“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 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? 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” (John 14:1-4).

When a man stopped at a park and he saw a baseball game going on, he asked one of the boys what the score was.
The little guy replied with a smile, “We’re behind 14 to nothing.”
“Really,” said the man, “I have to say you don’t look very discouraged.”
“Discouraged?” the boy said with a puzzled look on his face. “Why should we be discouraged? We haven’t been up to bat yet.”

What a great attitude! It would be hard for the disciples to keep a good attitude when their leader started speaking about betrayal, death, and suffering. In Jewish thinking, it was unthinkable that the Messiah would die on a cross. In their minds, anyone who died on a cross (i.e. a tree) was cursed. So how could someone be sent by God and cursed by him at the same time?

In John 13, Jesus told his disciples that he was going to depart from them. In fact, within 24 hours Jesus would be crucified. It was disturbing news. However, the words Jesus spoke in John 14 were meant to reassure his followers that their grieving would one day be over. There were better days ahead!

In this well-known passage, Jesus is trying to put their hearts at ease. He assures them that they can trust in God and trust in him. The days ahead were going to be stressful and the departure of Jesus was going to test their faith. Our Lord let them know that even in his absence, he would still be working on their behalf. He says, “I am going to prepare a place for you!”

The most common quotation of this passage is from the King James Version of the Bible, which was translated into English in the year 1611. It says, “In my Father’s house are many mansions,” which suggests that each of his followers will have their own personal, huge, custom-built dwelling place, just waiting for their arrival in heaven! Wouldn’t that be nice?

However, the word mansion is an unfortunate translation of the original language. In essence Jesus is making this claim: In my Father’s house there is ample room for all to come. In other words, there is no shortage of space, no overcrowding or cramped quarters. There are enough dwelling places for everyone!

Our Lord makes it clear that he will come back and rejoin his followers. The point is, he wants to spend eternity with us, and he’s already gone before us to prepare some special accommodations! When we place our trust in the resurrected Christ, then we should also trust in his eventual return, because he made this promise to his disciples.

It’s evident that the disciples didn’t really understand the significance of Jesus’ words until after his death, resurrection, and ascension. In fact, “Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ 6 Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him’” (John 14:5-7).


Jesus didn’t say he’s a way or one of many ways to know the Father. In Acts 4:12, the apostle Peter adds, “Salvation is found in no one else [but Jesus], for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

• Buddha never said that he was the way.
• Mohammed never claimed to be the way to God.
• Confucius never said anything like that.

Jesus is the way to the Father. Through him we can enter into a personal relationship with God. Jesus is also the giver and sustainer of life. John 1:4 states, “In him [Jesus] was life, and that life was the light of men.” In John 11:25, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.”


Furthermore, Jesus Christ is the very embodiment of truth. He is the perfect picture of the Father’s heart for the human race. We can trust his words and trust in his guiding hand, even when we can’t understand all that’s happening.

Jesus understands what we’re going through. He knows what it’s like to have friends who walk out on you and betray you. He understands the pain you’re going through. Sometimes we need to slow down and allow ourselves to feel the pain of grief and loss, but not stop there. Let’s pour our hearts out to the One who can comfort us and give us wisdom and grace.

On the night that Jesus was betrayed, he gathered his friends together. Don’t try to go through the grieving process alone. Talk to a trusted friend, a pastor, or counselor. Write your thoughts in a journal and lift them up to God. Most people either medicate pain or try to stuff it inside. It’s better to follow the advice of the psalmist when he says, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8).

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we lean on you today and cast all of our anxiety on you because we know you care. Thank you for understanding our weaknesses and our distress. Strengthen our faith so that we will continue to trust you in every area of our lives.

Question

Have you let go of your worries and expressed your confidence in God to work for your good and his glory?