Him Who Sent Me – John 16: 5a

…but now I am going to him who sent me.

At some point, I hope to come back around again and categorize John’s text by subjects. If you have any ideas for what to call the category of Jesus not being from around here, I would love to hear them.

As a Christian believer, it is natural to be in the mindset of Jesus coming from heaven and returning to heaven. Imagine, however, how Jesus’ words must sound to someone who does not believe in heaven! Who talks like that? Who says things like “…now I am going to him who sent me… ?”

If Jesus were a soldier about to leave to return to his commander, that phrase might sound more natural. The same would be true for an ambassador or an emissary. There are human corollaries for what Jesus says. Yet in the context of what Jesus is saying it makes no sense.

Jesus has been talking about dying as if it were a passage to another place. He has hinted at the type of death he will suffer. He says repeatedly that he is “going away.” He says where he is going no one will be able to follow. Who is this man?

Think about the claim that Jesus was “sent.” How does that work? Wasn’t Jesus born a baby like everyone else? Doesn’t that mean that he must be like everyone else? Doesn’t that mean that he is making this up as he goes along? Who comes from some other place and is born a baby so that they can become a man and give the rest of mankind a message? Who does that?

“Him who sent me” is God. Jesus calls Him Father. In one sense he was born a few short years before he died on the cross. In another sense, he is older than time itself.

Question: How do you think of this place Jesus is from and says he is going to?