These majestic and strange words are the proper close of our Lord's discourse, what follows being rather a reply to the disciples' exclamation. There is nothing absolutely new in them, but what is new is the completeness and the brevity with which they cover the whole ground of His being, work, and glory. They fall into two halves, each consisting of two clauses; the former half describing our Lord's _descent_, the latter His _ascent_. In each half the two clauses deal with the same fact, considered from the two opposite ends as it were--the point of departure and the point of arrival. 'I came forth _from_ the Father, and am come _into the world: again I _leave_ the world and go _to_ the Father.' But the first point of departure is the last point of arrival, and the end comes round to the beginning. Our Lord's earthly life is, as it were, a jewel enclosed within the flashing gold of His eternal dwelling with God. So I think we shall best apprehend the scope, and appropriate to ourselves the blessing and power of these words, if we deal with the four points to which they call our attention--the dwelling with the Father; the voluntary coming to the earth; the voluntary departure from the earth; and, once more, the dwelling with the Father. We must grasp them all if we would know the whole Christ and all that He is able to do and to be to us and to the world. So, then, I deal simply with these four points. I. Note then, first, the dwelling with the Father. If we adopt the most probable reading of the first clause of my text, it is even more forcible than in our version: 'I came forth _out of_ the Father.' Such an egress implies a being _in_ the Father in a sense ineffable for our words, and transcending our thoughts. It implies a far deeper and closer relation than even that of juxtaposition, companionship, or outward presence.