John’s Gospel portrays an elusive Jesus, who evades capture, sidesteps questions, and communicates enigmatically. This aspect of Jesus’ characterization has been explained in terms of mythological language (Bultmann), sectarian insider language (Meeks), Johannine belief (Hamid-Khani) or ancient rhetorical techniques (Williams). However, this paper situates this feature of the Gospel in the context of Jesus’ final act of elusion: the departure from the world. Drawing on Hartmut Rosa’s model of “uncontrollability,” this paper argues that the elusiveness of Jesus enhances his desirability, and as such is a means by which he “draws all people to himself,” even in a secular age.