Preparing a Place for Us

 

John 14:1-7; Acts 7:55-60

In our John passage Jesus is comforting the disciples. He tells them not to worry – be troubled since he is preparing a place for them. In his Father’s house are many dwelling places. After he prepares this place for them, he will come again for them and take them to himself.

Thomas is confused when Jesus tells them they know the way to which he responds, “No we don’t.” Jesus answers with one of the famous, “I am” passages: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Through him people will come to the Father in a place he has prepared for them.

Now this is before the crucifixion where Jesus does provide the way to God the Father by dying for everyone’s sins. He then is the way – paving the way to a relationship to God and being able to dwell in one of the eternal dwelling places he has gone and prepared for them. In this way no one can come to the Father except through him.

Fast forward pass the crucifixion and Christ’s resurrection to the days of the early church in the book of Acts. Stephen an early follower of Christ is said to be a man full of grace and power who did great wonders and signs amongst the people. He was selected to minister since he was full of faith and the Holy Spirit.

Our passage today is after a long sermon Stephen preaches condemning the Jews for not listening to their ancestors and receive the Messiah found in Christ. The crowd becomes very angry and agitated and grind their teeth at Stephen. It is then Stephen filled with the Holy Spirit gazes into heaven seeing Jesus standing at the right hand of God. When he tells the crowd what he sees, it makes them even madder, and they drag him out of the city and begin to stone him.

In the midst of the stoning Stephen quotes two things Jesus said at the cross. One: “Lord do not hold this sin against them. And two: “Receive my spirit,” but his time however it is not to God the Father but to and through the Lord Jesus. He dies after this seeing Jesus welcoming him home to the Father’s home, the place he has prepared for him.

Stephen is said to be the first Christian martyr, but we can see in his death how Jesus lived up to his words he told to the disciples. He gave Stephen a vision of Jesus awaiting to bring him to his Father’s home – the place he had prepared for him and for us who believe today. Amen

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