Jubilate

Last Sunday is often called “Good Shepherd Sunday.” Perhaps we might call this Sunday, “A Little While” Sunday. “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father” (Jn 16:16). Seven times in the text, we find the words “a little while.” And like the disciples, we want to know, “What is this that Jesus says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is saying” (Jn 16:18).

Jesus speaks these words on the night He was betrayed, as He reclines with His disciples at the Last Supper. “A little while, and you will not see Me.” In the most immediate sense, Jesus is speaking of the Crucifixion. In a few hours’ time, He will be arrested. The disciples will abandon Him and flee. He will be tried, executed, and buried. “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.” Now Jesus speaks of the Resurrection. On the third day, He will rise from the dead. On Easter evening He will walk through closed doors, greeting His terrified disciples with the words, “Peace be with you.”

Jesus goes on: “Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy” (Jn 16:20). When the only righteous Man is taken away from the earth, the jeering crowd shouts in triumph. When they make His grave with the wicked, Satan and his minions howls with glee. While the church weeps at the triumph of evil, the world is celebrating. So it was on the day of the Crucifixion, and so it is today. The world rejoices at the death of Christ. It rejoices at the disappearance of virtue. It rejoices at the silencing of the truth. And the church mourns.

“Most assuredly,” Jesus promises, “You will weep and lament, while the world rejoices.” Jesus always keeps His promises. Even now, the world is gearing up once again for its month-long celebration of sodomy. It rejoices in its perversion and takes pride in abominations. Meanwhile, the Church mourns. Jesus told us this would happen, but He also says, it is only for a little while. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Psalm 30:5).

Consider the sorrow of Adam and Eve after the fall into sin. Satan rejoiced to have won the day, having plunged all of creation into darkness. Yes, Adam and Eve, you will weep and lament, and the world will rejoice, but only for a little while. Even as hell celebrated its moment of victory, the eternal plan of salvation was already in motion. After a little while, that is, four-thousand years later, in the fullness of time, the promised Savior was born. While all things were in quiet silence, and that night was in the midst of her swift course, Thine Almighty word, O Lord, leaped down from heaven out of Thy royal throne(Wisdom 18:14–15a). And the sorrow of Adam and all the patriarchs who lived in hope during that little while of waiting was turned to joy. Scriptures records that Abraham rejoiced to see the day of Christ. He saw it and was glad!

Now, once again, we are living in what Jesus calls “a little while.” “I am going to the Father,” He told His disciples, “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see me.” Compared to eternity, a thousand years is as a day. The time between the First and Second comings of our Lord is but a little while. The night seems long and dark, yes, but the day of the Lord is fast approaching. A little while, and we will see Him, and our sorrow will be turned to joy.

Notice that during this little while, while the Church awaits the return of her Bridegroom, Jesus does not promise to remove our sorrow. Sorrow is often the form that love is forced to take in our broken world, but it is the kernel of love. A woman who has no sorrow at the death of her husband did not love him. But the woman who does love him, would rather feel sorrow when separated than nothing at all. To be without sorrow during this little while where we do not see Jesus, is to be one with the world as it rejoices. But to have sorrow as we await our Lord’s return, and to mourn at the brokenness and wickedness of this world, is a mark of those who belong to Christ. And soon, that sorrow will be turned to joy.

Jesus uses the example of a woman in labor. “She has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a man has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you” (Jn 16:21–22). Just as a woman suffers from birth pangs only until the child is born, so we and all of creation groan and travail now, waiting for that final day—the resurrection of all flesh, and the glorious return of our Lord.

Jesus compares the suffering of a Christian to childbirth. Next to physical death, labor in childbirth is the most pronounced portrait of the curse, the terrible consequence of Adam’s sin. There should never have been pain associated with childbirth. What should have been the most joyous and glorious moment of life, where women are permitted to participate with God Almighty in the very act of Creation, is, because of our sin, painful, bloody, and dangerous. So is all Christian suffering in this world. It’s real. It’s dangerous. It’s painful. But, like childbirth, it has purpose. In spite of the brokenness of life in a sinful world, God uses suffering to accomplish His eternal purpose. He uses suffering for your good.

One final point: When does Jesus speak the words of our gospel text? When does He tell His disciples, “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (Jn 16:20)? He says these words on the night He was betrayed. And why is this important? Because this is the night that Jesus institutes His Holy Supper. He is giving us the food to help us endure the suffering of this world with hope and with faith. Even as he prepares for His own greatest suffering and death, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, provides His flock with the food we will need during the little while of our suffering. “A little while and you will see me,” Jesus says, and so we shall.

On Easter evening Jesus appeared to His disciples. He showed them His body, His hands and His side, and they rejoiced that they had seen the Lord. In a little while, a few moments, in fact, you also will see the Body of Christ held up before you. This is a promise kept. “You will see me and you will rejoice!” But this will not be end of all suffering, not yet. It is again another little while before that Final Day, but on this day the Lord Jesus gives His broken Body into your mouth as a foretaste of the glorious feast that is to come. And His Body and Blood will sustain you through all the perils and troubles of this life. Even though you will be sorrowful now, your sorrow will turn into joy, and no one will take your joy from you. Amen.