Jesus Christ is risen! He died to pay the price of justice for our sins, and three days later he came back to life. He rose from the dead to prove that he is God and that everyone who believes in him as their Savior will also rise to a new life here and eternal life someday in heaven.
Here is a beautiful promise that Jesus makes about heaven: “My Father’s house has many rooms … 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” (John 14:2,3).
Maybe you moved to Pflugerville recently. One of the things that made you feel loved, invited and welcomed was when a new neighbor brought you a dish of lasagna, or even next level: asked you over for lasagna dinner and games. That made your new place feel more like home.
Maybe you’re new to CrossLife Church or to church in general, or coming back after an absence. One of the things that makes you feel loved, invited and welcomed at CrossLife is a few CrossLifers noticing you, caring about you, and saying, “Good morning. We’re glad you’re here!” It makes you realize that church is a place to belong. Like home.
Then there’s the joy of coming home, whether after a long day at work, or a week or two of travel abroad, or being at the hospital longer than you’d like. It feels so good to come home to your own pets or plants or people, your own pillow, and your own pile of remote controls. Ahh. There’s no place like home.
And, are you with me here? As exciting as it might be to walk into the perfect AirBnB or luxury hotel room for an expensive stay, it’s not the same as our own home. Why? Because our own home is where we belong.
That’s what Jesus is promising you today. You belong. The “Father’s house” is your home. You live with Jesus in a place of love, invitation and welcome. The Father’s house is not an address or GPS location but a way of living, an identity of being, a reality with comforts and joys of a perfect home.
Believe in Jesus and his words, and that is your home now, and will be your home forever in heaven.
Our place in heaven is so special that Jesus says he is personally preparing it, and it has “many rooms.” This is an eternal vacation with Jesus as your personal concierge and it’s not just one room. Not just adjoining rooms in a king suite. It is multiple rooms, an entire, exquisite heavenly hotel floor of rooms that is all yours!
I know, it’s hard to imagine. That’s the point. It’s bigger and better than anything you can imagine. And it’s all yours, even if you can’t. Jesus says so.
“I rose from the dead, I’m going to live forever in heaven, and I’m bringing you with me.”
PRAYER: Jesus, the certainty of heaven for me is 100% because your promises always come true. Thank you for rising from the dead, becoming alive, and promising eternal life in heaven to all who believe. I’ll see you there some day! Amen.
MORE TO THE STORY: Here’s my Easter sermon that teaches more about these words from Jesus, and shares a story about a time I ran away from home. https://crosslifepf.org/messages/welcome-home/