“Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would 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)

The “hour” that Jesus was facing here was not only a strategic and vital one for our salvation, but it also involved great pain and suffering for Him. And yet at the end of that hour, there would be a great joy. This verse says “that He would depart out of this world to the Father.”

Those words, “Out of this world to the Father” are a key. As soon as Jesus left this earth, He was going back to the place of greatest glory and joy in the universe — with His Father in Heaven.

Those of us who know Jesus as Savior need to realize that is true for US as well.  When we “depart out of this world”, we are going “TO THE FATHER”! If we have any idea from scripture of what that means, it will be a source of great joy to us.

It should also be comforting to us in the passing of Christian loved ones, that the same thing is true for them — they may be leaving our presence in this world, but they are going to an infinitely more glorious place.

Although as in Jesus’ case, our own departure process may be uncomfortable for us — or perhaps even painful or distressful — we should be comforted by always remembering that the end result of it will be ultimately glorious: we are going to the Father!