I Am Going to Come Again
JOHN 14:one-3
Jesus' Parting Words to His Disciples
"Exercise not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. There are many habitation places in my Father's house. Otherwise, I would have told you. I am going away to make ready a place for you lot. And if I go and brand gear up a place for y'all, I will come again and take yous to exist with me, and then that where I am y'all may be likewise.
The three verses we have at present read are rich in precious truth. For 18 centuries they have been peculiarly dear to Christ's assertive servants in every office of the earth. Many are the sick rooms which they have lightened! Many are the dying hearts which they accept cheered! Permit the states meet what they contain.
We have, first, in this passage a precious remedy confronting an quondam disease. That disease is problem of center. That remedy is organized religion.
Heart-problem is the commonest thing in the world. No rank, or form, or condition is exempt from it. No confined, or bolts, or locks can proceed 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 dear and partly from what we fright, the journeying of life is total of trouble. Even the best of Christians take many bitter cups to drinkable betwixt grace and glory. Fifty-fifty the holiest saints find the earth a valley of tears.
Religion in the Lord Jesus is the only certain medicine for troubled hearts. To believe more thoroughly, trust more entirely, residual more than unreservedly, lay hold more firmly, lean dorsum more than completely--this is the prescription which our Master urges on the attention of all His disciples. No doubt the members of that little band which sat circular the tabular array at the terminal supper, had believed already. They had proved the reality of their faith past giving up everything for Christ's sake. Notwithstanding what does their Lord say to them hither? Once again 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 u.s.a. 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 requite a man a saving interest in Christ, and ought not to be despised, but it will not give a man such inward comfort as a strong faith. Vagueness and dimness of perception are the defect of weak believers. They practise not meet clearly what they believe and why they believe. In such cases more faith is the one thing needed. Like Peter on the h2o, they demand to look more than steadily at Jesus, and less at the waves and current of air. Is information technology not written, "Yous will continue him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Yous"? (Isaiah. 26:iii.)
We accept, secondly, in this passage a very comfortable account of heaven, or the future abode of saints. Information technology is only petty that we empathize virtually heaven while nosotros are here in the body, and that picayune is generally taught united states of america in the Bible by negatives much more than than positives. But here, at whatever rate, there are some plain things.
Heaven is "a Begetter's house,"--the house of that God of whom Jesus says, "I go to my Begetter, and your Father." It is, in a word, Domicile--the habitation of Christ and Christians. This is a sweet and touching expression. Dwelling, as we all know, is the place where nosotros are by and large loved for our own sakes, and not for our gifts or possessions; the identify where we are loved to the end, never forgotten, and e'er welcome. This is one thought of heaven. Believers are in a foreign land, and at schoolhouse, in this life. In the life to come they will be at home.
Sky is a identify of "MANSIONS"--of lasting, permanent, and eternal dwellings. Hither in the trunk nosotros are in temporary lodgings, tents, and tabernacles, and must submit to many changes. In heaven nosotros shall be settled at terminal, and go out no more. "Hither nosotros have no standing city." (Heb. 13:14.) Our house non made with hands shall never exist taken down.
Heaven is a place of "MANY mansions." In that location will be room for all believers and room for all sorts, for little saints too as dandy ones, for the weakest believer equally well as for the strongest. The feeblest child of God need not fear there will exist no place for him. None will be shut out merely impenitent sinners and obstinate unbelievers.
Sky is a place where CHRIST HIMSELF SHALL Be PRESENT. He volition not be content to dwell without His people--"Where I am, in that location you lot shall be also." We need not recall that we shall be lone and neglected. Our Savior--our elderberry Brother--our Redeemer, who loved u.s. and gave Himself for usa, shall be in the midst of us forever. What we shall see, and whom we shall run across in heaven, we cannot fully excogitate yet, while nosotros are in the body. But one matter is sure--we shall come across Christ.
Let these things sink downward into our minds. To the worldly and careless they may seem nothing at all. To all who experience in themselves the working of the Spirit of God they are total of unspeakable comfort. If we hope to exist in sky 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 heart of unbelief within us is apt to rob united states of america of our comfort well-nigh sky. "Nosotros wish nosotros could think it was all truthful." "We fear we shall never be admitted into heaven." Permit us hear what Jesus says to encourage united states.
One cheering word is this--"I go to Gear up a place for you." Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people--a place which we shall observe Christ Himself has made prepare for true Christians. He has prepared it past procuring a correct for every sinner who believes to enter in. None tin stop u.s.a., and say nosotros have no business there. He has prepared it by going before united states as our Head and Representative, and taking possession of information technology for all the members of His mystical body. Equally our Forerunner He has marched in, leading captivity convict, and has planted His imprint in the state of glory. He has prepared it past carrying our names with Him every bit our High Priest into the holy of holies, and making angels ready to receive u.s.. Those who enter heaven will find they are neither unknown nor unexpected.
Another cheering word is this--"I will come again and receive you unto myself." Christ will non wait for believers to come to Him, but volition come downwards to them, to raise them from their graves and escort them to their heavenly dwelling house. As Joseph came to run across Jacob, so will Jesus come to call His people together and guide them to their inheritance. The second advent ought never to be forgotten. Not bad is the blessedness of looking back to Christ coming the first time to suffer for us, simply no less great is the comfort of looking forward to Christ coming the second 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 live in a dying world and yet know zippo of God as their Father and Christ every bit 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 accept that which the world tin neither give nor have away. They take a true Friend while they live, and a true home when they die.
Technical Notes:
ane. Allow non your centre be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2. In my father'southward house are many mansions; if information technology were not and so, I would accept told you. I go to prepare a identify for you lot. iii. And if I go and prepare a place for y'all, I will come over again and receive yous to myself; that where I am, there ye may be besides.
1.--[Let not...troubled.] We must carefully recall that there is no break betwixt the stop of the 13th and starting time of the 14th capacity. Our Lord is continuing the soapbox He began afterwards the Lord'due south Supper and the deviation of Judas, in the presence of the xi faithful disciples. A slight break there certainly seems to be, since He turns from Peter (to whom He had been speaking individually) to the whole body of the Apostles and addresses them collectively. Only the identify, the fourth dimension, and the audience are all one.
Our Lord'southward corking object throughout this and the two post-obit chapters seems clear and patently. He desired to comfort, establish, and build up 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 ane of them should betray Him, partly by the mysterious divergence of Judas, partly by their Master's declaration that He should only be a little fourth dimension longer with them and that at last they could not come with Him, and partly by the alarm addressed to Peter that he would deny His Primary 3 times. For all these reasons this little company of weak believers was disquieted and cast downward and broken-hearted. Their gracious Master saw it and proceeded to give them encouragement: "Let non your heart be troubled." Information technology volition be noted that He uses the singular number "your center," not "your hearts." He means "the centre of any one of you." Hengstenberg gives the post-obit list of the grounds of comfort which the affiliate contains, in systematic order, which well deserves attention.
(a) The get-go encouragement is: to the disciples of Christ sky is sure (v.2,3).
(b) The 2d encouragement is: disciples in Christ have a certain way to heaven (v.4-11).
(c) The third encouragement is: disciples demand not fear that with the difference of Christ His work will cease (v.12-xiv).
(d) The quaternary encouragement is: in the absence of Christ disciples volition have the aid of the Spirit (v.xv-17).
(e) The fifth encouragement is: Christ will not leave His people forever, simply will come dorsum once more (v.xviii-24).
(f) The sixth encouragement is: the Spirit volition teach the disciples and supply their lack of understanding when left lonely (five.25,26).
(m) Finally, the seventh encouragement is: the legacy of peace will be left to cheer them in their Master's absence (five.27). These vii points are well worthy the attention of all believers in every age and are as useful now every bit when first pressed on the eleven.
Lightfoot thinks ane principal cause of the disciples' problem was their disappointment at seeing their Jewish expectations of a temporal kingdom nether a temporal Messiah failing and coming to an end.
[Ye believe in God, believe too in me.] The Gospel words rendered "Ye believe" and "believe" in this place admit of being differently translated, and information technology is impossible to say certainly whether our English version is right. Some, every bit Luther, think both words should be indicative: "ye believe and ye believe." Some retrieve both should be imperative: "believe and believe." My own opinion is decided that the English version is right. It seems to me to express exactly the state of listen in which the disciples were. They did, as pious Jews, believe in God already. They needed, as young Christians, to be taught to believe more thoroughly in Christ. Amidst those who think that both verbs are imperative are Cyril, Augustine, Lampe, Stier, Hengstenberg, and Alford. Amid those who adhere to our English language version and make the first "believe" indicative and the 2nd imperative, are Erasmus, Beza, Grotius, and Olshausen. Let us annotation that faith, and specially more stiff and distinct organized religion in Christ, is the truest remedy for trouble of heart. But we must never forget that true organized religion admits of growth and degrees. There is a wide gulf between little and great religion.
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 faith 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 by a preposition and an accusative, is never applied to whatever but God in the New Testament.
2.--[In my Male parent'southward house.] This phrase can comport simply 1 meaning. Information technology is my Father's business firm in Heaven—an expression accomodated to our weakness. God needs no literal house with walls and roof, as we do. But where He dwells is called His business firm. (Encounter 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 we go to is "our Father's firm." It is home.
[Are many mansions.] The word rendered "mansions" ways literally "abiding-places." It is only used here, and in the 23rd verse of this chapter, "abode." We need not doubtfulness that there is an intentional dissimilarity betwixt the unchanging, unvarying house in heaven and the changing, uncertain dwellings of this earth. Here nosotros are ever moving; there we shall no more go out. (Encounter also Heb. 13:14.)
Our Lord's intention seems to exist to comfort His disciples by the thought that cipher could cast them out of the heavenly house. They might exist left lonely by Him on earth; they might be even bandage out of the Jewish Church building and find no resting place or refuge on earth. Only there would be e'er room enough for them in sky and a business firm from which they would never exist expelled. "Fear non. There is room enough in heaven." Chrysostom, Augustine, and several other ancient writers think the "many mansions" mean the degrees of celebrity. But the argument in favor of the idea does not appear to me satisfactory. Bishop Bull, Wordsworth, and some few modern writers take the same view. That there are degrees of celebrity in sky is undoubtedly true, just I do not think it is the truth of this text.
The modern idea that our Lord meant that heaven was a identify for all sorts of creeds and religions seems utterly unwarranted past the text. From the whole context He is evidently speaking for the special condolement of Christians.
Lightfoot's idea, that our Lord meant to teach the passing away of the Jewish economy and the admission of all nations into heaven by faith in Christ, seems fanciful.
[If information technology were not then...you.] This is a gracious fashion of assuring the disciples that they might have confidence that what their Lord said was truthful. It is the tender manner of a parent speaking to a child. "Do non be afraid because I am leaving you. There is plenty of room for you lot in sky. You lot will get there safe at last. If there was the to the lowest degree incertitude virtually it, I would tell you." Nosotros may retrieve that our Lord called the Apostles "lilliputian children" only a few minutes before (John thirteen:33).
[I get to prepare a place for you.] This sentence is meant to be another ground of comfort. I of the reasons why our Lord went away, He says, was to get ready a dwelling place for His disciples. Information technology is similar the expression in Hebrews, "the forerunner." (Heb. half dozen:20; see also Num. 10:33.) The manner in which Christ prepares a place for His people is mysterious and withal not inexplicable. He enters sky as their High Priest, presenting the merit of his sacrifice for their sins. He removes all barriers that sin fabricated between them and God. He appears as their proxy and representative and claims a right of entry for all His believing members. He intercedes continually for them at God's right hand and makes them always adequate in Himself, though unworthy in themselves. He bears their names mystically, every bit the High Priest, on His breast and introduces them to the court of sky before they become there. That heaven is a prepared identify for a prepared people is a very auspicious and animating idea. When we arrive there we shall not be in a strange land. We shall notice we take been known and thought of before nosotros got in that location.
3.--[And if I go...receive you to myself. ] These words contain another strong consolation. Our Lord tells the disciples that if He does go away, they must not recall it is forever. He means to come again and accept them all home and gather them round Him in one united family, to role no more. Poole remarks: "The particle 'if' in this place denotes no doubt of the thing but has the force of 'although' or 'after that.'" (Meet also Col. 3:one.)
Many recollect, as Stier, that the "coming once again" here spoken of ways Christ'due south coming to His disciples later on His resurrection, or Christ'southward coming spiritually to His people in comfort and assist even at present, or Christ'due south coming to remove them at last past decease. I cannot think so. I believe that, as a dominion, when Christ speaks of coming once again both hither and elsewhere, He ways His own personal second advent at the end of the dispensation. The Greek word rendered "I will come" is in the present tense and the aforementioned that is used in Rev. 22:20: "I come quickly." The kickoff and second advents are the 2 great events to which the minds of all Christians should be directed. This is Cyril'south view of the passage and Bishop Hall's. [That where I am, there ye may be likewise.] Hither is one more comfort. The final end of Christ'southward going away and coming again is that at terminal His disciples may be in one case more than with Him and enjoy His company forever. "We part; just we shall meet again and part no more." Let us note that ane of the simplest, plainest ideas of heaven is here. It is being "ever with the Lord." Whatever else we see or do not run into in heaven, we shall see Christ. Whatever kind of a place, it is a place where Christ is. (Phil. one:23, 1 Thess. 4:17.)
From Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (eBook) by J. C. Ryle
Source: https://www.monergism.com/i-go-prepare-place-you-john-141-3
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