John 16:17-33
The Disciples' Grief Will Turn to Joy
17 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 I tell you the truth, 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. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
25 "Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."
29 Then Jesus' disciples said, "Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God."
31 "You believe at last!" Jesus answered. 32 "But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
The disciples are confused, anxious, and full of grief...Jesus tells them in a little while they will see Him no more and then they will see Him again...He tells the disciples that the world will rejoice, while they weep and mourn...The Disciples would experience a range of emotions in the next few days as Jesus would be arrested, treated like a criminal, hung from a cross, and die on that cross...And Jesus too would experience a range of emotions as He would anticipate His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, and be tried and convicted, flogged, and be hung from a cross...
The confused disciples, as they are listening to Him, can only conclude a tragedy is soon coming and they and there Master will be involved...Jesus explains the coming tragedy in terms they cannot understand... He does not come out and say, I will be crucified on a cross...Peter will deny Me...You will mourn over My death and be full of sorrow...I will return and you will then understand, and then you will be full of joy...But finally, He says that He is leaving this world and going back to the Father...
This gives them a better glimpse of Him leaving and going away...The disciples now with a little bit of understanding, and say you know all things...The disciples now know He understands their needs and their questions, in fact, they (or anyone) don't have to even ask Him questions, because He knows all things...They now know, after being with Him for three years, seem to believe that He has come from God...
Now Jesus mentions that they will be using His name as a Reconciler, a Mediator between the world and God (I will ask the Father on your behalf)...He makes it clear that this is not because God does not LOVE us...Jesus makes it clear that the Father LOVES us, because the disciples have faithfully followed Him and have loved Him...
Everything Jesus does, says, and acts on is for the Father...This in a sense is a revelation, of great importance...We as men and women and the disciples as well, view God, the Father as One Thing or in a limited way...Jesus knows Him very, very personally and views Him as everything...Everything, I repeat, everything we need is provided by the Father...Jesus' life completely revolves around this way of living...Anything He needs, or wants comes from the Father, whether it be His daily bread, monetary needs, or emotional needs...Man talks about trusting in the LORD, Jesus lived every second of His life practicing in this trust, and living for the Father...Good times or bad times the Father is there for Him (and us)... Jesus' life is completely focused on the Father...
All this grief and confusion of the disciples, is coming to Light...A ray of hope and joy would be sinking in among all their anxiety... Jesus knows all things...Jesus came from the Father...Jesus is LORD...They would see the Light...
The disciples learn and know we live in a troubled world (it is still troubled two thousand years later)...But Jesus overcame this world...No matter what the problems, no matter what the troubles, no matter what the sorrow, the world brings us, He is our hope...
Jesus overcame this world and is back now with the Father...And their grief would turn to joy, because of Him overcoming this world...The Disciples grief turning to joy would be because they would see Him after He died...Their grief would turn to joy because of His resurrection...