Desires (2309)(thelo; see study of derivative thelema; see synonyms boule and boulomai) is a very common NT verb (208x) which primarily refers to exercising of one's will with the underlying sense of to be willing, to desire, to want or to wish (in Jn 15:7 in context of prayer). To apply oneself to something (or to will). Thelo "expresses not simply a desire, but a determined and constant exercise of the will." (W E Vine)
The reader should realize that thelo is one of those Greek words that is somewhat difficult to define with absolute consistency. For example, some sources state that thelo refers to a thoughtful, purposeful choice, not a mere whim or emotional desire, while Kenneth Wuest says thelo expresses "a desire that comes from one's emotions" and "boulomai a desire that comes from one's reason." (see more detailed discussion below). W E Vine says thelo "chiefly indicates the impulse of the will rather than the tendency (boulomai). The different shades of meaning must be determined by the teaching of the Scriptures generally or by the context."
In secular Greek use thelo as used by Homer spoke of “readiness,” “inclination,” and “desire," so that when one was ready for an event or inclined to undertake a course of action, thelo was the Greek word used. Plato used thelo of intention or desire. The Septuagint uses often refer to God’s will as revealed to His people (Dt 10:10, 23:5), who too often were not willing (thelo) to obey Him (Dt 1:26). One of the most beautiful uses in Isaiah where God declared
Isaiah 55:11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire (Lxx = thelo), and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
Thelo expresses not only desire, but executive will, active volition and purpose (1Cor 10:20). In 1Cor 7:7 Paul uses thelo to express personal desire without expressing the necessity of its imposition. In 1Cor 16:7 uses an absolute negative and thelo to express his desire, his determination in planning (determination presupposes desire).
In the Septuagint of Ps 115:3, 135:6 (= "pleases"), we see God's sovereignty reflected in the exercise of His will.
Thelo in John 7:17 expresses a vitally important truth for Jesus declares that "If anyone is willing (thelo - here the idea is a purposeful decision not a passive acquiescence) to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself." The principle is that to know the will of God, we must be willing to do the will of God. We don't really know the Bible unless we obey the Bible! We won't really know God's will unless we are willing to obey God's will. The first prerequisite to ascertaining God's leading in some matter, or the truth about some doctrinal question, is a genuine willingness to believe the truth and to follow God's will before they are made known, even if the answer goes against one's preference. As a corollary our HUNGER for the Word of God will be in direct proportion to our OBEDIENCE to the Word of God. In summary, the "first prerequisite to ascertaining God's leading in some matter, or the truth about some doctrinal question, is a genuine willingness to believe the truth and to follow God's will before they are made known, even if the answer goes against one's preference." (Henry Morris)
Thelo will still be expressed by men and women who have in this life said they were "not willing" to believe in Christ and thus they were thrown in the place of eternal torment (see Luke 16:26), where they will still possess wishes, desires and wants, which can no longer be satisfied or fulfilled! This to me is simply a horrible thought, but it is what Scripture teaches. May such a dire end prompt us, yea, even impel us to boldly, lovingly proclaim the Gospel to any and all who will listen!
NIDNTT - thelō frequently appears in the NT in a quite secular sense for general willing, desiring (e.g. Matt. 20:21; Matt. 26:17 par. Mk. 14:12), resolute willing (e.g. Matt. 25:15; Jn. 7:44), finding pleasure in, liking (e.g. Mk. 12:38 par. Lk. 20:46), claiming (2 Pet. 3:5)...1 (a) In the Pauline writings thelō and thelēma are frequently used to describe the will of God, and especially to describe the real source of the whole event of salvation in Christ.
Thelo is translated "to want or wish", this positive sense indicating a desire to see something done. Jesus said to the man "Do you wish to get well?" (Jn 5:6) Good question for all of us to ponder!
Thélo expresses a desire that comes from one’s emotions. It is an active decision of the will, thus implying volition and purpose. It is a conscious willing and denotes a more active resolution urging on to action and expresses a purpose or determination or decree, the execution of which is, or is believed to be, in the power of him who wills.
Desire (Webster) - to long or hope for, to express a wish for, to have a longing for. Desire stresses the strength of feeling and often implies strong intention or aim.
Want (Webster) - to have a strong desire for, to have an inclination to, to wish for.
Jerry Bridges says thelo is "the will that ultimately makes each individual choice of whether we will sin or obey (Ed: E.g., see Gal 5:17 which contrasts desires of flesh and Spirit, also Php 2:13 where God the Spirit gives us God honoring desire, cp 2Ti 3:12 - which also clearly is a desire supernaturally stimulated by the Holy Spirit, for our natural flesh reaction would be to gravitate toward that which is ungodly!). It is the will that chooses to yield to temptation or to say no. Our wills, then, ultimately determine our moral destiny, whether we will be holy or unholy in our character and conduct."
Praise God for these 2 uses of thelo...
1 Timothy 2:4 who desires all (all in Greek means all without exception) men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.
Thelo versus Boulomai (this is an attempt to separate the meaning of these two words, but be aware the distinctions are not always clear cut as discussed below) - Thelo meaning to wish or to desire embodies the element, emphasizing desire that leads to action. The related word boulomai conveys the idea of deliberate determination, which might be in accordance with the original wish or impulse, but might be contrary to it. Thelo is a stronger word than boulomai because the natural impulse (thelo) is frequently stronger than reasoned resolve (boulomai). Boulomai carries the tone of a preordained, divine decision, somewhat more deliberate than thelo (Lk 22:42). Zodhiates says that "Boulomai expresses a merely passive desire, propensity, willingness, while thelo expresses an active volition and purpose. Boulomai expresses also the inward predisposition and bent from which active volition proceeds; hence it is never used of evil people. Boulomai refers to the constitutional will, such as a congressman has, but the thelo to executive will also, such as a president possesses. (In 1Cor 12:18 which uses thelo) God planned each member of our body and then executed His plan by places them there....Thelo implies purpose or design, whereas boulomai denotes mere willingness or desire." Vine writes that boulomai means "to wish, to will deliberately, and expresses more strongly than thelo, the deliberate exercise of the will....(In another note Vine says thelo) signifies more especially the natural impulse or volition, and indicates a less formal or deliberate purpose than (boulomai)." Thayer says boulomai speaks of deliberation while thelo speaks of inclination. As an aside, it must be note that while most seem to see a different emphasis between thelo and boulomai, not all Greek authorities agree that there are distinct differences. Marvin Vincent for example says "As between thelo and boulomai the general distinction is that thelo expresses a determination or definite resolution of the will; while boule expresses an inclination, disposition, or wish. The two words are, however, often interchanged in NT when no distinction is emphasized. (Compare Mk. 15:15 and Lk. 23:20 Acts 27:43 and Mt. 27:17; Jn. 18:39 and Mt. 14:5; Mk 6:48 and Acts 19:30.) Php 2:13 thelo used of a definite purpose or determination." NIDNTT says "Human will or volition can be represented, on the one hand, as a mental act, directed towards a free choice. But, on the other hand, it can be motivated by desire pressing in from the unconscious. Both kinds of volition are rendered by the word-groups associated with boulomai and thelō. A clear terminological distinction between boulomai (originally volition as a mental act) and thelō (originally instinctive desire) is no longer possible after the very early overlap of the areas covered by the words and is excluded at the time of the NT by their largely synonymous usage." Boulomai is more likely to express God's will of decree, while thelo is more likely to refer to His will of desire. "This is precisely the distinction theologians often make between God's secret will and His revealed will. God desires many things that He does not decree. It was never God's desire that sin exist, yet the undeniable existence of sin proves that even sin fulfills His eternal purposes (Isa 46:10)--though in no sense is He the author of sin (James 1:13)." (John MacArthur).
So now if you are really confused over the distinction between thelo and boulomai, read A F Holmes discussion
The SEPTUAGINT employs the verbs boulomai and thelō somewhat interchangeably to cover wants, desires, decisions, purposes, and inclinations. In the NT thelō is used far more often than boulomai (the reverse of classic Greek usage). It has been argued that thelō denotes emotive action or unconscious DESIRE while boulomai stresses rational and conscious decisions. According to other scholars, such a use presupposes a dichotomy of emotion and reason that is alien to the Hebrew view of human nature (although it is precarious to draw a direct correspondence between lexical choices and theological and psychological concepts). It may be more descriptive of biblical usage to suggest that thelō is the broader and encompassing term, while boulomai indicates more specifically deliberate acts. Certainly this is the case with the noun boulē G1087 (e.g., Acts 27:12, 42; 1 Cor. 4:5), and thelō plainly denotes near-commands and natural inclinations whether or not conscious. The classic passage is in Ro. 7:15–21, where KJV translates thelō with the now archaic use of “would.” It becomes evident (1) that the two verbs have no clearly distinct meanings; (2) that they depict the human being as an agent with responsibility for his acts, rather than denoting a discrete faculty, “the will”; and (3) that it is accordingly the person who chooses or desires or refuses, rather than “the will.” (The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible)
NIDNTT on thelo in classical Greek usage - Originally and especially in Homer...means: (a) to be ready; to prefer, to be inclined; (b) to wish, to desire (e.g. “he desired to see”, Homer, Od. 11, 566; also in the sexual sense, Homer, Od. 3, 272); (c) to have in mind; (d) to will, both as determining and coming to a decision; and in particular (e) to will, in the sense of compelling, and overbearing the will.
Some theologians refer to the boulomai as God’s secret will and the thelo as His revealed will. In other words, God desires many things that He does not decree.
Thelo is used figuratively in John 3:8, in Jesus' description of the movement of the Holy Spirit in salvation comparing His regenerative work to "wind (that) blows where it wishes (thelo)."
When used with the negative thelo means to be unwilling or to refuse (Mt 1:19, 21:29, Lk 15:28, 18:13, 1Cor 12:1, Gal 1:7, 1Th 2:18). In Jn 5:40 Jesus says "you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life."
Friberg on Thelo - As exercising the will; (1) from a motive of desire wish, want, desire (Jn 15:7); (2) from a readiness or inclination, followed by an infinitive consent to, be ready to, be pleased to, wish to (Mt 1:19); (3) from resolve, decision, or design will, intend, purpose, aim, with a following infinitive either expressed or implied from the context (Rev 11:5); often used of God (1Ti 2:4), of Christ (Mk 3:13), and of the authoritative dealings of the apostles (1Th 4:13)
BDAG on Thelo (summarized) - (1) to have a desire for something, wish to have, desire, want (2) to have something in mind for oneself, of purpose, resolve, will, wish, want, be ready (3) to take pleasure in, like (Mk 12:38, Lk 20:46, Mt 27:43) (4) to have an opinion, maintain contrary to the true state of affairs (2Pe 3:5) (5) Thelo is used in the phrase "What does this mean?" (Acts 2:12, 17:20, Lk 15:26).
Thelo - 208x in 199v - Thelo is translated in NAS various ways (especially desire, want, will and wish)- delighting(1), delights(1), desire(14), desired(4), desires(4), desiring(2), intended(1), intending(1), like(3), maintain(1), mean(1), mean*(2), please(1), purposed(1), refused*(1), unwilling*(11), want(52), wanted(15), wanting(3), wants(8), will(5), willed(1), willing(15), wills(4), wish(24), wished(7), wishes(16), wishing(4), would(1).
Matthew 1:19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.
Matthew 2:18 "A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED (not willing) TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE."
Matthew 5:40 "If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.
42 "Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
Matthew 7:12 "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 8:2 And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." 3 Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Matthew 9:13 "But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Matthew 11:14 "And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.
Matthew 12:7 "But if you had known what this means, 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."
Matthew 13:28 "And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' The slaves said to him, 'Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?'
Matthew 14:5 Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded John as a prophet.
Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once.
32 And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, "I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way."
Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 17:4 Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands."
Matthew 18:23 "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.
30 "But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.
Matthew 19:17 And He said to him, "Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments."
21 Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
Matthew 20:14 'Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.
15 'Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?'
21 And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left."
26 "It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave;
32 And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
Matthew 21:29 "And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went.
Matthew 22:3 "And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come.
Matthew 23:4 "They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.
37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling (absolutely not willing).
Matthew 26:15 and said, "What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?" And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him.
17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?"
Matthew 26:39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will."
Matthew 27:15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted.
17 So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?"
21 But the governor said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas."
34 they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.
43 "HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'"
Mark 1:40 And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."
Mark 3:13 And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him.
Mark 6:19 Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so;
22 and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you."
25 Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."
26 And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her.
48 Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them.
Mark 7:24 Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice.
Mark 8:34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 35 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.
Mark 9:13 "But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him."
30 From there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know about it.
35 Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."
Mark 10:35 James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You." 36 And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
43 "But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.
51 And answering him, Jesus said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And the blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!"
Mark 12:38 In His teaching He was saying: "Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places,
Mark 14:7 "For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me.
12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?"
36 And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will."
Mark 15:9 Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?"
12 Answering again, Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?"
Luke 1:62 And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called.
Luke 4:6 And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
Luke 5:12 While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." 13 And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately the leprosy left him.
39 "And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, 'The old is good enough.'"
Luke 6:31 "Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.
Luke 8:20 And it was reported to Him, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You."
Luke 9:23 And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.
54 When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?"
Luke 10:24 for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them."
29 But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
Luke 12:49 "I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!
Luke 13:31 Just at that time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, "Go away, leave here, for Herod wants to kill You."
34 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!
Luke 14:28 "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?
Luke 15:28 "But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.
Luke 16:26 'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.'
Luke 18:4 "For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,
13 "But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!'
41 "What do you want Me to do for you?" And he said, "Lord, I want to regain my sight!"
Luke 19:14 "But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.'
27 "But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence."
Luke 20:46 "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets,
Luke 22:9 They said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare it?"
Luke 23:8 Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him.
20 Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again,
John 1:43 The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, "Follow Me."
John 3:8 "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, "Do you wish to get well?"
21 "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.
35 "He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.
40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
John 6:11 Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted.
21 So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
67 So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?"
John 7:1 After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.
17 "If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.
44 Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
John 9:27 He answered them, "I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?"
John 12:21 these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."
John 15:7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
Comment: What does it mean to abide in Jesus? Well, in this passage, clearly one way is to imbibe if you will, the Word of God (cp Jn 8:31-32), to let them be at home in your heart, to hear and obey the Word. Then you will ask wishes that are in accordance with His Word which abides in you. See an OT parallel in Ps 37:4.
Spurgeon commenting on Ps 37:4 says "Men who delight in God desire or ask for nothing but what will please God; hence it is safe to give them carte blanche. Their will is subdued to God's will, and now they may have what they will. Our innermost desires are here meant, not our casual wishes; there are many things which nature might desire which grace would never permit us to ask for; these deep, prayerful, asking desires are those to which the promise is made."
John 16:19 Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, "Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me'?
John 17:24 "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
Comment: Ponder this passage - it is no surprise we would want to be with Jesus, but that His desire is to be with us boggles (or at least should boggle) our mind!
John 21:18 "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go."
22 Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!"
23 Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?"
Acts 2:12 And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, "What does this mean?"
Acts 7:28 'YOU DO NOT MEAN TO KILL ME AS YOU KILLED THE EGYPTIAN YESTERDAY, DO YOU?'
39 "Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,
Acts 10:10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance;
Acts 14:13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.
Acts 16:3 Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
Acts 17:18 And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, "What would this idle babbler wish to say?" Others, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,"-- because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.
20 "For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean."
Acts 18:21 but taking leave of them and saying, "I will return to you again if God wills," he set sail from Ephesus.
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