Though Christianity has spread all over the world, not a soul can say that his eyes have actually beheld Jesus. It is a startling fact that, though Christianity has such a place on the earth, Jesus is concealed from the earth. Brothers and sisters, does the wonder of it not strike you? Do you believe in the Lord Jesus? You say, "Yes." Do you love the Lord Jesus? You say, "I do." The heathen may ask you, "Where did you meet Him?" And not only will they raise questions, you yourself will raise questions. I remember when, over twenty years ago, I used to wonder if I had been deceived. I loved Jesus intensely, I believed in Him heartily; but I had never seen Him. Had I perhaps come under the influence of men? How could I love someone I had never seen? How could I believe in someone my eyes had never beheld? I began to doubt.

But the astonishing thing was this—just as I was questioning, I fell on my knees and prayed, "O Lord Jesus, You are too good; You are too lovable; You are too trustworthy." And even while I was kneeling in prayer, this mind of mine was still saying, "Perhaps I've been deceived. Where is Jesus? Have you ever seen Him?" But, all the while my mind was questioning, my heart was saying, "O Lord Jesus, how I thank You! You died for me on the cross, and now You are in heaven as my Mediator, and Your Holy Spirit is within me." Just see those two streams of life—the outer man doubting, the inner man praying! Is it not surprising that often both of these experiences are simultaneous?

Now, why have I spent so much time elaborating this one point? So that God's children may see that in all His intercourse with us, in all His activity in our lives, His ways are in keeping with His disposition. Just as we, in our intercourse with our friends, inevitably act in accordance with our dispositions, so God, in all His relations with us, is true to His disposition. And what is His disposition? It is a disposition that hides itself. He is very active and yet very hidden; He is truly present and yet so concealed that you can be totally unconscious of His presence. If at any time you become aware of Him, He will change His activity and that awareness will go.

Our Lord Jesus had close intercourse with His disciples for three and a half years. Little by little He made Himself known to them until they began to realize that He was a man indwelt by God. How they appreciated Him then! They looked at Him, they touched Him, and one of them even reclined on His breast. Just as they really thought they possessed Him, however, He broke in with these startling words: "I go away"! They were all deeply distressed. Formerly they had not known Him; now they knew Him, now they appreciated Him, now they prized Him; and now—just as they thought they really had Him forever—He spoke of leaving them. How could He? But listen to what He said: "It is expedient for you that I go away." His disciples were more perplexed than ever. "Expedient for you that I go away"? Yes, "expedient...for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you." Who is He? "He" is still "I." "I am going away and I am coming to you." "I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you" (John 14:18, 28; 16:5-16).