John 14:2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
The fourteenth chapter of the Gospel of John records the most extensive and profound teachings on eternal life that Jesus gave to His disciples. It is also known as the Farewell Discourse, and in it, Jesus is preparing His followers for what is coming. They will soon be separated from Him by death and resurrection. His words offer comfort in the midst of this time of tribulation.
Throughout this passage, Jesus makes clear that He is the source of life and that He alone can give it to others. He has come to lay down His life for His sheep, and to take it up again (John 10:17-18). He has authority over all things – including life and death. He has come to provide a deliverance from a life of bondage to sin and death, and to a life of freedom in eternity. This is a far greater deliverance than anything offered by the Pharaohs, or the Israelites. It is a deliverance that is only available through Him, and it can be received by anyone who believes in His name.
To those who follow Him, He promises that He will go to prepare a place or room for them. This is a significant promise, and there is a lot to unpack here.
What’s important to remember is that if Jesus goes to do this, it will only happen after He returns to heaven. He is not going away forever, but merely returning to the Father to do what He has been doing all along: showing that He and the Father are One (John 10:30).
When we hear the word “rooms” or “mansions,” it’s easy to assume that there will be lots of people in heaven. This, however, is not the case. These rooms or mansions are for those who put their trust in Jesus. They will be there with Him, and He will make a home or abide with them. It won’t be a matter of booking now before all the rooms are taken. The room is open to all who believe in Him, and requests made in His name are granted.
Thomas seems confused by this statement, and rightly so. To know how to get somewhere requires knowledge of the destination. It’s difficult to imagine that there are many ways to God, but Jesus assures His followers that He is the Way, and that by following Him, they will be saved (John 14:6). He is not only the Way, but the Truth and the Life – and those who receive Him will know them both. This is a knowledge that is not intellectual, but spiritual. It is the result of trust in Jesus and obedience to His commands. When we seek Him and love Him, He will reveal Himself to us. This is a knowledge that will bring peace in this troubled world, and the assurance of an eternity of joyous and eternal happiness. It is a knowledge worth more than any fortune that could be obtained here on earth.
