Heaven and Forever: Week Three
What did Jesus say about heaven?
Heaven is one of those words that can take on different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. In the Bible, there are several ways the word heaven can be understood:
- The sky and space above the earth containing the sun, moon, stars, and planets.
- The dwelling place of God (including angels and Jesus and the right hand of God’s throne.)
- The place where God’s will is done.
- As a descriptive phrase, the kingdom of heaven denotes the place where God reigns and his will is done.
- The New Heaven where God will dwell with us forever.
This week, we are looking at the statements of Jesus and the conversations he had about heaven. To prepare, there are a few ways for you to explore Jesus’s word about heaven:
- Use a concordance (I like BlueLetterBible.org if you are looking for a place to start) and search for the word “heaven” in the gospels. Make a list of the places where Jesus speaks about heaven. What do you understand about heaven from his words?
- Look through one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) and make a list of the verses/passages where Jesus speaks about heaven. How do the gospel writers help you understand heaven through Jesus’s words?
- Using one of the methods above, find instances where Jesus begins with, “The kingdom of God is like …” and think about what Jesus wants us to understand from his descriptions.
As always, ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to what is true and bring your notes to share with the group.