15th May 2012 John 16:5-11

but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

It must have been hard for the disciples to accept that Jesus had to finally depart. They had been through sorrow and then had been joyous when Jesus was resurrected. But now 40 days later they were preparing to loose him again.

We're these words any comfort? I somehow doubt it. Of course it helped them understand but it meant they also now knew they'd loose him from earth forever.

Of course we know that he is with us always, but for those who were in his human presence for years this must have been poor consolation indeed.

Often I have wished I could have been with the walking Jesus; today I'm reminded of the sorrow that also entailed.