Day 6 - Week 22 - John 14:2 "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."

Jesus spoke these words to His disciples among His final instructions and teachings before His betrayal.  Later in the same chapter He says, "All this I have spoken while still with you."  Jesus had told His disciples He was leaving them.

The first step in the preparation of our eternal home was about to take place. 

Without the cross there can be no mansion.  Jesus knew that He had to pay the price so that we could have the home that He had just spoken of.  Without Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection we have no life to look forward to but only the punishment that we, on our own, deserve.

Again in John 14 Jesus says, "I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me."

Jesus was obedient to His Father---the Father's love for us inspired the command, and Jesus obeyed.  He knew His obedience would bring life to this fallen earth, ruled by the "prince of this world", who had no control over Jesus, but without Jesus in our lives, does have control over us.  He knew His role was to conquer...and conquer He did!

Because of Jesus, we now have the vision of our mansion in heaven waiting for us...what a different future than if Jesus had refused the Father's command and left us without salvation.  What a different life we would live on this earth if we didn't have the gift that Jesus made available to us.

Keep looking forward to your new home and keep remembering that it is available to you only because of the One who "humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!"  Philippians 2:8.