“In a little while you can go out and play.” “After a little while we’ll be going to the pool.” “After a little while I am going to be serving pie and ice cream.” “In a little while we’ll your mom and dad will be home.” “In a little while you can take a break.” “The doctor says that after a little while you’ll feel better.” “Just think about it. In a little while you’ll be graduating!” “In a little while you’ll be able to retire.”
“In a little while,” or “After a little while,” are statements that we all use. But wouldn’t you agree that almost every time we use them, they mean something slightly different. In all of the “little while” statements that I just shared with you the length of time implied was different. Also consider the fact that sometimes the words “a little while” hold out the promise of good things to come. Other times the words “a little while” call for patience and endurance. We are implying that we have to put up with some discomfort or difficulty for a time. But things will get better.
“In a little while.” We heard Jesus use those words in our Gospel Lesson for today from John 16. The disciples asked Jesus to explain what he meant by “a little while” as he used those words in two different ways. The disciples recognized that this was important because Jesus was talking about not seeing him anymore and then seeing him again.
Jesus’ explanation to his disciples is meant for us as well. Like the disciples we must wait “a little while” to receive everything Jesus has promised us. And like the disciples there will be a time of grief while we wait. Life in a sinful world can at times bring pain to our body and soul. Because we follow Jesus, we may even get an extra dose of suffering during our lives. But Jesus promises that our grief will turn to joy. Let’s take that thought from our Gospel Lesson as the theme of our sermon together. Today we hear Jesus say to each of us:
“YOUR GRIEF WILL TURN TO JOY!”
I. Jesus predicted a “little while” of grief
II. Jesus promised a “long while” of joy
Jesus spoke these words to his disciples during Holy Week, on the day Christians call Maundy Thursday. That evening our Savior gave the command for his disciples to love one another. He illustrated that by washing their feet. We also recall that he told his disciples to remember his death through the Lord’s Supper. Since this was less than twenty-fours before his suffering and death, we could say that Jesus was giving his “final” lesson to his disciples.
Jesus told them that he wouldn’t be with them much longer. Before the words of our Gospel Lesson Jesus told the disicples he was going back to his Father in heaven to prepare a place for them. All of this talk led to some panicked thoughts from the disciples. Yes, Jesus would rise from the dead and prove to them that he was alive. But he would only spend a short amount of time with them. There would be little time for him to do more teaching. Forty days after Easter he would ascend into heaven and not be seen by them again in this life. That context helps us understand Jesus’ words about how “in a little while” his disciples wouldn’t seem him again and then “after a little while” they would see him again. It also helps us understand how Jesus could assure his disciples that their grief would turn to joy.
I.
Let’s go back to our Gospel Lesson. “Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” 17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.” We know from the Gospels that several times before this Jesus had told his disciples that he was going to suffer and die and rise from the dead. But the disciples either didn’t understand what he meant or didn’t want to believe what he was saying. But at this point Jesus’ crucifixion was less then twenty-four hours away. The disciples really needed to come to grips with what Jesus had been predicting. They would experience grief like they had never experienced it before. Their teacher, their Lord, their friend would be horrifically taken from them through death by crucifixion. By that time the next day Jesus’ body would be resting in a borrowed tomb.
But their grief would turn to joy. They would see Jesus again. For some of the disciples they would see him alive again on Easter Sunday. Some of the disciples would seem him one week later. They would all see him on the shore of the sea of Galilee. And all of those post-Easter appearances would change them. Their grief would turn to joy! They would never grieve again with the kind of despair and desperation that they had when Jesus was taken from them for a short time. John goes on to tell us, “Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.”
To illustrate how Easter would make them forget about their “little while” of grief Jesus compared what they were about to go through to a woman giving birth. “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” Now someone, especially someone who has actually given birth to a child, might rightfully ask, “They were all men, how could they relate to what a woman goes in childbirth?” Some of the disciples may have been married and may have been aware of the pains of pregnancy and of delivering a child. Certainly, in any culture in the world, since half of the population of humans is women, there is an awareness of what women go through to give birth. And the joy they experience when they bring a child into the world. The point Jesus was making it that although their grief at his suffering and death would be extreme their joy after his resurrection would cause them to forget about it and never think of it again.
Before we apply these verses to ourselves let’s consider if Jesus’ words might have had additional meaning for the disciples. Would they go through another time of grief after Jesus ascended into heaven? In other words, would they experience any suffering or sorrow in the years they lived before going to heaven? Yes, that would happen. Their grief wouldn’t be exactly the same, but they would go through “many hardships” as we heard the Apostle Paul and Barnabas say in our First Lesson for today, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” But no matter what they faced that “little while” of grief would end when they joined Jesus in heaven.
Brothers and sisters in the faith, that’s where I believe our Gospel Lesson most clearly connects to us. We didn’t go through what the disciples went through from Maundy Thursday through Easter Sunday. It is true that we recall the events of those days in special worship services every year. But we didn’t experience the same grief they experienced. And yet, like them each day that we live in this world we face grief. That’s the “little while” that we must face before the “long while” of joy Jesus has promised us.
And what kind of grief might we have during the “little while” of our lives? Whether Jesus’ followers live for many years or just a few they will not be free from the hardships of life in a fallen world. Think about the effects of sin that the Bible describes. Earning a living will come with challenges. Relationships will be under strain. Our bodies will be susceptible to sickness and disease. In the end those bodies will succumb to physical death. Being one of Jesus’ disciples doesn’t free a person of these things. They will cause us grief. And then the Bible says we will face a unique kind of grief because we follow Jesus. Satan will attack us with temptations. The world will hate us and persecute us. We remember that Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Oh, and just in case we might forget we need to remind ourselves that during the “little while” of our lives we may face suffering and grief over our sins and the consequences of those sins that we bring on ourselves. Yes, Jesus predicted a “little while” of grief in our lives.
So throughout our lives we need to hear him tell us that our grief will turn to joy! That’s what we do here every Sunday morning. Through the Word and Sacrament Jesus turns the grief that we suffer each day into joy.
II.
Jesus told his disciples, “Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” But then he looked beyond the initial joy they would experience when Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus went on to say to them, “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” When would “that day” be that Jesus was talking about? This would happen after he rose from the dead and after he sent the Holy Spirit to his disciples. They would have joy in their lives like they never experienced before. Yes, they would suffer for their faith. It seems like all of the disciples except John were martyred for their faith in Jesus. And yes, the everyday grief that comes from life and death in this world would afflict them. But because Jesus rose from the dead their joy would be complete. It would be like a solid foundation upon which they could anchor their lives every day.
Let me give you an example of how the disciples’ grief would turn to joy as they went out to share the Good News about Jesus. This may be an extreme example, but it makes the point. In Acts 5 we are told that the apostles were flogged and ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus. After getting whipped and wounded and while no doubt still bruised and bleeding we are told, “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” Were they out of their minds? How could they find joy in suffering? Because of Jesus. He turned their grief into joy. We can see another example of this in the life of the Apostle Paul. In 2 Corinthians 11 he described the things that happened to him because he was a follower of Jesus and proclaimed him as the Savior. “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.” And yet as he reflected on all of those things and an additional physical burden that he called his “thorn in the flesh” he said, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Joy even in suffering comes from knowing that Jesus lives and reigns and will work everything out according to his plan for us.
Once again, we have to ask ourselves how Jesus’ words about a “little while” of grieving apply to us. Well, like it did for the disciples Easter gives us a foundation of joy that helps us get through all the grief we face. Peter spoke about this in his First Letter. In 1 Peter 1:6 he wrote, “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” No matter what we face we have joy because our sins are forgiven and whatever grieves us now will pass. We have the promise of better things to come. Peter went on to write, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” After a “little while” of grief we can look forward to a “long while” of joy. Yes, even in this life as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior our joy is increased.
But once again, I think we can see another day on the horizon for the disciples. There would come a day in their lives when Jesus would call them out of this world into his eternal kingdom. Then they would have all that Jesus promised. Their grief would be turned to joy forever!
We too await that day. As I look around the sanctuary this morning, I see people who need the joy that the promise of heaven gives us. Some of you are hurting physically. There are those with serious illnesses. A few of you are carrying heavy burdens in your hearts. The effects of your sins and the sins of others have been causing you pain. Turn your thoughts to the life that will be ours through Jesus as we live forever in glory. Our grief will turn to joy!
“In a little while…” As I was preparing this sermon I thought I would take a look at other places that the Bible uses that phrase. It appears in the Psalms, and in the Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Haggai. Sometimes it meant a few years other times it meant hundreds of years. In the New Testament a “little while” can mean a person’s lifetime, a year or two, or a few months. When the disciples heard Jesus say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me” he was talking about a few days. They would see him when he rose from the dead. But then he would ascend into heaven, and they wouldn’t seem for a while. He was going to prepare a place for them. He was returning to his Father where he would resume his reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. But what Jesus accomplished through his suffering, death, and resurrection would always turn their grief to joy. And then they would see him again. One by one, each disciple would see Jesus again when they died. And so it is for us. Jesus’ will always turn our grief to joy both in this life and in the life to come. He predicted a “little while” of grief. We don’t have to live very long to know the griefs that come to us each day. And so we cling to the fact that Jesus promised a “long while” of joy. May that joy be ours both now and forever. Amen
