Sermon – May 03, 2026
Hope Lutheran Church, Port Coquitlam BC
Text: John 14.1-12
Theme: The House of my Father – Permanent Residence
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Intr –  In February 2017, my family and I became Canadian residents. But one word needed to be added to “residents” back then: temporary. From time to time, we were reminded of that condition, because we needed to go through the visa process again. We were reminded that we were guests — blessed guests — but still guests who could be asked to leave if the paperwork didn’t align or the laws changed.

Being a temporary resident means knowing that at the end of a certain period of time, you may be asked to leave the country. In our case, literally — the “flagpole turnaround” was the easiest way to do so back then. You leave the country and come back in.

I think this is a reality present in many lives in our area. Being a temporary resident isn’t just a status — it’s also a state of anxiety. You are constantly aware that your life in Canada has deadlines, and you may be asked to leave unless you can prove, yet again, that you belong. As a result, the regular checking the IRCC portal for an update that may or may not be there is a part of the weekly routine.

What may look like just paperwork also carries with it deeper questions about the future: Is this home, or do I need to look somewhere else? Can I buy furniture, or should I keep everything in boxes just in case? To be a temporary resident means to live halfway between a permanent house and a permanent plane ticket.

Unless something different happens. Something that could change our status in Beautiful British Columbia. It’s called Permanent Residency. When one becomes a permanent resident of the province — and consequently of the country — you don’t need to leave anymore. You can make this place your permanent home. You are no longer just a guest, but a permanent neighbour.

I thought of this whole process while studying the Gospel for this Sunday. Jesus speaks of “the house of my Father.” The place he has prepared for us. The permanent residence that we have. In a world where housing is a problem not only for temporary residents but for many of our compatriots, hearing about a place that is our permanent home is not only refreshing — it is a promise that takes hold in our lives right here, right now.

I see a parallel between the PR process and the words of Jesus that I’d like to lay out this way: anyone who has navigated the PR process knows that the “way” to PR is narrow and exhausting. But how does it happen? I would say there is a way, a truth, and a life.

The WAY — The way to permanent residency is to apply for it. There is a process one must undergo to request PR status.
The TRUTH — There is a law that regulates the process, to which we must abide. The law is the truth of Canada. And one must provide truthful information as well. If they fail in that, the law will not fail them in return.
The LIFE — Also, to be a PR in Canada you must have… a life here. You must have a track record within the borders for a given number of days. You need to adopt Canada as the country where you want to live permanently.

It Is Ours
Christ’s words show us that he has provided us, through faith, with a permanent residence in heaven. And as we heard from Jesus’ words in John 14, it happens through the Way, the Truth, and the Life as well — though we need to look at how it differs from the process I mentioned at the beginning.

The Way — We don’t apply in order to get onto this Way. Jesus is the Way, and he calls us. We don’t find him — he found us.
The Truth — This is not a mere set of laws thrown together. This Truth is different from civil law. When we speak of God’s Word we mean not only his Law but — above all — his Gospel of forgiveness and hope in Christ.
The Life — We don’t need to be in compliance with such-and-such rule of living to be accepted. He is the Life. He is our life. We are accepted first — and then we put faith into action, seeking to obey God’s commandments.

While in this world though, we all face a deeper, more spiritual “temporary status” – whether we are newcomers still waiting for your papers, or fifth-generation Canadians. We feel the temporary nature of our health, our jobs, and our very lives. We all crave a place where we don’t have to prove we belong. And that brings us to the Gospel today. Jesus isn’t just offering a “work permit” for heaven — he is talking about Permanent Residency. The House of my Father.

Permanent Dwelling

When referring to the House of the Father, Jesus says “I go to prepare a place for you”. There are two important and interesting things to reflect upon here.

First, the contextual background for Jesus’ words. It is the Jewish betrothal process (erusin). After the betrothal, the groom returned to his father’s house to build a wedding chamber (a huppah) or an additional room. Many families lived in what is called the The Insula System —clusters of rooms around a central courtyard. This architectural reality provided the literal imagery for “many rooms” in one “house”.

Jesus is the groom and the Church is the Bride, that language is present in the Bible. Therefore we know that the Groom loves his bride deeply and he prepares that special, permanent place, for the family to live together into eternity.

But when we think about Jesus preparing a place for you, there is another way to look at his words. Where did Jesus prepare a place for us? On His Cross. This is where He guaranteed that we have a place in the Father’s House. While in Canada, there are quotas or “caps” on how many people can become residents, in the Father’s House that doesn’t apply. Jesus offers room for everyone, because his sacrifice on His Cross was for the forgiveness and salvation of the whole world – which is realized for those connected to Him by faith.

A relevant question then becomes: who are the children who have permanent residency? Because there are different ways the world understands what it means to be a child of the Father.

The world’s version could be summarized this way:

• The Way — Willing obedience
• The Truth — The wisdom of your own – you’ve got to be true to yourself.
• The Life — Whichever path you choose, since all paths lead to the father’s house.[1]

But here’s what truly points to the House of My Father, the permanent residence prepared for us on his cross:

• The Way — Jesus’ Work
• The Truth — Jesus’ Words
• The Life — Jesus’ Will

Notice the article: the. Not “a,” not “one of.” The Way, the Truth, and the Life. The children of the Father receive permanent residency in the House of the Father. No more temporary status, no insecurity, no doubts. It is already assured because Christ has prepared that place for you

But we must notice one thing when talking about temporary and permanent status: if you are a temporary resident in a certain place, you only long to obtain permanent residency, and eventually citizenship, if you really like that place and desire to make it home. If you move to a place that you don’t really adapt to, you are actually relieved that your residence there is temporary and that you’ll eventually go to your permanent place.

As Christians, our citizenship is in Christ, in Heaven, in the New Earth and New Heavens. That doesn’t mean that we don’t care for this world – we do. It’s God’s creation and we will do out best to help and sustain it – especially, our best to hep our neighbour. However, as much as we like to live here, this is a fallen world. We are temporary residents here. What we are really looking forward to is to the House of the Father, our permanent dwelling in eternal joy.

Conclusion – As for our family’s story: in 2019 we received Canadian Permanent Residency. And in 2023 we took the oath as Canadian citizens. The temporary was eliminated in 2019 and swallowed up in 2023. The boxes were unpacked. The roots went deep. We are home.

On his cross, Jesus assures you of this: you do have a temporary home — this world. We are in the world, but we do not belong here. Jesus has prepared a place for you and guarantees it as your eternal, permanent residence: the House of My Father.

But remember: you aren’t just waiting for a future house; you already belong there. You are not yet living there — but it is already guaranteed. You don’t need to live in anxiety, refreshing the portal, waiting for an update that may or may not come. You already live in the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Jesus. Therefore, the” House of My Father” is already yours.

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[1] Obeying, being a good person — In an interview, a religious minister was asked by someone from a non-Christian tradition: “So you are saying that even if I’m not a Christian, as long as I do what the Ten Commandments ask, I will still be saved?” And that minister said yes. It seems connected to Christ’s words: “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them — he is the one who loves me.” However, a non-Christian, by definition, cannot have his commandments and fulfill them. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). No amount of obedience can win adoption. It is by grace.

Having your own truth — That isn’t helpful either, because our truths are tainted by sin and imperfection.

“Many ways to the same place” — This is one of the biggest stumbling blocks. It frequently comes packaged with “less religion, more faith.” The idea is that faith is what matters, while one forgets to ask: faith in what, exactly? And one breezes past the fact that it was the institution — organized religion, with its virtues and its flaws — that by the grace of God worked things out to hand down to us what we have, so that we can learn what faith is all about.