John 14:1-4 Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me.… There are two remarkable things about Christ's statement. 1. That the Master should prepare for the servant. But this is in keeping with Christ's whole method. 2. That the Divine Christ should ever have occasion to prepare anything. Can He who fills eternity have anything to arrange for His servants? The answer is, that Christ accommodates Himself to our way of thinking. There are some things which the Master only can do. We can do one hundred and fifty little things, and double that, and get the notion that we can do anything. But go and prepare summer! You have seen half a hundred: try and make the fifty-first! If the servant cannot prepare the summer, how can he prepare heaven? The text gives three comforting and inspiring views of the Christian's position and destiny — I. HE IS THE OBJECT OF CHRIST'S ZEALOUS AND TENDER CARE "For you;" and Paul catching his Master's tone said, "All things are yours." Yet we hang our heads and cry as though we had nothing unless we could lace our fingers round it, not knowing that a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Wherever you find Christ you find Him working for His people. There is a beautiful necessity of love about this arrangement. For if He were to fail here — in training and sanctifying the Church — He would fail altogether. What if He has made countless millions of stars? Can they talk to Him? If He does not get us — poor, broken things — right into His heaven He has failed. This is the one work He set Himself to do. II. CHRISTIANS ARE TO BE ETERNALLY HIS JOY. As for these heavens, He will one day dismiss them. He makes some things for the time being; but when we read of the place prepared for believers we have the idea of never-ending fellowship. All true life is in the heart. Love alone is immortal. God is love. Love it is which binds Christ and Christians. If we love Him we shall be with Him forever. III. Seeing that all this is so, THE CHRISTIAN IS ENTITLED TO LOOK AT THE PRESENT THROUGH THE FUTURE. The Christian is not to be troubled, because in His Father's house are many mansions. When you are weary of the present, look forward into the future. Conclusion: If Christ is gone to prepare a place for us, then. — 1. The place will be worthy of Himself. Send a poor creature, and the place will be prepared according to the capacity and resources of the messenger? What kind of place will He prepare, who has all things at command? 2. Christ is waiting for His guests. Bad man! God has prepared nothing for you. There is a place — but it was prepared, not for you, but for the devil and his angels. That is the only place He has to put you in. (J. Parker, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.WEB: "Don't let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. |
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