While John 14, especially vv.1–3, is often interpreted as Jesus’ teaching on “going to heaven,” a contextual investigation suggests that the message of John 14 is one of exhortation, by which the Lord urges his followers to emulate his pattern of obedience. As Christ walked in obedience to the Father, he modeled a new halakha.
The current paper will situate John 14 in the larger context of the Fourth Gospel, as specific themes provide an interpretive matrix for Jesus’ teaching in ch. 14. These themes include mutual indwelling, the law as embodied by Christ, Christ as a new locus of sacred space, and the accessibility of sacred space through the work of Christ. Using historical and literary analysis, the paper will argue that the primary message of John 14 is not, in fact, about going to a place called heaven, but about Jesus going to the cross in order to make a way for all people to enter the presence of God.
As Jesus promises to prepare a place in God’s house, his preparation takes the form of going to the Cross. Throughout the Gospel, Jesus is increasingly portrayed as the fulfillment of the law, one who embodies a new and true halakah. This theme of obedience is first revealed through subtle hints in the Prologue and later culminated in his sacrificial death.
As Jesus walks in obedience, he leads his people to a “prepared place.” This new and better promised land isn’t a geographical space or a heavenly paradise, but the presence of God himself. Frequent use of the verb menō, as well as a sustained emphasis on mutual indwelling through faith and obedience support the proposition that the presence of God is the ultimate promise in which believers should hope. As Christ both abides in the Father and embodies his presence, he provides the basis for the abiding that takes place between Christ and his followers. Therefore, when Christ promises to “take” his disciples, he doesn’t promise to take them anywhere other than to himself.
Further argument for the primacy of God’s presence is the focus upon Jesus as atoning sacrifice. The author of the Gospel utilizes themes and imagery from the Hebrew Bible, especially that of the Exodus, to portray Christ as the truth to which the entire cultic system pointed. The sacrificial flesh and blood of Jesus atone for sin and make it possible for humans to enter into the holy presence of God.
Finally, the author of John repeatedly highlights the accessibility of the presence of God through Christ. With the narrative of the Samaritans, the two beggars, and even Lazarus, John reveals that Jesus makes the presence of God available to those who were formerly excluded from it. Thus, when Christ tells the disciples that the Father’s house has many monē, he does not promise a mansion or a room in a heavenly house. Rather, Christ seeks to assure his followers that the presence of God is now accessible to all people, even those who had formerly been banned from sacred space or ostracized from society.