In My Father's House are Many Mansions

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Date: August 13, 2009

Title: “In my Father’s House are many Mansions!”

Subject: “Heaven” (is my home)

Theme: My Father is calling me Home

Scripture: St. John 14:1-21; John 21:7

Song: There will be Peace in the Valley for me

As the scene opens, we find Jesus discussing pertinent issues with his disciples concerning life, the things it brings and leaves behind etc. Jesus is attempting to comfort his children with majestic words of peace and encouragement. He continues to explain there is a place not of this world, a place created just for them and those who will follow. He continues to share this place is a beautiful and majestic place filled with beauty and love that within this place are wonderful amazingly built mansions designed for their comfort and unique individuality. Among the mansions dwell the presence of the Most High God the Father and His son Jesus Christ whose presence brings peace and divine tranquility. No other union has ever been as perfect as when the Lord and his people (family) reunite.

Jesus will come at an unexpected time, however; it will not be without a clear warning to those who are expecting him. Jesus told the disciples of this day:

•I go to prepare a place for you

•There are many mansions in that place

•I will come again and receive you unto myself (to take you with me there)

The statement He made in vs. 4 “where I go you know and the way you know” It caused doubt and unbelief to rise in the minds of the disciple Thomas. But Jesus quickly redirects him to clarify his statement. He announced a firm “I am the way, the truth, and the life!” In other words, He is the door that leads to life, (to our new home in this place called “Heaven”)

Next, the disciple Phillip said, “If the father will provide this place for us then show us the Father and we’ll be satisfied to know there is such a place. Now, Jesus is a little disturbed as He says, “Haven’t I been with you for three years? You have seen my works accomplished by my hands and how many people I have helped, but you still have doubt that I am able to do these things with my Father’s help. He reiterates the accomplishments in summation he says, I do what my Father tells me then it works, so everyone sees a miracle. He is the mastermind not me. The hardest part is to get people to believe what they can’t see and to see what they can believe. “Heaven is a real Place!”

Lets go on to a time when Jesus does exactly what he said He would do for the disciples of that day as well as for us in our time. In verse 21 of St. John fourteen. He said, “I will manifest myself to him.”

After Jesus was crucified, the disciples’ faith in God began to wane, and they forgot what Jesus told them before he was crucified. They forgot it all because the emotion of grief was so powerful and prevalent at the time. Because of his gruesome death, by crucifixion and the burial was so horrific that the peace and comfort Jesus had spoken of in the recent past was a distant memory.

Now, the scene opens with the disciple Peter who on the night of Jesus’ betrayal denied the Lord thrice and then the cock crowed. We find Peter has gone back fishing which was His trade. (This is symbolic of us leaving our refreshing peace of God, and returning to the worry of every day life and listening to people who have no faith or positive things to say.) Jesus shows up as he said He was disguised as an old fisherman. At first, the disciples who went with Peter are discouraged because although they are trying to support Peter the river is giving them no fish al all. As Jesus approaches the ship he instructs them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat and at His word they obey and the net is suddenly filled and the net brakes because the catch is so much. Verse 7 says “Therefore, the disciple Jesus loved (John) said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Peter realized he was naked and leaped into the water. (This is symbolic of Peter’s shame before the face of the Lord and his need to repent from unbelief).

We are the same as Peter when we realize we are naked before the Lord or his representatives. We try to hide our:

•Inadequacy

•Ineptness

•Irreverence

We do this by diving into the pool where we think our natural strength lies. For example: intelligence, marriage, wealth, prestige…

But God is not impressed. Neither is He interested in any of those strengths, because he made us fragile in the first place so we could learn to depend upon Him not ourselves. He knows us! So, that is why our strength is so unimportant to Him. The point is He keeps His word!

In conclusion, I believe My Heavenly Father and Your natural Father wanted you to remember in times when life has grabbed you and the spirit of grief tries to entangle you, and it will; remember your daddy is in that place that Jesus went to prepare for us and where He is now with all those who love Him.

God bless you all and be encouraged everything is going to be alright!

With love and respect,

Your Friend,

Rev. Jacqueline D. Gaines

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