Jesus explains to His Disciples that He is leaving them. He doesn’t go into all the gory details of what He knows is coming, but He tells them He is leaving. Have you ever had to leave a child in a classroom for the very first time? Everything is new, unknown and uncertain to them; they are frightened at the thought of being there alone! I vividly remember leaving my daughter at Pre-K. She was uncertain, fearful and incredibly anxious! I could see it in her eyes, her body language, her clinging grip on me as I took my first step toward the door — ALL of which made my heart unbearably sad. I looked right into her eyes and reassured my girl, “Remember, I’ll be back! You’re going to be alright! Your teacher will be here to make sure you’re okay!” And then I had to leave. These verses in John are a prime example of Jesus’s understanding. “I am going, I’ll be back, I’ve told you this day was coming, and you’re prepared.” Remember, He has just told them they will have the Counselor, the Holy Spirit; they will not be alone! But WHY does He have to leave? It boils down to this: obedience. Verse 31 “… the world must learn that I love the Father and I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” Jesus, God the Son, willingly submits to God the Father, and that’s why He had to leave His Disciples. Glorious obedience.

When you dropped your child off in their classroom, they were anxious. But you, the parent, knew that this was part of the process of growing up. You knew they would be stretched, and growth would happen. So, with a deep breath, a sad heart and a heartfelt prayer, you said to them “Come now, it’s time to leave.” And you did.

And your child? Well, they may have been kicking and screaming when you walked out the door, but they obeyed and stayed.

Obedience is necessary; Christ lived that out for us. I vividly remember a deep conversation that I had with my then-four-year-old granddaughter as we ate donuts together one morning. We were talking about the upcoming Easter holiday, and that typically verrrrry chatty little four-year-old suddenly became quiet. I could tell she was in deep thought. She broke the silence with this question “Mimi, why do they call it ‘Good Friday’ when it wasn’t very GOOD … Jesus died!!” After a deep breath and a quick prayer for wisdom, I answered “Sweetie, it is called ‘good’ because it was necessary!” A puzzled frown on her face kept me explaining, “Necessary means that it was needed — needed in order for something else to happen!” We had the most beautiful conversation about Jesus’s obedience in death, which paid the atoning sacrifice for our sins so that our eternity with Him would be secure. My granddaughter informed me that Heaven AND Hell are real (thank you, schoolteacher Ms. Angela), and that if I didn’t have Jesus in my heart, I would go to the “freaky fire”! Well, that’s one way to put it, but I’ll never forget her innocent understanding that our choices have consequences! And then she asked me if Jesus was in my heart? I said, “Yes sweet child, Jesus has lived in my heart for a very long time!” I asked her the same question, and we then prayed for Jesus to not only live in her heart, but to also help her understand her obedience to Him and His instructions until we get to Heaven. Another pause of contemplative silence with her donut in hand, and then this question followed “Mimi, do you know what the very BEST part of Heaven will be?” Unsure what a four year old would be thinking, I simply said “No, what do YOU think?” And she said, “The very BEST part of Heaven will be NEVER having to say goodbye again!”

Jesus’s ultimate act of glorious obedience — suffering the cruel, brutal, inhumane, torturous death on the cross, leaving and paying the most supreme price for our sins — secures the eternal life of Believers, in Heaven with Him and the cloud of saints that have gone on before us! And the very BEST part? We’ll never have to say goodbye again!

Father God, we are so very grateful for your teachings, and that you loved us so deeply and completely that you recorded your instructions for us! We DO love you, Lord; and we ARE glad you went to the Father. Thank you for teaching us the importance of glorious obedience through your atoning sacrificial death on the cross. Help us to remember, Lord, that you have already paid the price, and that you WILL come back again! Until then, give us strength and courage to always be ready to share you — the reason for our Hope — with those around us. In your name, Jesus, we pray. Amen.