Sermon Tone Analysis

Sermon Text: John 16:16-24

This year in celebration of the arrival of Jesus to the world, we here at City Light have been dealing with some of the KEY THEMES that the church has for centuries connected with Jesus’ arrival.

We’ve talked about when Jesus arrived on earth, TRUE HOPE arrived.

We talked about when Jesus arrived on EARTH, TRUE PEACE arrived.

And last Sunday, Corey beautifully shared with us how JESUS’ arrival on EARTH, brought TRUE LOVE.

Tonight, on this very special evening, I would like to ponder for a moment how Jesus’ ARRIVAL on EARTH was also the ARRIVAL of TRUE Joy!

In this text Jesus is preparing his disciples for his approaching death and temporary departure and he makes this very interesting declaration…while you see me, you’ll have joy but when you do not see me, you will not have joy...

Why does he say this?

The ARRIVAL of JESUS is the ARRIVAL of JOY

Everyone that came in contact with Jesus came in contact with joy!

The angel appeared to these men whose possessions were small and insignificant, whose reputation was insignificant, whose living conditions were meager and said “I bring you a message that is filled with GREAT JOY!”

And what was that message?

Your bank account is about to increase significantly?

No

You’re about to gain more prominence and power than you ever dreamed?

No

Your living conditions are about to improve at a shockingly high measure?

No

What was the message?

A Savior Has Been Born - The only one who can save us from the Devil, Death, and an eternal hell has come down to Earth.

The one who is Christ the Lord has arrived.

The one who they prophesied would be called “God with us!” is now with us!

What was the source of their joy!

God is here

What is the source of our joy!

God has come!

We see it again in Matthew 2

The Arrival of Jesus is the Arrival of Joy

A group of wise men from the east saw a star appear leading them to the birthplace of this same savior, and they journeyed and made their way into Bethlehem.

After they made a pit stop at the palace of a tyrannical king, by the name of Herod, whose evil intentions they were unaware of, Scripture tells us that they again spotted the star that was leading them to the Savior.

Picking up in verse 9 of Matthew 2:

Why did they rejoice at the sight of the star?

Because the star was leading them to the Savior!

What was the source of their joy!

God is here

What is the source of our joy!

God has come!

We even see it in the interaction of two expecting mothers: Mary, mother of Jesus the Christ, and Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist

LEAPED FOR JOY!

What was the source of this unborn child’s joy!

The arrival of the unborn Christ!

Mary, Elizabeth, and the unborn John all had joy because God was arriving into the world!

What is the source of our joy!

God has come into the world!

The Arrival of Jesus is the Arrival of Joy

It then makes sense when Jesus says in John 16:19 that in a little while you will not see me that he follows it up, YOU WILL BE SORROWFUL.

If the Arrival of Jesus is the Arrival of Joy than it only makes sense that his death will bring great sorrow.

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...

Truly, Truly means this is for certain.

It’s as if Jesus is saying, “I can guarantee you this, when I die, your lives will be met with DEEP and ABIDING SORROW.”

Sorrow that is so deep and traumatic that it will lead to an outward expression of weeping and mourning...

This is what happens when DEATH shows up on our door step.

Many of you even this evening come to this service feeling that kind of sorrow because of losses you’ve experienced…

Many of us have lost family members, dear friends, and we’ve felt like we lost them too soon.

That sentiment has only rose in the last couple of years as we’ve suffered through this pandemic together.

But try to imagine, if when of those beloved family members or friends was the Savior of the world in which you had placed all of your hopes and dreams in...

The sorrow, the weeping and the mourning would be MAGNIFIED.

But not only will they experience DEEP and ABIDING sorrow, but they will experience it while the world rejoices...

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.

Again, here Jesus saying…I guarantee that you will be exceedingly sorrowful and I guarantee that the world will rejoice!

Why rejoice at the death of a SAVIOR???

Because we don’t believe that Savior to actually be the SAVIOR???

Because we believe we are sufficient to SAVE OURSELVES and are in no need of SAVING!

For too many of us, Jesus gets in the way of me being my own savior.

So a life without Christ is a life with JOY even if that JOY is only short-lived.

The death of God means that we can create a god of our own making...

Some of you in this room or some of you watching may consider your life that much better with Jesus not in it…a life free to pursue whatever I desire whenever I desire it…a life free of restraint and rules…

Some of you in this room or watching may be saying…if the Christmas child is truly dead, then that means I can live Christmas day and every day exactly the way that I want to live it and then…then I’ll have true joy...

Fam, that belief is as deceptive as COAL in a Christmas morning stocking.

That delusion may feel real to you right now, but it will be short-lived…because one day, could be today, tomorrow or twenty years from now, WE WILL ALL stand face to face with our maker.

We will ALL one day face the creator of all things and when we stand before him, our resume of imperfection won’t be sufficient to gain entry into His Kingdom.

The one who seeks to save his own life will lose his eternal life…This is as certain as the sorrow the disciples felt at Jesus’ death...

For those who sought to save themselves, Jesus’ momentary death brought a momentary joy...

However, for those who sought a Savior in Jesus, Jesus’ momentary death on a cross brought a momentary sorrow...

Which is why Jesus turns the tide of sorrow in verse 20 with 7 words

The RESURRECTION OF JESUS IS THE RESURRECTION OF 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.

Again, TRULY, TRULY!

Just as certain as the sorrow will come at his death and departure, the joy will come at his return!

To highlight this point, Jesus points to the often used metaphor of CHILD BIRTH...

It will come as no surprise to anyone that I’ve never actually had a child but I’ve watched a couple and I can tell you from my observation that there appears to be few things in the world more painful…few things in the world more excruciating and even less things in the world that turn so abruptly from excruciating pain to indescribable joy!

The pain is excruciating and then something greater than the pain OVERWHELMS HER.

The joy of the arrival of this baby into the world.

And Jesus follows the metaphor with VERSE 22

John 16:22 (ESV)

22 So also you have sorrow now <as I prepare to leave you>, but I will see you again <when I rise from the grave>, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

Jesus is saying something profound here to the disciples…

I GUARANTEE YOU that AT my DEATH you are going to experience UNDENIABLE pain

BUT I also guarantee THAT AT my RESURRECTION, you are going to experience a HEART LEVEL JOY that will OVERWHELM ANY OTHER SUFFERING THAT YOU EVER EXPERIENCE.

And that joy will never be able to be taken away from you!

Why?

Because I will be with you and in you and my good news that is filled with great joy will be fully realized!

This joy will always be with you because I WILL BE WITH YOU!

We see this all throughout the New Testament...