THE DEPARTURE OF CHRIST TO THE FATHER.
The book of John has much to say concerning this event. A comparison of the several passages in which Christ speaks of returning to his Father, will be found very instructive. John vi, 62: “What and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before?” vii, 33: “Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.” xiii, 1, 3: “Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. . . . Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God and went to God.” xiv, 2, 3, 12, 28: “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. . . . Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father. . . . Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto my Father; for my Father is greater than I.” xvi, 5, 7, 16, 17, 28: “But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? . . . Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you. But if I depart I will send him unto you. . . . A little while, and ye shall not see me; and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me; and again, a little while, and ye shall see me; and, Because I go to the Father. . . . I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.” xvii, 11, 13: “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name, those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. . . . And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” Here are many statements, all from the book of John, relative to the return of Christ to his Father’s presence. Many of these texts, it is evident from their own words, can only relate to the ascension of Christ from the Mount of Olives. But quite a number of them are claimed, by our opponents, as relating to his entering his Father’s presence by dying. To show that this is positively false, let us read the remaining statement of the book of John respecting the departure of Christ to his Father. As it was made on the day of his resurrection, it exactly meets the case: John xx, 17: “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; FOR I AM NOT YET ASCENDED TO MY FATHER: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” It is a reasonable inference that Christ did, on the day of his resurrection, ascend to his Father that he might learn the acceptance of his sacrifice, and that he then returned to his disciples. But, however this may be, it is certain that he did not enter the presence of his Father while he was under the dominion of death.