Jesus Christ is about to leave his disciples. He is about to go. He tells them in 14:1, “Let not your heart be troubled; I am going to leave you to prepare a place for you. I will come again to receive you unto myself.” I have to go right now, though.
The disciples had been walking with Jesus for three and a half years. They had been hanging with Him for over three years, seen His miracles, heard His words—and all of a sudden they hear “I gotta go!” “You mean we committed our lives to You, walked with You, talked with You, prayed with You, and You gotta go? We have a problem. You can’t leave us after 3 years!”
I remember when Walt was a little boy in Virginia and the first couple of times we left Him with a sitter so that Mom and Dad can have some alone time. It was difficult. He would cry and make a fuss. We would try to explain to him that we had to go. Now, we told Walt about a babysitter, but he didn’t know anything about a babysitter. He didn’t know who this babysitter was; all he knew was that momma and daddy were going. So he would get all upset and cry.
That is about how the disciples feel. Jesus has been with them, but they are only 3 years old! They had only been walking with Him for three years. They don’t understand why in the world does He have to leave. Jesus explains, “I have to leave to get you a place ready for eternity. But I will come again.” But He doesn’t tell them when. All He tells them is that “I’ll be back.”