celebrity. Even the holiest saints find the world a valley of tears.

Faith in the Lord Jesus is the only sure medicine for troubled hearts. To believe more than thoroughly, trust more entirely, rest more unreservedly, lay hold more firmly, lean back more completely--this is the prescription which our Primary urges on the attention of all His disciples. No doubt the members of that little band which sat circular the table at the last supper, had believed already. They had proved the reality of their faith by giving up everything for Christ'southward sake. Yet what does their Lord say to them here? Once more He presses on them the old lesson, the lesson with which they first began--"Believe! Believe more! Believe on Me!" (Isaiah. 26:3.)

Never allow us forget that there are degrees in organized religion, and that there is a broad difference between weak and strong believers. The weakest faith is enough to give a human a saving interest in Christ, and ought not to be despised, but information technology will not give a man such in comfort every bit a strong faith. Vagueness and dimness of perception are the defect of weak believers. They practice non run across clearly what they believe and why they believe. In such cases more faith is the one matter needed. Like Peter on the h2o, they demand to look more steadily at Jesus, and less at the waves and air current. Is information technology non written, "You lot will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You"? (Isaiah. 26:three.)

We take, secondly, in this passage a very comfy account of heaven, or the future home of saints. It is but little that we understand most heaven while we are hither in the body, and that little is generally taught the states in the Bible by negatives much more positives. But hither, at any rate, there are some manifestly things.

Heaven is "a Father's house,"--the business firm of that God of whom Jesus says, "I go to my Father, and your Father." It is, in a word, Abode--the home of Christ and Christians. This is a sweet and touching expression. Home, every bit we all know, is the place where we are generally loved for our ain sakes, and not for our gifts or possessions; the place where we are loved to the finish, never forgotten, and always welcome. This is one idea of heaven. Believers are in a strange country, and at schoolhouse, in this life. In the life to come they volition be at habitation.

Heaven is a place of "MANSIONS"--of lasting, permanent, and eternal dwellings. Hither in the body nosotros are in temporary lodgings, tents, and tabernacles, and must submit to many changes. In heaven we shall be settled at last, and go out no more than. "Here we accept no continuing urban center." (Heb. xiii:14.) Our house non made with hands shall never be taken downwardly.

Heaven is a place of "MANY mansions." There will be room for all believers and room for all sorts, for little saints besides as swell ones, for the weakest laic as well as for the strongest. The feeblest child of God demand non fear there volition be no place for him. None will exist shut out but impenitent sinners and obstinate unbelievers.

Heaven is a identify where CHRIST HIMSELF SHALL Exist PRESENT. He will non be content to dwell without His people--"Where I am, there you shall exist besides." We need non think that we shall be alone and neglected. Our Savior--our elder Blood brother--our Redeemer, who loved us and gave Himself for us, shall be in the midst of us forever. What we shall see, and whom we shall see in heaven, we cannot fully conceive nevertheless, while we are in the torso. Simply one thing is sure--we shall see Christ.

Let these things sink down into our minds. To the worldly and careless they may seem nothing at all. To all who feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of God they are full of unspeakable comfort. If we promise to exist in heaven it is pleasant to know what heaven is like.

We have, lastly, in this passage a solid ground for expecting good things to come. The evil centre of unbelief within us is apt to rob us of our comfort virtually heaven. "We wish we could think information technology was all true." "We fear nosotros shall never exist admitted into heaven." Let us hear what Jesus says to encourage us.

One cheering word is this--"I go to PREPARE a place for yous." Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people--a identify which we shall find Christ Himself has made ready for true Christians. He has prepared it past procuring a right for every sinner who believes to enter in. None tin stop us, and say nosotros have no business there. He has prepared it by going before usa as our Head and Representative, and taking possession of it for all the members of His mystical body. Every bit our Forerunner He has marched in, leading captivity convict, and has planted His banner in the state of glory. He has prepared it by carrying our names with Him equally our High Priest into the holy of holies, and making angels fix to receive us. Those who enter heaven volition find they are neither unknown nor unexpected.

Another cheering word is this--"I will come up once again and receive you unto myself." Christ will not wait for believers to come up to Him, but will come up downwardly to them, to raise them from their graves and escort them to their heavenly home. Every bit Joseph came to run into Jacob, so will Jesus come to call His people together and guide them to their inheritance. The second appearance ought never to be forgotten. Great is the blessedness of looking back to Christ coming the kickoff time to suffer for us, just no less great is the comfort of looking forrard to Christ coming the 2nd fourth dimension, to raise and advantage His saints.

Let us leave the whole passage with solemnized feelings and serious self-examination. How much they miss who alive in a dying world and yet know nothing of God as their Father and Christ as their Savior! How much they possess who live the life of faith in the Son of God, and believe in Jesus! With all their weaknesses and crosses they have that which the world tin neither give nor take away. They have a truthful Friend while they live, and a true home when they die.

Technical Notes:

ane.   Permit not your middle exist troubled; ye believe in God, believe likewise in me. 2. In my father's firm are many mansions; if it were not and then, I would have told you lot. I become to gear up a identify for you. 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, in that location ye may exist also.

1.--[Allow not...troubled.] Nosotros must advisedly retrieve that there is no break between the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th chapters. Our Lord is continuing the discourse He began afterwards the Lord's Supper and the departure of Judas, in the presence of the eleven faithful disciples. A slight pause there certainly seems to be, since He turns from Peter (to whom He had been speaking individually) to the whole torso of the Apostles and addresses them collectively. But the place, the time, and the audience are all 1.

Our Lord's great object throughout this and the ii following chapters seems clear and manifestly. He desired to condolement, constitute, and build upward His downcast disciples. He saw their "hearts were troubled" from a variety of causes—partly past seeing their Master "troubled in Spirit" (13:21), partly by hearing that 1 of them should betray Him, partly past the mysterious departure of Judas, partly by their Primary's announcement that He should simply be a lilliputian time longer with them and that at concluding they could non come up with Him, and partly past the warning addressed to Peter that he would deny His Master three times. For all these reasons this little visitor of weak believers was disquieted and cast downwards and anxious. Their gracious Master saw information technology and proceeded to give them encouragement: "Let not your eye be troubled." It volition exist noted that He uses the singular number "your center," not "your hearts." He means "the center of whatsoever one of you." Hengstenberg gives the following listing of the grounds of comfort which the chapter contains, in systematic guild, which well deserves attention.

(a) The first encouragement is: to the disciples of Christ heaven is sure (v.2,3).

(b) The 2nd encouragement is: disciples in Christ take a certain way to sky (v.4-eleven).

(c) The third encouragement is: disciples need not fright that with the departure of Christ His work will cease (5.12-14).

(d) The fourth encouragement is: in the absence of Christ disciples will have the aid of the Spirit (v.xv-17).

(due east) The fifth encouragement is: Christ will not leave His people forever, simply will come dorsum once more (v.18-24).

(f) The sixth encouragement is: the Spirit will teach the disciples and supply their lack of understanding when left alone (v.25,26).

(m) Finally, the seventh encouragement is: the legacy of peace will be left to cheer them in their Chief's absence (5.27). These 7 points are well worthy the attention of all believers in every age and are equally useful now as when commencement pressed on the eleven.

Lightfoot thinks one principal cause of the disciples' trouble was their disappointment at seeing their Jewish expectations of a temporal kingdom nether a temporal Messiah declining and coming to an end.

[Ye believe in God, believe also in me.] The Gospel words rendered "Ye believe" and "believe" in this identify acknowledge of being differently translated, and information technology is impossible to say certainly whether our English language version is right.  Some, equally Luther, think both words should exist indicative: "ye believe and ye believe." Some think both should exist imperative: "believe and believe." My own stance is decided that the English language version is right. It seems to me to express exactly the state of mind in which the disciples were. They did, as pious Jews, believe in God already. They needed, every bit young Christians, to exist taught to believe more thoroughly in Christ.  Among those who think that both verbs are imperative are Cyril, Augustine, Lampe, Stier, Hengstenberg, and Alford. Amidst those who attach to our English version and make the first "believe" indicative and the second imperative, are Erasmus, Beza, Grotius, and Olshausen.  Let us note that faith, and specially more strong and distinct faith in Christ, is the truest remedy for trouble of heart. Simply we must never forget that true faith admits of growth and degrees. At that place is a wide gulf between little and bully faith.

Ferus remarks that our Lord does not say "Believe my divinity," but "Believe personally in Me." Toletus observes that our Lord here teaches that Jewish religion was somewhat distinct from Christian faith. The Jew, not seeing clearly the Trinity, dwelt chiefly on the unity of God. The Christian was intended to see iii Persons in the Godhead.

Wordsworth remarks that the verb "to believe" followed past a preposition and an accusative, is never applied to any but God in the New Testament.

2.--[In my Father's firm.] This phrase tin can deport only one pregnant. It is my Male parent's house in Heaven—an expression accomodated to our weakness.  God needs no literal firm with walls and roof, equally we exercise. But where He dwells is called His house. (See Deut. 26:15, Ps. 33:14, 2 Chr. 38:27, 2 Cor. five:1.) There is something very touching and comforting in the thought that the heaven nosotros go to is "our Father'southward house." It is home.

[Are many mansions.] The word rendered "mansions" means literally "abiding-places." Information technology is but used here, and in the 23rd verse of this chapter, "domicile." We need not doubt that there is an intentional contrast between the unchanging, unvarying house in heaven and the changing, uncertain dwellings of this world. Here we are always moving; there we shall no more become out. (Meet too Heb. 13:fourteen.)

Our Lord's intention seems to be to comfort His disciples by the thought that zilch could bandage them out of the heavenly business firm. They might exist left alone past Him on world; they might exist even bandage out of the Jewish Church building and discover no resting identify or refuge on globe. But there would be always room plenty for them in heaven and a house from which they would never exist expelled. "Fright not. There is room enough in sky." Chrysostom, Augustine, and several other ancient writers remember the "many mansions" mean the degrees of glory. But the argument in favor of the idea does non appear to me satisfactory. Bishop Balderdash, Wordsworth, and some few modern writers take the same view. That there are degrees of celebrity in sky is undoubtedly true, merely I exercise not think it is the truth of this text.

The modern idea that our Lord meant that heaven was a place for all sorts of creeds and religions seems utterly unwarranted past the text. From the whole context He is plain speaking for the special condolement of Christians.

Lightfoot'due south thought, that our Lord meant to teach the passing away of the Jewish economic system and the admission of all nations into heaven by religion in Christ, seems fanciful.

[If it were not so...you.] This is a gracious way of assuring the disciples that they might have confidence that what their Lord said was true. It is the tender style of a parent speaking to a child. "Practice not exist afraid because I am leaving you. In that location is plenty of room for you in heaven. You will get there prophylactic at last. If there was the to the lowest degree dubiousness most it, I would tell y'all." We may call up that our Lord called the Apostles "lilliputian children" but a few minutes before (John thirteen:33).

[I get to prepare a identify for you.] This sentence is meant to be another ground of comfort. I of the reasons why our Lord went abroad, He says, was to get ready a dwelling place for His disciples. It is similar the expression in Hebrews, "the precursor." (Heb. 6:20; see also Num. 10:33.) The manner in which Christ prepares a identify for His people is mysterious and yet not inexplicable. He enters heaven as their High Priest, presenting the merit of his sacrifice for their sins. He removes all barriers that sin made between them and God. He appears as their proxy and representative and claims a correct of entry for all His assertive members.  He intercedes continually for them at God's right paw and makes them always acceptable in Himself, though unworthy in themselves. He bears their names mystically, as the High Priest, on His chest and introduces them to the courtroom of heaven before they get there.  That heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people is a very auspicious and animative thought. When we make it there we shall not be in a strange state. We shall detect we accept been known and thought of before we got there.

3.--[And if I go...receive you to myself. ] These words comprise some other strong consolation. Our Lord tells the disciples that if He does go away, they must not call back information technology is forever. He means to come again and have them all dwelling and gather them round Him in one united family, to part no more.  Poole remarks: "The particle 'if' in this identify denotes no doubtfulness of the affair only has the force of 'although' or 'afterward that.'" (See also Col.  iii:i.)

Many call back, as Stier, that the "coming again" here spoken of means Christ's coming to His disciples after His resurrection, or Christ's coming spiritually to His people in comfort and aid even at present, or Christ's coming to remove them at last by death. I cannot think and so. I believe that, every bit a rule, when Christ speaks of coming over again both here and elsewhere, He ways His own personal second appearance at the stop of the impunity. The Greek give-and-take rendered "I will come up" is in the present tense and the aforementioned that is used in Rev. 22:twenty: "I come quickly." The outset and second advents are the two bully events to which the minds of all Christians should be directed.  This is Cyril's view of the passage and Bishop Hall's.  [That where I am, there ye may exist besides.] Here is 1 more condolement. The final end of Christ's going away and coming once more is that at last His disciples may be in one case more with Him and enjoy His company forever. "We part; only we shall see again and part no more." Allow the states note that one of the simplest, plainest ideas of heaven is here. It is being "e'er with the Lord." Whatever else nosotros see or practice not run across in heaven, we shall encounter Christ. Whatever kind of a place, information technology is a place where Christ is. (Phil. 1:23, 1 Thess. 4:17.)

From Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (eBook) by J. C. Ryle

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Source: https://www.monergism.com/i-go-prepare-place-you-john-141-3

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