A Mansion Beyond?

As Jesus talked with his disciples that evening before his arrest and crucifixion, he wanted them to gain understanding of why this was all happening, AND, where it was all going.
It is the BIG picture that we often hear about.  A need exists at times for us to step back and gain a bigger perspective on what is going on around us.
Lost in the hectic-ness of life with all of it's running around, dealing with difficult, as well as normal everyday stuff...we lose sight of where it is all going.

Why are We Here?
Where is this all going?
God, what are you doing?
What do you want me to do? Be?

We don't stop long enough to ask the real questions.  Instead we stay occupied with the "little" things...the tyranny of the urgent some have called it.  It is those things that keep us occupied, while causing us to avoid "what's it all for, anyway?"

Here comes Jesus into this last evening:
Gathered for Passover as a community
He gives them an example of serving in washing their feet.
He tells them that he knows that one among them is going to betray him, and Judas leaves.
He speaks to them of the great commandment, and personalizes it to them, and therefore to us... the greatest thing we can do to/for one another is to love.

NOW...there's a chapter division in our Bibles, but there is no chapter division in Jesus' conversation with them.  Immediately upon telling them that they should love, he also tells them that he is soon going away, and they will not be able to go with him.
Peter protests..."No, I will not leave you..."
Jesus prophesies Peter's soon to come denial.
Then he tells them all, that they should not be dismayed by all of these events...they fit perfectly into the Father's plans, and when he leaves, he will go to prepare a room for their own coming.

Here's how the scripture said it:
John 13:36-38 and 14:1-4 (NIV)
³⁶ Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later."
³⁷ Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."
³⁸ Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

¹ "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
² 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.
³ 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.
⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going."

We all know, Jesus is not walking among us in body today.  He is with us in His Spirit, but we cannot see him (except through the acts of love he spoke of in each of us).

SO, What is Jesus doing?
Some would say, "He's sitting upon his throne, ruling, extending His Kingdom"... Good enough.
Others, "He's continuing to do works through the church of His people..."  True.

One thing he said was:  "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".


As a young believer I was enamored by the idea of a MANSION being built for me in heaven.  It sounds so appealing, and that is the way the King James had translated "rooms".
The Greek word is mone...a dwelling place, a room.

In Jewish culture a man would be pledged to a woman, and vice-versa, in marriage.  The wedding would occur after the man had gone back to his family and built an addition, a room, another home, on the family property.  Then when the room, addition, was completed, he could come back for his bride, and they would be married.

Jesus is building the rooms for his church...the wedding is still to come, and event though we live in the disarray of the fallen creation around us, we still hear those words:
 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 

Peace