Intimacy with The Father - 9/24/2023

Giving birth is not an easy feat. Any woman who has had this privilege can provide you with a vivid story of pain, exhaustion, fear, and absolute joy. It's with good reason that Jesus used this illustration to explain the complexity of the emotions the disciples would soon experience. They were about to endure unbearable pain and sorrow as they watched firsthand when Jesus would be arrested, tried, tortured, and hung on a cross like a criminal. As they watched this happen, all their hope of a reigning King who would overthrow the Roman government also hung on the cross. It would be a bitter three days, but after those three days, they would see the risen Jesus, and suddenly, the sorrow would begin to melt away as complete joy filled all the dark crevices of pain, grief, and suffering. Just as a mother hits her maximum pain level and must push through to the end, she hears her baby's cry as they are placed in her arms, and all the pain-filled moments early fail compared to the joy of beholding her child.

Jesus knows that there is so much that can not happen until He has completed His task on earth. He knows that when He ascends to the Father, there will be a new intimacy between every believer and the Father. Jesus' work on the cross makes this new intimacy possible.