John 14:1-14
I would like to share a love story with you this morning…
In those days when you married you did not build a new house or rent an apartment…
- What you did was you built onto dad’s house…
- And if you were a young woman you went to your husband’s dad’s house…
- Dad’s house would have been called a house complex…or insula…
It was built around an open courtyard…
- A place for kids to play…
- You could cook there…
- You…also…would have had animals and pets there…
To each side were housing complexes…
- With a large room in the middle…
- The original house…
Now the oldest son got married and so he adds an addition and that becomes his house…
- And then the next son….
- And then the first grandson…
- And another and another…
- A whole series of houses connected to each other…
- That eventually became the family house complex or insula…
When it was time for a young man and a young woman to be married…
- Now she married at 14 and he married in his mid-20’s…
- The two families would get together…
- They would negotiate the bride price…
- And when the bride price was settled…
- They would exchange a glass of wine…
- And that would seal the deal…that would seal the bargain.
They were now committed to be married…
- At that point the young man would say to his bride:
- I’m going to go home to my father’s house and prepare a place for you.
- And when I’ve prepared a place for you …I’ll come back and take you to be with me…as my wife.
- In other words:
- I’ve got to go home to my father’s insula and prepare a place for you.
Now at that point the young woman had no idea when the wedding was going to be.
- It might be 6 months…
- 9 months…
- 1 year…2 years…
- She just had to be ready at any given moment.
- She was called one who had been bought with a price.
Paul uses that to describe us…
- He says:
- You are bought with a price.
- You are a bride to be.
You must be faithful to your bridegroom because he’s going to come back for you.
- Where is your bridegroom today?
- He’s preparing a place for you.
The son was now very anxious to come back and get his bride…
- He wanted to be married…
- That is what the whole thing was all about…
- So…he probably went to his dad and said:
- Well dad…how about today?
- Oh…come on son…No.
- This is your wedding!
- You cannot just run out and leave a half-finished house.
- Finish it and get it right.
Somebody asked Jesus:
- When is your Second Coming?
- When will you come back for your bride…the church?
And Jesus says:
- No one knows the day or the hour of my return (Matthew 24:36) …
- Not the angels in heaven…
- Not the Son…
- Only my Father.
Eventually…of course…it is finished.
- So…the son goes to dad and says:
- Dad…is it ready yet?
- Dad says: K.
So…the son gets all his family and friends…
- And he goes to the young woman’s house and they blow the trumpet…the shophar…
- To announce the wedding…
- And every maiden in town thought:
- My wedding!
Of course…it was only one young maiden’s wedding.
- But every young woman had to suddenly rush around.
- Get her bride’s maid dress ready.
- The bride had to get her wedding dress ready.
- Get all her stuff together that she had prepared…
- You remember Jesus’ parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids…
- Some were ready…
- And some were not.
They would gather in the courtyard of the groom’s family house complex or insula…
- The groom and the bride would go into their newly built house.
- The best man would stand by the door and wait while they consummated the wedding…their marriage.
- And the guests all stood and waited.
And when it was consummated…the best man would come into the courtyard.
- He would get everybody’s attention.
- And he would shout…
- They’re married!
- And the guests would all cheer and clap!
- And then the reception would begin…
- And we all remember the wedding at Cana…
- When 150 gallons of water were turned into wine just to keep the party going…
John the Baptist says:
- The friend stands at the door listening for the bride groom’s voice and John says:
- That privilege is mine.
- I’ve heard his voice.
- And so…John is Jesus’ spiritual best man…
John does not say he’s married yet.
- Because Jesus was only here for the engagement the first time.
- John says:
- I heard his voice.
- He’s here!
Jesus comes and engages himself to us!
- He says:
- “I love you.
- I’ll pay the bride price.
- His own life!
Then he said to us:
- In my Father’s house are many rooms…
- Large house complex…BIG insula!
- If it were not so I would have told you.
- I’m going to go to my Father’s house to prepare a place for you!
- And I will come again and take you to be with me forever!
And I will come again and take YOU to be with me forever!
- We are in one BIG insula!
- We are all going to gather around one great courtyard!
- We will all be together with the Christ of God!
We all move through the valley of the shadow of death…
- And now and then…we ask:
- Is it done yet?
- Is my house done yet?
- Is my room ready yet?
- Daddy…Abba…is it ready yet?
And our heavenly Father says:
- K.!
- It’s ready!
And so…heaven in the Bible is described like an engagement…and a wedding and a wedding reception:
- Jesus used down to earth things to describe his heavenly home…
- A huge insula…courtyard…where our souls will all gather.
- And the best news is that we will be with our bridegroom…Jesus…
- The Christ of God…
- An awesome thing…
- It will just be the beginning for us…
- A beginning which has no end!