228 MARK JENNINGS disciples. This statement functions as an answer to Peter’s question, “Where are you going?” in 13,36a, as well as indicating that the de- parture is in the disciples’ interest 66. The term “my Father’s house” poses some interesting questions. The simplest explanation is that the phrase refers to “heaven” 67, where the redeemed dwell together with God after death. Beasley- Murray settles on this meaning, qualifying that for John the meaning is wholly “unapocalyptic” (as such images are developed in Rev 21,9–22,5), but rather eschatological 68. “My Father’s house”, then, would refer to where Jesus is returning — to the glory he shared with his Father before creation (17,5). This is also the final destination of the disciples. There is also precedent in the Fourth Gospel for associating the phrase τῇ οἰκίᾳ τοῦ πατρός with the temple 69. In the cleansing of the temple in 2,16, Jesus orders those selling doves out, saying µὴ ποιεῖτε τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός µου οἶκον ἐµπορίου. Further, John alerts the reader that the temple destruction sayings in 2,19-22 were actually references to Jesus’ own death 70. By using the phrase in 14,2 the evangelist gives it an expanded meaning: the earthly temple built by Herod and destroyed in 70 CE, points to the union of Jesus and his followers together with the Father forever in the afterlife. This will be made possible because of Jesus’ fulfilled mission of revealing the Father’s glory 71. Having departed in order to prepare a place for his followers in heaven, he will return in order to take them to himself. This is a theme so little mentioned in the Fourth Gospel that it seems almost out of character with the rest of the discourse. Beutler argues that 14,2 pre- sents John’s eschatological reinterpretation of the earthly sanctuary in Jerusalem of Psalms 42/43, arguing that John’s contemporaries SEGOVIA, Farewell, 83. 66 CARSON, John, 489; L. MORRIS, The Gospel According to John (Grand 67 Rapids, MI 1995) 567. BEASLEY-MURRAY, John, 249. 68 KEENER, John, 932. 69 BEASLEY-MURRAY, John, 41; MOLONEY, Glory not Dishonor, 34. See 70 also KELLY – MOLONEY, Experiencing God, 288. Similarly, the Johannine Jesus makes it clear in his conversation with 71 the Samaritan woman (4,21-24) that worship of God is not confined to a par- ticular location (i.e. the temple in Jerusalem), but exists outside the realm of space in the realm of spirit. © Gregorian Biblical Press 2013 - Tutti i diritti riservati