Dwelling Places (John 14:2)
“Your heart must not be troubled,” Jesus told His disciples in John 14:1. “Believe in God; believe also in Me.” Then in verse 2 He said, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you.”
The word translated dwelling places in verse 2 is rendered mansions in the King James Version. This Greek noun appears just one other time in the New Testament. It is translated home in John 14:23, where Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” So what does “Dwelling Places” mean?
Related To A Verb
Though appearing only twice, this noun is related to a verb that occurs 118 times. Here are a few places we find that verb. Being familiar with these will help us better understand the noun in John 14:2,23. In each instance below, the English word representing the Greek term is underlined.
- Luke 1:56 tells us that Mary “stayed with” Elizabeth “about three months; then she returned to her home.”
- Jesus looked up at Zacchaeus, who was perched in the sycamore tree he had climbed, and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because I must stay at your house” (Luke 19:5).
- “And John [the Baptist] testified, ‘I watched the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He rested on Him. I didn’t know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water told me, “The One you see the Spirit descending and resting on—He is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit”’” (John 1:32-33).
- Soon after meeting Jesus, two of John the Baptist’s disciples, one of whom was Andrew, Peter’s brother, asked Him where He was “staying” (John 1:38).
- Jesus told His disciples, “Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me” (John 15:4).
- The writer of Hebrews wrote, “Let brother love continue” (Heb. 13:1).
B. Nathaniel Sullivan
Christian educator, Bible teacher, and Editor
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations in SundaySchoolZone.com materials are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
