To Encourage You

John 14:2 “If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”

Do you realize that there is absolutely nothing more certain for the believer than heaven? It’s a place we’ve all heard about, but it’s so difficult to conceptualize. Some people just don’t believe there is such a place. They will clearly tell you that what they believe is that when a person dies, that’s the end. They believe that our existence ends at the grave, and so with that the view “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die (Isaiah 22:13).” And indeed, that should be our view if there is nothing after this life. However, Jesus taught us that anyone who holds such a view is a fool (Luke 12:19-20).

It really is folly to trust a perspective of anyone that has only ever experienced this life and this earth when it comes to anything beyond them. There is only One who has a true perspective on eternal things, and it is the eternal God Himself. It was God the Father Who sent His one and only Son into this world from heaven. As Jesus walked this earth, He spoke constantly of “the kingdom of heaven.” It was a place that is so wonderful that we are told that for the joy of that place Jesus was willing to endure the suffering of the cross if that was what it meant for Him to return there (Hebrews 12:1).

But it is the words of Jesus from John 14 above that give incredible emphasis, perhaps more so than any place else in the Bible, to the reality of this place. Of all the things that Jesus ever said or taught, the nature of this statement is unique. Here we have the One who cannot lie emphasizing the truth of what He is talking about with these words “If it were not so, would I have told you?” He could simply have said “I’m going to prepare a place for you” and left it at that, for any statement coming from the one Who is “The Truth” should be enough for us. But Jesus goes the extra step of emphasizing the utter truthfulness and certainty of this promise. He stakes His reputation on this. It’s as if He’s telling us “if what I’m telling you about heaven isn’t true, then nothing else I’ve said is true. Trust Me on this.”

We find similar language regarding God’s promise to Abraham and all of his descendants by faith. It was that God would give them a Promised Land, a land whose ultimate fulfillment is Heaven itself. In Hebrews 6:13-20 we are told this: “For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by Himself, saying, ‘Surely I will bless you and multiply you.’ And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Listen to the language used here about this promise God had made: “show more convincingly, guaranteed with an oath, impossible for God to lie, strong encouragement to hold fast the hope set before us, sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.” It is with these amazing confirmations that God has assured us, based on all that He is, that heaven is a very sure promise, for them that believe. So, do you believe? Are you sure of Heaven? You and I obviously should be, if we are followers of Jesus Christ.  For you see, for those who believe, Heaven is as certain, and God would have us to know more certain, than anything else that there is.