Gene’s Daily Scriptural Postings

Coming Back To Get Us: John 14:1-14

Focus Passage: John 14:1-14 (CEV)

As Jesus was spending the last hours together with His disciples before being arrested on the night before His crucifixion, He shares a powerful message with the disciples that contains an incredible promise. After sharing with the disciples that He will be leaving to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house, Jesus tells the disciples, “After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together.” (v. 3)

While the disciples did not want Jesus to leave them, and while there were likely plenty of other people who wanted Jesus to stay on earth, we might be caught believing or wondering if Jesus should have left when He did. Later on in the conversation with the disciples that night, Jesus emphasizes that only if He leaves will the Holy Spirit be able to come to the disciples, and because of that reason, it was good that He left.

But here in the promise contained in this verse, we have an equally valid reason for Jesus leaving. We can clearly see the promise if we ask ourselves a simple question: “Would I rather be with Jesus here on earth, or be with Jesus in heaven?”

While we technically don’t have to choose or wait until heaven to begin our lives with God, I imagine that most people, when given the choice, would rather be with Jesus in heaven, where there is no sin, death, or decay. Even though our current earth is filled with pain, suffering, disease, and death, while we would want Jesus to be present with us through this, would you prefer Jesus to be present now and not later in heaven? Heaven would not be the same without Jesus present.

The question is rhetorical and it doesn’t stand on a solid foundation and it could easily be falsified if put up for debate, however this is because all members of the Godhead are one. Jesus is able to be here with us because He is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. In this way, Jesus can be in multiple places at once.

When Jesus promised to return to heaven to prepare a place for us before promising to return here to bring us home with Him, this promise doesn’t include the message that we will be abandoned during the time He is away. It simply states that He wants to get Heaven ready for us, which might be similar to a family cleaning their home before guests arrive.

Jesus has given us the promise that He will return and bring us home to be with Him. We don’t know when that will be, but we do know that because Jesus promised it, He will fulfill His promise. When we have placed our faith, hope, trust, and belief on Jesus and His promises, we can know that He will return and bring us home to Him.

With this in mind, let’s look forward to, and prepare for, the day when He will return to take us home!

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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