We are all prone to go astray. That is why we need Jesus to bring us back to where we belong. Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Jesus was preparing His trainee apostles to be able to stay on track with Him so that they could lead the church. It would not be an easy task; persecution would soon become a normal part of the church’s life.

Naturally we hate change – especially if it is forced on us. So we can understand that the disciples hated the idea of Jesus leaving them. Rightly, He had become the centre of their lives and they could not imagine life without Him. As He prepared them for this, He promised that the Holy Spirit would come: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever - the Spirit of truth … you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:16-18)

Shock, grief, anxiety and ignorance make it difficult for people to hear anything new. Jesus recognised that the trainee apostles would be like that as they anticipated His departure, hardly understanding anything of what Jesus had said. More information at that point would simply overload them and risk distressing them further. However, they would not be alone in the future. The Holy Spirit would be sent to each of them in just over seven week’s time.

Uncertainty brings out our true character. Despite all that Jesus had told His disciples about the cross and His return to the Father, they did not understand. So why did they not ask Him directly? Did they feel that they would reveal their ignorance and lose His respect of them? Did they feel that if they discussed it enough they would be able to work it all out? Or did they not really want to hear the answer in case it was too great for them to bear?