Well, I invite you to turn in your Bibles this morning, if you have them, to John chapter 16. John chapter 16. And I'm going to be reading at verses 16 through 24 of John 16 this morning, looking at this great truth of Jesus turning sorrow into joy. So what a beautiful section this morning to come to in John chapter 16. This is the word of the Lord beginning at verse 16. A little while and you will see me no longer, and again a little while and you will see me. So some of his disciples said to one another, what is this that he says to us? A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me, and because I'm going to the Father. So they were saying, what does he mean by a little while? We do not know what he's talking about. Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him. So he said to them, is this what you are asking yourselves? What I meant by saying a little while and you will not see me? And again, a little while you will see me? Truly, truly, 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. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish. For joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full. And there we'll end the reading of God's word. A beautiful section today of scripture to come to and to study. Such a helpful section. A little bit complex if you've read it and thought that there's a lot going on there or maybe not. I don't understand the flow of that we're going to look at that and open that up for a minute here but it's such a helpful section today to understand certain things that Jesus is aiming for for his disciples and and for us you'll remember that they have been in despair for quite some time in the things that Jesus has been saying he wanted to he wanted to comfort them and he wanted to help them to understand what was transpiring, so that they would not be in darkness about the things that were happening. This is a very important theme in the Gospel of John, in Jesus's speech to his people, and the things and the goals for which he is saying what he is saying. Christ's burden was, Christ's goal was that things would be understood by his people, That things would be appreciated, and he knew that there would be a great consequence of understanding. See, this is really important for the subject today that we're considering, that really there is a great consequence of understanding the faith and understanding Jesus' words. And there's also certain problems that arise when we don't understand Jesus and don't listen to Jesus. And don't comprehend exactly what he's saying to us. Jesus has been saying this all along. Remember what he said back in chapter 15. A servant does not know what his master's doing. But I'm not treating you like that. Remember what he said? I have called you friends for whatever I've heard from my father, I have told you. And now Jesus is going to say something interesting. Whatever I have told you, the Spirit's going to tell you. So this is really a fascinating section. But I want you to notice there that the goal of Jesus, the goal of his purpose was that there would be understanding in his sheep. Not fear, not darkness, not blindness. Understanding that leads to a great benefit. The problem has not been his lack of clarity. I want to say that up front. The problem in John's gospel has not been his lack of clarity. He's been saying spiritual things. He's been saying things to Nicodemus like, you must be born again and I don't get at all what you're talking about. He's been saying things like to the woman at the well. You need living water. You don't have a bucket. He's been using certain speech the whole time that belongs to those of the kingdom of God. But the problem has been with their ability to comprehend what he's saying. It's not just that he wants understanding for understanding's sake, which is really remarkable, but he's very invested in a beautiful benefit for you in understanding what he's saying. And that's what we're going to look at today in this great passage of John chapter 16. The greatest benefit, the greatest goal that he has in understanding for us as his people is a really remarkable thing that we've struggled with. And guess what it is? It's called joy. Joy. He knows that true joy in this life comes through understanding. And understanding what he is saying. But the problem has been, if you have one of these red-letter Bibles, there's a lot of red letters here, and they still don't get it. They still don't get it. So something is lacking, something is, we have to appreciate how the human heart works, how the mind works, and how difficult it is to comprehend God's truth, to take in God's truth, to digest that truth. There's something more he needs to do for them so that they might have this joy that he desires for them. And that's what we're going to explore today. The passage is quite simple. Jesus is explaining the hard things the disciples are about to face. And he's explaining the difficult things by encouraging them in the midst of it to not lose heart because there is a happiness and a joy that's following, that's coming for them. Now let's look at the text today that seems a little bit confusing. I want to start with the point of Jesus' loving concern for them in their time of sorrow. And you'll notice that he's been saying certain things that's somewhat confusing, like this. I didn't tell you certain things about following me, but now I'm telling you openly. But then in verse 12 last time, remember what he said. I had to stop and ponder it again for a minute. It's so profound. Look at what he says. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. That's an interesting statement. That word for bear means you can't take it up right now. You can't handle it right now. You can't take it into you right now. I have a lot I want to tell you. I have a lot I want to bear to you and give to you, but you can't handle it. This is the backdrop of this section. I think it explains the confusing moment that we have here with the disciples that John really capitalizes on. And in any time a biblical writer gives this much attention, look at how many verses were given to the little while here. What do you mean a little while? What is he saying a little while? Are you worried about me talking about a little while? Over and over and over. Listen to it. Then some of his disciples said, what is this that he says to us? A little while and you will not see me. And again a little while and you will see me and because I go to the father they said what is this that he says a little while we do not know what he's saying and Jesus knowing that they desired to ask him he said to them are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said a little while and you will not see me and again a little while you will see me this is the kind of thing you want to skip. What in the world is this, and how is this profitable at all for us, right? This is like bantering back and forth with your two-year-old. Dad, what do you mean? Well, I just told you. What do you mean? Over and over and over. Weird section. You have to stop as a preacher and a Bible reader and say, okay, John has an important thing he's doing here. John has something really important he's teaching here. Anytime you have this kind of repetition, John does nothing mindlessly or without great purpose. Half of our text this morning takes up this little concept of a little while. A little while. And it did nothing when Jesus said it, but produced mass confusion. What do you mean? Whose fault is this? Jesus's or theirs? That they can't understand what he's saying? That's always a good question, you know, when the pastor preaches. Whose fault is it? Is it the pastor or is it you? You know, it could be me. Or it could be you. Most of the time it's blamed on me. That's okay. I can take that. But it's an important thing to ask. What is the little while? How do we have understanding? And how do we get to meaning? And what about these confusing things? Everyone hears a certain way. And I've been in the ministry long enough to know. Everyone hears what they want to hear on any given particular point. Whereas two people can stand after the service and say, did you hear this? No, I heard this. And it could go on endlessly. Listening and hearing is challenging business. So the initial response is to say that the Lord is not being clear. I think the Lord's being very clear. A little while and you will not see me. And again, a little while you will see me because I go to the Father. I think it's important to say that John is showing us this. First and foremost, this is where it gets really beautiful. To show us the desire of Jesus in his concern over their confusion. He is really burdened by their confusion. He is really burdened that they're going through what they're about to go through without understanding. What a Savior. What a Savior. In other words, you could stop and say, all of our problems in life that we go through, the challenges come down as Christians often, if we could sum it up, is because we lack understanding. in what we're facing, and lack understanding of purpose in what we're facing. This is just what Jesus says in verse 20, as he helps them to understand. Truly, truly, 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. He's mapping out for them in the midst of their confusion how it's going to go. Think of how much Jesus had said he's going to go and die. Think of how many times he said the Son of Man is going to go and he's going to at the hands of sinners be crucified and he's going to be hung on a cross and he'll rise the third day. He kept saying this in the ministry over and over and over. And at every point they fought him. no you won't, no you won't, they fought him, and because they fought him, and they didn't listen to him, confusion was coming, confusion was coming, and Jesus knows it, Jesus sees what they are about to experience, Jesus sees the pain they are about to go through, and in verse 19, now Jesus knew that they desired to ask him and said to him, are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said? See, he's concerned about it. He didn't have to raise that. A little while and you will not see me and a little while you will see me again. Most assured, I say, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. Take the sorrows that we go through in life, you know, take the sorrows that we go through in life. We have hard things hit all of a sudden, as we've had in these last weeks. Difficult things. And almost inevitably, it's so true that now you have been, look at the blessings of all of the training and the teaching and the blessings that you have learned over the years, how that has helped you think think of almost inevitably people will come to me and say I don't know how people without the Lord or understanding get through this it is really true I don't know I think that's why we have massive problems with abuse and and and suicide rates go high and when you have very difficult situations without the Lord, I think people fall apart. And in his common grace and mercy, he may put a stop to it to be merciful, but I can't imagine the depression and everything that follows if you have no understanding of what you're going through. No understanding that there's a God. No belief that there's one on the throne. No understanding or knowledge of it. I don't know how people get through. They have no worldview or a perspective that anyone's in control of anything and that everything's spinning about by chance. They're crushed and without hope because their mind's not renewed. I'm really trying to help you to see the blessings that you have and don't even realize. To them, things can be a product of random chance. no way to understand present darkness, no way to perceive the things that are happening, no way to know or have any sort of perspective outside of it. Now, just stop for a minute. Imagine going through what they're about to go through. The disciples are going to have to bear, without understanding, one of the worst things ever to see in the history of the world. See, I don't think we've stopped and thought about this enough. They loved him. They confessed him. They believed this is the son of God. They haven't understood what Jesus is saying about the cross. It hasn't come into them. It hasn't opened their minds. Their minds are not open to this yet. That the son of man has to suffer and die and rise. They don't even know why. Jesus says, when I am lifted up, you're going to go through one of the worst moments in your life of lament and sorrow. You will weep, you will lament, and all around you, the world's going to rejoice. Imagine that. For them, the long-appointed Messiah, God's Messiah, just got beat. God died. It's over. Imagine that right now. If you thought all that's happening and all the stuff in the world, if actually what was happening was God got beat. How could you get up? Why would you want to live? It's over. There's no hope. Satan's won. I don't think we can really get into the pain that they experienced. Think of all the years of belief and then this. You see why I'm making the point here that the extent to which you've grown in the faith and know the truth, the extent to which you're able to handle is the extent to which you're able to handle the sorrow that comes. And look at the sorrow. Think through it. That's why people who go through intense sorrow stay strong when they have understanding. They have understanding. remember jesus would say in the course of the ministry that what's going to happen in this life what you're going to see in this life beloved is that in the world here's what's going to happen people are going to faint with fear and with foreboding of what's coming on the world you know that's happening people in this world are fainting with fear right now over what's happening on the world. They have no understanding. You see how improper it is for the Christian to faint with fear? Sorrow, without understanding, is one of the worst places to be. That's what leads to the hardships and despairs and falling apart and depression and all those things. Hopelessness. hopelessness that invades our world in the sorrow because people have no understanding. The way that our Christianity has real meaning to us in this world has to do with understanding. Think of after the resurrection where Jesus is going to all correct this now and the first thing he says to those Emmaus disciples as they're crying and weary on the road, oh, slow to understand. was it not always said that this would happen? Weren't you always taught that this would happen? Oh, slow to understanding. And then it says he opened their understandings. What Jesus is doing here is so wonderful. He loves them. He loves you. He's grieved in his heart about the sorrow they're going to face without understanding. So grieved. So what does he do? Well, it's the application of the psalm we all love. in psalm 30 weeping comes in the night but joy comes in the morning you know this is the application this is the fulfillment of that the answer is already hinted at back at 14 where i'm going to do something for you i'm going to pray to the father and the father's going to send you someone else that he may abide with you forever. He is going to dwell in you and he is going to do something for you. He is the spirit of truth. Immediately after that, remember what Christ said, I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. Immediately after that. So his coming was in connection I'm answering the little while dilemma here. His coming was in connection with the coming of the helper. So when Jesus says, a little while and you will not see me, he was speaking of the cross and the horrid death they're about to see. He's saying you are going to experience that. Lament and weep and sorrow. But then comes resurrection and then comes ascension. But notice what he says, a little while, in a short time, you will see me again. Those are two different words. It's a really, I think, important moment in the gospel. It goes like this, in a little while, you will no longer see me with your sense perception, but after a little while, you will see me. You will see me spiritually in a way through understanding. Jesus viewed the work of the Holy Spirit as absolutely triumphant and the greatest blessing to you. Now, putting this together, what did Jesus say is the primary work of the Holy Spirit? Well, we learned this last time to what he said is the Holy Spirit's going to come and he's going to minister to you. He's going to minister. He's going to do something to you. It's absolutely crucial to our text this morning, and he begins to explain it, that when the Spirit of truth comes, he's going to guide you in all what? truth. In a world that today doesn't know what true is at all, they say there is no truth. He's going to tell you openly what you can't bear right now. That's what he said. And then came the amazing verse 14. He's going to take what's mine. And remember, Jesus is going to be resurrected in a body. He is going to go and be seated. The benefit of the Spirit coming is He can dwell everywhere in you. He's going to take what is mine and He's going to herald it to you. Everything you can't bear right now, He is going to bear me to you, His work, so that you understand. His whole purpose is going to be to continue to minister to you what I want you to understand, my word. that right now you can't bear to his disciples. That's his ministry to you. He will take what is Christ and declare it. That means that we're going to see Christ in the Spirit's work. This is what he's telling us. So much so, Jesus says, I have, I have, think of this beautiful statement, I have so much I want to tell you. I have so much I want to tell you. I know you can't bear it right now. But you will when he comes. And I'm going to tell you a lot. Once the Spirit comes, then you can bear my word. Because it was only possible to understand what he's saying through the work of the Spirit. Then he can tell us what he wants to tell us. John is now explaining how they're going to see him. You know, when Peter wrote about this later, here's what he said. Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what or what manner of time, ready, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when he testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed, not to themselves, but to us, they were ministering these things which have now been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Things which angels desire to look into. What is the Holy Spirit doing? He gives you pastors. He speaks through his pastors. And he bears the heart of Christ to you in his word. Isn't that what he's doing right now? It's reported the same word of John 15. What the Holy Spirit reports from heaven is exactly what John grabs here. The Spirit will take what is Christ and he's going to declare it to you, good tidings to you. And then Jesus says this, and here's what's going to happen. And your sorrow will be turned to joy. Isn't that beautiful? It's like a woman when she's giving birth. I don't know that pain. I watched it. I was yelled at. When that baby was held, she was so joyful. You forgot all that former sorrow. You forgot it. That's what it's going to be like. Then he can tell us what he wants to tell us. That's what you're going to experience. You're going to have sorrow, but again, your heart will rejoice. And no one's taken that from you. That's for sure. Remember when Christ was raised, he came to the disciples, which was the initial application of this, but not the ultimate application of this. When he came to his disciples and they handled him and they touched him, remember what he said, they still did not believe for joy and marveled. The moment of sorrow was gone and yet they still struggled with understanding and as joy began to fill them, when Jesus said, peace to you, he says, here's what I want you to do. I want you to not do a thing. I want you to go wait in that room at Jerusalem. And when that spirit, when the spirit comes, you're going to have your joy. You're going to have it. I believe this morning is one of the most practical bearings on the Christian life possible. I really do. We in the church think we can get joy with everything else other than the Spirit ministering the Word to us. When would this start? When would they have their joy? This is exactly what Jesus was talking about when Pentecost would come. we have many sorrows in the present life. Many of you suffer. Many of you mourn. Some of you have been through terrible things recently. Some of you will go through terrible things in the Escondido URC. These are real sorrows. These are real hardships. These are real pains. And I think we read passages like this thinking what is described is the removal of sorrow and the hardships of life only belongs to the new heavens and the new earth. I think that's how we think. We've just got to get through all this sorrow right now. We just got to bear it right now to get through it. Just grin and bear it. I want you to notice what Jesus is saying. When this day comes, things change. What day? The Spirit's arrival. Through this pain and sorrow that sin has brought, when the resurrection has happened, what my promise to you is, I will take your sorrows and I will turn it to joy. It doesn't mean you won't have sorrows. It means that sorrow is not antithetical to true joy. Any believer knows that in their hardship. That in the deepest wounds, the deepest pains, there's still a confidence. There's still a joy that this is not it. And that's what Christ's resurrection has brought. It's the lasting joy that has now begun. It's entered in for you. Christ is saying the resurrection through the work of the Spirit has inaugurated the day of your joy, coming in fullness when all this is fixed. But it's inaugurated it. It instills within us the purpose for which we are here, to fulfill it. The Christian no longer runs away from sorrow. The Christian no longer runs around his trials. but he sees them as painful as they are. Christ has been raised from the dead. He has conquered sin and death. He has beat all this for me. What do you think he's about to say? Rejoice, I beat the world for you. In the midst of this, the world is already conquered. It's already a defeated foe in everything that's happening. The sorrow that is real and the sorrow that is felt can never take this foundation of what has been accomplished for you and who has been given to you so that nothing can ever separate you from that love. It's overcome, though, with understanding. Hear me when I say that today. It's overcome with understanding. Jesus says in verse 33, In the world you have tribulation, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. If I were to go through this world as a perfect example right now and look at things the way that they are, I could fall apart. But with an understanding that the world is conquered, I can get up. Jesus encourages them that when this understanding comes, here's what he's saying to you today, to what to do with it. Appropriate it. Grab it. use it. In other words, we should care a lot about growing in the word and listening to the word and hearing that word. But he says something else here that's important. In that day when the Spirit comes, you will not ask me anything. Notice he says it clearly there at the end of verse 23. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the father in my name he will give it to you until now you've asked nothing in my name ask and you will receive that your joy may be full he has now opened up heaven and he's about to teach us about your direct access to the father who loves you he's going to say in the next section but he's saying something here very precious you've been asking all these questions and you don't even know what to ask that's not going to be the case when the spirit comes because with joy I'm going to open up your understandings. And the difference is, is you're going to pray differently. You're going to pray differently. Jesus says, until now, you've asked nothing in my name. When I'm raised and I'm seated, you're going to pray in my name and as your gracious mediator and friend. And you know what's going to happen? The Father is going to aid you. The Father is going to love you, and the Spirit is going to bless you, and I'm not going to leave you in darkness without understanding so that sorrow will ever fill you this way again. I'm not letting that happen. The Holy Spirit will not let that happen. And that's why he says, ask. Ask and you'll receive. That your joy may be full. To which you stop and say, who here doesn't have joy? Well, then a very practical thing has been said to you. Ask Jesus to open your understanding. Because that's how joy comes. Ask Jesus, and he promises by the work of the Spirit to do that for you. It doesn't get any better. Ask him. You can't run around and say, oh, I struggle with joy. Ask him. Come to him. He's told you that. And the Holy Spirit will take your mind and change your attitude toward the ministry of the church, toward the word of God, toward its power. And he will open your minds to change your hearts, to receive the truth as it is in Jesus. And it's going to have a lasting effect on your joy. This is what he's saying to us here. That's the Lord's desire for you here. Do you know that's his will for you? Is that you have joy? That is Jesus' will for you. These things I write to you that your joy may be full and complete. You don't have because you don't ask. That means that Christians can go through a lot without perspective because they lack understanding. Jesus is saying, that's not my will for you. I care a lot about you in confusion. I don't want my church in confusion. I don't want my people hurting in confusion. Yes, it will be hard. Yes, there will be sorrows. But I've won. I've won. I've beaten it for you. I've conquered for you. True joy and lasting joy now and wait to see what I'm about to bring in when I return on the clouds of heaven. Prayer is an immense privilege that we as Christians don't take hold of enough. That's just the reality. It's a discipline. But Jesus has promised that when you come to him with believing hearts in his name, and by the way, that's why we pray in his name. We'll come back to that next time. It's not just amen. Jesus is specifically saying, pray in my name. And by the power of the Holy Spirit, I will enlighten your minds. And you will see joy because that's my will for you. I write all these things to you so that your joy would be full. What a beautiful Savior. What a beautiful work. What a wonderful message that we have today. Our minds are open, beloved. You see. So rejoice. I think that's why Paul said in every circumstance of life, I can rejoice again and say rejoice. This is the day the Lord has made. We will say it again. No, that was pathetic. This is the day the Lord has made. We will and be, let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for such a glorious word. And thank you for encouraging us the way that you do in the midst of this struggle. You are so faithful. We need your help. Open up our minds to the truth. Open up our understandings to see your work through the work of your beloved Son and in the demonstration and power of the Spirit, may we have true and lasting joy in this life. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.