A Place to Call Home

John 3:16, Philippians 3:20

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One of my summers back in college was spent selling books door to door, and I started in a crazy way. We were in a new part of the country, and our first weekend was spent knocking on doors, not selling books, but asking the people if they could put up, or if they knew someone who could put up, four college students for the summer. Seemed crazy then, it seems crazy now, but it actually did work out. But we were looking for a home.

Do you ever long for a place to call home? Do you not have a place you feel like you can really call home? Or do you feel like you maybe don’t fit in? In the world or in your family, you’re black sheep? Or maybe you’re away from home and you’re a bit homesick, you long for that place where people know your name, where they know you. Know that you have a family and a home in Jesus.

He came into this world, for all people, no matter who they are, no matter what they’ve done. As we read in God’s Word,

For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son. (John 3:16)

And why did he come? So we might have a permanent home. We read in Philippians 3, verse 20.

But our citizenship is in heaven. We are eagerly waiting for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:20)

Jesus left his heavenly home and came to our world, to people who had turned their backs on him, and lived among us. And, he says even at one point in his ministry, that he didn’t have a place to lay his head. He was homeless, you could say. Why did he do that? So that we might have an eternal home. And he won that for us by living a perfect life for us, then giving it up on the cross, there’s a payment for our sins.

That we might be children of God heirs of eternal life in heaven. He gave up his life so that we would have an eternal one, and the receipt is in his Easter resurrection. We now have hope. We are part of a family, of God’s family, and we have an eternal home waiting for us in heaven, a perfect home, guaranteed by Jesus death and his resurrection.

And sometimes in this world, things aren’t quite right. And we feel homesick. But that’s a good thing. When we have those troubles, it’s reminders that our citizenship is not in this world. We were saved for and are citizens of a far greater home, in heaven. Praise God, who has won us this home. Amen.