John 13-17 is called the upper room discourse. This covers one night of Jesus’ discourse. Jesus has these final words to give to his close followers. This is the night before his arrest, crucifixion and trial. Jesus is telling them that he is leaving. He is going away from them. After his ascension, the way that Jesus is going to be with his disciples is going to change. Jesus is going to be with them through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God and the Holy Spirit is someone who comes alongside another person to help and to guide them. It is like someone helping an old person to cross the street. Jesus is saying there’s a new character (a character who as with me from eternity past, the Holy Spirit who was already there) is coming into the story. Jesus can be in one place in one time. He’s in the room with them twelve. They can all hear Him, but He, if the Jesus Movement is going to spread and if Jesus is going to become a personal reality and presence to every one of His followers, He has to go and He has to come and be with them in a different way than He has been up to this point.