Scripture: John
14:1–14
While the first three Sundays of Easter’s Gospel Lessons all
recorded events on the day Jesus rose from the dead, the last three focus our
attention forward to upcoming events. All these readings are part of Jesus’
teaching at the Last Supper. In this lesson Jesus prepares his disciples for
the Ascension (celebrated one week from Thursday), when he goes to prepare a
place for his followers. He also sets them with his mission and equips them
with prayer. This reading prepares us for life beyond death and teaches us that
Jesus himself is ready to receive us in an everlasting home with him and the
Father.
Teaching
Jesus desires for his people to, “live under Him in His
kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.”[1]
To that end he not only redeems us from sin and makes us part of his kingdom on
earth (the Church) he also prepares a place for us to live with him in the new
creation. When we die or when the world ends (whichever comes first) that will
not be the end of us, but we will live with him where he is, which is heaven.
People sometimes get hung up on Jesus saying that his
followers will do greater works than he did. Remember that he had not died and
risen yet. He is referring to the miracles and the proclamation of repentance
and forgiveness of his ministry. After Jesus’ death and resurrection the miracles
and proclamation of repentance and forgiveness has even greater force because
we point people to his completed work.
Life
Jesus’ promise to prepare a place for us is a word of comfort.
One of the most difficult things we face in life is the death of our loved
ones. Here we are reminded that our loved ones are not gone from us forever,
but they are with Jesus in a good place where we ourselves will join them.
While we may certainly weep for our loss now, we can rejoice that our loved
ones are with the Lord and that they will rise and we will be all together in
the new creation.
Jesus also states, however, that he is the way, the truth,
and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through him. This
truth fuels our desire to share the hope we have in Jesus, to be his witnesses
in the world out of love for our neighbor whom we desire to have a place in
heaven, too. He is the only way to rightly know and worship God, and therefore
it is urgent that we share our hope while we live in this creation.
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