The Father’s House (John 14:1-3)

These verses have been favourite ones with the Lord’s people because they have given to them a wonderful view of heaven as their eternal home. Home is wonderful imagery for most people, and of course heaven was the eternal home of Jesus. Spurgeon commented, when preaching on this passage, that the words were better than any sermon as far as consolation was concerned.

The consolation Jesus gave to his disciples

Verse 1 is obviously connected to the previous statements of Jesus which concerned the soon denial of Peter. No doubt the disciples were disturbed by this prediction. Perhaps Jesus was seeing the concern on their faces. This consolation was given to a group who were preoccupied with their own place in an imagery kingdom, who were about to deny him, who were not listening to his teaching. Jesus knew all this about them, but because he loved them he proceeded to comfort them.

Jesus encourages his disciples by telling them not to focus on their surroundings but on his divine ability. Although he was facing the most difficult situation ever known by a person, of being abandoned by God because he was the substitute of sinners when on the cross, he showed his compassion by dealing with their concerns. Things might seem unusual to them, but they should take their eyes of these matters and focus on what he was able to do. He claims to be equal with the Father and as much an object of their trust as the Father was.

Jesus does not only point his troubled disciples to his ability, he also points them to his divine aims or purpose. This purpose involves their arrival in heaven. When they concentrate on heaven, they enter into a similar expectation that Jesus experiences, because these verses make clear that Jesus is longing for them to be in heaven with him.

This description of Jesus’ desires points to his divine affections for his people. His heart was full of loving sympathy as he noted their increasing consternation and apprehension. These divine affections had been set on them in eternity past.

It is good for us to consider these three aspects of Christ when we find ourselves in situations of spiritual difficulty. Think of his divine ability, his divine aims, and his divine affections as directed towards you.

There are many pictures given in the Bible of heaven. It is likened to a city, to a better country, to a place of rest. Jesus elsewhere calls it Paradise, the place of heavenly delights. Here he employs a title that is only used by him, the Father’s house.

In passing, please note that Jesus affirms that there will be a large number of people in heaven when he says that there are ‘many’ rooms. This emphasis on the size of the redeemed is stressed elsewhere, as in Revelation 7 where the crowd surrounding the throne is described as being ‘a number that no one can count’. Let us not become over-depressed by the apparent smallness of the church in Britain in our day. At the end of the story, Jesus will have redeemed billions of sinners.

We may wonder why the word ‘mansion’ was used by the Authorised Version translators because it is evident that it is impossible to have many mansions inside a house. In the seventeenth century, the word ‘mansion’ was used not for a large house but for a lodging-place where travellers would spend the night. The term comes from the Latin translation, the Vulgate. These lodging-places would usually comprise just one room. The translators seem to have thought that Jesus was saying that there were many lodging-places in his Father’s house.

The home Jesus is preparing

What is meant by the term ‘Father’s house’? Several suggestions have been made. One is that heaven is a world of variety, with each room containing details not found in the others. I suppose if we were to apply the rooms found in an everyday house, we could say that in the Father’s house there is the heavenly dining-room in which God’s people feast at the celestial banquet, with Jesus as the host. Also in the Father’s house, there is the library in which are kept records of all the earthly progress of the people of God. In this room, believers can revue their earthly journey and give thanks to the Shepherd who led them safely through the desert. Another room in the Father’s house is the lounge where the residents meet together to discuss the events of that day. We could list a wide variety of rooms.

A second suggestion that is made is that the rooms indicate progression. As we noted above, the term translated ‘rooms’ was used in the Middle Ages for lodges in which travellers stayed on their journeys. As they went from lodge to lodge, they made progress until they reached their destination. The progression that believers will enjoy in the eternal world is one that will never come to an end; there will be an infinite number of rooms to go through for these believers as they advance in the knowledge of God.

A third suggestion is that the term points to the eternal reunion of the Saviour and his people. It is customary for family members to meet together in the family home on special occasions. Similarly the Father’s house will be the place where all the children of God will meet in eternal festival to enjoy his enduring presence and to know his ongoing blessing.

Obviously all these suggestions contain truth and describe the realities of heaven. But they don’t explain all that Jesus might have meant by this illustration. ‘In Jesus’ day, many dwelling units were combined to form an extended household. It was customary for sons to add to their father’s house once married, so that the entire estate grew into a large compound (called insula) centered around a communal courtyard’ (Kostenberger). Jesus is referring to the practice of additional rooms being added as a family increased in number.

The existing rooms in the Father’s house

The first thing that Jesus tells us is that there already are some rooms in the Father’s house. In these rooms, at the time Jesus told the illustration, were all of the believers of the Old Testament era who had died in the faith. We can read about some of them in Hebrews 11, where a very strong emphasis is placed on the heavenly aspect of their faith.

At one stage there were no residents there from the earth, but the happy day arrived when Abel, the first martyr, reached the Father’s house. What a story he had to tell. All his life he had looked at the earthly Paradise that was barred to sinners. He knew that there was not a way back to Eden. But he had looked forward to a richer Paradise, to heaven. And he entered in and began singing the song of redemption to the delight of the angels. He is the oldest human resident in the Father’s house.

Since his entrance, many others have joined him. Enoch entered by a unique manner, without having to taste death. Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, David and Isaiah, to mention some. They each have their own story to tell as they meet in the heavenly courtyard, of how the Lord had initially met with them, gave to them peace and forgiveness, and then led them through the earthly valley until the day came when they went to the Father’s house. And when they reached the Father’s house, they discovered that there was a personal room for each of them.

The additional rooms in the Father’s house

Having referred to those already in heaven, Jesus turns to his distracted disciples and informs them that one of the reasons he is leaving them is to go and prepare a place for them. This statement has often been taken as a reference to the work of the Saviour on the cross. Yet, given the likely illustration that he has used, I suspect that Jesus is referring to some form of heavenly activity in which he is engaged in preparing a particular place in the Father’s house for each of his disciples.

This is a reminder of the unity of the family of God. New Testament believers are going to be with Old Testament believers in the Father’s house. This is also an illustration of the uniqueness of each member of the family of God. Even as there are differences between believers on earth in terms of their spiritual experiences, so there will be differences in heaven. Thinking of the illustration of a large house, there would be two places for the residents to meet others – the courtyard and their own rooms. They could illustrate two types of contact with Jesus in heaven: one occurs corporately with all of God’s children (in the courtyard) and the other occurs privately with Jesus (in one’s room). This private type of heavenly interaction with Jesus is found also in the promise that he makes to the overcomers in one of the seven churches of Asia: ‘To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it’ (Rev. 2:17).

In some way the room in the Father’s house will reflect the reward given by Jesus to his people for their faithful service on earth. We are accustomed to giving a valuable item to a person who has done something for us. Perhaps the ‘furniture’ in this room will be items that Jesus, in his grace, will give as permanent and personal reminders of his joy over their service for him in this life. Little things that we did for him, long forgotten by us, are recorded on high and will be connected to the degree of glory that we will enjoy with Jesus in the Father’s house. It is a question to ask ourselves, ‘Am I doing something today that will contribute to my state of glory in the next world?’ We don’t merit the degree of glory by our obedience to Christ, but it is connected to it.

There will be no empty rooms in heaven that will be given away at a cheaper rate (as often happens in hotels). You have to make your reservation now by applying to Jesus for a place. Before I go to an hotel, I make a reservation and so I know that someone is preparing a room for me. You should do the same with Jesus.

The welcome that Jesus will give

Jesus tells his disciples that when he has finished preparing a place for them he will come and take them there. This promise has two fulfillments. One occurs at the death of believers and the other at the second coming. On both occasions, believers will receive a rich welcome from Jesus. He will say to them, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master’ (Matt. 25:21). ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’ (Matt. 25:34).

These announcements indicate both the personal nature of the Saviour’s welcome and the permanent presence of Jesus into which they are invited. They are to be his eternal companions, enjoying his fellowship, experiencing his provision and sharing his inheritance. What a prospect for poor, sinful creatures! What a Saviour they have!