THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

Chapters 14

IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE, A FRESH LOOK AT JOHN 14

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” ¶ Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
John 14:1-11 ESV

Today, I am conducting yet another funeral. Although I concluded my pastoral charge of Legana Christian Church in September, I have still offered to complete some of the pastoral tasks I had commenced (including a wedding I performed in October, having spent 10 months in pre-marriage preparation with the couple) which involves today’s funeral. I saw my pastoral charge as ‘helping people to die well.’ I told this to my congregation often. I would quickly add to this maxim, that dying well required learning how to live well. Learning how to live well required learning how to live well even when life was not going well. This required discovering how to live the way God had designed for each of us. The funeral I am taking today began over a year ago when I met with the 86-year-old Gladys to discuss her soul and how should would like her funeral to reflect how she would be remembered. This will include a short reflection of John 14.

LET NOT YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED

On the night that Jesus was to be betrayed, He dismissed the demonised Judas to carry out his wickedness and then spoke tenderly to His remaining disciples. He told them plainly that He was about to be executed. He urged them to not let their hearts be troubled. He then spoke of His Father’s House; the rooms in His Father’s House; and, the place that He was going to prepare for them. Later on in the chapter (vs. 23) He will refer to making a home with His disciples. But what is a home? How is it different to a house?

Jesus was not talking about a physical building – He was talking about love, acceptance, complete forgiveness, utter reconciliation – as His followers entered into the joy of being brought into God’s family! This is the essence of home.

The magnificent thing that Jesus was referring to was that this is what we were all created for. It is not about becoming religious and perpetually observing rituals and ceremonies. It is about perfect union with Christ and His Father and ours. This was always the original plan for Eden, but the wicked one deceived and derailed that original intention. But now Christ has redeemed this plan through His rescue mission involving His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. You are invited to come home and be reunited with your forever-family.