Beyond The Basics

Eternity.

Have you ever thought about what we will do for eternity? I mean, really thought about it?

What will we do? Where will we live? What will we eat? Will we eat? Who will we hang out with? How will we get around? Will we travel? Will we work? What will we talk about? Will everyone have an amazing singing voice? Will we need to use the bathroom?

Have you ever read a blog post that just asks endless questions without providing any answers? Should we try that this week?

Please don’t.

Okay, inner dialogue. You win this time.

I have a lot of ideas about what we might do for eternity; some of them are more solidly based in Scripture, some of them are a bit more goofy. Jesus did have a pretty clear idea of what He would be doing, however, and He let us in on that a little bit.

“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:2-3)

We know that Jesus was a carpenter before He began his three year ministry (Mark 6:3). He surely spent significantly more time building things than He did teaching in the synagogues over the course of His life (there’s a lesson there too, I’m sure of it). He was well known as a carpenter by others. He was a skilled tradesman and likely enjoyed His work.

As a construction worker, I can relate to this aspect of Jesus well. It excites me that I share the same occupation as God Himself. Consider that when choosing a career, all you high school students! I mean, seriously, God could have chosen literally anyone on the planet to be His parents and He chose a construction worker to be His dad. Do you really think that was an accident? I sure don’t.

Get back on track, Dan.

I’m not really off track. The point I’m trying to make that I hope is clear is that building is something that Jesus is very passionate and excited about. And one thing you can be assured that a builder will always do is build more. You can’t stop a builder from building.

In fact, even leaving earth and going to heaven didn’t stop Jesus from building. The apostle John tells us that Jesus went to heaven to build dwellings for His disciples. Later in his life John saw a vision in which a city came down from heaven where all the saints will live and worship Jesus for all eternity.

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” (Revelation 21:2-3)

I believe Jesus is in heaven building the new Jerusalem right now and when He is finished He will bring the city down to earth to us so we can live with Him in the city forever and ever. Once He is finished building the new Jerusalem, who knows what He will build next? All I know is, you can’t stop a builder from building.