Fourth Sunday of Easter (2025)

John 16:16-22

Mother’s Day Theme

Grace, Mercy, and Peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ this morning we have a fitting reading in our Gospel lesson where Christ compares the coming struggle of the disciples with the struggle and pain of childbirth that is transformed into joy that a baby has been delivered and forgets her anguish in that moment. Jesus speaks to the disciples about this.

The Gift of Mothers

We are all born of woman.

God first created Adam and then from Adam’s side formed Eve, and God established a wonderful role for both man and woman, as man and woman are united to bring forth life into the world and established the family unit by granting children to them. So

God created this bond.

That is unique throughout the world. That mankind is born of woman and for that we ought to give thanks and honor to our moms as the commandment lays out for it is through their support and care that we are blessed. For it also tells us that we don’

We don’t exist on our own.

It is still not good for us to be alone in the world as much as people might try to withdraw. We cannot deny that from the very beginning we have depended upon someone for our safety, and our well-being and that this is how God has connected us with others. Since this is one of the fundamental human relationships we have, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Jesus makes use of it to teach. But all of us owe a debt to our mothers, and on this day, we should give thanks to God as children remember to honor, serve and obey, love and cherish them for all that they have done for our sakes. For whoever rejects or dishonors their mothers sins against God.

Sorrow Turning to Joy

Because of sin, pain in child birth increased.

It increased greatly and this was part of the curse that came with the fall. I had one lady in pastor’s class years start reading through this, and when she got to that in Chapter 3 said she called her mom and asked if she knew that’s why childbirth was so painful! What happens after all that pain?

What follows is joy!

For there is your child, the union of man and woman born into this world, as your mom cared for you for 9 months before you were even born. What a show of love, and care of how we are to watch over each person especially the most vulnerable.

God blesses mankind through this.

Families have served as the foundation for societies all around the world, and whenever we abandon or forget this wonderful gift, tragedy and sorrow follows before too long. That is why this serves beautifully to teach the Disciples about what is coming to them shortly.

The Disciples’ Sorrow

This speaks of Jesus’ death.

With it will come sorrow, the Disciples really weren’t prepared at all for what was to come. They knew that Jesus was the messiah, the Christ, the Savior, but in their thoughts they had no idea of what Jesus had to endure to bring about the Kingdom of God and their salvation. So he compares it to a mother bearing her child.

It’s fitting as Jesus suffers for our sin.

For the pain in Childbirth was the result of Sin, and what Christ does Christ bear for us? Our sins, and our pains, and our sorrows that is not easy, and even though in the garden there was joy about the kingdom of God with sin came suffering and so to bring suffering to an end, that we too might be born again of water and the spirit, Christ had to suffer, but

In the resurrection, they rejoice.

For here is the son of man and he has come through death to victory for the sake of all mankind. For here is the new man and it is to this that we have been tied in our new birth of Holy Baptism, that we are united not only to the sorrow, but also the joy of the Resurrection and the hope of eternal life.

Enduring Joy for Christians

Being a mother comes with concerns.

Why is it that our moms could flip from rage at our foolishness to just being thankful we were alive, to then threatening to end us if we did it again! They love us and care about us deeply and they could lose that joy and that hope. For the life that they gave us is temporary, but that is why they also connect us with Jesus, for

Christ’s victory is tied to His life.

Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed Alleluia. For as long as Christ lives the grave has been overcome. So even if they cannot keep us safe, they know that Jesus will. For the day comes when we as children have to say goodbye to our mothers, but we can be comforted by the truth taught by our spiritual mother, the church, that

Jesus still reigns.

Even though we may have laid our moms to rest, those who died in the faith will be raised to eternal life, and we will get to see them again. That is a joy that carries us through even through the hardest of times and gives to us

A Joyful Faith

Christ won for you.

We are more than conquerors through him who loved us and we can share this with others. He is our champion who bore our sins and our sorrows that He might be the new Adam through which we would be saved. In this life,

There will be sadness and tears.

We will not be free from that, but don’t give up because there is trouble in this life. Many people get discouraged and see all of these things and throw their hands up saying that life should only be pleasant and perfect and without problems, but the Bible is clear

We don’t expect heaven on earth.

Many try to bring heaven down and assume that it is possible to have perfection here, not realizing that God works through death and resurrection. But that’s ok, because all the sorrows of this world will pass away and be replaced by the enduring joy found in Christ’s victory, and

This is our hope.

May we share this hope with our neighbors, especially on this day with those whose moms are gone, and that those who die in the faith will continue to live eternally.

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we have a great gift in our mothers, and Christ uses their office to teach the Disciples about what comes with his death and resurrection, New life. To Mothers be diligent in making sure your children hear the Word of God and receive the gifts of God in the Sacraments don’t just love them in this life, point them and connect them to that eternal life that Christ won on Calvary so that you might be together around the throne of God for all eternity. In Jesus name. Amen.