Abandoned

Photo by David Gilbert

This morning, my daily Bible Reading program had me reading John 16, where Jesus is speaking to His disciples on His last night. When I got to the end of the passage, I stopped and shuddered.

Jesus is actively loving His disciples to the end (John 13:1). He is not holding back anything. He’s preparing them for His death and departure. He’s hours away from His death and He is still thinking of them instead of Himself.

What’s even more amazing is that He is loving them even though He knows they are going to abandon Him in His toughest moments. He says is John 16:32: “Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave Me alone.”

Incredible. He keeps loving those who would abandon Him.

His solace is that His Father is with Him. He goes on to say in the same verse: “Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with Me.”

He can keep going because His Father is still with Him.  I still have My Abba. He’s there for Me. He’s always been there for Me.

Not for long.

Pretty soon, His Father would leave Him as well. He would step away so that He could pour out the wrath meant for us on His beloved Son.

Amazingly, He keeps loving those who would abandon Him, even knowing that His Father would have to abandon Him as well, at the cross.