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Lesson XXXII—August 20th
Comfort in Trouble (Jno. 14:1-15). The supper was ended—Judas had gone out—JesOs had broken the news of His de- parture, XIII-33, He had enjoined them to love one another. One disciple had sold Him (Matt. 26:15); another was ready to deny Him (34) ; consternation seized them. They had looked for the immediate coming of the kingdom and were questioning as to who should have the chief place (Luke 22: 24). Now they were told t h at in place of a throne, He must go from them. No won- der t h at their hearts were troubled, t h at they were cast down; for three years and a half He had been their teacher and leader, and now the tie was to be broken and all of their fond hopes were dashed to the ground. Under such conditions the Master breathes these mo st gracious words of com- fort. (Z.) The Father's House. The Master takes their thought from their present sorrow and directs them to the other world. Wh e re the F a t h er is, He is going, to be with the Father. The word F a t h er suggests home. He calls it the F a t h e r 's house. This was not a new phrase. They were familiar with it. He called the Temple Hi* F a t h e r 's House (Jno. 2:16). The temple is inseparably connected with the kingdom and undoubtedly embraces the whole qf the kingdom over which God rules—a place of eating and drinking and ruling (Luke 22:29- 30; Matt. 19:28). The Oriental figure of a house is a kingdom, a parental government (Heb. 3:1-6). (2) A Place in the House. H e was going to prepare a place for them. The kingdom is in process of preparation—- an inheritance is reserved in heaven (1 Pet. 1:4-7). Preparation suggests a place not yet in existence; it also suggests time for Such preparation. • The mansions were ma ny but there was no place as yet for the chil- dren of men who were translated from Satan's kingdom to the kingdom of the dear Son. There was a place for the a r c h a n- gels, the cherubim, the angels, the princi- - palities, the powers (Heb. 12:22; Eph. 3:10);
there was a place in another sphere pre- pared for the devil and his angels (Matt.' 25:41), but no place for saved men. The spirits of the saints were in the waiting room, but He mu st die to atone for sin (1 Pet. 2:24). He mu st break the bonds of death, He mu st ascend on high with the spirits into the Paradise of God (Eph. 4:8), and entering heaven with a glorified h uman body, prepare a place for glorified men and women. Heaven was to know a new theory when the Son of God came back. Clothed in a h uman body, and a place with Him was to be assigned to those who be- lieved on Him. All of the saints who lived from Adam down were to be included in the place in the F a t h e r 's house (1 Thes. 4:16). (3) A People for the Father's House. The sorrow attending His departure was to be sweetened by the promise of His re- turn. This promise is very definite and clear— I go and I return. They were to see H im go and they were to see Him re- turn. He went visibly, His hands out- stretched in blessing upon them (Luke 24: 51. 52). He will come again personally, vis- ibly, gloriously (Acts 1:11), and all the saints shall be caught up to be with H im (1 Thes. 4:17). He is longing for the loved ones. He will never be satisfied until He has us all with Him in the F a t h e r 's house. (4) The Comfort of the Promise. His last message to t h em was a message of consolation and it is for us also a mes- sage of comfort (1 Thes. 4:13-18). In the midst of all of our trials and troubles, our heart aches, our disappointments, we are to be lifted up and sustained by the conscious- ness t h at H e is coming for us and t h at we are to be forever with Him. We should live in daily expectation of His coming (Matt. 24:44). We should pray daily fqr His com- ing (Rev. 22:20). Faith makes the promise real. Believe in God, believe in Me. Faith is the power by which we lay hold of this precious promise.
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