We turn to God's word this afternoon to the gospel according to John, John chapter 14. We're going to begin reading a few verses there at the end of chapter 13. Begin reading at John 13, verse 36, and then we'll read through the entirety of chapter 14. And the text consists of the first three verses of chapter 14. So the context, John chapter 13, Jesus is with his disciples in the upper room. This is Thursday night, the night before his crucifixion. John 13, verse 36, Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him. Whether I go, thou canst not follow me now, but thou shalt follow me afterwards. Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus answered him, wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, the cock shall not crow till thou hast denied me thrice. Let not your heart be troubled. We believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go, ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. If he had known me, he should have known my father also, and from henceforth ye know him and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, "'Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.' Jesus saith unto him, "'Have I been so long time with you, "'and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? "'He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. "'And how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? "'Believest thou not that I am in the Father, "'and the Father in me?' The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me, or else believe me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever, even the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more, but ye see me, because I live, Ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man loved me, he will keep my words, and my father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings, And the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, and neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father, for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass, ye might believe. Hereafter I will not talk much with you, for the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me, but that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence. Thus far we read God's sacred and inspired word. I draw your attention to the text consisting of verses 1, 2, and 3 of chapter 14. Let's read those verses again. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. Beloved congregation, in our Lord Jesus Christ, as Christians, we have great hope. And when I say hope, I do not mean an uncertain hope. We use that word that way at times when we say, I hope to see you again. I hope I do well on my test. I hope to stay healthy this year. Now, whether or not any of those things will actually happen, we don't know, but we hope, and we express our desire in that way. And that's the kind of hope after which we say, and the Lord's will be done. Because we don't know what the Lord's will is. If we will be healthy or sick, if we will make it here or there, We hope, but we don't know. And so we subject our will to the Lord's will. But our true Christian hope is something that's altogether different. And now we're focusing on the object of our hope. We hope for something. And that which we hope for is something that is sure. It's rock solid. It's something that every single one of God's children, you and I included, that we look forward to. And scripture speaks of it. Otherwise, we would not know anything about it. The hope of every Christian is the hope of heaven. Now, not heaven all by itself, heaven as that place prepared for us by the Lord Jesus Christ, heaven where we will see our Savior face-to-face, be with Him, but our hope is heaven, to be delivered from this present world of misery, to be delivered from sin, to be delivered from the afflictions of this weary life. and to be with our Savior in heavenly glory, and to worship God, to see our Savior, to see that city with streets of gold, and to behold that light, not the light of the sun, but to behold the glory of God the Father and the glory of the Lamb, to enjoy what our loved ones who have already died in the Lord are experiencing at this present moment to enjoy the glory and beauty of heaven. And it's something that's so sure and so definite that we are going there that when we pray, Father, in thy good time, bring me to heavenly glory, then we do not add if it be thy will because this is something that we know is God's will Jesus says it in John 17 verse 24 father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me And so the hope of every Christian is the climax of our present salvation, and that's the hope of heaven. Now, why ought we to learn more about heaven? Well, in the first place, because heaven is our home. This earth in which we live is not our home. We are only strangers and pilgrims here. It's something like us, now I suppose many of us can trace our roots back to the Netherlands, and that's our fatherland. Our parents and grandparents told us stories about the old land. And it's very interesting learning about the old fatherland. That's where we came from. And though we may never have been there in the body, and yet that place holds somewhat of a dear place in our hearts. Well, that's what heaven is for us because ultimately our home is heaven. And this side of the grave we want to know more and more of what our home will be like and what we can expect when we finally arrive home. And then secondly, why ought we to learn more about heaven? And there could be so many other reasons given. This sermon can't expound them all. But for this very practical reason, because it keeps us grounded. It sets before us the things that are important. Because in this life, we can become so discouraged. We can become discouraged with family, and personal issues, discouraged with church issues, and denominational difficulties. And we can get lost in all of these difficulties to a point where we can't find our way out. And our lives become consumed with those trials and those hardships. And for a while, all we can see are the things that are down here below. pain and the hurt and the sorrow and our heads hang low. Well, we need to learn more about heaven so that our heads are lifted up and so that we begin to understand more and more that the main part of our life is yet to come. And then that puts all the pain and all the suffering of this life into perspective. And then we're reminded, as the end of 2 Corinthians 4 says, that this light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us far more in an eternal weight of glory. Well, this afternoon, let's learn more of heaven from John 14, verses one and three, the theme of the sermon, In My Father's House. In the first place, note the reality of heaven. Secondly, the preparation of Christ. And finally, Jesus' reception of his people. In My Father's House. Now it's important that we note the context of John Chapter 14. This is the night before Jesus would be crucified. They have celebrated the last Passover feast. Jesus has instituted the Lord's Supper. And now he's talking with the disciples, preparing to leave the upper room and shortly walk with them to the Garden of Gethsemane. But Jesus now informs his disciples that he would soon be leaving them. A word that was very hard for the disciples to hear in John 13, verse 33. Jesus says, little children, yet a little while I am with you. He shall seek me, and as I said unto the Jews, whether I go, he cannot come. And not that this was simply hard news for the disciples to hear, but this was absolutely devastating. They couldn't bear to think about Jesus leaving them. and not being by their side anymore. And then Peter says, Lord, where are you going? Lord, why cannot I follow you where you're going? And then we get to the words of the text. Jesus says in the opening verse of chapter 14, let not your heart be troubled. Because the hearts of the disciples were troubled. And that word troubled means let not your hearts be disturbed. Let not your hearts be thrown into a state of confusion. Let not your hearts be agitated. This is the same word that's found in John chapter five regarding the crippled man at the pool of Bethesda. And you children, you know that Bible history. so that when the angel would come down and stir the waters of the pool of Bethesda and the first man in would get healed of his sickness, well to stir the waters and to trouble the waters, that's the same word that's used here to describe the hearts of the disciples. So that these disciples, they were greatly troubled and worried and anxious and in their hearts they were all stirred up The thought of not having the Lord with them was simply too much for them to bear. And so, because Jesus knows perfectly how to deal with the troubled hearts of his children, how did Jesus ease the agitation of their troubled hearts? Well, this way, Jesus spoke to them about heaven. In my Father's house are many mansions. Do not be troubled. Jesus is saying, I want you to think of Father's house. And right here, there's good instruction for us. Whenever we are beset with the trials and difficulties, the pain and sorrow of life, when earthly sorrows surround us, And when we find ourselves in a state of being troubled, and anxious, and worrying, and fretting, and we don't know which way to turn, well, the answer is this. Meditate on heaven. Because we have a great hope. We have a great future. We have something to look forward to. And the Lord says to the disciples, let not your hearts be troubled. In my father's house are many mansions. And so Jesus is speaking directly of heaven. And what is Jesus teaching us about heaven in these verses? Well, throughout scripture, Heaven is referred to in a number of different ways. Heaven is referred to as a city. That's Revelation 21, verse two, and I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. Heaven is also referred to as a kingdom. Matthew 8, verse 11, Jesus speaks of the kingdom of heaven. Other passages, too, with regard to the kingdom of heaven. Heaven is also referred to as a country. That's the book of Hebrews, Hebrews 11, verse 16. But now they desire a better country, that is, and heavenly, Here in John chapter 14, Jesus refers to heaven this way, my father's house as a house. And that's very fitting. That's appropriate. Because a house, that's the place where family dwells together in peace, in love, in harmony. Now, in our families, yes, there is sin. In our households, we know that. But nonetheless, the picture stands that a house, a household, a home, that's the place of communion and fellowship, joy and happiness, safety and security, and that's what heaven is, a place of fellowship. A place of that family communion, the covenant fellowship that God has within his own triune being as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And God will bring us into that fellowship because we are members of the household of God. Sons and daughters adopted by grace through our Lord Jesus Christ. And during Jesus' earthly ministry, he described the temple even as my father's house. So that you think of the temple in Old Testament times, a gathering place, a place of fellowship and communion as brothers and sisters in the Lord came together to worship God. And so also with us today, so that we taste a little bit of heaven here on this earth. as we come and worship God in the congregation of the saints. But heaven, this is a definite place. There is not simply this vague reality, but there is this concrete reality of heaven. It's not a figment of someone's imagination. It's a real place where one day you and I will dwell, and with all of God's people, to all eternity. And that's something that we need to emphasize that it is real and that we must look forward to it because Jesus says in verse two, if it were not so, I would have told you. If heaven did not exist, Jesus would have told us. If there were no such place as my father's house, then you can be sure that Jesus would have informed us so that we could look somewhere else for our eternal abode. But Jesus didn't say that. On the contrary, he says the opposite. There is such a place. Heaven is real. I'm going there. My Father's house. Your Father's house. And here, We ought to pause for a brief moment and understand that if heaven is a real place, or if it were not so, Jesus would have told us, and therefore it is, that therefore there is also the other place, the place called hell. There are many people in the world today who like to pick and choose what they believe They say, I like the idea of heaven. They say, heaven, it sounds nice and wonderful, but I don't know if I want to believe in a hell. That's not a nice place. And a loving God would never send people there to suffer forever and ever. And therefore, they choose to dismiss that place. But then we go to the Bible, and what does Jesus say? Jesus says to the Pharisees, you generation of vipers, how shall ye escape the damnation of hell? And again, Jesus says, and thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shall be brought down to hell. And so two very real and definite places. my Father's house, which is heaven, and the eternal condemnation of hell. But for our purpose in this sermon this morning, we focus on heaven, and that heaven is a real definite place, and it's the place where Jesus is right now in the body. That's where our Savior is in his human nature. And you recall that from Acts chapter one, when the disciples saw Jesus go up into heaven, and then the angels appeared unto them and said unto the disciples, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? Because that's where Jesus is. And we'll confess it tonight in the Apostles' Creed, that Jesus was crucified dead and buried, He ascended into hell, the third day he arose again, ascended into heaven. And so, right now at this moment, the resurrected, glorified human nature of our Savior is in heaven at the right hand of God. He is, to use the language of John 14, in my Father's house. Now Jesus gives us more instruction about heaven from this text. In my Father's house are many mansions. There are many mansions in Father's house. Now that's not talking about the kind of mansion that you and I might see nowadays if we're driving through an affluent neighborhood and nestled way back on the backside of the property behind the trees is a beautiful, large, spacious home. And we get a glimpse of it from the road and we say, wow, that's a mansion. That's not what Jesus is speaking of. There may be truths about that kind of a mansion that may also apply to heaven. A mansion is big, it's beautiful, luxurious. All right, those things, I suppose, apply to a degree. But this word in John chapter 14, the word mansion, it means a dwelling place. It means an abode. The very same word is used later in this chapter in verse 23. Jesus says, if a man loved me, he will keep my words and my father will love him and we will come unto him and make our mansion with him, make our abode, and here it's translated abode, make our abode with him. But that's the same word as mansions earlier. So that heaven will be our eternal abode our eternal dwelling place. And then what Jesus says, in my Father's house are many mansions, many abodes. You say, well, why is the plural used? Well, the plural is used here to refer to the extent of Father's house, which means that there's more than enough room for all of God's people. And that's a lovely thing when you think of it, that there are many mansions. There's no risk of heaven being overcrowded Many mansions, there's room for all God's people. Many mansions, no prospect of any of God's people ever being turned away. Many mansions, a perfect place that Christ has prepared for all those for whom he died. And when we speak about the death of a Christian, what do we usually say? We say the Lord, took him home. She is at home with the Lord. Now that's very fitting and appropriate language. That's what the Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 8, when he says, we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. And that word to be present means to be at home. And it's the exact same word Jesus used in the text translated mansions. So that to be absent in the body for the Christian means to be at home with Christ in heaven. And so Paul regarded heaven as home, as his home. And each blood-bought child of God may look forward to being at home with the Lord. And now, what's the best part about being home? To use a brief illustration, you think of a soldier going away from home, leaving his family and friends back. And year after year go by, finally he receives notice that he may go back home. And the best part about going home is to see his loved ones, embracing them and speaking to them and looking into each other's eyes. And that's what makes heaven home to us because it's the dwelling place of our Heavenly Father and because our Savior is there. And isn't that what heaven is all about? Heaven is not something we look so forward to as if it's a reality apart from Jesus Christ. You take Jesus Christ out of heaven, then heaven is nothing. What makes heaven heaven? But because of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the light of heaven. He is the king. He is the mediator. Why is it that we long to be there but to see Him who died for us and to be with Him where He is? But can you imagine a heaven without Christ? And isn't that what we look forward to, to be with the Lord? Now that's not to deny that our Savior isn't with us right now, because Jesus is with us right now. He is with us by His Spirit that He sends us, living in our hearts, and that is wonderful, but that Spirit that we have now is a foretaste, is a down payment, if you will, of that full blessedness and bliss that is in store for you and for me. And so Jesus refers to heaven as home, my Father's house. are many mansions. But further, Jesus says, and now we move to what Jesus says regarding preparing a place. Jesus says, I go to prepare a place for you. And three times in these first four verses, Jesus says, I go. I go. Now that's not simply Jesus referring to the fact that he's going to heaven and there to prepare a place for God's people. Yes, that's true, but that preparation began when Jesus was already on this earth. Jesus is already working. Jesus is already preparing so that he and the disciples are currently on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane. Soon, Jesus will be captured and he will go to Jerusalem to be tried. He will be condemned and then he will go to the hill of Golgotha and he will die on the cross for the sins of his people and that's included then. When Jesus says, I go, to prepare a place for you, Jesus is saying, I will die for my people, and I will purchase and I will secure their place in heaven. Now that going and preparing also speaks of the work that Jesus Christ is doing for us right now, as he sits at the right hand of God. At the right hand of God, Jesus is Our advocate. And as our advocate, Jesus intercedes with the Father on our behalf. What does that intercession mean? What does that intercession of Jesus look like? Well, it's what Jesus says when He pleads with the Father on the basis of His own death. Give them, Heavenly Father, all the blessings of salvation, all those for whom I died. give them the Holy Spirit, sanctify them, preserve them, assure them that their home is heaven is secure, give them grace, give them contentment, and do all these things because of my sacrifice in their place. But there's more that word. that we're to prepare, Jesus says, I go to prepare a place that it means to make ready, to make ready. And that's something that if any of us have ever hosted people for a day or two or three, we know what that means. When we receive visitors, we set the night, and they'll be at our home at 6 p.m. You get everything ready upon their arrival, and when company arrives, They lack nothing. Everything has been done, and the fellowship can begin. Well, the Lord has gone home to make ready a place for you and for me, so that when we do get to heaven, there will be nothing lacking. There will be nothing missing. It will be perfect. It will be complete. It will be entire. And here is where we can go so far but not any farther in speaking about God's preparation for us and what he does. And here I have my eye on the word of God in 1 Corinthians 2 verse 9. I hath not seen nor ear heard the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." Now, we can say this, of course, that heaven will be a place without sin, a place without sorrow, without suffering, a place without Satan, no more temptation, no more defeats, no more disappointments, no more discouragements, the Lord, or that's the place the Lord has gone to prepare for us, a perfect dwelling place, a peaceful dwelling place, a pure dwelling place. And notice here in the text that there's something very personal that Jesus says when he says, I go to prepare a place for you. That's something we ought not overlook. I go to prepare a place for you. Jesus says, I'm doing it for you. And this language doesn't strike us as strange. This is very familiar language that Jesus uses when he uses this language for you. And when you think of all that Jesus has done for you, We're reminded of that every single time that we partake of the Lord's Supper, because every time we partake of the Lord's Supper, we hear these words, this is my body which has been broken for you. This is my blood that has been shed for you. Jesus says elsewhere, it is expedient for you that I, for you that I go away. I will pray the Father for you. And now here in John 14, I go to prepare a place for you so that everything that we have, everything that we are, everything that awaits us in glory, the Lord did it all for you. who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, yes, for you personally, but then for all his sheep and for all his elect. He's gone to prepare a place for you and for me. And finally, note the welcome reception that will be ours when we enter heaven. Jesus says in verse three, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself. We don't just happen to go to heaven. It's not the case that in a vague way we find ourselves in heaven. But the reality is that Jesus brings us into heaven. And Jesus is the one who will receive us into heaven. Now, when Jesus says, I will come again, that does refer to his second coming. second and final coming of the Savior. But then we can say this too, that every single time a child of God dies in this world, that Jesus comes and receives the soul of that person unto himself. Now when Jesus says this, I will receive you. That word means to take and to bring somebody alongside of you. I will receive you. And that's what happens whenever you receive company, especially your loved ones that you haven't seen in a very long time. They pull up in the driveway. They come to the door. You open up. You see your loved ones have made it safe and sound. You haven't seen them in years. You embrace them. You put your arm around them. You bring them close to your side, and you walk into the home. And you love them, and they are precious to you. And that's what it'll be like when we go to heaven. Our Savior will receive us. He will take us to his side. We are precious to him, and he loves us. But what a welcome reception, what a day of rejoicing that will be. The one who saved me by his grace when he receives me at home at last. As Jesus says, that where I am. There ye may be also. And what touching words those are when Jesus says that where I am, there ye may be also. That speaks of the desire, the desire of Jesus for all his sheep for whom he laid down his life. It's the desire of Jesus that where he is, there we may be also. And when loved ones are taken from us in this life and our hearts ache and we wish we had them with us for a little longer, and then we have to remember that the Lord Jesus Christ desired efficaciously and irresistibly that that one be with him at that moment. And who are we? Who are we to deny that desire of Jesus when he calls our loved ones to glory? And then we rejoice because they are with the Lord Jesus in heavenly glory. And one day we will dwell in heaven, my Father's house. But what a prospect. What a prospect. to be with the Lord. Paul says, I am in a straight betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better. But why was Paul so homesick for heaven? And that's what he was expressing, his homesickness for heaven. But why was he so homesick for heaven? A desire to depart and to be away from all of this earthly sorrow and hardship and pain and difficulty, I suppose to a degree, but to depart and to be with Christ, our Lord and our Savior. And even here on earth, we always want the Lord's presence more and more. We pray for his presence when we are in the hospital. We pray for his presence in the time of sorrow. We pray for his presence in time of suffering. We pray for his presence during the storms of life because we know that it's his presence with us that will carry us through. But when we get to heaven, we will be in his presence forever. In the Lord's presence, there's fullness and joy. Our cup of bliss overflows, and what a welcome reception we shall enjoy. May God grant us to be comforted with this truth of heaven during the storms and troubles and difficulties of life. Jesus says, you believe in God? do, believe also in me. Believe that he is preparing a place for you and that there will come the day when he will receive you and all his people, as Jesus says, in my Father's house. Amen.