When Jesus Goes and When He Returns

A man endowed by God with extraordinary miracles, Jesus was a public figure who fought for the "meaning" in the face of "rules", who emphasized "sincerity and spirit" despite the governing atmosphere of "imitation and formalism". In doing so, he voiced bad news for the oppressors, hypocrites and those who use religion for worldly purposes.

17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luke 4/17-19)

12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” (Matthew 21/12-13)

Throughout the history, individuals who stood against the status-quo have received a strong backlash. Jesus was no difference. Not was he rejected by the religious elite but also were his words and actions manipulated to prepare the grounds for his persecution. In the end, he was "judged" guilty, and was sentenced to death. However, it is clear that there was no real justice in the scenario, and the death penalty was a heartless hate crime.

About what happened following this decision, Quran tells that Jesus himself was miraculously taken to heaven, and was not killed.

And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah ." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain. Rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise. (4/157-158)

Regardless of what different people believe about what happened, there is a clear lesson from these events. If you are performing the same mission as Jesus, watch out for the injustices and manipulations. This is a rather dark position. On one side you are conveying messages and acts of mercy, and on the other side some people are hideously trying to bury everything in order to fortify their own power. To break this gloomy atmosphere, Jesus told his followers some warnings and some good news. These good news included two major events: one, his own return, two, coming of a comforter before him. Here, I would like to leave you alone with Jesus's words according to the New Testament:

22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time. 26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. 29 “Immediately after the distress of those days “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ 30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. ... 42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (NIV Matthew 24/22-31,42-44)

25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. (NIV John 14/25-31)

18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’15:20 John 13:16 If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’ 26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. (NIV John 15/18-27)

I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 7But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” (NIV John 16/4-15)

After this long read, I would like to draw some conclusions that can enlighten us today. In doing this, I am going to take the Jesus's story and words as a template.

First, going of Jesus pbuh coincides with a period of injustice and cruelty. This is why, when the Comforter comes, he is going to judge people and also teach them true mercy.

Second, coming of the Comforter is linked to a mission, and Jesus must leave in order for him to come and conduct that mission. So, however sad it may seem, going of Jesus is another form of mercy of God packaged in an unpleasant cover.

Third, looking forward to the coming of the Comforter or to the return of Jesus is not mere a wishful thinking to calm the sorrows and anger of the unfortunate. It is, on the contrary, a willful action that demands critical thinking and planned action. Why? When there are injustices and cruelties around, it is human nature to react; and that is exactly what the enemies of Jesus want: show him and his followers as rebels to justify the unfair treatments on them. So, turning away from these events and waiting for the Comforter or Jesus, and in the meantime preparing yourself spiritually, intellectually and materially in order not to miss them is crucial.

God knows the truth best...