Click for the JOHN 16:16-22 PODCAST
16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” 17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.” 19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. ~ John 16:16-22
In the previous section, John 16:5-15, the Lord Jesus told His disciples the Holy Spirit would lead them into all the truth about Him. In the same way, the Holy Spirit leads all believers to see the Lord Jesus. In today's text, we find out what we'll see when we get there.
It is no wonder that we find the disciples struggling with the fact the Lord Jesus is about to leave them and to go back to the Father in heaven. They're afraid to question Him concerning all of the ramifications of this because they're afraid of the answers.
The biggest questions we have in life revolve around our relationship with the Lord Jesus, questions such as, "Is He real?" "Is He really in my life?", "Can I trust Him?", "Will He leave me?" Like the disciples, we have buried such questions deeply, because we're afraid of the answers.
The Lord Jesus is preparing His disciples to experience Him when He is no longer with them physically. His response not only helped them follow Him, but it also helps us in our pursuit of Him.
Note the seven time repeated phrase, “a little while." Whatever sorrow we encounter in this world is temporary, and the joy that replaces it will be forever. This is the bottom line to our existence in this world. Permanent joy will follow temporary pain.
In v.16, we read, "I am going away and you will see me no more, a little while and you will see me no more?" The crucifixion and the resurrection both give the best context to all of life's experiences. The joy of the resurrection mixed with the marks of crucifixion introduces us to a different dimension of living. Our problem is that we do not understand these things. Our perspective and understanding is so myopic and narrow. However, God sees all. This is why we struggle with the revelation of the Scriptures which find it culmination in Him. He is the whole point of the Scriptures and this life for us. And, the Scriptures are not wrong. Our own limited understanding is the problem.
In v.20-22, the words "weep", "mourn", "grieve", "grief", "pain" and "anguish"" appear. Each time one of these words are used, it is contrasted with joy. The point? Not seeing the Lord Jesus causes sorrow; seeing the Lord Jesus causes joy.
In the economy of God, our faith informed grief expects a substantive outcome. Biblical theology prepares us to deal with the darkness while anticipating the coming of the light. The Lord Jesus was preparing His disciples to be apart from Him without knowing all the details of His absence. We know He’s coming back, the Scriptures promise such. But, like the disciples, we don’t have all of the details about His absence. And, instead of giving us more information about the temporary, God spends most of His time teaching the nature of biblical faith.
Temporarily, pain and sorrow temporarily wins. But, in the end, life wins by providing meaning through our pain. We don’t grieve without purpose and hope. Our sorrow is a temporary state. In v.20 we read, “Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.”
This is the last conversation the Lord Jesus will have with His disciples before His crucifixion and resurrection. He begins by describing their emotional experience of being without Him. Then, He tells them how their relationship with Him will change when He leaves.
In v.20, we read, "You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy." Our sorrow actually becomes the very thing that causes us joy. Our greatest pain, sorrow, or tragedy is where God wants to demonstrate Himself to us. He wants to transform those difficulties into sources of joy.
In v.21, the Lord Jesus uses an apt illustration. After the pain of childbirth comes the joy. When the baby is born we see that which caused the pain becomes that which cause the joy. This is the process we believers are engaged in. And, "in a little while" His disciples would no longer see Him with their eyes, however the Holy Spirit would enable them to see Him with their hearts. The same is true for us. Seeing with our hearts is the essence of this faith that He has imparted to our willing hearts.
