John 14:1-14 (NRSV)
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Chapter 14"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. Verse 2In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? Verse 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.
Verse 4And you know the way to the place where I am going." Verse 5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Verse 6Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Verse 7If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Verse 8Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Verse 9Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Verse 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Verse 11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.
Verse 12Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. Verse 13I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Verse 14If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
Devotion
We turn from lessons on stones to dwelling places. Many of us are too anxious about what our house says about our social standing. “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places…I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also…” (v.2, 3)
The term for dwelling place was a way-station along a dangerous highway. Travelers would send someone ahead to organize their comfort at the next stop. The kind of dwelling place to which we are going is unknown, but we already know who will be there for us. That was not enough for doubting Thomas (v.5), but it is enough to know Jesus, who has gone ahead. We can stop being anxious about what kind of dwelling place our destination will be.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for the assurance that the dwelling place that lies ahead for us will be the unsurpassable bliss of being with Him whom we already know in faith, Jesus Christ. Amen.