Our Dwelling Place

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Jesus *said to him, “I am  the way, and  the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:1-6

The meal was finished, Jesus had washed their feet and dismissed Judas. Now the private teaching was beginning, for those who would become His Church. Believers only. He had spent three years offering the kingdom of God to the Jews. The Jews did not want His spiritual kingdom. They wanted Him to become an earthly king and continue the religion they had always practiced, while overthrowing the rule of Rome. In chapters 14 through 17 of John’s gospel, Jesus intimately taught and prayed for these men and those who would believe through them. In these three chapters, there is no mention of the Jews. These deep truths of God would be shown to the eleven, before they had to face the final offering of their Master as the Lamb of God, for their sins and ours.

Continuing with His discourse, He commanded them: “don’t worry.” Command: “believe in God.” Command: “believe also in Me.”

Jesus knew about His Father’s house. He came from there. Now, He would ascend back to there and prepare our eternal dwelling place. Then He will personally return for us, so we can be with Him forever.  They knew His meaning about the Father’s house, but Thomas wanted to hear more explanation. “We don’t know, Lord, and how can we know the way?”

“I AM the way”…the only access to the Father.

“the truth”…all truth. The Word of God.

“the life”…the source of all life.

“no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

This leaves no room for speculation about other possible means of salvation. This denies any possibility that people who practice religions will receive admission into the presence of God. There is no such thing as “good enough.” Human works are not an option.

I’ve heard professing Christians say that when someone tells them that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation, they don’t want to hear anything else that person has to say.

Well, Jesus Christ Himself said it, more than once, but this is the most forceful and unmistakable of His statements on the subject. It cannot be explained away. You either believe that He is the only way, or you believe He is a liar.

Jesus also said this, in John 3:18: “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

And this, in John 3:36: “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Jesus came to earth as a man to present His Father’s plan of grace, which would purchase the redemption of every human who will believe. He lived among us until the appointed time and then He executed that perfect plan. It is finished. He is the ONLY way. This discourse with the eleven took place before the physical execution of the plan, but the plan was a reality from eternity past. Those who lived before looked forward to the atonement of the cross. We who live after are looking back to the atonement of the cross. Same plan. Same atonement. Same Savior. Same means of access: faith.

Same eternal dwelling place: the Father's house.