This chapter is difficult for many of us. We try to interpret it as if Jesus were referring to physical location. Many people think that Jesus going to Heaven to build a house for us. Later, He will return to Earth to take us to Heaven to live in the homes He built. After all, wasn't Jesus a carpenter?

But this idea does not fit with the context of this chapter. Jesus did not say "I want you to be with me where I am going". Instead, He says I want you to be with me "where I am."

This may seem like a small difference. But why would Jesus be going away if He wanted them to be with Him. The key is in understanding that Jesus is not referring to the current physical location of His body (which was on earth) but, more importantly, He was one with the Father in heaven. Jesus was one with the Father. He may have been walking on the earth, but He was always with His Father in heaven: "I and the Father are one." John 8:58.

When Jesus tells them "that where I am, you may be also" Jesus is referring to our intimate connection to God through the Holy Spirit . . . the same spiritual connection that Jesus always had with the Father.

Jesus told His disciples that He is going to prepare a place (topos) for them. What is this place (topos) He is preparing? Later, in verse 23 of this chapter, Jesus tells His disciples that He and the Father will come to the disciples and make a place (topos) for Jesus and the Father to live in them:

23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home (topos) with them.

He is telling us that We are going to live in God the Father (just as Jesus did), and the Father and Jesus were going to live in us.

To summarize, Jesus is going to the Father to make a "place" for us to live in the Father. At the same time, He tells us that He and the Father will come to us and make their home in us. We live in Jesus and the Father, and Jesus and the Father will live in us. Does that sound familiar?

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither [can] you unless you abide in Me. (5) "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; (21) that they may all be one; even as You, Father, [are] in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

If you try to make this about building houses, you will be confused and miss what Jesus is telling you. God and Jesus want to make a place to live in us. They will live in us through the Holy Spirit. In the same way, Jesus will prepare a place for us to dwell in God. : "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will abide (live) in the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 92: 1). Jesus made a place for us to live in God, in heaven (Just like Jesus lives in the Father). He did this by offering up His life on the cross and sprinkling His blood on the Holy Place in heaven.

This makes more sense. It is the theme for much of this chapter and chapters 15-17. Jesus tells us that we need to abide (live) in Him and abide (live) in His word. He continually speaks of our not being of the world, but being united with Him and the Father, who are united in us.

If you think that Jesus is building mansions for us, then how do you explain His building a mansion in us? It is a parallel passage.

The purpose of His sacrifice and the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to make us one with each other and one with God. It has nothing to do with mansions in heaven.

Based on our interpretation of verses 1 and 2, I don't believe that "I will come again" refers to the Rapture or Jesus' Second Coming on the clouds of heaven. He receives us as each of us receives Him by faith, and we will be with Him forever through the Holy Spirit.

We will be with Him in the Holy Spirit. We will be with Him no matter where He goes.