From Sorrow to Joy

John 16:16-33

There is an old saying: God works in mysterious ways.

Have you ever been confused about God’s will for your life, something you read in scripture, or about something God was allowing you to go through in life?

As you read through the gospels, it seems as though the disciples are completely confused about the things Jesus is doing and what He is trying to teach them.

They remind me of the three stooges who step all over each other and beat each other up, still somehow end up right where they are supposed to be in the end.

But, we can’t be to hard on the disciples we have to consider the context. Jesus was teaching them before the cross, before the resurrection and ascension, and before the Holy Spirit. (cell phone in 1926)

We are not much different than the disciples and Jesus is teaching them and us that our sorrow will be turned to joy when we see Him again.

John 16:16–33 KJV

A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Background and context

Who is speaking?

Who is He speaking to?

When is He speaking?

What is He saying?

Why is He saying it? The overall theme of this section that began back in the upper room is Jesus final word of instruction and preparation to the disciples.

Jesus is going to be leaving the world and He knows the effect this is going to have on the disciples. Throughout this time, He has been trying to comfort them.

For example John 14:1 ““Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” John 14:27 ““Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

He is preparing them for the overwhelming sorrow they are going to begin to experience in just the next few hours.

Their world is going to be turned upside down and their faith in Jesus as the Messiah is going to be challenged.

Notice what He tells them in John 16:32 ““Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; ( abandon Me)and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.”

So, Jesus is preparing them and trying to comfort them at the same time. We know on this side of the cross what the disciples didn’t know. We know about the crucifixion, but we also Know of the resurrection. We know about the ascension, but we also know about the Holy Spirit and His return.

Jesus is teaching them and us that our sorrow will be turned to joy when we see Him again.

I. Confusion Vs. 16-18

This is one of the most confusing passages of scripture in the New Testament. What we see is the disciples are confused about what Jesus is saying and we sit here two thousand years later and scholars are just as confused today. But I I think there is a good reason.

Loo at Vs. 16 “A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

That is a confusing statement!! The disciples didn’t understand it and we still don’t understand it. There are three different beliefs of what Jesus is talking about, and all three are legitimate.

But first, I want you to notice that Jesus knew they were not going to understand what He was saying. Vs. 19 tells us Jesus knew they were desiring to know what He was talking about. So, Jesus didn’t expect them to understand.

Not because what He was saying was not clear but because of when He was saying it. Remember, even though Jesus has told them everything that is getting ready to happen they were not prepared for it and He knew it. (cell phone 1926)

So, Jesus is feeding them information in advance they cannot even understand at the time to prepare them for what they are going to go through. I want you to know He does the same thing in our life.

Jesus knows what lies ahead of us, and He is teaching us in advance to help us navigate difficult and overwhelming circumstances we face. He says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, believe in God believe also in Me.”

Now, what is He talking about in Vs. 16 when He says, ““A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

There are three different takes: some scholars believe Jesus is talking about the crucifixion and resurrection. In a little while, a short while in this moment, they were not going to see Him, because He would be dead and buried, but they would see Him again when He rose from the dead.

Some believe that is what He is talking about, and that is legitimate because we know that happened. Jesus spent 40 days with the disciples when He rose again.

Other scholars say, He is talking about: when He ascends into heaven and the Holy Spirit comes. They would not see Him but through the Holy Spirit, they would see again by faith.

That is legitimate because He has been teaching them about the Holy Spirit coming and John 16:23 “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.”

We know today, we pray to the Father, in the name of the Son, through the power of the Holy Spirit, So, this legitimately could be what Jesus is telling them in Vs. 16.

The third view is that Jesus is talking about His return at the end of the age. They would not see Him because He would be in heaven and they would see Him again when He returns.

That is legitimate because in Vs. 28 He talks about “leaving this world again.”

I think James Montgomery Boice has the best view of this in His commentary. He says, Jesus is speaking in layers of meaning and left it open for interpretation on purpose, because He has all three of these things in mind and all three of these are true.

And really the point is whatever sorrow they were going to feel because of the absence of Christ in their life would be turned to joy when they see Him again.

(pause)

It is not important, but worth pointing out: that final phrase: “because I go to the Father,” in Vs. 16, Was not in the original text.

In other words Jesus didn’t say that. It was added later for clarity because the disciples said it in Vs. 17. But it has been dropped in Vs. 16 in the newer translations.

Another interesting fact of Vs. 16 is: Jesus uses two different words for “see.” He says “in a little while you will not see Me.” This is the word “theoreo,” which means to be a spectator.

It is where we get our word “theater” from. That makes sense because they were with Him and able to see Him physically, face to face.

The next time He uses the word, “and again, a little while, and ye shall see me.” is the word “isorao.” Which means to understand Me, or comprehend Me. In other words, they were going to see Him in a whole new way.

But I don’t think that helps us to understand the text any better because they were going to see Him in a whole new way whether it was, after the resurrection, through the Holy Spirit or when He returns. And it didn’t help the disciples understand Him any better!!

Look at Vs. 17-18, Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? Vs. 18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.

They don’t know what He is talking about. They added “because I go to the Father” in Vs. 17, only this time it is in the original text!!

But the point is: the disciples are confused, they don’t understand any of this, and there are times in our life when we are completely baffled by the things of God.

God doesn’t give us all the info upfront. He calls us to trust and obey Him and He tells us that will work out for what is best in your life. Rom. 8:28.

So, what we see is: this statement by Jesus created confusion in the disciples. They didn’t understand it in this moment but they had to trust Him, because they would understand completely when it happened.

Has there ever been a time in your life when you didn’t understand what God was doing? Something just didn’t make sense?

II. Comfort Vs. 19-22

Now notice the comfort because This is really what Jesus wants to do. He wants to comfort them in this moment. He only has so much time left with them and He wants to encourage them.

Look at Vs. 19-20, Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?” Vs. 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

Vs. 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

Vs. 22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

III. Change Vs. 23-28

Vs. 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

Vs. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Vs. 25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

Vs. 26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:

Vs. 27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. Vs. 28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

IV. Confidence Vs. 29-30

Vs. 29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.

Vs. 30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.

V. Correction Vs. 31-33

Vs. 31 Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?

Vs. 32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

Vs. 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.