“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’? 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. 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.” (John 16:18–22, ESV)
It is no wonder that my mind was drawn to more than one way
that Jesus’ words in verses 16 and 17 would be true. As we read on today we see
that His disciples were unclear concerning this as well, questioning and saying
to themselves in verse 18, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not
know what he is talking about.” The difference is that they had not been there
yet and did not grasp what was ahead. As for us we have seen in Scripture what
Jesus was speaking about unfold and in that we can also see multiple facets to
it.
Of course, Jesus was not going to miss the opportunity to
answer their question. He had set the table for the question, and now that they
were prepared to take their first bite He fed them the answer they truly need
to have. Verse 19 records that He knew what they wanted to ask, and He specifically
asked them if this indeed was what they wanted to ask. Then in verse 20 He
began to tell them what they needed to hear in order to answer their questions.
But as He frequently did He did not get straight to the answer, but started
with a picture pointing to or preparing the way for the answer.
Beginning to respond He made the last of His “Truly, truly”
statements recorded for us by John that side of His death, burial, and resurrection.
He told them that their hearts were going to be truly broken, that they were
going weep and lament. They were going to be buried in sorrow, and all of this
while the world around them was rejoicing.
This is not quite how I would like to hear things. I don’t
know of anyone who wants to be told that something was going to get worse
before it gets better. I can’t fathom anyone rejoicing over being told that
something was going to happen that was so troubling that they would weep and
mourn over it. Imagine being told that while the world parties that you will be
left in sorrow and experience great heartbreak. This is contrary to all that we
hope for. But Jesus told them “Truly, truly” this was going to happen.
But He did not leave them there. He began to explain the
light on the other side by bringing them to something they knew and understood.
He compared what they were going to experience with child birth. We recently
found out that our fifth grandchild is on his/her way. I even saw an ultrasound
picture which we were told showed this precious little baby, who is just over
an inch long, waving in the womb. What incredible joy there is in life. Yet
anyone who has been through it or been there for it knows that with the birth
of children comes a season of intense pain. It is this picture that Jesus uses
in our passage for today to illustrate what was immediately ahead for His
disciples. He spoke of the pain and He also spoke of the resultant joy.
In Genesis 3:16 God told Eve, “To the woman he said, “I will
surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth
children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.””
(Genesis 3:16, ESV) After Adam and Eve had eaten from the tree which was
forbidden and sinned against God they faced God to face the consequence of
their sin. When they ate everything changed, and as God pronounced the
consequence of these actions He said that what was intended to bring about new
life and great joy now had to be preceded by a season of great or multiplied pain.
But even in the pain God did not remove the joy.
Life would still come, and in that there would be great joy
as the mother holds her newborn child. The amazing thing about the joy is that
if it weren’t there on the other side I imagine that man would have died off a
long time ago. But because of man’s rebellion the pain must come before the
joy. Similarly, Jesus told His disciples that the sorrow they were about to
endure would indeed melt away in that same way. Knowing the horrific things
that lie ahead and the great pain that they would endure, He let them know that
He would see them again and that their hearts would rejoice in such a way that
no one would be able to take that joy from them.
Life can be hard. Evil can even seem to prevail, and the
world might have its season of great rejoicing in having its own way.
Christians may (have been and are) be put down, stepped upon, legislated
against, fired or not hired in the first place, and lose public favor. They
would even be put in jail and even put to death as we see even today, while
others are rejoicing in their “liberty” and demanding their acceptance and
approval. But Jesus says this is not the end. He has already prevailed at the
cross and through His resurrection. In this we are to have great hope and know
His joy.
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