Sorrow Turned to Joy

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: John 16:16-33

 

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.

(NKJV)

 

The assassination, or I should say, the martyrdom of Charlie Kirk has brought sorrow to many in the evangelical Christian community. While this brings sorrow, we can find comfort knowing he is now with Jesus, but we must continue to pray for his wife and children as they mourn his loss. Our sorrow over this loss can become joy when we realize Jesus has forgiven our sins, so we can also meet Him in death or when he returns to take His Church. Our sorrow can indeed be turned to joy.

 

Jesus is speaking to His disciples the night before His crucifixion and makes a statement that brings confusion by saying he is going away, then returning, and then going to the Father (John 16:16). This causes the disciples to murmur among themselves, wondering what Jesus means (John 16:17-18). Jesus knew what they wanted to ask Him and asked them if they wondered what He meant (John 16:19). Jesus tells them that they will indeed have sorrow with the world rejoicing, but that their sorrow will turn to joy (John 16:20).

 

To help the disciples understand what He meant, Jesus uses the illustration of a woman in labor who has sorrow and pain when in labor only to have joy when the baby is born (John 16:21). Jesus tells the disciples they will experience sorrow when He is taken away, but will experience joy when He sees them again (John 16:22). While Jesus was with His disciples, they asked nothing in His name because He was with them, but when he goes to the Father, they can ask for what they need in Jesus’ name and will receive it (John 16:23-24).

 

So far, Jesus has spoken to the disciples figuratively but a day is coming when He will speak plainly about the Father (John 16:25). When Jesus has ascended to the Father, the disciples will ask in the name of Jesus and He will pray to the Father for them (John 16:26). The Father loves the disciples because they have loved Jesus and believe He came from God (John 16:27). Jesus declares He has come from the father, into the world, and is going back to the Father (John 16:28). The disciples now tell Jesus He speaks plainly, that He knows all things with no need for anyone to question Him because he comes from God (John 16:29-30).

 

Jesus then asks them if they now believe (John 16:31). Jesus tells them that an hour is coming when they will be scattered and leave Him alone, but Jesus is never alone for the Father is with Him (John 16:32). Jesus concludes this discourse by telling the disciples he has told them of these things so they can have peace for in the world they will have trouble but that He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

 

Jesus is about to die, be resurrected from the dead, and ascend to the Father, causing the disciples to have sorrow that will turn into joy. The disciples are confused about what Jesus is saying (John 16:17-18), but before we condemn the disciples for this confusion, we must remember that we have something they did not have, hindsight. One becomes a believer when they believe in their hearts that Jesus resurrected from the dead, something believers today can look back upon with hindsight (Romans 10:9-10). However, the disciples had something we do not have, they walked face-to-face with Jesus and were eyewitnesses to the miracles Jesus performed, but now hear that the one they believed was the Messiah is going to die (Matthew 16:21, 17:22-23; 20:17-19). While Jesus also told them he would be raised from the dead, they found it difficult to believe one could be raised from the dead, even though they witnessed it with Lazarus (John 11:38-44). Without faith, we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6). For the disciples, it was faith to believe Jesus would resurrect from the dead, having been with him for three and one-half years. For us today, it is faith to believe what the Bible tells us about Jesus, even though we have not seen Him face-to-face.

 

Because of humanity’s fall in the Garden of Eden, the world has sorrow with Jesus, the promised deliverer in Genesis 3:15. There is much sorrow in our world that became evident with the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk dedicated His life to Jesus Christ and took the message of the Gospel to young people on college campuses. Charlie Kirk was martyred while speaking on a college campus, sharing about Jesus Christ. Charlie Kirk is with Jesus face-to-face now, but before his death did so in faith, knowing in his heart that Jesus rose from the dead. Charlie Kirk is an example to us that we should boldly share the message of Jesus Christ wherever God leads us.

 

With this in mind, I want to invite anyone reading this who has not confessed a heartfelt belief that Jesus died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead to do so now by praying with me.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

Let’s be strong and courageous like Joshua (Joshua 1:9), and boldly declare the life-transforming message of the Gospel wherever we go. We should do it not just because this is the commandment of God (Acts 1:8; Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20), but out of a desire for others to join us for eternity in the presence of God. May God convict, challenge, and strengthen everyone reading this post.