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Daily Devotions

John

John 
Day 
Day 189

The focus of the Old Covenant

Text: John 14 : 1 - 11

THE FOCUS OF THE OLD COVENANT

God gave a truly wonderful covenant to Abraham. Let’s take a look at the expression of the Abrahamic Covenant recorded in this text.

“I am Almighty God;
walk before Me and be blameless.
And I will make My covenant between Me and you,
and will multiply you exceedingly…

My covenant is with you,
and you shall be a father of many nations…

I will make you exceedingly fruitful;
and I will make nations of you,
and kings shall come from you.

And I will establish My Covenant between Me and you
and your descendants after you in their generations, for
an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your
descendants after you.
Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land
in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan,
as an everlasting possession;
and I will be their God.”
Genesis 17:1-8

What a gracious and glorious Covenant God established with Abraham. God proved Himself absolutely faithful to His promises! However, the focus of the Abrahamic Covenant concerned life on earth. There was no mention of life in heaven!

THE PROMISE OF A HOME IN HEAVEN

What a wondrous word of promise Jesus gave to His Disciples. It is even more astonishing than the word given to Abraham.

“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 to Myself;
that where I am, there you may be also.
And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
John 14:2-4

Jesus wanted His Disciples to overcome the sense of gloom and despair that had settled over them. Their hearts had become troubled as they dwelt on what Jesus had said about His going away. He wanted them to overcome their sense of foreboding through a greater understanding and a deeper faith in Him.

1. Heaven was a REAL place

This was a truth that Jesus wanted to establish with His Disciples. Heaven was God’s abode.

a) The Father was there.
b) Jesus would be returning to His Father after His work on earth was done.
c) There were many “mansions” (literally “rooms” or “dwelling places”) in Heaven.

2. Life in the Hereafter

a) Jesus would go ahead and prepare a place for His disciples.
b) He would receive them personally in Heaven.
c) They would be with Jesus forever.

CLEARING AWAY DOUBTS

Jesus wanted to clear whatever doubts His Disciples may have had. He encouraged His Disciples to exercise faith in Him even as He spoke to them. Obviously, the Disciples still found it hard to comprehend all that their Teacher had said.

Thomas, one of the Disciples said,

“Lord, we do not know where You are going,
and how can we know the way?”
John 14:5

What was Thomas looking for as he raised this question? He still did not understand that Jesus was speaking about His imminent death! There was just a general or vague comprehension of what home in Heaven was like. Could Jesus elaborate on the way to Heaven?

Jesus gave few details concerning “Heaven”. He spoke of Heaven only in terms of the fact that it was His Father’s House. To Him, that was all that really mattered! Heaven was where God dwelt! Where God dwelt was heaven! The Disciples were assured that they would have a dwelling place in Heaven.

The reply of Jesus was simple and yet truly profound as well. He said,

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
John 14:6

Jesus gave no further details! The Disciples would have to struggle harder to comprehend what He said. He was simply The Way! Could the Disciples accept that? Would faith and trust in Jesus be sufficient for them? Just as He was the Truth, and the Life so now He wanted His Disciples to know that He was The Way to the Father… and to Heaven! What a challenge Jesus posed to their faith in Him.