John 14:1–12
Are you afraid of the pandemic virus? Most people would say no. They are generally healthy. If they were to get it, they would stay away from public places and those at high risk and would expect to recover. Others though would say yes. Their health isn’t as certain. If they were to get it, it could be a struggle to survive. That’s a troubling thought. Both the struggle and the ensuing date with death shake people to their core. That is until we remember that death really isn’t something to be afraid of after all.
We Christians are known for our acceptance of death. Not that we go looking for it, but when our day comes, we welcome it. Not because we are sick and tired of what this world has to offer, well, maybe we are, but especially because we are so fully excited about where we’re going next. This may very well be why fear was never a big deal when we were first confronted by a pandemic. We know we’re going to die at some point. If not from this virus, it’ll be from something else. And when that day comes, we have a confident expectation keeping troubling thoughts away from our hearts.
That confidence is there because of the promise Jesus gave his disciples in our lesson today. They too were about to be confronted with death. Only it wasn’t a pandemic virus. Nor was it even their own death, at least not yet. Jesus was preparing them for his death. Of the many times Jesus predicted his death, this was the last. It was the evening he was with his disciples, the same evening Judas would betray him. At this time when either they took his words seriously and expected his departure from them or if they didn’t know what he meant, they were about to find out within the next twenty-four hours, at this time when trouble comes banging on the door of timid hearts, Jesus says, “Don’t.”
The passage reads, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” This means there was a powerful force capable of troubling their hearts. This also means there is there is a way to keep that trouble outside and away from our hearts. The powerful force is death, or more clearly what happens after death. Some may certainly be afraid of what gets them in the end. But of greater concern for the Christian is what happens next. Jesus points out that there are many rooms in his Father’s house. This speaks right to the troubling thought that, “Maybe there won’t be room for me,” or “Maybe there won’t be a room for me at all.”
I’ve experienced this with Christians on their death bed. The way this comes across is when I ask them why God would let them into heaven and they say, “Well, I hope I’ve done enough.” As if the number of places in heaven is determined by the number of people who lived good enough. Or that the room with my name on it will only be there if I made enough room for God in my life. These Christians are seriously troubled in their hearts. This way of thinking was never how God wanted any of us to approach our last breath. Any thought that would trouble the heart instead of putting it at peace is a thought of the devil. Doubt and despair are some of the deepest piercing flaming arrows of the evil one. If he can land an arrow of doubt or despair on your heart, you will lean to depend not on Christ and his promise but on your own “good enough” and “better than.”
But Jesus does not tell his disciples to keep trouble outside the heart by depending on their special status as the Twelve. Jesus does not say “Do not let your hearts be troubled because you guys have done enough to convince God to open a room in heaven in your name.” This has nothing to do with you. This has everything to do with Jesus. The promise Jesus gives to calm and comfort a troubled heart in the time of death is this, “Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 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. 3 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.”
The way to keep the trouble outside and away from our hearts, to answer the trouble of “Maybe there won’t be room for me,” or “Maybe there won’t be a room for me,” to answer that we hear Jesus say, “Trust me.” “Trust me!” Trust Jesus to provide a better and more certain hope than anything you could ever provide yourself. Turn your “I hope that I” into “I trust that Jesus.” Take that trust with you through every threatening virus, every threat to life. Hold to it confidently when asked on your deathbed why God would let you into heaven and say, “I trust Jesus.”
It is Jesus who said he has many rooms in his Father’s house. I don’t know how else you would say that there is a room for everyone, plenty of room to go around. He backs this up to say, “If it were not so, I would have told you,” meaning it most certainly is the case, otherwise why would I tell you and give you a false hope. Jesus doesn’t deal in false hopes. He only promises what can and will happen. And he knows it can and will happen because, as he says, “I am going there to prepare a place for you.” Not just going there, like, “Oh good, my job is done, I ran my race, I did my part, now I get my rest, I’m done.” No. But, “I’m going there,” meaning his death, resurrection, and ascension into full glory are sure and certain events to happen. And, “I will prepare a place for you.” He’s not leaving it up to someone else to prepare that place. Grandma’s not up there preparing it for you. Neither are the prayers of your grandkids after you die doing anything to prepare that place for you. Jesus is. Jesus is taking on himself the work of making a sure and certain place for you. And furthermore, he promises to come back and take you to be with him there. He won’t even give your heart a chance to wonder and question, “Is this the right place? When will I get to meet Jesus? I sure hope this is what he promised.” All that will go away when he himself take your very own hand to usher you into the house, give you the tour, show you the room with your name on it, and take you into his glorious presence.
Christians are accepting of our death because we know Jesus to be true to his word. It is our faith that provides the shield with which to extinguish every flaming arrow of the evil one. When the devil comes to make trouble for our hearts, we stop him at the door and say, “Don’t!” Don’t trouble a heart made certain in the promises of Jesus. Don’t shake a confidence made strong in the power of God. Don’t lay out another way, another truth, another life of any more value than the way, truth, and life provided to me by Jesus. Jesus did not tell Thomas to find his own way. Jesus told Thomas, “I am the way.” Jesus didn’t tell Phillip to wait for another truth in order to see the Father. Jesus told Philip, “Believe me.”
There is so much in our world today that is up in the air, confusing, different than what we had grown so accustomed to. And we don’t have all the answers yet of when can people feel safe outside their homes, when can life get back to some kind of normal. Life will continue to give more and more reasons for our hearts to be troubled, but don’t. Don’t let your hearts be troubled about heaven. Jesus hasn’t changed his mind since he first spoke this promise and he has no intention of providing any other way, truth, or life. Trust in Jesus. In uncertain times, take hold of his certain promise. In fearful times, look to where he will take us next. He will come back to take us to be where he is in heaven. And we will be with him there. Step out in faith. Guard your heart from troubling thoughts. Trust in Jesus who has prepared a place in his Father’s house for you. Amen.
Let us pray
Dear Jesus, Son of the Father, our risen and ever living Lord, you have gone to heaven to prepare a place for us, your people. Forgive us for putting our trust in foolish things that have no power to save. Fill us with the Holy Spirit so that we trust you fully, prepare our hearts daily, and meet our death confidently. Guard and keep us until the day you come back to take us to be with you in heaven. In your name we pray. Amen.
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