A Place Prepared For You

Dr. Bradford Reaves

Crossway Christian Fellowship

Hagerstown, MD

www.mycrossway.org

There is not much about Sharon that I can share today that you probably already don’t know. To me she was a wonderful mother-in-law. I was especially blessed to marry into a loving family with two wonderful in-laws. They really did make me one of the family when Andrea and I married almost 28 years ago. Once I passed Sharon’s test of approval, that is.

Sharon had her standards, and they were pretty high when it came to the guy that was going to marry her baby girl. Over the years she and I rarely had much of a disagreement. We always seemed to meet each other where we were at, even though she watched CNN. There was so much respect for each other woven into our love. And there were conversations that came out of that respect.

Sharon and I loved to goad each other. She had a quick wit about her. It was right after Andrea and I were engaged when Uncle Jim put a “Rush is Right” bumper sticker on her car and it took a week for her to discover it. That is when I discovered that along with her wit, you better be able to take what you dish out because it was going to circle around real quick.

Along with that wit was a very loving, thoughtful, and wise person. Once she learned how much I like sweet potato pie, she had one waiting for me almost every time we came over. Andrea said to her once, “Mom, you know I like cherry pie.” To which, she said, “Yes, but you’re not Brad.” Then she looked at me with a little grin. She had a neat way of making you feel special like that.

Over the years, her wit slowed down a little. Her sharpness faded. They’d peek out every so often, but her lovingkindness never faded. What was also always evident was her faith in Jesus. She carried her faith well because it was genuine. One other thing we know about Sharon is that she had a stubborn streak. But that stubbornness was what made her faith so strong.

Sherry’s faith wasn’t tossed about by life or circumstances. It was steady. That doesn’t mean she never had questions or doubts, but she did allow those things to shake her faith. We would often have theological conversations and I would explain something to her and she would look at me and say, “That’s it. I like how you put it.”

She knew where she was going on Saturday, May 6th at 8:45 am. She’s in heaven. She was there; she made it. Not because of anything she did or achieved, but because of that faith in Jesus that I just mentioned to you. And since there is no doubt that Sharon Hughes is standing in the presence of God in Heaven today, I don’t need to spend more time on her, but instead, I want to take a moment for all of us to take an inventory in our spiritual life. Are You ready to be in heaven where Sherry is right now, and more importantly with the Lord Jesus Christ?

Death has a way of getting our attention and hopefully today you’re giving some consideration to what is going to happen when you die. Are you today living in the confidence of your eternal security?

It was the eve just before the death and crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. He had finished the Passover meal with his disciples, he washed their feet, and they are preparing to go to the garden of Gethsemane. The death of Christ is on the horizon and this is what Jesus says to the disciples:

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 “And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going. How do we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me. (John 14:1–6 LSB)

There are a few things Jesus said here, that Sharon understood. The first is that our hearts do not need to be troubled (Verse 1). This was a bit of command he was giving to us in the imperative form. Set your hearts at ease would be a good way to translate this. Now, Jesus didn’t say that we would live a trouble-free life. In fact, just a little further in John’s Gospel, Jesus told his disciples, “In this world, you will have troubles.” (John 16:33).