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Joy And Sorrow, Coming and Going (John 16:16-24)

 The disciples didn't get it, that Jesus was talking about his death and resurrection. It's somewhat funny to think about now, because he just said a few verses ago that he was going to the Father. But the apostles are just like us. How often do we miss the most obvious things, and forget things we know?

On the other hand, "a little while" in God's time could mean anything. The fact that it turned out to be three days by the Hebrew counting is somewhat of a relief, but we remember how hard it was for Jesus to endure the fact of Lazarus being dead for a couple of days, even knowing that he was going to raise him from the dead. In light of that, I think his sympathy for their sorrow is genuine.

Jesus speaks as a prophet next, with the familiar formula. The apostles and the other disciples will have sorrow at the death of Jesus, while the world will rejoice. In this way, Jesus is introducing them and us to the idea of redemptive suffering. There has always been suffering and trial in the world since the fall of Adam and Eve, but now it will be used by God in Christ to bring about spiritual good.

Jesus promises that they will see him again, and they will have joy. This spiritual joy cannot be taken away by any earthly power, and if we trust in Jesus, this joy cannot be taken by our Enemy, either. The apostles will ask "nothing" of Jesus in that day, because they will have everything through that joy.

It was still fairly new for them to trust in Jesus, in the same way that they love and trust God the Father. Jesus will never exalt himself above the Father, but he also knows that it pleases the Father, for us to worship and adore Jesus.

Since we are speaking of a spiritual joy, then the "anything" refers to spiritual things. It also implies that we should worship and adore the Holy Spirit, along with the Father and the Son.

We are blessed to be reading these words of Scripture so late in time that it seems natural for us to worship and adore the Blessed Trinity. Our confidence in the meaning of these words rests on the wisdom and battles of many great saints, some of which could not have seen so clearly what we know. This should make us thankful for our faith, and for those who have lived and died to pass it on to us. I praise God, that by his Holy Spirit, so many have risen up throughout time to proclaim and live the truth of Jesus.

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