The author examines Christ's parting teachings from the Gospel of John. Full of vital last-days lessons that are particularly crucial for our times, this book can help readers better prepare for the coming of Christ.

Jeff Walling has spent the last twenty years preaching and teaching about Jesus. His passionate style and dramatic delivery have made him a sought-after speaker, lecturing to tens of thousands annually at Christian universities, evangelism seminars, and conferences worldwide. He has written such books as Daring to Dance with God, Hugs for Grads, and Until I Return. Jeff lives in Charlotte, NC, with his wife, Cathryn, and their three sons, Taylor, Riley, and Spencer, where he has served as a minister since 1984.

Introduction: Setting the Table
Words of Comfort
Don't Be Afraid
Don't Stop Trusting
You Are Not Alone
Words of Warning
Stay Close to Me
Get Along
Do As You're Told
Words of Encouragement
You've Got a Friend
You've Been Chosen
If You Need It, Just Ask
Words of Caution
Don't Be Shocked: They Won't Like You!
Don't Be Fooled: They Will Tempt You!
When They Hurt You, Don't Let Go!
Epilogue: Clearing the Table: "I'll See You Again"
Study and Discussion Guide
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Introduction

Setting the Table

"I'm leaving."

Jesus' words hung in the stunned silence of the dining room. Moments earlier, it had been filled with animated conversation, stories, and laughter -- just what you would expect in a room full of good friends. The table was still littered with glasses of wine and scraps of bread. The platter of meat sat ready to be picked over one last time. But in an instant, all thoughts of the meal were forgotten. Those two little words stopped everything.

"I'm leaving."

Didn't they know that this day was coming? Hadn't Jesus taught them from the start that a time would come when they would need to carry on without him? Hadn't he prepared them by his example, prepped them with his teaching, and armed them with his courage? Yes, he had. But despite his warnings and predictions, they sat in stunned disbelief. Like deer caught in the headlights, they gazed at him with slack jaws and wide eyes, amazed at the news.

They should have known that this was to be no ordinary meal. They should have known from the moment he had started washing their feet with his own hands, from the way he had blessed the cup of wine and the bread, from the deeply pensive look in his eyes. They should have known . . . but they didn't. Now they listened to these words as if they were hearing them for the first time.

"I'm leaving."

When it seemed the disciples would make no response, Jesus started to speak of other things that he wanted them to know. After all, the time was growing short. "A new command I give you," he began (John 13:34).

But they weren't ready for a new topic. Those two other words held them tightly. When their panic finally found its tongue, they pleaded like frightened children: "What? You're leaving? . . . Where are you going? . . . We don't understand!"

"Take me with you. I want to go too!" a bold one said.

Yes, there's the answer! they may have thought. If you're going, we'll all go. There is no need to leave anyone behind. It'll be a wonderful trip. We can make sandwiches and pack a lunch. And when we're through, we can all come back home and share a glass of wine while we relive the memories. Hey, we could even get some souvenirs to put on the mantel!

If they had known the destination of Jesus' journey, however, they would have retracted the idea in a heartbeat. But he quickly cut off any speculation about accompanying him by adding, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now" (John 13:36). The news was getting worse, not better. Not only was he leaving, but they weren't invited. At least not now.

One day they would all go on that journey. Peter would go soon. So would Thomas, Matthew, and James. Like the millions of believers who would follow them, the disciples would walk through the valley of the shadow of death clinging to the unseen hand of their Lord. Although some of them would die for their convictions, most would not face a cross. Some would even breathe their last breaths in peace, encircled by friends.

But that journey was in the unseen future. Their current problem was here and now. It was a pressing question for which they had no answer.

How would they make it without Jesus by their side?

That question has challenged every believer since Jesus of Nazareth went to Calvary. It grows out of the strange paradox of our faith: Our Lord is with us, yet he is away from us. From the instant we are born again until the moment we leave this world, we exist in an "in-between" time -- a no-man's land of waiting to be with the one we adore. We have said good-bye to a life of human aims but not yet said hello to eternity in a divine place. Yes, Christ's "presence" may be real enough to the heart, but our eyes long to see him. Our hands long to join Thomas's in touching the wounds he received on our behalf. We desire to be "with the Lord," as Paul wrote to the Philippians. But for now, we must wait for his return.

So we find ourselves asking the disciples' question: "How do we live while we wait?"

With the wisdom and love that only the Master can possess, Jesus began to share with his frightened followers the words they would need until he returned. These words would fill the void the other two words had created. These words would guide and direct the disciples, soothe and assure them. These words would enable them to live, for a while, without him by their side.

These precious words are found uniquely in the Gospel of John. Rather than focusing his attention on the meal itself, as the other writers did, John chose to focus on the words Jesus spoke.

Words of comfort.

Words of warning.

Words of encouragement.

Words of caution.

During the remainder of that wonderful evening before that awful night had fully begun, Jesus gave his disciples just the words they would need to face the trials of his absence. Like a divine parent preparing for a trip across the galaxy, he sat his children down at what would be their last meal together and calmed their fears with his words. Word by word, phrase by phrase, he gave them the spiritual nourishment they would need in order to stay healthy as they made their journey home. The meal he offered consisted of simple words any child could recite. They were words he wanted every believer to know: Don't fear. Stay close. Trust me. But they were -- and are -- powerful words that no demon can conquer, no unbeliever can comprehend.

Excerpted from Until I Return by Jeff Walling
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