“I am going there to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2 (NIV)
We are not to imagine Jesus working round the clock to get heaven organized before the second coming. If He can create the cosmos out of nothing with a word, then He can get heaven ready for believers with a single command.
When Jesus says that He is going to prepare a place, it means that through His going, the place will be prepared. He is going to the cross, He is going to the grave, He is going to die, He is going to rise, and He is going to ascend to heaven. It is through His death and resurrection that He opens up the way for us to enter the glory of the Father’s house.
Imagine you are playing in the Super Bowl. The ball gets handed off to you at the 30-yard line, and for a moment, you have a clear path to a touchdown. The crowd is cheering and your heart pounds as you begin to run. But then you see the defensive linemen, big guys coming at you—their names are Law, Sin, and Death. Then there is another one—bigger, meaner, and uglier than the others—Satan himself. There is no way you can get past these guys. They stand between you and the goal line, and you know that they will flatten you before you get there.
But now an offensive lineman comes at great speed towards them. They are looking to take you out, but he comes and takes them out, opening your way to the goal line. This is what Jesus has done for us on the cross.
“I go to prepare a place for you.” Sin and death cannot bar the way!
What does it mean that Jesus prepares a place for His disciples? Are you excited to be there?
