In the same way, I value my relationships with my students so much that it would feel unnatural and even thoughtless to leave them hanging when I know I’m going to be gone. To be honest, the success of my classroom depends on the relationships I’ve built. So with all of this in mind, I make sure to prepare them for my absences. I tell them where I’m going, who will be subbing for me, what the sub is like, what work they need to do while I’m gone, how/when to submit it, and when I’ll be back. Last but not least, I always tell them that if they have any questions or need anything while I’m gone, they can send me an email. (My school emails come through to my phone, and it’s my own preference to keep an eye on them even on my days off. For me, it feels better to keep up on things as they arise rather than return to a slew of unanswered messages and unsolved problems.)

While every teacher certainly does not follow suit with the way I prepared my students for my absences, and rightly so, as each teacher has his/her own way of doing things that can still work out just as well, this system works out perfectly for me. My students have peace of mind and are able to be extremely productive while I’m away from the classroom, which allows me to enjoy my days off to the max. 

Jesus did this exact same thing in so many ways. He prepared us for His earthly absence, which we are still living with as we await His return. It started with Him telling His disciples that He wouldn’t be there with them forever. 

And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” -Luke 9:22

Even though the disciples didn’t necessarily fully understand what He was saying, He told them more than once about His coming death and resurrection. Can you imagine what it would have been like if He’d NEVER mentioned that?! They were with him day in and day out for months on end. How crazy would it have been for Him to just all of a sudden get arrested and sentenced to death—without them having any idea that it would happen!?! Jesus carefully and intentionally prepared His disciples for what was to come. 

He also did this in another practical way. Knowing that one day He would ascend into heaven and the disciples would be charged with fanning out to preach the gospel and start/build the early Christian church, Jesus even took the time to send them out on a practice mission. Matthew 10 provides a detailed account of when Jesus sent out his 12 disciples to do ministry on their own for the first time. Without Him! The gospels of Luke and Mark give a similar account with a little less detail. 

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. -Luke 9:1-2

If you check out these accounts in the Bible, you’ll see that when He sent them out, He gave them very specific instructions of what to do, what not to do, and how to interact with different kinds of people along the way. He told them what to take and what not to take along for the journey. He fully prepared them for the task at hand. 

But I most love thinking about how by sending them out on this “mini-mission,” Jesus was preparing them for the bigger missions they would embark on after His death, resurrection and ascension back in heaven. Imagine with me for a minute…

You are one of Jesus’ 12 disciples. You’ve been walking alongside him for about three years, observing Him, learning from Him, and listening to His teaching. You’ve seen Him preach about God’s kingdom, and you’ve seen him heal countless people. You’ve seen Him deal with huge crowds of people while still paying personal attention to individuals along the way. You were literally right by His side every step of the way! Then, you lived through His excruciating crucifixion. You survived in shock and fear for three days and then experienced joyful exuberance when He was resurrected from the dead. He was back!! And you were right by His side again, every single day. But then, after 40 days had passed, He gave some instructions about going into the world to preach and baptize, and then He started floating… Higher and higher, He ascended into the sky. You watched Him rise, and pretty soon He was out of sight! His physical presence gone forever, or so it seemed. 

Now, keep imagining with me… You’re replaying the words He just spoke to you, commanding you to go into the world to spread the good news about His kingdom. But you’re panicking! This is the first time you’ve ever been charged with an assignment and not had Him right nearby to supervise. He’s always been there to guide, direct and answer questions that have come up. Now you’re supposed to continue His ministry on your own!? Without Him!?! 

Okay, exit this imaginary scenario. The disciples surely would have been thrown for a loop when they watched Jesus ascend into heaven. But I’d like to think that after they realized He was physically gone, they took some time, maybe did some deep breathing exercises, and then remembered that they were ready for this. Maybe they thought back to different things Jesus had told them over the past few years. Surely they recalled the mini-mission He had sent them out on without Him. They’d done this before! They were prepared. 

These are just two small examples. The Bible is full of words from Jesus that prepare us—still today—for the future. Take a look for yourself, and I promise you will see. He has told us about the trouble we can expect as followers of Christ, the way He will carry us through those troubles, and so much more. We know that Jesus has already won the ultimate victory over sin and death through His resurrection. Therefore, we know that the difficulties we face here on earth are temporary. God has already won the war. 

And just as I always tell my students that they can email me with any questions that come up during my absence from the classroom, believers always have access to a special helper, the Holy Spirit. Shortly before His death, Jesus told His disciples all sorts of things, which we get the privilege of reading in John 14-17. Here’s one of my favorite things that He told them in preparation for His absence: 

“All this I have spoken while still with you. But 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. Peace 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.” -John 14:25-27

I can literally feel my heart swelling in my chest as I read those words. Jesus did not just up and disappear, and He certainly did not leave His disciples to fend for themselves after His return to heaven. He didn’t hang us out to dry, either. He told us everything we need to know, and He sent the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts and counsel us as we navigate life without His physical presence. 

God prepares you for every situation you will face as a believer. Dig deep into the pages of Scripture, and find His detailed and comprehensive guidelines that will speak to you intimately. Talk to Him in prayer, and ask the Holy Spirit to be your personal counselor who helps you discern God’s voice. And above all, worship God in deep gratitude! He did not have to prepare you with such tremendous thoroughness, but He did. The pre-absence information I provide to my students is a way of showing them my love, care and value for our relationship. God prepares us because He loves us. What a gift!