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.” (KJV)
Jesus spoke the words recorded in John 14:2 during the final week of His earthly ministry before His crucifixion! Jesus had been dropping hints to his Disciples about his true intentions as the Lamb of God from the moment he first called his Twelve Apostles, nearly three-and-a-half years earlier.
Briefly let us back up and take note of a few important events which took place at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry which have direct bearing on this final week, and in particular Jesus’ statement about many mansions.
Jesus’ formal ministry begins at His baptism by John, after which Jesus is tempted by Satan and then He begins to call His Twelve Apostles or “Fishers of Men,” if you will.
Next is Jesus’ first formal discourse, known as the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus spoke the following words to the multitudes: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
The Sermon on the Mount is important for many reasons, but that not so little clue about fulfilling the law and the prophets is about to come to fruition during Jesus’ final week. Remember Jesus has already told his Apostles in John 12:24 that a seed or “corn of wheat” must first fall onto the ground and die before it can bring forth fruit.
Everything, and I mean everything, Jesus had done from the beginning of His ministry is either to keep one of the Ten Commandments (Law) or an ordinance pertaining to the law, or to fulfill something one of the Old Testament Prophets predicted—and in some cases all at once.
For instance, Jesus’ baptism kept the Law by fulfilling the ceremonial ordinances concerned with divers [many different] washings, which the Levitical Priest must accomplish before approaching the Holy of Holies as detailed in Leviticus. Both Jesus and the inspired Gospel writers are not negligent in pointing these things out, which is why Jesus told John the Baptist that He (Jesus) had need to be baptized of him in order to fulfil all righteousness.
It is also important to note that this Old Testament, “Ark of the Covenant” behind a curtain within the Holy of Holies was pointing forward to Jesus, who is the true “Ark of the Covenant.” That Old Testament earthly man-made box was a mere shadow of a greater reality that Jesus fulfilled, as the true Ark of God, by his death and resurrection.
You can read more about this typology and shadows in Hebrews, specifically chapters 9 & 10. The Prophet Isaiah competes this trilogy of foreshadowing Christ in 42:1 of his book when he says: “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles.”
Which is why Matthew, Mark and Luke are careful to record that when the spirit descended like a dove (also a prophecy) on Jesus a voice was heard from heaven saying: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Our very quick recap of the start of Jesus’ three-and-a-half year ministry brings us back to this final week. Again, Jesus in excruciating detail, is driving home the point that He is about to allow himself to be taken prisoner, beaten and be crucified.
Each of the Twelve Apostles are on the verge of full-blown panic attacks. Imagine what they are going through, as the realization of what Jesus is saying is setting in, but you don’t really have to imagine because the Gospel writers tells us.
Peter as usual makes it blatantly obvious that he is anxious by offering to fall on his sword for the Lord. Jesus loving Peter, not only tells Peter that he won’t die for Him, and that he will actually deny even knowing Jesus. No doubt Peter is about to come apart at the seams.
The “Sons of Thunder,” James and John, who wanted to sit on the right and left side of Jesus because they thought his Kingdom would be of this world, both would hide in fear with the others immediately after the crucifixion. Thomas, always doubting even in the midst of Jesus’ promise of a glory beyond compare to the faithful, declares, “Lord we don’t have a clue what you are doing!” (my paraphrase).
Phillip will only accept comfort if Jesus shows them God! Imagine that for a moment, I mean here is the God of Creation, the Word made Flesh, right in the midst of his Apostles and they haven’t fully realized who Jesus really is!
Last, but not least, we come to the most fearful of them all, poor Judas the “Son of Perdition.” Jesus has instructed the twelve that one of them would betray him! As prophesied in the Old Testament, Jesus’ own faithful friend would betray him with a kiss.
I suppose Judas, believing Satan’s lie, thought he could force Jesus into becoming this earthly King of the world that Satan tried to tempt Jesus into becoming during the first week of his ministry. It didn’t work during the first week, it wouldn’t work during the last week.
Judas, realizing that Jesus would never be like other kings and the Judas would not rule and reign with Christ, lost all hope, gave into fear and hung himself. Left to Satan and our own devices we have no hope! As Paul told the Corinthians: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”
Jesus, loving them all till the end, would not leave the remaining Apostles and those that would follow them hopeless. Therefore Jesus paints a beautiful picture of heaven for them that only he could paint. This is a “Nicodemus Thing,” as we like to call it.
Jesus, being the rightful heir to the glories of heaven, uses his heritage to paint a beautiful picture. The Father’s house and Jesus’ heritage is the whole house of Israel; as in Abraham’s seed, the house of David; house meaning faithful descendants who like Abraham believe God’s promises.
A picture glorious enough to lift troubled souls out of miry clay right into the glories of Heaven. After Jesus’ Resurrection they would remember that Jesus had said these things to comfort them, and by the Holy Spirit, his Apostles would comfort others with His words.
John 14:1,2: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions.”