‘But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascending where he was before?” '
Aware of their murmuring and the danger of their falling into disbelief Jesus answered them by pointing to His resurrection. ‘Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending where he was before?' (John 6:62). Though His death must come, He told them, it would be followed by resurrection, and the receiving by Him of kingship and glory. He would be returning to the glory that was once His (John 17:5), ‘where He was before', with the certainty that those who were His would follow Him. In the words of Isaiah 53:10, after being bruised by the Lord, ‘He will see His seed, He will prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand'. Thus they need not be upset by His talk of death. Let them think on what He had said before about where He came from and where He was going (e.g. John 3:13). Let them recognise that His death would result not in tragedy but in victory. Death would be followed by resurrection.