Mourning to Dancing
Notes
Transcript
If you’ve been with us for the past few several weeks you know that we’re working through an extended conversation recorded by John that Jesus had with his disciples. It all began following the Passover meal in chapter 13, and continued through chapters 14 and 15, and now 16. When one considers the amount of space that John gives to this conversation it is clear that this is central to John’s Gospel message.
One of the odd things about all of the Gospels is that they are all written after Jesus’ life on earth, His death, and resurrection. So each of the authors are writing from the perspective as if they don’t know what happens next.
For John, its perhaps doubly so as he is writing as much as 30 years after the other Gospels had been circulating.
In the latter half of chapter 15 which we covered last week, Jesus let his disciples know that the world would hate them because of him. That to live as a follower of Jesus is to live in a way that is in conflict with the world.
Yet it wasn’t all doom and gloom, we’re promised “the Helper”, the Holy Spirit to be with us in the midst of the struggle and to keep us from falling away.
And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;
concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
Then John speaks of Jesus foreshadowing His death and resurrection: John 16:16
“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”
The disciples immediately begin to ask questions, “What does he mean, ‘in a little while…’ We don’t know what he’s talking about.”
1. Puzzling Prediction of Pain
1. Puzzling Prediction of Pain
The disciples are confused.
Then comes one of John’s lessons which he highlights with that phrase, “Truly, truly, I say to you…” as we’ve learned that’s John’s cue for us to pay particular attention to Jesus’ lesson.
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.
2. Paradoxical Path to Joy
2. Paradoxical Path to Joy
Our sorrow will turn to joy.
Here Jesus uses a great illustration of a woman giving birth to a child. Comedians and sitcoms have used this change as a source of comedy for decades. From Bill Cosby and Carol Burnett to today’s comedians Jeff Gaffigan and Seth Meyers.
I remember a Murphy Brown episode where Candice Bergen as Murphy in the throes of labor grabs the father of her baby by the front of his shirt, pulls him in and screams, “You did this to me!”
Men, none of us will ever know what birthing a child is like. Bill Cosby used to tell the story of Carol Burnett describing it as pulling your lower lip up over your head.
All of us, though, can recognize the contrast between the pain of labor to the joy and love of holding a newborn in your arms for the first time.
What we miss that the disciples clearly understood is this.
The Gospel of John, Volume 2 Sorrow Turned to Joy (John 16:16–24)
The Jews believed that all time was divided into two ages—the present age and the age to come. The present age was wholly bad and wholly under condemnation; the age to come was the golden age of God. In between the two ages, preceding the coming of the Messiah, who would bring in the new age, there lay the day of the Lord; and the day of the Lord was to be a terrible day, when the world would be shattered into fragments before the golden age would dawn. The Jews were in the habit of calling that terrible between-time ‘the birth travail of the days of the Messiah’.
The day of the Lord was seen as something terrible:
Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.
Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,
a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations.
This tacks on to the message from chapter 15 - where the disciples are told they would be hated and persecuted. Jesus affirms there would be a time when it seems as if to be a Christian brings nothing but sorrow, and to be of the world brings nothing but joy.
But - yes, that word that contrasts everything that came before - the da will come when the roles are reversed.
Christians must always remember, when their faith costs them dear, that this is not the endof things and that sorrow will give way to joy.
Jesus says, John 16:22
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.
You have sorrow now?
I can imagine the disciples saying we’re not sad now?
Are we supposed to be?
We just celebrated the Passover together, but he did say something about suffering, and us deserting him, the world’s going to hate us, etcetera.
You can imagine their confusion. Their concern. They don’t know it yet but soon Jesus will be arrested, tried, and put to death.We know that, and it’s difficult for us to read without that knowledge.
John understood that even more as he was writing and recalling this extended conversation. He had been there!
Looking back he had to be able to see the paradoxical path to joy that takes you through the suffering, through the persecution, etc. as you seek to follow Jesus.
The Joy comes from Jesus.
Jesus says, “I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy from you.”
Two things to note: “No one will take your joy from you.”
In our closing verses Jesus tells us why:
In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
This is our …
3. Powerful Prayer for Joy
3. Powerful Prayer for Joy
Throughout Jesus ministry he has pointed us to His Father, the God of all Creation. He has told us that He does nothing and says nothing that the Father has not told Him to do and say. He has gone on to say that He and the Father are one.
Here we get another hint from John: PAY ATTENTION:
In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
What is Jesus saying?
This is a totally new relationship that you will have with God.
The Gospel of John, Volume 2 Sorrow Turned to Joy (John 16:16–24)
When we are fully with Christ, the time of questions will be gone and the time of answers will have come.
Earlier in this dialogue Jesus told the disciples, specifically Thomas, John 14:7
If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
That is what is changing for the disciples. Before there were the sacrifices, the priests, the barriers between God and His people.
Now, because they know Jesus, they know the Father. Because we know Jesus we know the father. John 16:23
Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
followed by v. 24, John 16:24
Until now you have nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
This is where it comes to completion - our joy is full, abundant, to the fullest. Matthew wrote: “Ask and it shall be given, Seek and you find, Knock and the door will be opened.” John writes, “Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
So what does this mean for us today?
It means we have direct access to the Father.
These last verses are why when we pray in the Christian church we pray, “In Jesus Name.”
Imagine what this really means. Way back in the garden, Adam and Eve spoke directly with God. You and I are now given that same privilege. Because we know Jesus we know the Father.
We have direct access.
Our words and God’s commands come directly to us through Jesus. We don’t need an intermediary. You don’t need a pastor to speak to God on your behalf.
A couple of years ago at the Men’s Conference at Capernwray Harbour the speaker was a pastor. He shared how often at the end of services people would come and ask him to pray for them. His response was unique. He said, I won’t pray for you, but I will pray with you.” He then would invite them to pray their concern and he would join them in that prayer.
We sometimes in the church seem to think there is a heirarchy to who can approach God and there isn’t. I recall one potluck our church was holding following worship. At the end of our service I was pulled aside by an individual that had some immediate pastoral concerns. I arrived at the potluck 45 minutes late. No one had eaten, no one had even been served. They were waiting for me to pray for the meal.
This is exactly what Jesus is teaching. You and I have immediate and direct access into the very throne room of God. You don’t need a priest to intercede for you. You don’t need a priest, or Bible teacher to pray your prayers for you. You can go directly to the Father.
That is the ultimate joy, we can go to God knowing that He hears us, and that whatever we ask in Jesus Name will be given to us.
This brings glory to Jesus and glory to God.
And it’s all about giving glory to God. AMEN.
