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Leg 4 Day 40
Your Sorrow Will Become Joy
Jesus In Us
Scripture:
JOHN 16:16-24
JOHN 16:16-24 (NIV)
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.”
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’?” They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
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’? Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 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. 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. 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. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
SEE ALSO:
JOHN 16:25-33
Life Lessons from Jesus:
Within hours, Jesus would die on the cross, and those first disciples would be left without knowing the rest of the story. Even though Jesus had told them repeatedly, the disciples still had no idea what was about to happen. It was too much for them to comprehend without experiencing it. Knowing how hard it would be for them—the agony they would feel while watching His death and the absolute terror when thinking they’d lost Him—Jesus compared their approaching hours to a mother in labor. A mother suffers through labor but finds great joy at the birth of her child. He acknowledged that their grief will be intense, but that it would be worth it, that they would see Him again, and their absolute joy would be worth all the pain. Once again, Jesus took away the unknown and gave His disciples a promise to hold onto so they could have hope and that, ultimately, their faith could be strengthened.
The WAY:
Consider these questions as you reflect on today’s reading:
What are your fears about your future?
How is Jesus the perfect example of how to face your future with faith?
How does it feel knowing that even with life’s struggles, we are heading toward an even greater joy?
Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for Your divine ability to change mourning to celebration. Thank You for suffering on the cross so we could find forgiveness. And thank You for caring so much for us that You always prepare us for what is to come. In Your name, Amen.