With one son in college and another living over 1000 miles away, we don’t get to see each other often, but by the end of the week, all four of my children will be home for a visit. One of my sons will drive an hour; another will fly about 2 ½ hours. I am excited to have them all here, but I also have a lot of preparations to make before they arrive. I need to clean the house, shop for their favorite foods and put fresh sheets on the beds. I also need to stay on task in the office so that I won’t have to work late the week that they are home. I want to make sure I get all of the necessary preparations finished before they arrive so that we can enjoy as much time together as possible.
When I was making a to do list to ensure that I get everything done, the words of Jesus recorded in John 14:1-6 popped into my head,
’Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.’ Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’
As I was deciding what preparations I needed to make before my kids come home, I wondered to myself, “What preparations could Jesus be talking about making before he takes us home with him?” I had always thought about him sort of decorating my room just how I’d like it, but that didn’t exactly make sense to me when I thought about how he simply spoke the world into existence.
Jesus had just washed the disciples’ feet, eaten his last supper with them, revealed to them that one of them would betray him and told them that he was going somewhere that they could not go. He even said that Peter would deny him.
Knowing that these things troubled the disciples, Jesus spoke words to comfort them. He assured them that his going away was for their good. You see, we are all sinners. Sin separates us from God, and the penalty for sin is death. Jesus, who lived a sinless life, died on the cross and shed his blood to pay for our sin. This sacrifice is a gift to all who believe and put their trust in him. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through him.
By going to the cross, Jesus was preparing the way for us to spend eternity with him in heaven where God has plenty of room for his large family to dwell forever. The work is done. Jesus has gone to the cross to prepare the way for eternal life in heaven. Someday, those of us who believe and put our trust in him will be home.