The way to heaven
Jesus sets up his disciples to question heaven where he was going, when he tells them “You know the way to the place where I am going”. It is the curiosity of how we will go to heaven that has always perplexed our mind’s, the afterlife. The contents of heaven is mentioned in the bible where Jesus said that he was going, and some of them are, a mansion, a city (heb11:10), a paradise, a country, where God’s throne and dwelling is (ps33:13) and the place where every believer will go when they die (ph1:21-23). Jesus awakes the disciple’s curiosity and alters their mindset from how they were feeling and thinking to the real reason for his appearance. The nativity of the Messiah was to point all men to heaven, the destination for all who would be believe. John said that all that believe in him he gave them the right to be called children of God (Jh1:12-13), eligible to enter into heaven.
John 14:1-4
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in Goda]; 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.”
The disciples were troubled. Jesus was grilling them of his departure to the point that they were displaying extreme sadness and sorrow. Their troubled souls were so that Peter began to reprimand Christ for speaking about his departure (Mk8:32-33), because he fully did not understand the Messianic purpose. It was easy for the disciples to let themselves to drift off with sorrow just as it is for all of us, especially with everything that is happening around us. Jeremiah says that the heart is deceitful above everything else (Jer17:9). So, Jesus tells the disciples not to let their hearts to be troubled, as if we have control how our hearts respond to life’s turmoil. The proverbs tell us that we need to guard our hearts above everything else (prv4:23), because it is that muscle that cannot be trusted. It fails and is easily swayed to weakness the heart, but God strengthens the heart when we give it to him (ps73:26).
10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Psalms 33:13
From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind;
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
John 1:12-13
12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
Mark 8:32-33
32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Proverbs 4:23
The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Psalms 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.