"BECAUSE I GO TO THE FATHER."
By Wm. Covert
NEAR the close of His ministry Jesus informed His disciples with reference to His departure from earth and His going to heaven. He spoke of many advantages that would come to them and to the church when He should be present with the Father in heaven. As His life's mission on earth was almost at an end, His personal presence with the Father would soon be essential to the success of His Gospel work. His ministry must change in location from Palestine to the place from whence He came. But to reconcile His disciples to this plan was not easy of accomplishment. As he talked of an early separation from them, their hearts filled with sadness at the thought, and they urged many objections to His going. He wished them to think of Him in His absence as preparing a place for their abode, and to believe that He would come again and gather them unto Himself. He declared to them that even the works which He had done would be excelled by the strength of their future ministry, and that their better success would come because of His presence with the Father. He taught that His presence with them through the comfort of the Spirit would more than compensate for His absence from them in body. He wished them to see that it was of far greater importance that they be filled with the Spirit and power by which He worked, than for them simply to receive the benefit of His personal association. They were even to become living channels through which His blessings would flow to a needy world. Through them the mighty power of saving truth must reach thousands of the lost sons and daughters of Adam, and enable them to become the children of the living God. He tried to have them see that in personal experience they needed a much deeper work than they had yet enjoyed. He therefore said: "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." There were some things necessary to be done that could not be accomplished until His ministry was inaugurated in the heavenly sanctuary. Prayer to the Father in the name of Jesus was to follow immediately upon the opening of His ministration above. His disciples were to be clothed with power from on high when His sacrifice for sins should be accepted and humanity lifted up to Him. He would place His people on earth, and the Gospel work committed to them, on elevated vantage-ground by His return to the Father. John, in explanation of one of Christ's lessons regarding the working of the Spirit, said: "This He spake of the Spirit, which they that believed on Him should receive; for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified." John 7:39. This reference is without doubt to the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit which began to work upon the day of Pentecost. John evidently understood that the giving of the Holy Ghost took place when Jesus was glorified in heaven. It was the heavenly power received then which made them ready for the greater work which they were to do, and which resulted in the conversion of many thousands of sinners. This wonderful manifestation evidently coincided with the opening of Christ's priesthood work in the heavenly sanctuary. Was it not then that He was exalted in the presence of the heavenly hosts? Indeed, Peter spoke of this exaltation on the day of Pentecost while the Spirit was resting upon him like tongues of fire. He said, "This Jesus,"—the Holy One who has been crucified and who had died and was buried,—"hath God raised up, whereof ye are all witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear." Acts 2:32, 33. Jesus was, at the time of His ascension, received back into heaven as the "King of glory." But He was at the same time accepted as the "Son of Man." He then stood in heaven, "to appear in the presence of God for us." "Being touched with the feelings of our infirmities," He secured the Spirit as a comforter for us. It was then that humanity was elevated in Jesus. When He was glorified, believing mankind was exalted in Him. To them were the heavens opened for the bestowal of the Holy Spirit in glorious power. In Him who is our High Priest in heaven, dwells "all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." That body, not glorified, had but lately been "bruised for our iniquities," and "the chastisement of our peace" had been upon Him. Isa. 53:5. He had borne "our sins in His own body on the tree." 1 Peter 2:24. But a marvelous change had now taken place with Him. He had received royal robes in the courts of glory; yet He had gone to the Father in the form of humanity, and had thus been accepted at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Not only so, but He had taken a multitude of the risen saints to heaven with Him, for "many bodies of the saints which slept, arose" in connection with His resurrection (Matt. 27:52, 53), and accompanied Him in His ascension,—a multitude of them (Eph. 4:8, margin). Thus heaven became fully opened to the needs of man. Yea, the One in whom is vested all power in heaven and earth is the Son of Man, and He is on the throne (Rev. 12:5),—is one of us, our Brother and Daysman. We are thus "accepted in the beloved." "We have redemption through His blood." Since Jesus has gone to the Father, the great question in heaven is that which pertains to men and humanity. On the throne with the Father He is Priest. Says the prophet: "He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a Priest upon His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both." (That is, the counsel of peace is between the Father and the Son regarding peace for man). Zech. 6:13. It was upon the throne that He was constituted high priest "for men in things pertaining to God." Heb. 5:1. It is upon the throne that He offers our prayers to the Father. Because He is there, His ministration can avail for us. Having been a man in the flesh and having passed into the heavens as a brother to represent us, our interests have first attention from the throne of the infinite Father. Since Jesus has gone from our needy world to sit with the Father in His throne, we can neither ask for, nor think of, more good than through Him is provided for us. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."