John 14:1-3
Jesus to Prepare a Place for the Disciples
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 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? 3 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 19:28-30
Jesus to Prepare a Place for His Disciples and Followers
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
Jesus gives hope to His disciples and believers for life after death...St. John writes that in heaven, there is much space and room for many up in heaven...He will die on the cross first and then go and prepare a place for them...And when He goes and prepares a place for them, He will be back and later after they die, He will take them back with Him, back to heaven...St. Matthew writes very similar to what St. John wrote, when (he writes) Jesus says that at the renewal of all things He will sit on a glorious throne...For those disciples who have followed Him there also will be a prepared place for them...The disciples will sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel...
Our LORD and our God here gives us a promise...At the end of age, He will make all things new (Revelation 21:5)...Or as St. Matthew writes at that time (at the end of age) there will be a renewal of all things...All those who have left their old lives and left their treasures of this earth for the sake of Him, and helped in His ministry will be rewarded after their deaths...These believers will inherit eternal life...But His last words here remind us that these eternal rewards are not like earthly rewards and treasures as we think they are...We want good health, we want possessions, we want popularity, we want wealth...When we are on earth, we want to be first...But heaven is not like this...The treasures of heaven are not like the treasures of earth...We can only imagine about heaven...But we do know this, being in heaven with the Father and Son and their glory is an eternal treasure like no other...