Heaven Is Within You

March 7th, 2020 § 0

“If it were not so, I would have told you.”   Jesus (John 14:2)

Jesus began His public ministry by proclaiming to all who would hear that the Kingdom of Heaven was suddenly near and within reach of anyone.  This was His simple but profound message.  Heaven was coming to earth through Jesus.  He called on the people to change their minds about Heaven.  He said to “repent” or, in other words, “change your mind,” for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. They had heard from the prophets that it was coming one day in the future and that only the holy would ever see it.  Their view of Heaven was a far away place and certainly not a place within reach now.  Yet, that is exactly what Jesus was announcing.  Heaven was coming to mankind.  Now. 

He demonstrated the power of Heaven by healing the sick and even raising the dead.  He told His disciples to go out and tell everyone the Kingdom of Heaven is here and heal the sick in my name.  If the people rejected these disciples’ message, Jesus said tell them the Kingdom of Heaven came close to them today and move on to the next city.  This was revolutionary.  How can these things be?  That is what thousands began to ask themselves as this carpenter from Nazareth worked His way across the country side in the land of Israel many years ago. 

Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is not coming like men think.  It shall be within you.”  Jesus came to clear the way for God and mankind to be joined together by the gift of God’s Spirit.  The Lamb of God would truly take away the sin of the world and all who would believe on Him would receive the forgiveness of all their sins and the gift of the Spirit of God.  In union with God through Christ by the Spirit, Heaven would come within the believer and being joined to Jesus the believer is where He is always, seated with Him in Heaven. 

Great is this mystery but now the believer lives in two worlds at the same time.  On earth as it is in Heaven.  Yes, on earth as it is in Heaven.  As we walk this earth as a believer we can experience Heaven within us.  His gift of righteousness, His peace, His joy.  All within us even though in this world we experience trouble and difficult times.  Two worlds at the same time because He is the Door to another world.  If it were not so, He would have told us.

James Barron