“In my Father's house”
April 17, 2021
14:1 – 15:17 Being in Jesus, just as Jesus is in the Father
Read John 14:1-2
In these next three chapters, Jesus made clear that his followers are to continue his ministry on earth, and that their ministry is to be modelled in every respect on his own. He had already taught them that it would be the same in nature (love 13:34-35), and now he went on to assure them that the basis of their ability to carry out that ministry would be through their relationship with him, just as he had carried out his ministry through his relationship with the Father.
Having told the disciples that he was about go away (13:33,36) and that Peter would deny him (13:38), it was understandable that they were worried. Understandable... but unnecessary! They don’t yet know it but the fact that Jesus was leaving them was actually good news. Even though it would be very hard to keep their faith when Jesus was dead and buried in the tomb, he told them to keep on believing (1). This verse can be translated, “You trust in God, trust also in me”, but the double imperative, “Trust in God, trust also in me”, is probably correct.
The basis for their continuing faith was that the death of Jesus would not be the disaster that it seemed but would in fact have many benefits for them. First and foremost, by his death Jesus would open up the way for the disciples to live forever in the Father’s house i.e. in heaven (2). This is the place that he himself was returning to, and he assured them that his going away was to prepare an eternal home for them with the Father. And not only for them – there are “many rooms”, enough for all who will become his followers. By returning to the Father, Jesus opened the way for us to follow him there too.