Psalm Sunday’s Reading – John 14:1-14

The True Heaven – Kathleen Kimber

Chapters 13-17 of John the Apostle’s Gospel are often referred to as the Upper Room Discourse. Here we find the tenderest and most personal words of Jesus to His beloved disciples. He had tried to prepare them for His departure but He knew they didn’t understand. He knew the questions on their minds and hearts; “Where are you going?” “Why can’t we go with you?” “What will happen to us when you are gone?”

In answer to their unspoken questions, Jesus tells His disciples to trust God and to trust Him. He tells them about heaven, that it is a place, a promise and a person. Heaven is the Father’s house, the place of His dwelling. Jesus gives them the promise that even though He is leaving to prepare for them, He will come back for them. And at last, Jesus makes known to them that heaven is wherever He is. He tells them, “I will come back and take you to be with Me that you may be where I am.”

In verse 6 Jesus makes His great “I AM” declaration. He declares, “I am the way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

When couples fall in love, they long to be with each other every moment. The rest of the world fades into the background as they have eyes only for each other. They may even express their love by saying. “Whenever I am with you, it’s heaven.” Could human love of this description be a mere reflection of Jesus’ love for His own?