Jesus Spoke of Where The Father and Son Would "Settle Down"

What Did Jesus Do?

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him, and we will come to him
and make our home with him.”
John 14.23

Have you ever fallen in love with a place? Lots of people have a special place, a place where they hope and dream of moving to and settling down “ some day.” Maybe it is a spot visited once or more on vacation. Perhaps business takes someone to a location that so captures them that they determine to relocate there. There have even been people who go on short-term mission trips who conceive such a strong bond with a place and a people that they eventually move there. This is actually what Jesus did.

You see, the Son, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is eternal (Which is a VERY long time), came to earth on a “mission trip” which lasted roughly thirty years (Which, compared to eternity, is a VERY short-term visit). But, while on his “short-term” mission, Jesus declared that, because of the great love both he and the Father have for those who love them and who keep their Word, he and the Father had determined that they would both come and settle down with men, making their home with us.

Can you imagine? Having dwelt from eternity past in the majesty and glory of heaven, and with all the Cosmos to choose from, the Father and Son declare that their heart's desire is to come and dwell through eternity future with us! That is amazing. It is especially amazing when we consider how men treated Jesus during the Incarnation. Many ignored him. Quite a number rejected him. A few actually hated him. Even among his closest friends one would betray him, one would deny him, and the rest would desert him. No wonder he declared that he wanted to make his home with us forever! Well, of course, the true wonder is that the Father and the Son didn't deal with the world and man as we deserved, but as dictated by their love and amazing grace.

I believe the best thing about God's choice of where he would “settle down,”' is that he didn't put it off until “some day.” That's right, we don't have to wait until “some day” for the Father and Son to move in, as it were, and for eternity to begin. The moment we confess our sin and repent, and receive Christ, the Father and Son see that the Spirit works to incline our heart to love Jesus more and more, and and to keep his commandments. And the Trinity moves in to make our heart their home. Wow. I mean, just, wow!

By implication, then, wherever a believer goes, so go the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We, the Church, the Body of Christ, are the living, loving presence of God, in the world, or at least we are supposed to be. Just as we were all once sinners, and God, through the Church, in the person of, well, one or more persons who loved Jesus and kept his commandments (People in and with whom God had “settled down”), came and brought the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit into our life, so we, who are now part of the Body of Christ, are to go live and love like Jesus. In this way the Father and Son come and make a home in other repenting hearts. It sounds more and more to me as if God desires nothing more than that his children should live with him as one, big, happy family.

But as I survey the landscape, the more it seems littered with angry, broken, splintered little collections of people who exhibit anything but any kind of love and unity, much less the gracious and transforming presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Mega-churches notwithstanding, the average size of the average congregation is getting smaller and smaller, even as the number of congregations seemingly multiplies. With all the bad feelings, not to mention bad words, so many of these little splintered parts have for one another, I have a hard time finding places where the Father and Son have actually come and settled down.

But, make no mistake about it, when Jesus spoke of the Father and Son settling down, he declared that they would dwell with those who love them and who keep their word. Every believer needs to ask, “Have the Father and Son come to make their home with me?” It the answer is “Yes,” then there should be no trouble at all with our being “at home” with other believers, regardless of the music they sing, the clothes they wear, or the Bible translation they read.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4