A Room with Your Name on It; John 14

May the mumbling commence!

Jesus sometimes talks about his Father’s house.  What is the Father’s house?  Some people may answer the church or the temple.  What is the church or temple composed of?  Do bricks, mortar, wood, stone, and stained-glass windows make up a church? 

Or do the member of the church make up the church?  If you were to take a picture of the church you choose to make your faith walk with, would you take a picture of the building or a picture of the people of the church?

The building or structure is just a meeting place.  The bricks and mortar and wood and stone could be destroyed by fire or another natural disaster, but the church will endure.  I am confident about that fact.  I’ve witnessed it happening time and time again. 

So, how do we approach the passage from John chapter fourteen?  How is Jesus’ claim that his Father’s house has many rooms to be understood?  The passage from John fourteen is often used at funerals to comfort people who have lost loved ones to death.  But, how are we to understand Jesus’ Father’s house in this case?  Read the passage below:

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

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" 

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." 

Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."  

Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?  Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.  Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.  I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. 

If you love me, you will obey what I command.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.  On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.  Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." (Verses 1-21) 

There is lots of space in God’s heart for us.  Home is where the heart is.  Do we, in turn, have space for God in our hearts?  Jesus is going to prepare a place.  Will we let Jesus into our lives so that will come to fruition? 

Remember: God’s house is the temple – Jesus’ obedient brothers and sisters.  Have you ever read this passage and thought of the many rooms of God being the people of God?  Did you ever think that you have a room with your name on it because you are the room?  “I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” 

Many people have stumbled in their faith in Jesus because of the claim that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.  What does that statement mean for all the faithful people who devote their lives to another faith?  Well, how does the figure of Jesus express truth and life? 

Jesus expressed himself through obedience to God’s will.  Could that possibly be the way that Jesus spoke about?  Think about the expressions of love through obedience in the last paragraph of this passage and in the context of this passage in John. 

It is how we will do greater things than Jesus!

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out