What did Jesus mean when He said, “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2)?

Answer

Jesus’ disciples were greatly distressed about His impending departure (John 14:1;cf: John 16:6,22). For this reason, Jesus set aside His own agony: “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.” (John 12:27 and John 13:21) and took an extended moment to lend emotional support to His disciples (John 14—16). Is there a greater example of putting others before ourselves?

John 14 is linked with John 13 in two important ways. First, there is an implicit connection to Peter, who Jesus said would deny Him three times (John 13:36-38). If Peter would deny the Lord, would the other disciples remain steadfast in their faith?

Second, because Jesus sensed the inner turmoil of His disciples, He thought it necessary to address the implications of His departure: “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.” (John 13:33,36) “Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.” (John 13:33,36).

To calm their troubled hearts: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1), Jesus issues an imperative: “Believe in God; believe also in me” (ESV). The word for “believe” cAn also be translated as “trust” as the NLT renders John 14:1. Here, we discover the real problem—a lack of trust. The disciples did not fully trust God, nor did they fully trust Jesus. If they trusted God, they would also trust Jesus, who “proceeded forth and came from God” «Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. », (John 8:42, KJV). The implication is that there is an indissoluble union between the Father and Son cf: John 10:30 and John 17:21, a union that would be more fully explained in John 14:7–12.

D. A. Carson, a professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, has this to say about the union between the Father and Son:

For thoughtful readers of the Gospel, however, the link is almost inevitable. If Jesus invariably speaks the words of God and performs the acts of God (5:19 ff.), should he not be trusted like God? If he tells his followers not to let their hearts be troubled, must it not be because he has ample and justifiable reason?

The Gospel According to John, Eerdmans, 1991, p. 488.