The hour of His exodus was upon Him. The countdown had begun. He who had, so far, kept a relatively low profile during the lead up to Passover was soon to become the center of attention. In but a few hours, the Son of Man would be lifted up as the Lamb of God. God incarnate would bear the wrath for creation’s rebellion. The Son forsaken by the Father as He who knew no sin became sin for us.

I can only imagine all that ran through the Omniscient’s mind. He knew who was going to betray Him (Jn. 13:11). What’s more, he not only knew the human suffering that was before Him, He was fully aware of the divine judgment that awaited Him. So much so that it troubled Him to the depths of His soul (Jn. 12:27).

But there’s something else that Jesus knew. And because He knew it, I can know it too.

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

(John 13:1 ESV)

Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father.

Kind of have a “departure” filter on as I get ready to preach from Exodus this weekend. So I thought, just as it is in Luke 9:31, the original word used here for “depart” might be related to the Greek word exodos. It’s not.

I’m no Greek scholar, but using my handy dandy computer lexicon it looks like the original word used here, metabaino, is made up of two words, meta – among or into the middle of, and baino – to walk. Jesus knew it was His hour to pass over from walking in the middle of one place to walking in the middle of another. That soon He would go from walking in the middle of this world to walking in the middle of the Father’s world.

Was that a big part of “the joy that was set before Him”? (Heb. 12:2) Is that what enabled Him to endure the cross and despise its shame? I’m thinkin’ . . .

What it because He never lost sight of where He was going that, even on the night He was to be betrayed, He loved His own to the end? Pretty sure . . .

Having been in the world, He would return to the Father. Having taken on flesh and come in the form of a servant, He would again put on the form of God. The suffering, shame, and disgrace would dissolve as, once more, He would be clothed with the glory that He had with the Father since before the world existed. The cross would give way to the crown. Having been lifted up before men in apparent defeat, He would be seated at the Father’s right hand in undisputable, eternal victory. The hour had come to depart out of this world. And it would be the hour when He would walk again in the midst of His Father.

And because Jesus knew this to be true, we do as well.

“Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, may be with Me where I am, to see My glory that You have given Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” ~ Jesus

(John 17:24 ESV)

To be absent from the body, will be to be present with the Lord.

For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. . . So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord . . .

(2Corinthians 5:1, 6 ESV)

What will it be to depart and step into the Father’s world? I can only imagine. But knowing I will one day walk in His midst has a way of providing strength for today as I seek to walk in the midst of this world.

And that because of grace. And that solely for His glory.