So many times, in life, we face things that seem humanly unbearable. The loss of a child, a spouse, or a parent is unbearable for a time. Finally, the day comes when we adjust, but we never fully recover from the loss. Many have lost jobs and become homeless, others suffer from mental illness, and no one understands what they are going through. Life is full of sorrows where there seems to be no end, but there are sorrows that bring joy.
In John 16:16, Jesus is speaking to his disciples, and He is explaining to them that soon He will no longer be with them. It almost seems like some kind of riddle to them. They were looking at all He said through the physical lens of life, not the spiritual. He said, “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”
They questioned among themselves, but they could not understand. They kept trying to reason it out, but without finding any answers. Jesus knew what they were thinking and saying, and in verse 19, he asks them if they wanted to know what he meant. If you read through the text, he does not give them a satisfactory answer.
Joh 16:17-19 “So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’?”
He tells them there will be sorrow, weeping, and lamenting. The twist comes in his next statement. The world will rejoice, and their sorrow will turn to joy. I can only imagine what they must have been thinking. They knew the world hated Him, and it would not be a stretch to think they would rejoice at His absence. How could they be in deep sorrow one minute and rejoicing the next? None of what He was saying made any sense to them. All they could focus on was how hurtful they would feel if He were gone.
John 16:20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.
He then turns his analogy to a woman giving birth. It is extremely painful to give natural birth, and in this time period, that was how all babies were born. There were no nerve blocks or cesarean births. It was truly labor to have a baby. This was a sorrow turning to joy that the disciples could understand. I know from having my own children that when you see that sweet baby and hold them in your arms, you forget about how painful it was moments before. This is what Jesus is trying to get them to understand. He is trying to prepare them for his death and his accession. The time when He will send the Holy Spirit to dwell within them, but all they could focus on was not being able to see Him physically.
John 16:21-22 “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”
In the next verse, Jesus tells them that if they ask the Father in His name, they will receive it so that their joy will be full. While Jesus walked the earth with them, they were accustomed to asking Him what they needed and wanted to know. In their minds, they will no longer be able to lean on Him. If they had understood, they would have known that after He left, the Holy Spirit would be sent to dwell within each one of them. They would never be without Him again. No matter where they went or what the situation, He would be present with them. He would be their comforter.
John 16:23-24 “In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
Today, I wait for my joy to be complete. I have a wonderful life, a great family that loves the Lord, and many friends that I love. I have been blessed beyond measure, but nothing will complete my joy like seeing Jesus. That will be the ultimate joy. We live, love, and die. Usually, as we get closer to death, there is great sorrow and pain, but when that is over, we will stand before God. I long for that day, but until then, I look forward to the joy that awaits.
