OCTOBER 7, 2018
SORROW TURNED TO JOY
INTRODUCTION:
1. Not all of Christ’s sayings were understood by His disciples, and it is safe to say that none of His sayings were thoroughly understood by them, for there are many depths in them that they had no line to fathom.
2. In the passage before us we are told this directly and distinctly – “What is this that he saith? We cannot tell what he saith.” (Verses 17, 18)
a) None ever spoke so plainly as Jesus, and none were ever so thoroughly accustomed to His style of teaching as the Apostles, yet even they did not always take in their Master’s meaning.
b) Surely we should not be surprised if we cannot always interpret His words. However, we thank God that there are many saying of our Lord which no honest mind can fail to understand.
3. Spiritual discernment is necessary in order to rightly understand divine truth (I Cor. 2:14). Therefore, even though we realize that to some of Jesus’ sayings their eyes were holden so that truths clearly spoken were hid from them for the time (Luke 9:45; 24:16), full knowledge awaited the sending of the Holy Spirit. (Ch. 14:26)
4. Let us thank God for the light that we have, and not doubt that to him that hath, more shall be given.
I. OBSERVE THE PRESENT INABILITY OF THE DISCIPLES TO GRASP THE COMFORT THEIR LORD DESIGNED FOR THEM. (VERSES 16-19)
A. THEY SHOULD SHORTLY LOSE HIS VISIBLE, EARTHLY PRESENCE, AS HE WAS RETURNING TO THE FATHER. (VERSE 16a)
1. Their Master/Teacher would no longer be with them in bodily form.
2. At His ascension He removed Himself, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. Although they looked stedfastly after Him, they saw Him no more. (Acts 1:9, 10; II Cor. 5:16)
B. THEY SHOULD SOON SEE HIM AGAIN. (VERSE 16b)
1. They should therefore sorrow not as those that have no hope. (I Thess. 4:13)
2. His farewell was not a final farewell.
a) In a very little while they would see Him on the day of His resurrection (Luke 24:30ff), and during the forty days between His resurrection and ascension. (I cor. 15:5-7; John 21:1, 14; Acts 1:3)
b) They would see Him in the pouring out of the Spirit, soon after His ascension. This appearance was of course, not bodily, neither was it transient, but it gave them much clearer insight into Christ and His Gospel, scattering the mist of ignorance they had been in.
c) They would in a little while see Him at His second coming, when He shall come in the clouds and every eye shall see Him.
C. HE ASSIGNS THE REASON WHY THEY WOULD SEE HIM NO MORE FOR A WHILE, BUT SHOULD, WITHOUT FAIL, SEE HIM AGAIN. “BECAUSE I GO TO THE FATHER.”
1. He must leave for a while, because He was called to the upper world to conduct His and their business at the Father’s right hand.
2. They would surely see Him again, for once His mediatorial work was completed, the Father would not detain Him. (Ch. 14:3)
D. THE DISCIPLES’ PERPLEXITY OVER THIS SAYING DREW FURTHER EXPLICATION FROM THEIR LORD AND MASTER. (VERSES 17-19)
1. Verse 17 reveals that they were puzzled about each part of the saying. “A little while and ye shall not see me; and again, a little while and ye shall see me; and, because I go to the Father?”
a) Their lack of understanding was not for want of being told. He had told them that He was going to be killed, and that in three days He would rise again. (Matt. 16:21; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22)
b) It seems that it is His death and resurrection that He is particularly speaking of when He says “a little while and ye shall not see me” and “a little while and he shall see me.” Before the day was ended He would die, and they would not see Him; but in three days He would rise from the dead, and they would see Him.
c) Yet, His saying “and, because I go to the Father,” seems to include His ascension as well, and thus we too long for His soon appearing, when our sorrows will come to an end forever. (Psa. 30:15)
2. Jesus gave further explanation because He knew they were desirous to ask. (Verse 19)
a) They were whispering among themselves, but apparently too bashful to ask. (Verse 18)
b) Their gracious Lord, knowing what they had need of before (or even without) their asking, answered them.
3. He did not explain His words, of not seeing and seeing, but rather by their sorrowing and rejoicing. We commonly measure things by the way they affect us. (Verse 20) Matthew Henry notes that “believers have joy or sorrow according as they have or have not a sight of Christ and the tokens of his presence with them.”
II. THESE WORDS OF CHRIST CANNOT BE CONFINED TO THE SINGLE POINT OF HIS APPROACHING DEATH AND RESURRECTION. (VERSES 20-24) “Like many of our Lord’s sayings on the last evening of His earthly ministry, His words here seem to extend over the whole period of time between His first and second advents.” – J. C. Ryle. This view is shared by many good Bible expositors.
A. CHRIST’S ABSENCE FROM THE EARTH WILL BE A TIME OF SORROW TO BELIEVERS, BUT OF JOY TO THE WORLD. “Ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice.”
1. Certainly it is true that Christ’s going away was a time of great sadness for His disciples, while it was a time of rejoicing for those who put Him to death.
a) The disciples would mourn their loss while His enemies would celebrate their victory.
b) Many wept at the scene, but others sitting down watched Him there, and soldiers gambled for His garment. The disciples saw in Christ’s death their hopes dashed, while the Jewish leaders rejoiced that this threat to their power was removed.
2. Christ’s personal absence must needs be a sorrow to all true believers. “The children of the Bridechamber cannot but fast when the Bridegroom is taken from them.”
a) There is something in the hearts of even the most eminent saints that will never be fully satisfied as long as they are on earth and Christ is in heaven.
(1) Faith is not sight.
(2) Hope is not reality.
(3) Reading and hearing are not beholding.
(4) Praying is not the same as speaking face to face.
b) So long as we dwell in these bodies of corruption, and see through a glass darkly, we will long to see Him face to face. How many of our great hymns writers have expressed this longing!
3. Yet, this same personal absence of Christ is no cause of sorrow to the children of the world.
a) The longer Christ keeps away from this earth and lets them alone, the better they will be pleased.
b) His absence causes them no pain; their so-called happiness is complete without Him.
c) What a fearful waking up there will be by and by.
B. CHRIST’S PERSONAL RETURN SHALL BE A SOURCE OF BOUNDLESS JOY TO HIS BELIEVING PEOPLE. (VERSES 21, 22)
1. The spiritual mourning shall be soon turned to eternal rejoicing.
a) When Christ comes believers shall come into their eternal state, and so shall they ever be with the Lord.
b) The world, at the same time, goes away with all the mirth; and their laughter is turned to unspeakable, unending pain and bitterness.
2. He likens it to a woman who gives birth to a child (The word may mean ‘son’ or ‘daughter’).
a) The labor and pain, “sorrow” (Gen. 3:16), endures until the baby is born, and she looks in its face, and holds it in her arms. Then the exceeding joy completely blots out the pain and sorrow.
b) So it is with the believer’s present sorrow. “One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase.” This is how Jesus applies the parable. (Verse 22)
3. The second advent of Christ is the one grand object on which our Lord teaches believers to fix their eyes. We ought always to be looking for and loving His appearing. (II Pet. 3:12; II Tim. 4:8)
C. WHILE CHRIST IS ABSENT, BELIEVERS MUST ASK MUCH OF HIM IN PRAYER. (VERSE 23, 24)
1. It is written, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name, ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
a) It appears that up to this time they had not realized their Master’s full divinity; certainly not that He was the one Mediator between God and man, in whose name they were to offer their prayers to God.
b) Here they are told that henceforth they are to ask in His name.
2. We cannot doubt that our Lord would have all his people in every age to know that the secret of comfort during His absence is to be instant in prayer.
a) Though we cannot see Him bodily, He does see us, and we can talk with Him any time, any place.
b) His promise is to us as well, “Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
3. Of all of our Christian privileges there is none to which there is such abounding encouragement as prayer.
a) It is a duty that concerns all, and is the need of all. High and low, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, all must pray.
b) It is a duty which suits all to which all are accountable. All cannot read, or hear, or speak, but all who have the spirit of adoption can cry with the heart, “Abba Father!”
c) It is, above all, a duty in which everything depends on the heart and motive within. Our words may be feeble, ill-chosen, and unworthy to be written down, but if the heart be right, it matters not. He that sits in heaven can understand them perfectly.
4. If we know these things, happy are we if we do them. Let us be much in prayer. Faithful is He that promised.
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