This is part 3 of a 5-part series. View the entire series here.
“But now I am going away to the One who sent Me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send Him to you.” – John 16:5-7 NLT
The fire crackles in the hearth behind you. Dull silence blankets the dinner table. Your heart pounds in your ears. You’re not even sure you understand what your Rabbi just said. But your heart can feel the grief His words brought to your soul.
But now I am going away to the One who sent Me…
Plans don’t always go the way we, well, planned. That’s life. Like it or not, it’s going to happen. For the disciples, this meant coming to grips with the fact that Jesus, the promised Messiah that came to free God’s people, wasn’t going to do it in the way they expected.
After centuries of waiting, these few blessed men have had the privilege to follow God incarnate. And just when it seems like ministry is at its peak, He throws a dart straight at your heart….
“I’m leaving.”
Surely you misheard Him. Or at the very least, He didn’t mean it the way it came off. Leaving for the night? A few days? Before you can fully process, His next statement sends you into a spiral…
“But in fact, it is best for you that I go away…”
You’ve learned it best to pause before questioning the truth of Jesus’ words, but that won’t stop your mind this time. Best that He goes? Does He know that I need Him?
But through the dreariness of the Messiah’s speech, a silver lining gleams at His next promise.
“If I don’t [go], the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send Him to you.”
The promise of the ages: God was going to send His Spirit to dwell within His people. No longer would the presence of God be confined to a tabernacle or temple. God was taking up permanent residence in the hearts of all who call upon His name.
When life seems to take an unexpected turn, it’s an opportunity for a paradigm shift. To view the world differently; embrace a new way of living; step deeper into the reality of existence as God sees it. This is our silver lining—the hope that God’s plans are better than our own.
As the disciples sat in a dimly lit room on the night Jesus would be betrayed, they were quickly discovering that the Father had put Jesus on a different course for His life and their lives than they had. But with that came a chance to have their minds illuminated to a deeper work God had been preparing. So don’t fret the times you hit a wall, find a closed door, or are thrust down a path you didn’t expect. God’s still leading the way, and there’s always hope when we follow close behind.
A Prayer for Illumination
Almighty God, I know that You hold the universe in the palm of Your hand. It’s hard for me to not worry when things don’t go the way that I planned, but I ask that I would hold onto the truth that Your way is better than my own. Lead me by the power of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.
