On Line Bible Study - For the Week October 8-14, 2012

Lesson 557

John 14: ¹“Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God;  trust also in me. ² My Father’s house has plenty of room; if that were not so, would I have told you that 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.  ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.”

A "troubled heart" is the same emotion Jesus felt in John 11:33 when Mary, Lazarus' sister, came to him grieving the death of her brother.  Jesus was "deeply moved in spirit and troubled".  It is also the same emotion Jesus felt in John 13:21 as he spoke of his betrayal.  Jesus understands existentially what it means to be "troubled".  (Compare with John 14:27, and with John 16:6.)
He recognizes this emotion in his disciples as they face the fact of his departure.  (John 13:36  Where I am going, you cannot follow now...)

Plenty of room...  Some translations refer to "mansions" (New King James; American Standard Version).  Raymond Brown attributes the use of this word to William Tyndale.  Brown reminds us that "mansion" in Old English simply meant 'dwelling'; it didn't carry with it the palatial connotation we think of today.

Did Jesus' disciples understand him to mean he would return immediately following his death and bring them to 'heaven'?  But there are other references to My Father's house in John - recall John 2:16 when Jesus encounters people selling and changing money in the temple courts.  In that context My Father's house referred to the temple.  Immediately following that scene, Jesus refers to the "temple" like this: Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.  From the physical structure of the Jerusalem temple to his body and being as "temple", John offers some variety in what the is meant by "My Father's house". John 14:  ⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”  (Compare John 16:5.)
⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Augustine thought this passage suggested Jesus prepared the dwelling places by preparing those who would dwell with him.  Jesus makes the connection between himself and the "Father".  This 'connection' is intimate and ultimate.  To truly know God is also to know Jesus.
Something to think about ...  We often spend time in prayer explaining to God what we want or need.  How much time do we spend asking God for a change of heart within ourselves?  It is interesting to think of Jesus preparing a place for us by preparing us!