Jesus Will Change All Your Griefs to Complete Joy

5.22.22 [John 16:16-23] River of Life (6th Sunday of Easter)

The post-game press conference is standard, but still kind of strange. We’re used to hearing from coaches and players after competing at the highest levels, but that custom is still a little weird, isn’t it? It’s one thing to watch grown men and women compete at a kids game. For many of us, it’s entertainment. At least it is supposed to be just that.

But it’s a whole new level to listen to them talk about the game. It’s kind of strange that grown men and women elbow one another just for the chance to ask another adult what they were thinking during crucial moments of the kids’ game they play for a living. Sometimes, the questions are kind of silly. You just won the biggest game of your life, what are you going to do next? Sometimes, the questions are sophisticated, asking the player to break down the in’s and out’s of the big plays. Other times the questions are more serious, seeking insights into how the athlete faced great challenges and triumphed, or beat the odds. Reporters ask these kinds of questions because people are interested. They’re curious what these gifted competitors were thinking and feeling as they struggled to defeat their rivals.

Now, you may not care about sports. If you don’t, then I can’t imagine anything more tedious than a post-game press conference. Probably like how I’d feel about watching the After The Final Rose Bachelor Recap show. But the fact that post-game press conferences and After The Final Rose make it on the airwaves tells us that someone’s curious.

We are all naturally curious creatures. This morning I want you to imagine that you had a chance to ask Jesus one question after his greatest victory—during the 40 days between Easter & Ascension Day. After elbowing your way through the crowd, what would you ask him?

Now, if those post-game press conferences are any kind of template, our questions might fall into those three categories, too. If we could ask Jesus some questions, some of them might be kind of silly, others might be more sophisticated—asking questions about deep things of doctrine and theology. But I bet if you were only allowed to ask Jesus one question, it would be something pretty serious. Maybe even really sad. It might start with Why? or How come…? or What is the reason for…? Some of us would ask questions that were very personal. Something no one else would ever ask. Others of us would ask questions that many others were wondering about, too.

In John 16, Jesus is preparing his disciples for his suffering and death. He knew these events would grieve them. They’d have many questions. He wanted them to have (Jn. 16:23) clarity, (Jn. 16:24) joy, and (Jn. 16:33) peace. So he began by (Jn. 16:25) speaking figuratively. (Jn 16:16) In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.

It might sound like Jesus is talking about a game of hide and seek. But he tells us exactly what he means. He (Jn. 16:29) speaks clearly, without figures of speech. (Jn. 16:28) I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.

The events that Jesus was speaking of were Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and his Ascension into heaven. Everything in the lives of these disciples would change because of what was about to happen in the next 43 days. In the end, these events would bring all those who believe in Jesus clarity, joy, and peace. But not before we all experience grief, pain, and anguish.

It’s a testament to his divine nature that Jesus foresaw this. Jesus knew that he is about to leave his disciples. First, for a very short time. On Good Friday, so many savagely celebrated his crucifixion. Those who loved Jesus wept and mourned his death. And then on Easter Sunday morning, grieving women went to the tomb and came home rejoicing declaring: Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! (Jn. 16:20) Their grief turned to joy overnight. Certainly, Jesus had that first grief transformation in mind as he spoke to his disciples.

But it was more than that, too. There are three things that tip us off. For one, Jesus speaks about (Jn. 16:28) leaving this world and going back to the Father. That’s Ascension talk. Secondly, Jesus says: (Jn. 16:33) In this world you will have trouble, not just you have some troubles right now. Trouble in this world persists into the future. And finally, look at his analogy: (Jn. 16:21) a woman giving birth. This is about more than just emotional sadness. This is pain and anguish. Jesus is speaking of the pain, trouble, and anguish that would plague all those who believe in him (Jn. 16:33) in this world.

Jesus told his disciples these things to encourage them as they experienced grief and pain, trouble and anguish in this world. And we need this encouragement, too, don’t we? Especially as we wrestle with the questions that grieve, pain, and trouble our hearts and minds. And these words from Jesus are incredibly encouraging.

Jesus does not say to us: You have no reason to grieve.

He doesn’t say: You think what you’re going through is painful?!?!? Look at me on the cross. That’s real pain! That’s bitter anguish!

Nor does he say: I’ve got real troubles. Your problems are petty.

If anyone would have the right to dismiss our grief, downplay our pain, scoff at our anguish, and ignore our troubles it would be Jesus.

But he doesn’t!

Rather our Redeemer is remarkably kind & compassionate. He acknowledges your anguish. He comprehends your pain. He gets your grief. He doesn’t rebuke it. He doesn’t shame you for struggling. And you’re not alone in this pain and anguish either. God tells us (Rom. 8:22) that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth, right up to the present time. And not just creation, but all believers (Rom. 8:23) groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies, our salvation. We groan, we grieve, we are in anguish because life in this world is not the way that God desires it to be.

Life in this world is filled with sadness and losses, disorders, dysfunction, disappointments, and death. So many times in this life we are reminded of our weakness, our foolishness, and our sinfulness. Each of our lives are filled with many reasons to grieve. You can grieve. There are so many times when you should grieve. But you must never grieve like those (1 Th. 4:13) who have no hope.

Because you have the hope of an expectant mother. Our time for pain has come, but soon we will rejoice because we will see our Savior, the Son who was given to us in Bethlehem, who was given over to death in our place, who has given us life to the full. Because of this Son, we have hope. In Christ, we have (Jn. 16:23) clarity. In Jesus we are given (Jn. 16:24) joy that is complete and (Jn. 16:22) can never be taken away from us. In the Immanuel, the God who (Jn. 16:28) came into this world to (Jn. 16:33) overcome the world, we have peace.

Because we have seen in the life of Jesus how God responds to the grief and pain, anguish and troubles of this world. He does not stand off in the distance, muttering I told ya so’s. He doesn’t show up and tell us how to process grief or give us substances to numb the pain. Our Triune God is not like a heavenly hospice nurse who is just trying to make us comfortable despite our present anguish.

He is delivering us through the pain and the grief. So many of the things that anguish us, anguish him. So many of the things that trouble our souls, trouble the One who gave us life and breath. And God, in his divine wisdom and power, uses all these bad and sad things to bring us to be with him for eternity. God always delivers.

We’ve experienced that in our own lives, to some degree. God has used some really bad or sad things to expose the rack and ruin of everything and everyone in this world. But God always delivers and one day, he will change all our grief to total and eternal joy. This is our certain hope. One we share with the Apostle Paul.

When he wrote 2 Corinthians, he shared his anguish with them. (2 Cor 1:8-10) We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about our troubles… We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure…But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again.

The worst thing we can do when we are grieving is to rely on ourselves. When we try to muster up the strength to fight on by ourselves, we will eventually run out of steam. When we try to figure out the reason for everything that has happened to us, we will eventually throw up our hands in frustration. People that rely on themselves have no real hope, no lasting peace, and any joy they experience is easily and quickly taken away.

But not those who rely on (2 Cor. 1:3-4) the God of all comfort, the Father of all compassion, who comforts us in all our troubles.

(2 Cor. 4:8) Though we are hard-pressed on every side, by God’s grace we are not crushed. Though we are often perplexed, because we have God’s promises we are never in despair. (2 Cor. 4:9) Even when we are being persecuted because of what we believe, we know we have not been abandoned. Jesus has promised (Heb. 13:5) to never forsake us.

(2 Cor. 1:5) Our comfort abounds in Christ. He (Php 4:6) guards our hearts and minds with peace that passes all understanding. The joy we have in Jesus will one day cause us to forget all the anguish we have in this world. One day, we will see all these troubles as good. Just as we look at Jesus’ pain and anguish on the cross and call that day Good Friday. One day, we won’t ask anymore questions because we won’t have any more. Did you catch that? Jesus tells us when we see him again, we will rejoice, and no one will take away our joy. (Jn. 16:23) In that day, you will no longer ask me anything. Perplexity will be replaced with praise. We will no longer be dying to know anything, but we will (1 Cor. 13:12) know fully even as we are fully known by the God who changes all our grief to eternal joy. Amen.