Heaven and Eternity

Matthew 25:34 Then the King will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world."

John 14:2-3 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? 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.

Matthew speaks about heaven as already being in existence. Indeed, as a place it was created in eternity. The Father's house is heaven (cf. Ps. 33:13-14; Is. 63:15). Heaven ALREADY exists!

Jesus, when he speaks of preparing a place, is not speaking of him becoming a brick mason in heaven. What he refers to is the fact that he was going to the cross (John 13:36-38; 14:19) to fulfill the covenant of redemption.

Jesus prepared our place, and he is the only one who could do this (Heb. 6:20). He went to accomplish and apply the redemption to his elect. He went to the cross to reconcile his children, his sheep, his church to his Father, to accomplish for us what none of us could accomplish for ourselves (Rom. 5:6). He went to prepare a place for us!

What was this work of Christ? He was born under our sin, he died on a cross for our sin, he was raised again the third day with newness of life as the head of the church for all of his own and now ascended up into heaven. Why did Christ come down to do all of this? To prepare a place for us! Without his resurrection and ascension into heaven and his sending the Holy Spirit into our hearts, we could not be made ready to enter into that place.

Do you have a place in heaven?