Sermon Tone Analysis

Joy, Peace, and Victory

This morning we are going to wrap up Jesus’ final discourse to his disciples before he goes to be crucified.

Throughout the last several weeks we have looked at how Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure.

In these last few verses, Jesus is really going to focus on the joy and the peace that the disciples have.

He reassures them that the joy and peace is found in him and him alone.

That doesn’t mean that there isn’t any pain, sorrow, stress, anxiety, trouble, or brokenness in the world.

In fact, we know that all those things are a reality in the brokenness of the world.

We know that things aren’t as they should be.

But when we belong to Jesus we know that there is joy and peace found in him and in him alone.

Here’s the truth that has been known and revealed to many people over the ages.

Jesus changes everything.

A relationship with Jesus can change our outlook.

It reshapes our perspective.

It refocuses our attention.

When we encounter and believe in Jesus we are transformed.

And this morning we are going to look at Jesus telling us just that.

This morning we are going to see that Jesus turns sorrow into joy and turns trouble into peace.

This a great promise of Following Jesus.

Even when things are chaotic, Jesus is Lord.

In verse 16-28, we are going to look at Jesus turning Sorrow into Joy and in 29-33 we are going to see Jesus turning trouble into peace.

Let’s Pray.

Sorrow to Joy

As far as, enigmatic sayings this one takes the cake.

In fact, some people, way smarter than me, can’t agree on what Jesus means by this.

They all agree that the first “you will no longer see me” is talking about Jesus’ death.

His crucifixion.

But it’s the little while and you will see me part where there is disagreement.

Some Believe that this refers to the Second coming of Jesus after his ascension.

Some Believe this is Jesus talking about the giving of the HS.

However, the option that makes the most sense when looking at the context of this verse is Resurrection.

I believe that the little while when they will see Jesus is on Sunday after his crucifixion.

Though b/c John usually speaks on multiple levels in his writing he could be alluding to two or even all three of these options.

Regardless of what he means and how we can understand it, we do know that it caused some confusion with the disciples.

Sorrow to Joy

Needless to say, the disciples are still a little confused by Jesus’ teaching.

Yet not one of them says anything to him.

They aren’t willing to broach the subject with Jesus.

Rather than going to the source to find the answer, they talk amongst themselves and speculate.

I remember when I was in school, especially High School Algebra, when the teacher would say something, rather than asking them directly we would huddle together and try to figure it out on our own.

We were all confused.

None of us knew how to get the answer, but we believed that if we put our heads together than we could figure it out.

Yet the best way to get to the right answer was to reach out to the teacher and ask for clarification.

The teacher didn’t know we were struggling until the test or unless someone said something.

But for whatever reason we were to proud or ignorant to ask the questions.

But Jesus is different than the High School Algebra teacher.

He knows exactly what they are struggling with.

He knows exactly where their hearts are.

He knows exactly what they wanted to ask him.

Sorrow to Joy

Jesus knows about their confusion, but in an act of mercy and grace he doesn’t answer the question in their hearts.

Rather he answers the unsteadiness in their soul.

They think they want the information, but what they need is much deeper.

He identifies their pain.

He identifies their sorrow.

He tells them flat out that they are going to “weep and mourn” as the world, those opposed to Jesus celebrate and rejoice.

The phrase weep and mourn is used to convey the deep hurt and pain that they are going to face at Jesus’ departure.

These words are only ever used in connection with death.

Jesus doesn’t want us to overlook the pain, heartache, and loss that is a reality in this world.

Whether it be sickness or death.

Betrayal or abandonment.

No matter the source of the pain, the pain is real.

But as followers of Jesus we have a never ending fount of joy that we can rush to.

The disciples are going to feel the sting of loss.

They are going to weep and mourn the death of their friend, teacher, and savior.

But Jesus promises them that their sorrow is going to turn to joy.

The heartache is going to turn to rejoicing.

While the world around them is joyful and the death of Jesus they will mourn, but when they see Jesus face to face they will rejoice.

When it comes to sorrow and trouble we need to have look past the reality of what is happening right now and have an eternal vision of what will happen.

This is the picture that Jesus paints when he talks about the woman in labor.

There is pain, but on the other side there is joy.

I was there for all three births of our kids.

And it always surprised me how quickly Corrie got over the pain of the delivery.

The epidural didn’t work with Levi, and so with the other 2 Corrie had an all natural birth.

And all the screaming, crying, and choice words were wiped away when the cry of the baby was heard.

When Corrie held Levi, Declan, and Eden, the cares of the birth Pangs were drowned out by the joy of life held in her hands.

The joy found in the fountain of the gospel is where we should run when we are sorrowful.

The gospel is our joy.

The love of God on display for all creation in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is our source of Joy.

The creator of the universe loving us is the source of our joy.

So when we are feeling sorrow, pain, hurt, heartache, abandonment, whatever it may be we have to always run back to the fount of the gospel.

It’s when we lose that perspective and we focus on our circumstances that sorrow and pain overtake us.

Jesus promised that through his resurrection there would be joy in the pain.

But we cannot have an earthly perspective for this to be our reality.

We need an eternal one.

We need to know and believe that what happens here on this earth is not all that is.

It is not all that exists.

That there is something greater outside this pain.

And the only way we can get there is if we keep running back to the truth of the gospel.

Listen to some of the Apostles outlooks on the trials that they endured.

1 Peter 1:6-7 “6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Romans 8:18 “18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.”

2 Cor 4:16-18 “16 Therefore we do not give up.

Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.

17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.

18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen.

For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Having this eternal perspective helps us to see that this life is the worst our lives will ever be.

That on the other side for all eternity we will get to celebrate, rejoice, and love Jesus with all that is within us.

In Fact, this is shown in the disciples lives at the end of John.

John 20.20 “20 Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side.