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. And 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. John 14:2-3
Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure by leaving them with words of comfort, to express the sentiment that this is not goodbye, but see you later. When Jesus says “In My Father’s house are many mansions“ — What did He mean? What did the disciples understand Him to mean? How could they relate to mansions in the sky?
Archeologists have discovered dwelling places that date back to the times of Jesus in a region of Jerusalem, the most excavated part of the world. They called this unique style of private dwelling place “insula” — which is a large house with many small rooms for children prepared by their parents, most often fathers. The dwelling place featured a large courtyard which served as a common area for the children who each had a special dwelling place just for them.
The picture Jesus painted was familiar to the disciples, and so they were able to understand a place where they could all be together and dwell in a place prepared just for them. Jesus was a master of using simple things to illuminate heavenly messages. Whether he used the birds of the air; lilies in the field; sheep without a shepherd and many other references. He always spoke in plain language even if many hearers failed to see the spiritual lesson in His parables.
In order to insure understanding among those who had been with Him for the duration of His three year ministry. He sealed it with a promise that emphasizes truth “if it were not so, I would have told you“. In other words, I would not tell you something that was not true. Especially when it comes to the things that pertain to eternity. They knew He was going away, but they could not conceive of the Messiah dying. So He promised a prepared place, and that He would come again to receive them unto Himself.
The message to the disciples and to us, when Jesus says My Fathers House, is that we and they have an abode with the Son in a unique dwelling place prepared just for us. The writer of Hebrews put it this way — For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.
Jesus has the authority as a Son to prepare a place for us, and then receive us unto Himself, so that we can all go to that prepared place, if we hold fast the confidence and hope to the end. Come and go with me to My Father's House!
Maranatha
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