FWG 13 - Sorrow and Joy

Intro/Welcome

The Christmas is a Season of Hope — expectation and anticipation.

Some of you all are wonderful at decorating your houses inside and out.

We got our tree up and some partially working lights on the house

But I found myself the other moring putting on our tv a video of a christmas fireplace setting with nice music going.

It’s the image, the experience of joy, the lights, the presents— the warm feelings of Christmas

and so many joyful memories growing up.

It’s a sense of hope, of reprieve from the ‘troubles’ of this life.

The Promise of Christianity is that we can live with that kind of hope, joy, expectation and anticipation the other 364 days of the year.

The Christmas season will come and go, but the promise of Christ is that abiding love, joy and peace.

Series

That’s what this whole series has been about — Friendship with God — we’ve called it.

The idea of an ongoing, meaningful, intimate relationship with the Creator God

that he would condescent to be with us, to talk with us, to enjoy our company.

Just as our lives our fraught with troubles, anxieties, loss and grief — there is still a hope and joy around the idea of Christmas

the promise of family, of gifts, of good meals.

A Picture of the Last Day

In many ways it is a picture of the last day

Where the glory of the Lord will shine out and light up the city of the New Jerusalem as our christmas trees light up our living rooms.

When we will all freely gather around enjoying our gifts

enjoying the finest wines and best foods.

And at last, there will be no more sin, suffering or sickness

That is the Christian Hope.

Today

Today we are closing out John 16 and thus will finish the main teaching section of John 13-17.

Jesus ends his teaching with one of the most comforting and disturbing verses in the Bible.

John 16:33 (ESV)

33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

This is the promise of Jesus

joy, peace and love in the midst of tribluation and affliction

What is the source of that joy, peace and love?

Our relationship with Jesus Christ

Our Friendship with God.

How do we maintain that hope? That peace and joy when the Christmas season is over?

When life hits you hard.

Let’s look at Jesus last words of his last teaching together and see.

Bible

We will be in John 16:16-33 today.

Go there in your Bibles

Let me pray for us.

Pray

Isa 61:1-3.

Structure

I see two distinct breaks in our text today.

John 16:16-24 and John 16:25-33.

Let’s take them in turn.

Sorrow and Joy (vv 16-24)

I. Converse with Jesus

John 16:16–24 (ESV)

16 “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”

17 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’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.”

19 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’?

So Jesus is re-iterating again that somethign is about to happen.

His death and resurrection

Remember: We know the story, they did not

The do not understand what Jesus is saying.

They do not have categories that Jesus would die within 24 hours.

They could not comprehend that.

This is also true of us:

We often cannot comprehend what God is doing.

It’s confusing, even shocking

We fight against it.

We talk amongst ourselves.

Personal Story? — Testimony

Don’t you love how Jesus pursues them?

He says “ask me” let’s talk

Let me give you some clairty.

This is his invitation to his friends

Let’s have the conversation

That’s his invitation to you.

He essentially answers them:

You still may not get it, but in time it will all become clear.

Sorrow and Joy

John 16:20 (ESV)

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.

Jesus tells them the truth.

What is about to happen will be deeply distressing to you

You will weep, lemant, grieve, be sorrowful.

The World will rejoice b/c it thinks it has won.

But look what will happen — the GREAT REVERSAL

Their sorry will be turned/transformed into Joy

And one day the world’s rejoicing will be turned into great sorrow.

Then, b/c Jesus is a great teacher, he gives them an analogy.

Birth Pains and Joy

John 16:21 (ESV)

21 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.

We can understand this.

Certainly in their day, where there was no moder anesthetics.

Great pain in labor, contractions, pushing

Great Pain

But then the joy of a new baby! of New Life.

RESURRECTION

This will be akin to what they will experience over the next 4 days.

Jesus arrest in just a short while (thursday night)

Death friday afternoon

Resurrection on Sunday morning.

by Sunday morning, it will all begin to make sense. Look at what he says:

The ressurection of Jesus makes sense of a lot of things.

Summary

The first way to expereince joy in sorrow:

is to talk to Jesus about it — Prayer

Confession of the Confusion will lead to Comfort

II. Resurrection Redeems Suffering

John 16:22–23 (ESV)

22 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. 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me...

this is resurrection joy — a joy that no one can take.

What they could not have imagined

Seeing Jesus alive again after his brutal crucifixion.

In that day, things will begin to make sense

They will no longer need to ‘ask’ these kinds of questions.

The resurrection of the messiah makes sense of the death of the messiah.

But the beautiful thing about resurrection is it begins in this life.

Summary

The 2nd way to experience joy in sorrow is to believe the resurrection.

The Resurrection makes sense of our suffering b/c it means suffering doesn’t have the final say.

The labor pains were pointing to something — new life

It’s the same for us in Christ — our labor pains are pointing to something

new life — the glory to be revealed.

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

Resurrection redeems our suffering/sorrows.

1. Resurrection Begins Now

John 16:23–24 (ESV)

23 ...Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

“Amen, Amen”

A. Two Words for Ask

You don’t see this in english, but there are actually two different words here used for ask in greek.

erwtaw and aitew

often they are used interchangable, but I think there is a significance here to using two different words.

The FIRST generally means to ‘ask for information’ (erwtaw)

The SECOND generally means to ‘make a request, to ask for something’ (aitew)

aitew us always used when Jesus says “ask in my name” — it’s prayer — making requests.

Jesus is saying, in that day, when I’m resurrected

You won’t have to ask for more information on this topic

It will begin to m ake sense.

But he’s also saying more than that

He shifts to the implications of the ressurection for his disciples.

But also, b/c of the resurrection, you can now make your request — pray

ask “in my name”

Something has changed

What has changed?

We’ve been made alive in the resurrection with Christ.

We saw it back in John 14:19 where Jesus uses very similar language.

John 14:18–19 (ESV)

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

In the resurrection Jesus has changed the fundamental reality of those who believe in Him.

The partake of his death (death to sin)

And of his resurrection (new life, new power, new creation).

B/c of that

our prayer life is ignited

We can ask in Jesus’ name — b/c we are in Christ now

He underscores this coming change in reality:

John 16:24 (ESV)

24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Joy in the midst of sorrow comes from resurrected relationship with God

It comes through answered prayers.

So our joy, peace and expectancy in life, transcends this christmas season, b/c Jesus wasn’t just born as a human being taht we celebrate on Christmas

He was resurrected to make a new creation, which we celebreat on Easter.

So this is joy b/c of the First Resurrection — new life begins

Joy in the midst of sorrow comes from living that new life

Let’s look at John 16:25-33.

2. Reconciled Relationship

John 16:25–27 (ESV)

25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

What does this mean?

I think it means the coming of the Holy Spirit

As our hearts are made alive and illuminated by the Holy Spirit

We will be told plainly — clearly — boldly about the Father

In Christ the way to the Father is made clear. (John 14:6)

John 16:26–27 (ESV)

26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

In that day — in which day?

In the day the the Holy Spirit resides in our being

We have direct access to God the Father.

It is still through Christ and Christ is still interceding on our behalf

But we get a direct line to the Creator God

Holy Spirit is the phone

Jesus is the Phone line

God the Father is on the other end of the line.

Hebrews 4:16 (ESV)

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

This may not impress us

but that is only b/c we have so much

God comes to the oppressed

Think about the many millions of oppressed and poor all oer the world

The disciples/Israel in that day — under the yoke of Rome / Caesar

They now have direct access to the King of Kings

the One who has all power over every Caesar, Keiser, King and President.

God truly comes to the lowly, the downtrodden the oppresed

It’s amazing to really think about.

Summary

Resurrection begins now.

Everything about the resurrection is bringing the eternal into the now

The Future Kingdom into the present kingdom.

That comes from our participation in the Kingdom of God in our midst

We get to help bring the future Kingdom into the Present

Answered prayer — great joy!

Fullness of Jow

#3 way to bring joy into sorrow is participating in the future Kingdom of God now

III. Faith over Failures

John 16:28-33

28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

This is the Summary Statment for Jesus

29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30 Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.”

They did good rigth? True Statments

But Jesus says, even when you fail, have faith in me.

John 16:31–33 (ESV)

31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?

32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone.

Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.

33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Summary

When we Fail/falter — have faith in the overcomer.

Finally, we will not do this perfectly

We wil falter in our faith

We will give into lesser gods

We will let fear win.

But our joy is not rooted in our ability or perfection, but in His.

He has overcome

In that we have joy.

#4 way to bring sorrow into joy, is to rest in His finished work.

GOSPEL — JESUS OVERCAME OUR SIN

Adds

Eschatological picture of the birth pangs.

Matthew 24:7–8 ESV

7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

Romans 8:22 ESV

22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.