Sorrow into Joy

John 16:16-24

The late Scottish preacher Alexander Whyte once talked about our tendency “to hang very heavy weights on very thin wires” (source unknown). He meant that we hang our happiness on fragile things that easily and quickly can be taken from us. Many people hang the heavy weight of their happiness on their health, only to have that wire snapped by a bad report from the doctor. Or they hang the heavy weight of their security on their job, only to have it snapped by an economic downturn.

On what do you hang your happiness? Is it a strong enough wire to support your joy when the weight of sorrow pulls you down?

In John 13-16 Jesus is preparing the disciples for the overwhelming sorrow that they would experience in the next few hours as they watched Him be arrested, mocked, scourged, and crucified. Their world would come crashing down around them. They had put their hopes and staked their futures on their belief that Jesus was the promised Messiah who would sit upon David’s throne and restore Israel to her former glory. When Jesus chose them to be with Him they expected that He would soon establish His throne, reign in Jerusalem, destroy their enemies, bring salvation to Israel, and set up the kingdom of God.

But then Jesus began talking about dying. He had told them He would be betrayed, arrested, beaten, spit on, and crucified (Mark 10:33-34; Matt. 26:2). And He also told them He would rise again (Matt. 20:19). But all this was so against the grain of their deep-seated expectations, that they couldn’t receive it. In the last three chapters Jesus had told them repeatedly that He is leaving them and where He is going they cannot come now (John 13:33; 14:2-3, 12; 16:5, 7, 10). All of this has left them confused, troubled and full of sorrow. Jesus knows this about them and has been speaking words of encouragement full of precious promises to comfort them.

So in our text today, John 16:16-24, Jesus knows that the sorrow they feel now will get worse as they witness His arrest, trial, death and burial. But He seeks to comfort them by showing how their sorrow will be turned into joy.

16 “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.” 17 Then some of His disciples said among themselves, “What is this that He says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” 18 They said therefore, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is saying.”

19 Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’? 20 Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. 21 A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

23 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

This passage contains three kinds of words: in John 16:16-18, the disciples express words of confusion. In response in John 16:19-22, Jesus gives them words of comfort. And in John 16:23-24, Jesus reassures them with words of confidence.

1. Words of Confusion (John 16:16-18)

Jesus has just taught the disciples about the coming ministry of the Holy Spirit to them in guiding them to all truth (John 16:13). But for now the disciples are puzzled by the words of Jesus. After Jesus tells them (John 16:16), “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me,” you see their confusion in John 16:17-18 – Then some of His disciples said among themselves, “What is this that He says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” They said therefore, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is saying.”

The disciples are perplexed, both by the cryptic language Jesus used in John 16:16, and because of His saying “because I go to My Father and you see Me no more” back in John 16:10. We need to remember that these men could not believe that this would be their last night with Jesus. They still expected Jesus to lead a military revolution against the Romans. Just five days ago in John 12 Jesus had entered Jerusalem to shouts of “Hosanna”. The city was buzzing with expectation. Why in the world would Jesus leave now, even if just for “a little while”?

If the disciples were confused by the words of Jesus that night they are in good company. After studying these verses this week I found that they have caused confusion among Bible commentators as well. Some argue that the first “little while” refers to His ascension since He says “because I go to the Father.” And they interpret the second “little while” to refer to Christ’s second coming (Ryrie). Others understand the second “little while” to refer to the disciples “seeing” Jesus spiritually when He sent the Holy Spirit to them on the Day of Pentecost (MacArthur).

But it seems obvious to me from the context that the first “little while” refers to Jesus’ death, whereas the second “little while” refers to His resurrection and the events that would shortly follow it (His ascension and sending of the Holy Spirit). This is made clear in Jesus’:

2. Words of Comfort (John 16:19-22)

Notice that the disciple’s bewilderment does not surprise Jesus. Again John points out the omniscience of Jesus, the Son of God. John 16:19 tells us, “Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’?”

Jesus wants to clear up their confusion. So Jesus uses His formula of emphasis (Most assuredly, or verily, verily) in John 16:20, “Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.” Look at the kind of sorrow and pain Jesus predicts for the discples. Soon, they will “weep and lament,” while “the world will rejoice.” The term “weep” is often used in the Gospels for the mourning that occurs due to the death of someone (see Mark 5:39; Luke 7:13; 8:52). In John 11 we saw Mary weeping this way at the death of her brother Lazarus (John 11:31, 33). In Mark 16:10 it is used of the disciples weeping over the death of the Lord. The word “lament” in the New Testament is the wailing a funeral dirge (Matt. 11:17; Luke 23:27).

Jesus is telling His disciples that they will momentarily experience great sorrow over His death. And if that is not enough reason for sorrow, while they weep and lament, the world will rejoice. Those who have crucified Jesus will rub salt in their wounds. They will gloat over His death. It will seem like their hour of triumph. At last, they will be rid of Jesus, or so it appears.

But then Jesus gives them the good news (John 16:20, “…you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.” The disciples’ time of sorrow will be short. Jesus says their sorrow will be turned to what? JOY! What could possibly turn the deep sorrow of the disciples over Jesus’ death into joy? The resurrection!

We see this in John 20:19-20. These verses describe the first encounter of the disciples as a group with the risen Lord Jesus Christ:

Then, the same day at evening, being the first [day] of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. (John 20:19-20)

They rejoiced! Luke records that when Jesus showed them His hands and feet (Luke 24:40) they “did not believe for joy, and marveled,” (Luke 24:41). And after Jesus ascended into heaven (Luke 24:51) Luke records that “… they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.” (Luke 24:52). How great the joy of the disciples was when they learned that Jesus had been raised from the dead!

Notice that Jesus does not tell His disciples that their sorrow will be replaced by joy, but rather that their “sorrow will be turned into joy.” There is a very significant difference. The very thing that brought them sorrow would turn out for their joy.

Jesus illustrates this truth in John 16:21, “A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.” What a blessing it is for a woman to be able to bear a child … and, what a pain! What brings the pain? Having a baby. What brings the joy? Having a baby. The very thing that brings the sorrow also brings the joy. The joy in the birth of a child comes only through the sorrow of childbirth.

So it is with suffering and sorrow in the lives of our Lord’s disciples. There is a short time of sorrow, but the very thing that brought their greatest sorrow will become the source of their greatest joy. In the light of the death of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, the exaltation of Christ to the right hand of the Father in the ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit – the cross becomes the focal point of Christian joy.

Why do we speak so joyfully about the death of Christ? Why do we call that day Good Friday? Why do we cherish the old rugged cross? Why do we sing,

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

It is because what the world meant for evil God intended for our good. It is because at the cross Jesus took all our sin upon Himself as our substitute sacrifice. There He paid it all—the full wrath of God in judgment against sin.

The hymn by Mrs. Walter Taylor says,

Calvary covers it all,
My past with its sin and stain;
My guilt and despair
Jesus took on Him there,
And Calvary covers it all.

What could possibly turn the cross into such a glorious joy for us? The resurrection! Jesus says (John 16:22), “Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.” On the third day Jesus would rise from the dead, never to die again, triumphing over sin and death. They would see Him again. And their heart will rejoice. That joy no one could ever take away.

Again we sing,

Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o’er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

When Jesus was raised from the dead, they were overwhelmed with joy. That joy became a permanent joy when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit. It is the same joy that we have today even in the midst of our trials. Remember, in the context here Jesus has been promising the Holy Spirit who will be their comforter, their helper, their advocate, their teacher and guide. And because of the resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ it is the Holy Spirit in us that continually produces the fruit of joy in us:

[Acts 13:52] — And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

[Rom. 14:17] — for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

[Rom. 15:13] — Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

[Gal. 5:22] — But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

[1 Thess. 1:6] — And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,

That is why as James 1:2 says we can “count it all joy” when we “fall into various trials.” The very thing that brought us sorrow, through the work of the Holy Spirit in us becomes our joy.

Why does Jesus say that no one will take our joy? Why is this joy permanent? Because our joy is not dependent on our circumstances. Our joy is in the Risen Lord who has promised to be with us always to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20) and to never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5). Our joy is permanent because our salvation is permanent. The same Holy Spirit who caused us to be born again, who sanctifies us, who indwells us and who seals us until our final glorification—this same Holy Spirit who is God produces the fruit of joy in us.

Joy has nothing really to do with my physical circumstances. It has everything to do with my spiritual circumstances, which are unchanging and everlasting.

Paul describes it this way:

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward [man] is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen [are] temporary, but the things which are not seen [are] eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

That brings us to Jesus’

3. Words of Confidence (John 16:23-24)

Here Jesus describes the change in the relationship that the disciples will have with Jesus after His resurrection and ascension. During His earthly ministry the disciples asked a lot of Jesus. They had asked many questions and misunderstood many things Jesus told them that very night.

But after Jesus is raised from the dead He will clarify all His teachings both in person when He appears to them over the forty day period after His resurrection, and through the Holy Spirit whom He has promised will remind them of all things and guide them into all truth.

What they will do instead is go directly to the Father in the name of Jesus. They will ask in prayer in the name of Jesus. In the Bible, a name represents the person, so to ask something in Jesus name is to ask for something that is in complete keeping with all that Jesus is and all that He desires. It is to ask according to the will of God. Asking “in Jesus name” is not a magical formula because prayer is not magic. It is communicating with your creator, and because of Jesus, we can have confidence in His response to our communication.

Consider the inference of these words. Christian joy is not to be found in having everything you’ve ever wanted. Joy is not the lack of want, but rather in having needs so great that only God can fill them, and then in seeing Him provide for us in response to our prayers. The Father will give us what we have requested, so that we may experience great joy. In other words—words which we have heard before—joy is the result of abiding in Christ.

Isn’t this promise of our Lord’s presence, of answered prayers, and of permanent joy not only for the disciples that night but also for us who have believed in Him?

The 19th century Baptist preacher Octavius Winslow summed up all of this so well when he declared:

The religion of Christ is the religion of joy. Christ came to take away our sins, to roll off our curse, to unbind our chains, to open our prisonhouse, to cancel our debt; in a word, to give us the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Is not this joy? Where can we find a joy so real, so deep, so pure, so lasting? There is every element of joy – deep, ecstatic, satisfying, sanctifying joy – in the gospel of Christ. The believer in Jesus is essentially a happy man. The child of God is, from necessity, a joyful man. His sins are forgiven, his soul is justified, his person is adopted, his trials are blessings, his conflicts are victories, his death is immortality, his future is a heaven of inconceivable, unthought-of, untold, and endless blessedness. With such a God, such a Saviour, and such a hope, is he not, ought he not, to be a joyful man?

What about you? Do you have this joy? What in this world could be worth clinging to that you would give up the “joy unspeakable and full of glory” that is found in Jesus Christ?