As a young Christian reading through the Bible for the first time, I found myself stuck on one particular verse in John 16. Jesus told His disciples, “It is to your advantage that I go away.” Every time I read those words, I would pause and think, “Lord, I believe you, but how? How could your leaving possibly be better for us?”

This question becomes even more perplexing when we understand what Jesus was actually saying. He wasn’t promising His followers an easier life after His departure. Instead, He was preparing them for persecution, hatred, and even death—all while claiming this would somehow be to their advantage.
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