My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
Where is Jesus going?
When I was a little boy, my parents would sometimes go away. They would visit other people or perhaps to spend time with a relative. I was fortunate to have a mother who stayed at home most of the time so being left with a babysitter was an uncommon experience.
When my parents went away and I was not allowed to go with them, they literally went somewhere I could not come.
When I was five, my parents left for a whole week. They went to San Francisco for a vacation and they talked about visiting someplace called “Chinatown.” While they were gone, I wondered about this strange sounding place they had gone to. What was a Chinatown anyway? The dreams I had of dark streets and strange buildings made a powerful impression on my mind. I can still remember the images of my dreams today.
Where Jesus is going the disciples could not come. Why? Was he, like my parents, going on vacation?
No, far from a vacation, Jesus was going to die a horrible death. He was going to remain dead Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday morning. Then he was going to return.
Luke records Jesus’ words to the penitent thief on the cross next to him:
Jesus answered him, ”Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
(Luke 23: 43)
We know that Jesus’ sense of time is different than ours. We understand that his use of the word “today” in this passage is from a God perspective rather than a human perspective. As far as the man on the cross was concerned, I am sure when he regained consciousness on the other side of death he felt like it was “today.”
Meanwhile, Jesus had a job to do and he had to go away to do it. He had to conquer death.
Let’s Discuss: What would it feel like to have the Giver of Life tell you that He had to go away and you couldn’t come?
While I think that would be difficult to hear, and the disciples response suggested it was, I am comforted that He also said He would prepare a place for me and that He would come back to take me to Himself forever (John 14:1-3; in same context). Your parents returned from their vacation. Jesus did the work at the cross and went to the Father at the ascension, but He also sent the Holy Spirit and promised we will be with Him. We still cling to that promise today. Based on His promise, we can persevere. Based on how the disciples responded long term (along with a resurrected Jesus) seemed to allow them to persevere as well.
Amen, brother! This passage does help me understand the confusion and despair the disciples must have felt. Yet Jesus is faithful! Oh yes… and all powerful, too!
My tangent rabbit trail thoughts have me wondering about the dual nature of Christ and what would it have felt like to have the human nature dead for three days while the divine nature continues unabated, aware and fully actualized. Weird.
Thanks Jeff!
Brent,
May I complement you on the quality of your rabbit trails?! Wow! Of course you are swimming in etherial waters far beyond the shorelines of Scripture or even science. Don’t get in too deep! 🙂