The Super Bowl

I go to prepare a place for you.   John 14:2, KJV

When Jesus said this to the disciples, he didn’t mean he was going to heaven to get it ready for them! If God can create the cosmos out of nothing and hold the moon and the stars on course, he can get heaven organized with a single command.

When Jesus said this, he was telling the disciples that the place would be prepared by his going. Jesus was about to go to the cross. He was going to die, be buried, rise, and finally ascend to heaven. It is through Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension that the place for all his followers is prepared. His death and resurrection have made heaven ready, reserving a place for all who believe.

That’s why the disciples didn’t need to be troubled by the fact that Jesus was being taken from them. It was through his going to the cross that the way would be opened up for them to enter into the home Christ had described.

Imagine you are playing in the Super Bowl. The ball comes to you, and for a moment you see the goal line—thirty yards ahead of you. The crowd is cheering, and your heart pounds as you begin to run.

But there in front of you are the defensive linemen—huge guys looking right at you. Their names are “Law,” “Sin,” and “Death.” There’s another one—bigger, meaner, and uglier than the others—standing behind the linemen, and his name is “Satan.”

There is no way past these guys. They stand between you and the goal line, and you know they’ll flatten you before you get there. But now an offensive lineman comes at great speed toward them. They’re looking to take you out, but he comes and knocks them down, opening your way to the goal line.

This is what Jesus Christ has done for you on the cross. “I go to prepare a place for you,” he says. By his death and resurrection, Christ has opened the way into everlasting life for you.

For further reading, see John 14