John 14 – Not Flyover Country

John 14 is chock full of astounding promises!  If we trusted in them fully, our lives would bear little resemblance to the present.  Yet many Christians pay scant attention to these amazing promises.  We cherry-pick the verses we prefer, such as these favorites:

• “My Father’s house has many rooms;… I am going there to prepare a place for you?” (v. 2).
• “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (v. 6).
• “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (v. 27).

Room in Heaven

In John 14:1-4 Jesus teaches that Fullness includes the gift of eternal lodging accommodations in our Father’s house.  Whether translated many rooms, many dwelling places, or many mansions, the intent is to assure us that a “No Vacancy” sign will not appear when we arrive at the gates of Heaven.  Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us.  He has gone to the cross, to the tomb, to the resurrection appearances, to the mount of ascension, to the victory parade welcoming Him Home, and to His throne at the right hand of God the Father.  Everything is ready for our wedding banquet! (Mt. 22:4).  The Groom will return to take us Home with Him.  Jesus Christ is all we need to come to the Father, because He is “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).  Jesus Christ is Fullness.

Greater Things

At the start of John’s gospel, Jesus tells Nathaniel, “You will see greater things” (John 1:50).  In John 14:12, Jesus promises them all, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”  This is Fullness!  If this promise does not astound us, we are not paying attention.  Or our minds are automatically limiting His Word to a fraction of their meaning.  This amazing promise will be explored in a later blog.

Shalom Unlimited

The climax of John 14 arrives when Jesus says: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).  The peace of Jesus is unlike anything produced on earth.  Jesus’ peace is shalom, the Hebrew word for peace.  Shalom includes far more than peace in English, paz in Spanish, h’ep’ing in Chinese, or in any other language.  In Strong’s Concordance, shalom means completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, and the absence of agitation or discord.  The noun shalom comes from the Hebrew root verb shalom: to be complete, perfect, and full.  If Christ’s shalom isn’t Fullness, then what is?

John 14 is not flyover country!  We need to land here, live here, and benefit from Christ’s promises of Fullness.  The next “Not Flyover Country” blog will explore the concept of Now: the fact that eternal life is not just after we die but also includes walking with God in the present moment.