Your grief will be turned into joy.

“Your grief
will be turned into joy.”

JOH 16:16-22

We have now arrived at the conclusion of the farewell discourse: JOH 16:16-33.

Jesus basically picks up where He left off at the end of chapter 14.

JOH 14:28-31

Jesus talked about what was going to happen soon, in a matter of days.

He talked about going away from His disciples and then returning.

Here, Jesus emphasized that He was going to the Father.

He talks about the world in both passages.

In between, we have the unique discourse of JOH 15:1-16:15.

JOH 16:16-19

One phrase has them really stumped:
“in a little while”. There are two of them.

Something will happen that will cause them to no longer see Him. What is that?

After another event, they see Him again.
What event will that be?

The disciples added “because I go to the Father”.

Jesus puts that aside and deals first with the 2 “little whiles” by themselves.

He had told His disciples that this hour was coming;
now it’s here.

They are about to enter a time of intense sorrow and grief.

They need reassurance that the darkness will soon give way to the light.

We are now going to listen to the answer that Jesus gave to their question.

JOH 16:19-22

He doesn’t give them what they want;
He gives them
what they need!

Here’s what is about to befall you, and here’s how you deal with it.

For the joy that was set before Him, Jesus endured the cross. ( HEB 12:2 )

He is preparing them for His impending death (grief),

and a few days after that, His resurrection from the dead (joy!)

A woman in labor has pain for a little while.

When she sees her new-born child, that pain is turned into joy, joy that endures.

Their grief will be brief; their joy will never end.

Before the next day ends, Christ will be crucified and will die.

They won’t see Him, because He will be buried.

On the third day, Jesus will be resurrected from the dead by His Father.

Then the disciples will see Him again.
Then the joy begins.

JOH 20:19-21

In between the two little whiles, Jesus accomplishes the salvation of the world.

ROM 4:23-25

This is the gospel of our salvation.

1CO 15:1-8

God’s holiness was thereby vindicated. Sins were paid for.

God and sinners reconciled.
Believers declared righteous by God.