Easter 4 - Jubilate
John 16:16-22
v.16 A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.
Alleluia! Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Dear friends in Christ, our text is taken from St. John's account of the night of Jesus' betrayal into the hands of sinners. It is the eve of His great suffering and death. The disciples of Jesus are still riding the Holy Week high: the adulation of the crowds on Palm Sunday; Jesus' verbal thrashing of the Pharisees and Sadducees on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (not to mention the whip-wielding cleansing of the temple); their hearts were filled with contentment and joy--but it would not last, Jesus says.
"A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me…you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy." What are you talking about Jesus? Where are you going? How are you going to the Father, Jesus? We don't understand what you are saying, the disciples speak to each other with confusion and disappointment. Why would Jesus go somewhere and not take them with Him? Why would He ever leave them? It makes no sense.
Jesus, of course, is speaking to them about what is coming shortly. He will be betrayed by one of their own, Judas Iscariot; Jesus will be arrested, beaten, put on trial, and sentenced to death--in only a matter of hours. All that they had worked for. All that they thought they had accomplished--all the glory and honour they had gained among the people--would be gone--in a moment--their joy would turn to sorrow as Christ would be nailed to a tree and die in suffering and humiliation. The disciples would scatter--flee for their lives--and abandon their Lord and Master. They would see Him die--and they would fear for their lives as well.
But Jesus tells them this time of sorrow--this time of fear--this time of weeping and anguish at His death--would only last but for a little while. He likens the time of their sorrow to a woman giving birth. Most women experience great pain and anguish during childbirth--even with modern drugs and technology--childbirth is still an anxious time--the pain is particular to the curse that Eve received in the Garden of Eden after disobeying God's command. And it persists to this day.
However, Jesus is clear that just as the pain of childbearing is soon over (relatively speaking, of course!), and the woman's heart is given over to joy that she has brought forth a human being into the world--just so it will be with the disciples. Have you ever witnessed the birth of a child, either in person or on TV? It is a most miraculous event. Throughout, a woman may be in great pain and agony, but at the delivery of her child, almost instantaneously, her sorrow is turned into joy as her baby is placed upon her breast. The pain. The agony. The anxiety and fear--is replaced with a sense of euphoria and joy at the birth of her child. Tears of happiness and joy stream from eyes that moments before were clouded with pain and tribulation. Her heart is changed as her baby is brought forth. An amazing event, indeed!
Just so, Jesus says, it will be for the disciples. Their sorrow. Their anguish and suffering and pain (the result of their sin and that of others)--will only be for a little while. It, too, will come to an end, and it will be replaced with insurmountable joy. For the Lord Jesus will not long remain dead in the tomb. Indeed, He will burst forth from the grave into new and everlasting life--and His resurrection will bring about immediate joy to His disciples. Their sorrow will turn to joy. And that joy will have no end.
And yet this promise is not just for the disciples, dear friends. Indeed, as St. Paul writes in Romans 8:22, "For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now." Since the Fall into sin, all of creation, man, woman, child, animal, etc. has all been subject to suffering and death. We all sin. So we all die (not just physically, but spiritually, apart from Jesus). But the promise given to Eve in the Garden that the seed of her womb would bring an end to the devastation of sin has finally occurred. The Virgin Mary, daughter of Eve, has brought forth the Man--the New Adam--Jesus into the world and by His life, death, and resurrection He has put an end to all misery and death--He has conquered sin by suffering the wrath of God for us. Jesus now ushers joy into all the world as He sees His people in resurrection glory.
For a little while, Mary's sorrow was great as a sword pierced her own soul while she witnessed her Son dying on the cross. For a little while, the disciples sorrow was great as they saw their Master and Lord arrested and executed on trumped up charges. Jesus was dead. They saw His cold, lifeless body taken down from the cross and placed into the dark tomb. But it did not last! For Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
The womb of the tomb opened up and Christ Jesus was birthed to new and everlasting life--the firstfruit of the new creation. All who now live and believe in Him share in His resurrection life and promise. Indeed, you who have heard the Good News of Jesus' death and resurrection, and have repented of your sins and believed in Christ to forgive; you who have been baptized by water and the Word have been given this new and everlasting life through faith in the crucified and risen One.
It is this truth--this promise--this hope that we cling to when we are called upon by God to endure suffering and tribulation this side of heaven. We weep and lament. Sorrow fills our hearts--at the evil of our sin and others. We cry out with the psalmist (6:3), "My soul is also greatly troubled. But you, O Lord--how long?" How long must we suffer? How long must we bear our grief and burdens? How long will sin and death rule over us? And the answer from our Lord is, "A little while. Amen, Amen, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy."
A little while, dear Christian friends. You will weep and lament as the world responds in wickedness and hatred toward you for your faith. You will grieve and mourn as your spouses, children, friends, and family, brothers and sisters in Christ all around the globe are tortured, assaulted, and executed. You will grieve in your hearts as you witness and experience the suffering that your own sin brings to you and others. You will mourn as sin apparently has its way with us and our loved ones--as we die and must be placed in our own tombs. But know that your sorrow will turn into joy. For the victory is won! The triumph is assured! For Christ the Lord is risen! Death no longer has any hold over Him or those who trust and believe in Him.
Jesus says unto you, "you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you." Beloved, though you sorrow now, yet it is passing, it is transitory. The Lord Jesus beholds you--He sees you--in His Word and Sacrament that give you the forgiveness of sins that Jesus earned on the cross for you. And this forgiveness--this life--this salvation--is not just for a little while--but forever. This will last! For it is founded on He who died and rose again.
Though the world, the devil, and even your own sinful flesh rage and storm against you and your faith in Jesus. Though they seek to cause you grief and sorrow--we tremble not--unmoved we stand--they cannot over power us. Jesus has suffered and died in our place. And now Christ the Lord is risen from the dead! He lives and reigns unto all eternity. And He promises that your joy--found in His resurrected body and blood--given into death for the forgiveness of all your sins--can never be taken from you. Indeed, this day it is given into your hands and mouths to eat and to drink in bread and wine. That which is His life is given to you to work in you life and salvation--to nourish and strengthen your souls. Though you may suffer for a little while--yet your joy is fulfilled and complete in Christ your Saviour. For indeed, Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
John 16:16-22
v.16 A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.
Alleluia! Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Dear friends in Christ, our text is taken from St. John's account of the night of Jesus' betrayal into the hands of sinners. It is the eve of His great suffering and death. The disciples of Jesus are still riding the Holy Week high: the adulation of the crowds on Palm Sunday; Jesus' verbal thrashing of the Pharisees and Sadducees on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (not to mention the whip-wielding cleansing of the temple); their hearts were filled with contentment and joy--but it would not last, Jesus says.
"A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me…you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy." What are you talking about Jesus? Where are you going? How are you going to the Father, Jesus? We don't understand what you are saying, the disciples speak to each other with confusion and disappointment. Why would Jesus go somewhere and not take them with Him? Why would He ever leave them? It makes no sense.
Jesus, of course, is speaking to them about what is coming shortly. He will be betrayed by one of their own, Judas Iscariot; Jesus will be arrested, beaten, put on trial, and sentenced to death--in only a matter of hours. All that they had worked for. All that they thought they had accomplished--all the glory and honour they had gained among the people--would be gone--in a moment--their joy would turn to sorrow as Christ would be nailed to a tree and die in suffering and humiliation. The disciples would scatter--flee for their lives--and abandon their Lord and Master. They would see Him die--and they would fear for their lives as well.
But Jesus tells them this time of sorrow--this time of fear--this time of weeping and anguish at His death--would only last but for a little while. He likens the time of their sorrow to a woman giving birth. Most women experience great pain and anguish during childbirth--even with modern drugs and technology--childbirth is still an anxious time--the pain is particular to the curse that Eve received in the Garden of Eden after disobeying God's command. And it persists to this day.
However, Jesus is clear that just as the pain of childbearing is soon over (relatively speaking, of course!), and the woman's heart is given over to joy that she has brought forth a human being into the world--just so it will be with the disciples. Have you ever witnessed the birth of a child, either in person or on TV? It is a most miraculous event. Throughout, a woman may be in great pain and agony, but at the delivery of her child, almost instantaneously, her sorrow is turned into joy as her baby is placed upon her breast. The pain. The agony. The anxiety and fear--is replaced with a sense of euphoria and joy at the birth of her child. Tears of happiness and joy stream from eyes that moments before were clouded with pain and tribulation. Her heart is changed as her baby is brought forth. An amazing event, indeed!
Just so, Jesus says, it will be for the disciples. Their sorrow. Their anguish and suffering and pain (the result of their sin and that of others)--will only be for a little while. It, too, will come to an end, and it will be replaced with insurmountable joy. For the Lord Jesus will not long remain dead in the tomb. Indeed, He will burst forth from the grave into new and everlasting life--and His resurrection will bring about immediate joy to His disciples. Their sorrow will turn to joy. And that joy will have no end.
And yet this promise is not just for the disciples, dear friends. Indeed, as St. Paul writes in Romans 8:22, "For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now." Since the Fall into sin, all of creation, man, woman, child, animal, etc. has all been subject to suffering and death. We all sin. So we all die (not just physically, but spiritually, apart from Jesus). But the promise given to Eve in the Garden that the seed of her womb would bring an end to the devastation of sin has finally occurred. The Virgin Mary, daughter of Eve, has brought forth the Man--the New Adam--Jesus into the world and by His life, death, and resurrection He has put an end to all misery and death--He has conquered sin by suffering the wrath of God for us. Jesus now ushers joy into all the world as He sees His people in resurrection glory.
For a little while, Mary's sorrow was great as a sword pierced her own soul while she witnessed her Son dying on the cross. For a little while, the disciples sorrow was great as they saw their Master and Lord arrested and executed on trumped up charges. Jesus was dead. They saw His cold, lifeless body taken down from the cross and placed into the dark tomb. But it did not last! For Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
The womb of the tomb opened up and Christ Jesus was birthed to new and everlasting life--the firstfruit of the new creation. All who now live and believe in Him share in His resurrection life and promise. Indeed, you who have heard the Good News of Jesus' death and resurrection, and have repented of your sins and believed in Christ to forgive; you who have been baptized by water and the Word have been given this new and everlasting life through faith in the crucified and risen One.
It is this truth--this promise--this hope that we cling to when we are called upon by God to endure suffering and tribulation this side of heaven. We weep and lament. Sorrow fills our hearts--at the evil of our sin and others. We cry out with the psalmist (6:3), "My soul is also greatly troubled. But you, O Lord--how long?" How long must we suffer? How long must we bear our grief and burdens? How long will sin and death rule over us? And the answer from our Lord is, "A little while. Amen, Amen, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy."
A little while, dear Christian friends. You will weep and lament as the world responds in wickedness and hatred toward you for your faith. You will grieve and mourn as your spouses, children, friends, and family, brothers and sisters in Christ all around the globe are tortured, assaulted, and executed. You will grieve in your hearts as you witness and experience the suffering that your own sin brings to you and others. You will mourn as sin apparently has its way with us and our loved ones--as we die and must be placed in our own tombs. But know that your sorrow will turn into joy. For the victory is won! The triumph is assured! For Christ the Lord is risen! Death no longer has any hold over Him or those who trust and believe in Him.
Jesus says unto you, "you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you." Beloved, though you sorrow now, yet it is passing, it is transitory. The Lord Jesus beholds you--He sees you--in His Word and Sacrament that give you the forgiveness of sins that Jesus earned on the cross for you. And this forgiveness--this life--this salvation--is not just for a little while--but forever. This will last! For it is founded on He who died and rose again.
Though the world, the devil, and even your own sinful flesh rage and storm against you and your faith in Jesus. Though they seek to cause you grief and sorrow--we tremble not--unmoved we stand--they cannot over power us. Jesus has suffered and died in our place. And now Christ the Lord is risen from the dead! He lives and reigns unto all eternity. And He promises that your joy--found in His resurrected body and blood--given into death for the forgiveness of all your sins--can never be taken from you. Indeed, this day it is given into your hands and mouths to eat and to drink in bread and wine. That which is His life is given to you to work in you life and salvation--to nourish and strengthen your souls. Though you may suffer for a little while--yet your joy is fulfilled and complete in Christ your Saviour. For indeed, Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
