Who will be the Invited and Chosen Residents in God’s Kingdom?
In my Father's house are
many mansions [abodes]: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go
to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)
Jesus spoke these words to his apostles at the Last Supper,
prior to his pending execution on the cross. In context Jesus was
speaking to his apostles about his imminent departure from this world
and his return: where I am going you
cannot come…If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And
you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do
not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus
said to him, “I am the way, and the
truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
(John 14:2-6)
According to the above scripture in other bible translations
it reads: In My Father’s house are
many dwelling places (New American Standard). In other
words, in God’s house there are many abodes for all of those who stand
to inherit God’s Kingdom. When Adam sinned against God he
chose his independence from God and thereby disconnected himself from
his Creator. However, when Jesus died all of those who had and
currently put faith in the Son of God are redeemed and thereby have
been given ‘a second chance’, as it were, to reconnect with God: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born
again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and
undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you (I
Peter 1:3-4)
Jesus had died for all of humankind so that all have the
opportunity to be residents and sharers in God’s Kingdom. Those
who place their faith in Christ can inherit all that the Lord wants to
share with us, such as, a personal relationship with God and eternal
life. Through Jesus’ death on earth and humankind’s redemption
gone is man’s separation from God. Man is a new creation in
Christ: So if anyone is in Christ,
there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see,
everything has become new! (2 Corinthians 5:17) Through
Christ we receive a new Will and
Testament that bequeaths eternal life with joy and happiness
beyond human imagination! As in an earthly situation, after a
person dies only their last or most recent Will is valid. The final
Will and testament supersedes all prior Wills and testaments, from
which benefactors stand to inherit the deceased’s earthly
possessions. Similarly, Jesus’ death in the New Testament offers everlasting
life and all of the spiritual treasures bequeathed to those who are spiritually born again (John
3:3). We become heirs with Christ of God’s inheritance,
inheriting life instead of death, perfect health instead of sickness,
joy instead of sorrow, peace instead of suffering and, most
importantly, a close personal relationship with Almighty God instead of
alienation. Under the new
covenant or new testament we inherit a place in God’s Heavenly
Kingdom. This reveals the meaning of Jesus preparing a place for His followers in His
Father’s house.
Jesus discussed with his apostles when they would be with Him
in the Kingdom of Heaven: But I say
to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until
that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom. (Matthew
26:29) Jesus spoke about preparing a place for his apostles and
drinking wine with them in His Father’s house, i.e. God’s
Kingdom. What was Christ referring to when he said he would not drink of the fruit of the vine until
that day when in His Father’s kingdom? Jesus, here,
is referring to when He will
drink the new wine with His apostles. That is, after the
apostles' eartly death, Jesus will drink the new wine with them as
together they recline at God's table in heaven, along with Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob.
In another scripture, Jesus referred to another group of
people besides His apostles who will also have a share in God’s
Kingdom: I say to you that many will
come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; 12but the sons of the kingdom will
be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 8:11-12) The
context in which Jesus made this statement was after a centurion
soldier had approached Him requesting that his servant be healed
from a serious illness. This Roman centurion displayed such great
faith in Jesus’ power to heal that he said: … "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come
under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
9"For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I
say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he
comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it."…(Matthew
8:8) It is at this point when Jesus remarked: Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and
said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found
such great faith with anyone in Israel.…(Matthew 8:9)
Returning to the earlier scripture, Jesus indicates that many
will be invited to dine with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob but the Jews who
had rejected Christ will be thrown out into the outer darkness.
Jesus, who was born a Jew, had initially tried to save the souls of the
Jews. However, despite their sighting of Christ's many miracles the Jews
rejected the Son of God and the synagogue leaders arranged to have
Jesus killed. Henceforth, the invitation to God’s Kingdom was
then extended to gentiles, so that they may gain salvation through the
Messiah. In other words, other people who had been considered
unworthy to be called sons of God
become adopted by God through their faith in Jesus, and they will
recline at God’s Kingdom table - For
you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27For all of you
who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man,
there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
(Galatians 3:26-28)
In, Matthew 22: 2-13, Jesus explained the above in the
context of a parable (a narrative, story) about a wedding feast.
A king had invited his friends/family to his son’s wedding, however, no
one accepted the king’s invitation and refused to attend the
wedding. Therefore, the king decided to invite strangers instead
to the wedding. "The kingdom of
heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He
sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell
them to come, but they refused to come. 4 Then he sent some more
servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have
prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered,
and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ 5 But they paid
no attention and went off--one to his field, another to his business. 6
The rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them…8 Then
he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I
invited did not deserve to come. 9 Go to the street corners and invite
to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the
streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad,
and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 But when the king came
in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing
wedding clothes. 12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here
without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. 13 Then the king told
the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the
darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’.
What does this scripture mean? This symbolized the Jews
in general, especially the Pharisees and Sadducees, the sons of the kingdom who were
the first invited guests to the wedding. But they rejected God’s
invitation to His Kingdom by rejecting Jesus, God’s Son. By
rejecting Jesus who embodies God and is the expression of God, our
Father in heaven, they rejected God. As Jesus said: Many are invited but few are chosen.
(Matthew 22:14) Therefore, God’s
invitation to His Kingdom has extended to everyone, of all
races, tribes and ethnicities, who had not been God’s people but paved
the way for them to become God’s people: And I will say to those who were not My
people, 'You are My people!' And they will say, 'You are my God!'
(Hosea 2:23) Those who reject Christ are thereby
rejected by God and reserved to a
place of darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Therefore, all those who
demonstrate complete faith and wear the clothing of Christ will be
chosen to dine and drink at God’s table in His Kingdom. Jesus has
prepared a glorious place for all of His faithful followers.
Those who have been spiritually born
again will receive a new inheritance of eternal life and dwell
with God in His house! People who cherish the Word, Jesus,
and receive the Lord into their hearts through faith will receive the
honour and joy of reclining at God’s table along with Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob! Whereas, those who have rejected and continue to
reject the Son of God will be tossed outside into the darkness,
eternally regretful of the precious opportunity they had chosen to miss
without any recourse.
