The Life Of Jesus Christ In Its Historical Connexion

The last connected discourses of Christ are given at length in John's Gospel. [730] In these he made use of a different turn of thought from that above referred to, to prepare the minds and hearts of the disciples for the struggles that awaited them. In view of their evident distress, while yet sitting at the table, he said, "Let not your hearts be troubled; trust in God, and confide in Me." Even when his visible presence should be removed, they were to trust in him as the Mediator of their communion with God; nor, in grief for his departure, to think that he had left them alone in the world. There would be mansions for all, he told them, in his Father's house. He was going before (it was the object of his redeeming sufferings and of his ascension to heaven), to prepare a place for them; just as a friend goes before his friend to make his dwelling ready. And then he promises them, "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."

This might be understood of Christ's second advent, were it not that he speaks of what was to happen immediately upon his return to the Father, and that his design was to comfort them in view of the immediate pain of separation. Nor can it be applied to his Resurrection, because his "going to the Father" was to follow the resurrection, and this, again, to be followed by a separation. [731] The only remaining interpretation is to apply it to his spiritual coming, to his revealing himself again to them, as the glorified one, in the communion of the Divine life. Not only were they to follow Him to the heavenly "mansions," [732] where he was to "provide a place for them," but he himself was "again to come to them," that where He was, there they might be also, in spirit, united with him, never again to be separated. But as they could not as yet fully apprehend this spiritual coming and communion, it was only at a later period that these expressions, sufficiently within their capacity to give them consolation at the time, were understood in their full import.