MANSIONS
MANSIONS
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 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 unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn. 14:1-3 KJV).
For your information, the Greek word translated as “mansions” in this passage is “mone”. It is only found two times in the Bible. In John 14:2 it is translated as “mansions” and in John 14:23 it is translated as “abode” in the KJV. Note! “Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love me he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (Jn. 14:23 KJV).
HOW BEAUTIFUL! In the first instance Jesus is preparing a special place for us, and in the second we are preparing a special place for him!
But let us back up and try to understand what it meant to the apostles to have a “mansion” of their very own.
When the apostles followed Jesus they left their homes to do so. “Peter said to him, ‘we have left everything to follow you’! ‘I tell you the truth’, Jesus replied, ‘no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields – and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come eternal life.” (Mk. 10:29-30).
When a man told Jesus: “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Lk. 9:57- 58).
Jesus taught His apostles to go preach without taking any gold, silver, or copper. They were to take no bag or extra tunic, or sandals, or a staff. They were not to depend upon themselves, but were to search for some worthy person to stay with. Like Jesus, they did not have their “own” place to lay their head (Matt. 10:5-20).
In heaven, however, everyone will have a mansion of his own!
OWNERSHIP
It is important to remember that the Hebrew people had a long history of not owning property. •
They were wandering shepherds who lived in tents and were constantly on the move. •
Every time their sheep needed new pasture they pulled up stakes and moved.
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Abraham was a stranger and an alien in the land of Canaan when his wife Sarah died. Sadly, he had no property to bury his wife. Then Ephron the Hittite sold him a small field and a cave to use as a burying place (Gen. 23:1-20).
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Other than this, God “gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land.” (Acts 7:5).
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The Hebrews cherished this promise that someday they would own property and have a permanent home.
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As you know, Abraham’s descendants were enslaved and mistreated for 400 years in Egypt (Gen. 15:13). Obviously, as slaves, they were not permitted to own property.
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When they crossed over the Jordan River into the “Promised Land”, however, the promise of God came true and they finally owned their own homes and property.
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Each tribe was given a part of the Promised Land as their own (See Joshua chapters 13-19). •
The Levites, however, received no land “Instead, I have given to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord. That is why I said concerning them: they will have no inheritance among the Israelites” (Nu. 18:24). •
The land inherited by each tribe was theirs! It was not to be transferred to another tribe! “No inheritance in Israel is to pass from tribe to tribe, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal land inherited from his forefathers” (Nu. 36:7).
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Naboth, for example, owned a vineyard (1 Ki. 21:1). When Ahab wanted to buy his vineyard: “Naboth replied, ‘The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers” (1 Ki. 21:3).
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When Ahab and Jezebel murdered Naboth and took his vineyard God sent the prophet Elijah to confront Ahab. This confrontation came in Naboth’s vineyard. Elijah said: “This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?” Then say to him, “This is what the Lord says: In the place where the dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick your blood – yes yours!”
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“And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: ‘dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel’” (1 Ki. 21:23).
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Both Ahab and Jezebel committed many sins, but it is significant that God announced their doom in the vineyard they had stolen from Naboth. Naboth’s property rights were sacred to God.
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All Israelites, except the tribe of Levi, were given property to own. Even women without husbands were given an inheritance. (Nu. 27:1-11).
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If an individual had to sell his property it was to be returned to them on the Year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:8-17).
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Ownership was an integral part of God’s plan for His people!
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God is looking forward to giving you property of your own. Please note this warning, however! “If you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (Lk. 16:12)
THE PROBLEM
Yes! God wants everyone to own property, but the problem is that everyone dies! Even Naboth did not enjoy his vineyard forever. Neither will you! Your “ownership” ends when you die! When you die someone else takes over what you used to own. During our life we encounter many enemies. We face illness, drought, storms, accidents, theft, and many other enemies as well. The last enemy we face is death! (1 Cor. 15:56). Death ultimately deprives us of enjoying what we own!
THE SOLUTION
The solution is to do away with death! (God) “Who has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:9-10).
“Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable” (1 Cor. 15:50). A man can own his own home, but when he dies he cannot enjoy it. Since flesh and blood are not eternal they have no value in an eternal home!
When death is destroyed, however, man will live forever. In heaven “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Rev. 21:4).
REMEMBER! ETERNAL LIFE IS NECESSARY TO ENJOY AN ETERNAL INHERITANCE!
“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (Jn. 17:3).
HOW DO WE RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE?
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Remember how this lesson began. Jesus promised to prepare a mansion for us, and then said: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me” (Jn. 14:23- 24 NIV).
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Receiving Jesus involves loving Him and obeying His teaching.
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Those who do not obey Jesus do not love Him!
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These words did not originate with Jesus, but belong to the Father who sent Him. •
God does not want anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).
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Jesus said: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20).
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Sadly, “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (Jn. 1:11-12).
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Paul put it like this to the Galatians: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:26-29).
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“As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says. ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you’. I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:1-2).