Bible Lesson 17
What is Jesus doing now?
He is preparing a place for his people
For all that we could daydream or conjecture about heaven, the reality is going to be far superior to our best thoughts. It is so much better than floating on clouds and playing harps; it is a whole new creation, new heavens and new earth, with infinite beauties and adventures to enjoy and explore! And the place where we will live with God forever is not an ethereal spirit-world; it is a beautiful city – a real, physical place!
We will see this again in lessons 31 and 32, but the best part of this place Jesus is preparing is that we will be with him; the Lamb is all the glory of Emmanuel’s land!
The Plains of Heaven, by John Martin (British), 1853
An *asterisk indicates that the word has a special note. Click on it to see the note.
Él nos prepara un lugar
Juan 14
(1) »No dejen que el corazón se les llene de angustia; confíen en Dios y confíen también en mí. (2) En el hogar de mi Padre, hay lugar más que suficiente. Si no fuera así, ¿acaso les habría dicho que voy a prepararles un lugar? (3) Cuando todo esté listo, volveré para llevarlos, para que siempre estén conmigo donde yo estoy. (4) Y ustedes conocen el camino que lleva adonde voy.
(5) —No, Señor, no lo conocemos —dijo Tomás—. No tenemos ni idea de adónde vas, ¿cómo vamos a conocer el camino?
(6) Jesús le contestó:
—Yo soy el camino, la verdad y la vida; nadie puede ir al Padre si no es por medio de mí. (7) Si ustedes realmente me conocieran, también sabrían quién es mi Padre. De ahora en adelante, ya lo conocen y lo han visto.
Apocalypsis 21
(1) Entonces vi un cielo nuevo y una tierra nueva, porque el primer cielo y la primera tierra habían desaparecido y también el mar. (2) Y vi la ciudad santa, la nueva Jerusalén, que descendía del cielo desde la presencia de Dios, como una novia hermosamente vestida para su esposo.
Traducción: NTV
He prepares a place for us
John 14
Do not let your hearts be filled with anguish; trust in God, and trust also in me. In my Father’s house there is more than enough room. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare you a place? When all is ready, I will return to take you, so that you will forever be with me where I am. You know the way that leads to where I go.
“No, Lord, we don’t know it,” said Thomas, “We don’t have any idea where you are going, so how are we going to know the way?”
Jesus answered him,
“I am the way, the truth and the life; no one can go to the Father if it is not by means of me. If you all really knew me, you would also know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and you have seen him.”
Revelation 21
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and also the sea. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, which descended from the sky from the presence of God, like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
1. Listen to the audio as you read along with the Spanish on the left.
2. Open the English translation, and read the two side-by-side, making sure you understand the Spanish.
3. Close the English, and listen to the audio again, reading along in Spanish.
4. Close the Spanish, and listen once more. Maybe shut your eyes, and just try to understand as much as you can.