John 16: 16 - 24
16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little, while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come, but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
This is a passage where Christ promises that your sorrows
will be turned to joy. He started speaking directly about his coming death and
departure. This is one of that discourse.
Your sorrow will be turned to Joy
V19,20: Christ says that initially, there will be sorrow
but that sorrow will be turned to joy.
The death of Christ was not meant to be ended as a disaster
or sorrowful event. But it was leading to immeasurable joy.
V21, 22: This verse talks about how joyful they will become. We may tend to
take this as the second coming of Jesus Christ. It’s true that we reach the
climax of joy at the second coming of Christ but primarily, seeing the
resurrected Christ is the joy that the writer is mentioning. At the death of
Jesus Christ, the world rejoiced and disciples cried but it lasted only for 3
days. Within that time their sorrows turned into immeasurable joy. The risen
Christ was the source of their joy.
The situation outside was not favorable to the disciples,
but as Paul states 2 Co 6:10 “sorrowful
yet rejoicing”. The world’s joy is
temporary but Christ gives his believers eternal joy through his death and
resurrection. One of the commandments in the Bible is to rejoice or be joyful.
Being joyful is the natural state of a Christian. However, we don’t always
experience that joy.
The reason behind their joy
Knowing the meaning
of the cross was the reason for their joy. That cross gave them forgiveness
of their sins and the power to forgive others' sins. They realized that their
life is eternal. Is the cross of Christ the source of our real joy? It's
possible that when we live in this world we can put our joy in the things of
the world but that’s temporary. It can never satisfy us. Our possessions,
career growth, friends cannot give this joy.
Seeing the resurrected
Christ gave them the realization that they were not following a human guru
but they were following a person who had command over death and life. When we
partake from this table it’s a reaffirmation of that fact. We should realize
how much we are forgiven and the one whom we remember at this moment is not
just a man but the one whose name is above all names. His divinity was attested by his resurrection. Seeing the resurrected Christ was the only solid evidence for the disciples that they were following a God all these years.
Acts 5:41
v22: Joy that none can take away
The specialty of the joy that Christ gives is none can take
away that joy. They gathered every day; they broke bread, feasted every day. The
persecutions during their time could not stop their joy. Wherever they were
scattered they preached about Christ. Meeting together, spending time together,
sharing the gospel, suffering persecutions were joyful occasions.
Conclusion
Let us realize the depth and
meaning of the cross. Let us once again reaffirm our minds that we are
following the one who is risen and who has power over death and life.
Perhaps we may say that if we would have seen that risen
Christ, we would also be like that. Peter writes to certain believers who are
suffering in 1 Pet 1:8,9. Loving him, believing in him is the source of
inexpressible joy.
May this help us to have that joy in us always. Let us not
be joyful in the things of the world or what the world gives. As John Piper states “God is most glorified
in us when we are most satisfied in Him”.
