Lightfoot's idea, that our Lord meant to teach the passing away of the Jewish economy, and the admission of all nations into heaven by faith in Christ, seems fanciful.
[7/* it were not so. ..told you.] This is a gracious way of assur- ing the disciples that they might have confidence that what their Lord said was true. It is the tender manner of a parent speaking to a child. " Do not be afraid because I am leaving you. There is plenty of room for you in heaven. You will get there safe at last. If there was the least uncertainty about it, I would tell you." We may remember that our Lord called the Apostles " little children " only a few minutes before. (John xiii. 33.)
[I go. ..prepare. ..place. ..you.l This sentence is meant to be another ground of comfort. One of the reasons why our Lord went away. He says, was to get ready a dwelling-place for His disciples. It is like the expression in the Hebrews, " the fore- runner." (Heb. vi. 20 ; see also Num. x, 33.)
The manner in which Christ prepares a place for His people is mysterious and yet not inexplicable. He enters heaven as their High Priest, presenting the merit of his sacrifice for their sins. He removes all barriers that sin made between them and God. He appears as their proxy and representative, and claims a right of entry for all His believing members. He intercedes continually for them at God's right hand ; and makes them al- ways acceptable in Himself, though unworthy in themselves. He bears their names mystically, as the High Priest, on His breast ; and introduces them to the court of heaven before they get there.
That heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people is a very cheering and animating thought. When we arrive there we shall not be in a strange land. We shall find we have been known and thought of before we got there.
8. — [And if I go. ..come again.. .receive.. .myself.] These words con- tain another strong consolation. Our Lord tells the disciples that if He does go away, they must not think it is forever. He means to come again and take them all home, and gather them round Him in one united family to part no more.
Poole remarks " the particle ' if ' in this place denotes no un- certainty of the thing, but hath the force of although, or after that." (See also Col. iii. 1.)
Many think, as Stier, that the " coming again " here spoken of means Christ's coming to His disciples after His resurrec- tion, or Christ's coming spiritually to His people in comfort and help even now, or Christ's coming to remove them at last by death, I cannot think so. I believe that, as a rule, when Christ speaks of coming again, both here and elsewhere, He means His own personal second advent at the end of this dis-