The gospel of John is different from the other three gospels of Matthew and Mark and Luke. John here is giving a heavy emphasis on the divinity of Jesus Christ. This is the way that the book is usually described to us....along with the miracles of Jesus that John writes about....and we can see this for ourselves....and it is the way that I have always perceived it....but there is something else that jumps out to me.
When I was in the army....way back when....my schooling after basic training took about five months....the training was a general military intelligence...but specifically in electronic surveillance and analysis. At the time....mid-1970....probably 90% plus of the entire class was sent to Vietnam. I have to smile about it to this day....for they gave us a 'dream sheet' of places that we would like to get orders for. I think I put down Hawaii....for we had a station there. Well I did go to Hawaii....for that is where the plane set down for about an hour. I actually set foot in Hawaii....and never been back since.
Before we left for Vietnam....we spent a month at a special school in California....where all the basics that we learned were directed to what we would see in Vietnam. That is what I see in the gospel of John. It was crunch time for the apostles and disciples. No more hard to understand parables....but last minute maps and orders...with detailed descriptions of who this was who had called them....and what abiding in him really meant.
So I'll bring up one familiar passage....Chapter 14....verses 1-4. Think about Sean Hannity for a moment. Close your eyes....and you can almost hear him saying...."Let not your heart be troubled." Am I right? He says it all the time...and this for at least thirty years....but have we ever associated that with these verses in John?
"Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me.......In my Father's house are many mansions....I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
That is a wonderful promise that we all have taken joy in many times....but I left out a little bit....didn't I....where Jesus said...."if it were not so, I would have told you."
"Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe God, believe also in me......In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you; I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
"If it were not so I would have told you."....this is also is a promise that we should take great joy in....but I don't think that part of the verse has really registered in us. If there is something that we disparately will need to know....then it will be in God's Word to us. There is a heaven awaiting us....and we know it. Our salvation is safe within the hands of Jesus! The Holy Spirit will guide us and Jesus will be with us through the valley of the shadow of death. Resist the devil and he will flee from us! All these things we know and rejoice in!
We will go into tribulation at that time before Jesus returns. We know this. There will be a great falling away where even family members will condemn Christians to death. We have been informed of that! We were warned many times not to fall asleep! Message received. Don't worry about what to say when dragged before authorities at this time. We are going to see wars as there never was....and earthquakes and famines and pandemics. We got that checked off. There are going to be false prophets all over the place....even working signs and wonders.
"If it were not so I would have told you"....Jesus here is not just addressing mansions in heaven! The structure of the sentence implies that He has everything concerned about us covered! It's almost as if He could have said....'Don't be concerned about things I haven't told you about.'
All this being said....it would behoove us would it not....to not only.... not be concerned about that which Jesus and His Word have not told us....but to pay particular attention to that which we have been told....particularly concerning the signs of the coming of our Lord....and the many warnings to stay awake and be vigilant....and the great delusion that will be so strong....if possible....even the elect....(that means you and me and even pastors)....will be led astray. (Matthew 24:24)
"Hobgoblin, nor fowl fiend, Can daunt his spirit; He knows, he at the end shall life inherit. Then fancies fly away, He'll fear not what men say, He'll labour night and day...To be a pilgrim." This is from John Bunyan's....Pilgrim's Progress/
