On a KVI show one time, John Carlson asked us, "If we were to go back in time to Jesus' day in Palestine, what is the one thing that would have surprised us the most about traveling around with the apostles and Jesus?" Our reply - one thing that would have surprised us, is how much everybody liked Jesus, liked Him personally.  The Galileans Peter, James, John and Andrew -- roughneck fishermen with foul mouths -- literally laid on the couch hugging Jesus.  (Here's trusting that we're among adults rather than among Beavises!  LOL.)

John 13: 23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. 25 He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?

The prostitutes and the taxgathering extortionists were very fond of Jesus' company.  Consider the fact that He was completely holy, and that His every act and word was a contrast to their shameful lives -- yet they liked Him, and very well. When Jesus told the apostles that He had to leave them, they went catatonic.  In Gethsemane they literally laid down on the ground and went to sleep to shut out the pain of the prospect of Jesus "moving to Egypt" and their losing their best Friend. .................. But Jesus tells them, "No, seriously, you'll be glad I did:"

7 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.

I was sitting at supper the other day, and began telling my wife Cindy about an amusing event that afternoon.  A long line was in single file, breaking up only as it got close to the two cashiers working at the time.  All of a sudden, the lines sort of zippered out into two lines.  I stepped over to the left, and a good-sized Shotokan-looking guy ahead of me stepped over to the right. As the lines moved along, my line moved ahead of his.  :- )  As we got close to the front, he got in my face and said, "It would be a real shame if you went ahead of me." LOL.  I cheerfully told him, hey, whichever line you want.  He responded by challenging me again, and me being a Christian, I try not to get into fistfights in supermarkets any more.  I bemusedly told him again he could go into whichever line he wanted, but the way I looked at him, he got a little uncomfortable and shuffled away... My son interrupted.  "That didn't happen!" I nodded and turned back to Cindy, continuing the story.  "Yes, it did," she told my son.  I went on with a bit more of the story, and my daughter broke in.  "No way!" "No, I'm serious!" .................... That's what Jesus is telling the apostles in John 16.  No, I'm serious.  I have to go away.  You don't get why, but trust Me.  You need to have Me gone. How could that be? ....................... The Old Testament prophets comforted the church, in its sorrows, with promises that the Messiah would come (Isa. 9:6, Mic. 5:6, Zech. 3:8).  Now Jesus comforts the disciples by telling them He would soon be gone. Kind regards, Jeff