John 16. Sorrow, Joy, and the Helper

John 16

Two things stand out to me in John 16 as Jesus continues sharing with his disciples in his very last days. Imagine being Jesus at this juncture – he knows what terrible events are about to take place, he knows the hardship the disciples will face. Yet he also knows that he will return and there will be joy. It’s way too much information to share with his disciples, and they would not understand it all anyway (not now).

Jesus states it as plainly as possible and throws in a good analogy. “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 to 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.” (John 16:20-21) How true! Couples have multiple children because women forget the agony of pregnancy and delivery!

First, I see in this text the entire roller coaster of human emotions. They will weep, lament, grieve, struggle, and be persecuted and alone. There is a very real season of pain, there is death. And yet, that season will not last forever. Circumstances change, times passes, new things are discovered (like resurrection!) and there will be joy. As human beings we can hold all these emotions – the lows seem to crush us in the darkness, and the highs fill us with joy and light. No one season lasts forever. Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that there is a time for everything.

Secondly, Jesus never expected us to journey through life alone – riding the roller coaster of grief and joy by ourselves. The disciples have each other for support, but Jesus also promises the Helper that will come after he is gone. The Helper is the Holy Spirit, sent to assist us in our journey and to be for us the presence of God abiding with us at all times.

Jesus has told the disciples these things about the Holy Spirit when he comes:
– He will be with you forever, He is the Spirit of truth… he dwells with you and will be in you. (14:17)
– He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.  (14:26)
– He is the Spirit of truth…he will bear witness about me. (15:26)
– When he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. (16:8)
– He will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me. (16:13-14)

How blessed we are to have the Helper dwelling within us forever – guiding us, revealing truth, teaching us, helping us remember the words of Jesus, and convicting us when we need it. I don’t know about you, but I need the Comforter with me as I journey through the roller coaster of life.