Jesus knew what would be the result of His words. He foresaw that His agony in Gethsemane, His betrayal and crucifixion, would be a most trying ordeal to His beloved disciples. If there had been no previous test, many who were driven by merely selfish motives would still have been with Jesus and the disciples. When their Lord was condemned, when the multitude who had hailed Him as their King hissed at Him and reviled Him, when the jeering crowd cried, “Crucify Him!”—these self-seeking ones, by renouncing their allegiance to Jesus, would have brought a bitter, heart-burdening sorrow on the disciples in addition to their grief and disappointment in seeing their dearest hopes dashed. The example of those who turned from Him might have carried others with them. But Jesus brought this crisis on while He could still strengthen the faith of His true followers by His personal presence. HH 179.7
Compassionate Redeemer! Knowing fully the doom that awaited Him, He tenderly smoothed the way for the disciples, preparing them for their greatest trial and strengthening them for the final test! HH 179.8