They Didn't Ask, But They Wanted To; So Jesus Answered

“What does he mean that He is saying to us, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me'?” they said to each other.

Living 2,000 years later, it’s pretty easy for us to know what Jesus was talking about. But the Apostles, sitting around the table of the Last Supper, didn’t understand no matter how Jesus tried to explain His approaching death and resurrection, whether He was blunt like in Matthew 16 or more veiled here in John 16. I can’t blame them. They hadn’t experienced the Holy Spirit at Pentecost yet.

But the thing that catches me today is Jesus’ reaction to their question. For whatever reason, none of the Apostles actually asked Jesus what He was talking about. Were they afraid of looking like fools again? Were they confused by how seriously Jesus was taking this Passover compared to the others they had celebrated with Him? They leaned in and whispered among each other, “What in the world is He talking about?”

And Jesus, being both omniscient and a good friend, jumped in:

‘Are you discussing with one another what I said, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me ’? Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy (John 16:19-20).

I am really struck by Jesus’ closeness to the ones He loves. They didn’t ask Him. But they wanted to. So, He was already there.

It reminded me of Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son. Jesus describes the Father as already waiting at the property line as the son made his way back. If you make the slightest move towards God, He’ll meet you 90-percent of the way.

Today, there are a few things I am wondering about in my heart. And then I was reading the story today and wondered, “Is He already trying to answer, but I’m just not listening?” It gave me so much hope to think that just by my wanting to encounter Him, He is already set to meet me.