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References, either direct or indirect, to the fact that the Lord "came down" from
heaven and "went back" to heaven are encountered frequently in this Gospel. In the
sixth chapter, for example, there are seven references to this "coming down" from
heaven, and one to the ascending back again:
Katabaino, "to come down", in John 6:
"For the bread of God is He Which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the
world" (33).
"For I am come down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him That
sent Me" (38).
"The Jews then murmured at Him, because He said, I am the bread which came down
from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother
we know? How is it then that He saith, I came down from heaven" (41, 42).
"This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and
not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven" (50, 51).
"This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna,
and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever" (58).
Anabaino, "to ascend", in John 6:
"What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before?" (62).
In John 3: the immediate context of verse 13 speaks of the lifting up of the serpent
in the wilderness by Moses, and its typical association with the gift of life. In John 6:,
where the ascension is again referred to, we have a further reference to Moses in the
wilderness, but this time in connection with the manna. In the next two chapters of John
(7: and 8:) we have several further allusions to this "coming down" and "going back":
"Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto Him
that sent Me" (John 7: 33).
"Ye cannot tell whence I come and whither I go" (John 8: 14).
"I go My way, and ye shall seek Me, and shall die in your sins. Whither I go, ye
cannot come . . . . . And He said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye
are of this world; I am not of this world" (John 8: 21, 23).
With the end of chapter 12: the first part of John's Gospel reaches its close.
The new
section, beginning with chapter 13:, deals with the more intimate and
personal
instruction which the Lord gave to "His own" before He was taken from them.
We find,
however, the same testimony to the ascension in chapters 13: and 14: as
we have
already found in chapters 7: and 8::
"Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was
come from God and went to God . . . . ." (John 13: 3).
"Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek Me: and as I said unto
the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come: so now I say to you . . . . . Simon Peter said unto
Him, Lord, whither goest Thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow
Me now, but thou shalt follow Me afterwards" (John 13: 33, 36).
"I go to prepare a place for you . . . . . and whither I go ye know, and the way ye
know" (John 14: 2, 4).
"I go away and come again unto you . . . . . I go unto the Father" (John 14: 28).