The joy of the Apostles

If you went to the station to say goodbye to someone you were very fond of, you wouldn’t be very happy after the train had gone.  Yet the Apostles, after saying goodbye to Jesus on the Mount of Olives, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, which is quite the opposite of what you might have expected.

There are several reasons for this.  First, they knew that from now on, although they would not be able to see Jesus, yet he would always be with them wherever they were.  For when God the Holy Spirit came into their innermost souls in a few days time, Jesus himself would come with him as he had promised: “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you”.  “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not let them be afraid.  You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you’ ” (NRSV, John 14:18,27,28).  “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (NRSV, Matthew 28:20).  No wonder, therefore, that the Apostles returned to Jerusalem with great joy, because they were looking forward to having Jesus back again when the Holy Spirit came to them at Pentecost (Whitsunday).

There was another reason why the Apostles were so full of joy.  It was because Jesus gave them a very important mission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (NRSV, Matthew 28:19).

Yet another reason why the Apostles were so happy was that Jesus, after having suffered so much on this earth, was now at last going back to his Father and to the glory and peace and happiness of Heaven, and so they were glad for his sake too (John 14:28).