The Road to Our Heavenly Home
My Grandma’s Johnson’s love for me was so comforting and so alive. But Jesus’ love is extremely more than my wonderful Grandma Johnson’s. He is anticipating our time when we “come home” to be with Him. In John 14: 1 Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” In other words Jesus is ready for us to come to His home and He is preparing a place for you and me. Not two quarters, but so much more. A heavenly home with Him. Too many times we let the lure of this life, which is not our home, take over in our thinking about the heavenly home we have waiting for us and we lose hope. In the above scripture Jesus is comforting His disciples by giving them a little glimpse into what is waiting for them. A heavenly home. Don’t let the toil and trouble of this world keep you from anticipating the heavenly home waiting for you with Jesus. We lived in a town about 15 miles from where my Grandma Johnson lived and I still remember thinking the whole trip about our quarter ritual and when I got there she never disappointed by forgetting it. We are one breath away from heaven and we should be comforted to know that when that last breath is taken we will be with Jesus. So our road to our heavenly. home should be one of anticipation and faith. Of course, there will always be doubters who muddy the water of our clear thinking. In verse 5 even good ole Thomas said, 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Then Jesus gives the great statement that we as believers hang our heavenly hats on in verse 6 and 7 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
You may or may not see one major point in all of this heaven talk. You must accept Jesus as your way to heaven. There is no other way but Jesus. All roads to heaven go through Jesus. We cannot work our way into heaven. Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. It is all about one person and that person is Jesus Christ the Savior of the world. We cannot hope our way into heaven because there is going to be a literal resurrection for each of us. 1 Corinthians 15:19 shows us there is so much more to this life than just living here. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. Yes, heaven is for real, and receiving Jesus to receive eternal life is real. Also the Bible is real, and alive, not just stories, but truth. All of this will happen and praise God we have Jesus preparing for us to come home. My grandma’s joy was made complete when she saw me coming through the door because she had something for me that she knew I would like. Jesus is waiting for each of us who have accepted Him by faith to come home to be with Him and it is something we will love for eternity.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is real and it is what drives our passion for others to come to know Him. Paul hammered this point home to the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 15: 12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. This brought comfort to those early disciples when Jesus told them about their home in heaven. We can take comfort in knowing that Jesus is waiting at the door ready for His children to come home. If you haven’t accepted Jesus then you aren’t ready. But if you have accepted Jesus, live your life with the hope that knows that this life is not the end, but only the road to a better place. What road are you on? Grandma’s home was fun to go to but our home in heaven will be an awesome place to spend eternity. Get on the road to the heavenly home!!! Jesus is waiting….
The Pilgrimage continues…..
David Warren