“That you may be where I am”

John 14:3-4

“These three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor.13:13). These words of Paul echo the farewell teaching of Jesus, prioritising loving one another just as he has loved us (13:34-35). But the importance of faith and hope should not be overlooked. In the face of the coming uncertainties Jesus has urged the disciples to keep on having faith, both in God and in him (14:1), because they have a certain hope.

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There are two aspects to this hope, and each of them is referred to by Jesus in these verses. There is the hope of heaven, of a place for us when we die which Jesus himself has prepared (2-3). This place is beyond our imagination, but two things are clear. It is the "Father’s house” (2) and it is the place where we will be with Jesus (3). That’s surely all we need to know to assure us that heaven is the perfect place for us – with the Father and the Son for ever.

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Besides that, Jesus promised to come back to collect them (3), a clear reference to his second coming. This second aspect to our hope is a central part of what we believe about Jesus. He is coming back again to complete his saving work. “And so we will be with the Lord for ever” (1 Thess.4:16-18).