Bible Studies

The strange words concluding John 14

by Douglas Eckert
12/31/15
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The strange words concluding John 14.

John 14:31 NIV
“....Come now; let us leave."

Being of the mindset that EVERY single word that is in the Bible is there for a very important reason, these seemingly out of place, inert ,or inconsequential words havei sent my mind reeling on many occasions.
Recently though, I think the Lord and the HOLY SPIRIT OF TRUTH has shed a little bit of light of understanding on this verse for me that I feel compelled to share .

This understanding comes after having recently contemplated quite a bit upon God's own perception of time, or better yet, how He is "outside of time" .

To be brief , C.S Lewis illustrated this concept so well when he said in his book "mere christianity" : "If a million people are praying to Him at ten thirty tonight, He need not listen to them all in this one little snippet we call ten thirty. Ten thirty,and every other little moment from the beginning of the world is always the present for Him."

For the Biblical purist,this kind of idea can probably be supported by :
2 Peter 3:8 NASB
But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.

It is correctly said, I think, that Jesus was 100 percent man, and 100 percent God. Having said that, I can't overemphasize enough this point, which I think it incredible that this point is really not considered all that much. That point being: Oh what a battle ( for lack of a better word) it must have been for Him in regards to "His Consciousness".
Jesus Having ALL consciousness (that IS from being God outside of time) and having THIS tempered through a mere man's kind of "in time" consciousness (the nature of which, we are all aware of)...well I'll just say only GOD could accomplish this feat.

I believe this verse is here basically to show us this idea of this "consciousness battle", for reasons I will go on to explain.

Now looking at the things Jesus was saying before this strange verse, and looking at it with this understanding of "all things being in the PRESENT for God", but then juxtaposing that conceptual understanding onto Jesus the man having also a man's consciousness, THEN you can logically maybe understand Jesus' stream of consciousness and consequently His words ,which I will try to explain.

I will paraphrase in my view ,the stream of consciousness of this humanly stressed-out precrucifixion MAN. In essence, Jesus's own viewpoints of his words as He says them. (Starting with verse 25)
I admit it seems a dangerous thing to try to say what God was thinking, but being Jesus was also 100 percent man, and I am also a man, I feel somewhat comfortable with such an exercise.
I will follow it up with the actual Biblical text so you can read it for yourselves to decide if you agree with this "take" or understanding of this seemingly out of place verse.

"I have been with you up until now, and the HOLY SPIRIT OF TRUTH will soon be with you.
Don't be afraid ,I've told you that I am coming back to you. If you loved me you would be glad that I'm going back to the Father. I am telling you these things in advance so you will believe." ... well, I see it ALL as RIGHT NOW,so I hope my little human brain can keep all of this straight
( please forgive these liberties for making my point). " I shouldn't say much more except that the evil Satan is going to be ruling this world for a few thousand years after I go back with the Father. This is so this sinfull world can FINALLY come to reallize that I am who I say I am ,and I have done the Father's will" ..... OHHHH man! you are ...(all of humanity) in for a world of hurt... until I come back in Glory...oh what a day THAT will be... or is...or was... (caught up in the human, emotional side of it ,and maybe bolstered by the fact of "it just being a part of His ALL awareness") .
and the stressed man Jesus being within His protecting, loving ,shepherding character in wanting to protect His beloved helpless sheep that were right there in front of Him, Jesus the MAN lets it slip... "come ,let us Go right now "... so you can avoid it all!. (remembering that Jesus as God ,sees all man's timeline of history allready right there in His consciousness)

Of course the Lord knew of, and even created this mental "slip" even before the man Jesus uttered it. Because:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 NIV

So to conclude , in ny humble layman opinion, I believe the ultimate reason for this verse is to help show us the Truth and authenticity of an omniscient God who had to DESCEND to become a man (as The Word predicted) rather than a man who ascended to become God.
This makes as much sense to me as any other "explanation" I've seen.

Here is the actual text:
John 14:25-31 NIV

“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. “Come now; let us leave.