John 14 – God’s Residence
Where does God live? According to John 14:23, His current address is surprisingly nearby.
What does Jesus Christ talk about in His final hours before being crucified? Jesus does not reminisce about old times. He doesn’t check His bucket list, and complain about dying so young. He doesn’t express regret about wrongs things He did or good things He failed to do (there are none!). Instead, Jesus is intent on discussing the future – our future!
Our Future Home
John 14:1-6 is about eternal life in God’s presence after we die. Christians treasure Jesus’ promise that He is going to prepare a place for us in His Father’s house, where there are many mansions or rooms — enough for all who will repent and believe. How often is this promise preached on, written about, and shared in our conversations? Constantly, isn’t it? When I visit someone near death, I often start the conversation with John 14:1-4. I do the same when I visit mourners, because our arrival at our Father’s house “in the sweet by and by” shall be sweet indeed.
God’s Present Home
However, Jesus is not done speaking promises. Do you recall His colossal promise in verse 23? “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23, NKJV).
For most Christians, this verse isn’t even on our radar. I admit I flew over this promise for decades. Even though many Christians have ignored it for centuries, Jesus testifies that He and the Father have a goal – to dwell in us Now! Is this our goal as well?
Valuing Both Homes
Both John 14:2-3 and 14:23 are about God’s residence, His address. In fact, Jesus uses the exact same Greek word (monē) in both verses.
- “In My Father’s house are many mansions [monē] (John 14:2 NKJV).
- “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home [monē] with him” (John 14:23, NKJV).
Why do we rejoice over the first promise, but the second one fails to register with us? Why has the first promise ignited many sermons, devotions, and conversations, while our response to the second is often silence? Neither promise is flyover country—
- The first assures me that when I die or when Christ returns, I will dwell with God!!!!!!!
- The second assures me that when I love Christ and keep His word, both God the Father and God the Son dwell in me — right now!!!!!!!
Both promises deserve an infinite number of exclamation points. Both should be treasured. May we avidly seek God’s present residence within us as much as we eagerly anticipate our future residence with Him.
John 14 is not flyover country! We need to land here and live in Christ’s promises. This is #2 of 10 blogs which tour through John 14 to point out the 10 building blocks of life in Christ. All 10 appear in John 14. The next “Not Flyover Country” blog will explore the building block of Relationship.
This is post #26 in an ongoing dialog about the Gospel of John occurring online at www.philbickel.com, Facebook, and Youtube. You’re invited to join the conversation.
A catalyst for the dialogue is a free 97-page ebook, Fullness or Fraction in the Gospel of John, which introduces readers to 10 essential building blocks of life in Christ.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.