Sorrow Turned Into Joy

We ought not to forget joy. There is joy in the Lord and a joy from the Lord that belongs to all believers, a joy the world knows nothing of and no man can take away. Paul says, ‘Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice’ and here the Lord Jesus promises His disciples that in a little while their joy will be full. As believers in Christ our cup is running over. The joy of the Lord is given in good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over.

Old habits die hard

Despite clear statements from the Lord concerning His imminent death and His return to His Father’s house in heaven, Christ’s disciples continued to struggle to understand what the Lord was telling them. It was hard for them to let go of their still-cherished hope of an earthly kingdom and national restoration. It is only a few days since the Lord was welcomed into Jerusalem on ‘palm Sunday’ with shouts of praise and honour. He and His disciples were on on the crest of popular approval. What is this, ‘A little while, and ye shall not see me’?

The coming hours

The Lord explains that the time was soon when they would see Him no more. He is referring to being taken from them to be crucified. This separation would take place in the coming hours. Jesus would be arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, betrayed by one disciple and forsaken by the others. He would be conveyed first to the home of Annas, then to the palace of Caiaphas, then to Pilate’s judgment hall, then to Herod and ultimately to Golgotha. John and Peter would catch a glimpse of the Lord at the high priest’s residence but only from afar. 

A very short time

However, the Lord is not finished. He tells the disciples that after a short time He would be seen of them again. Here the Saviour is likely referring to His immediate appearances following His resurrection which, in truth, was a very short time, it being only a few days hence. He would be seen on the day of His resurrection and several times thereafter before His bodily ascension back to His Father, forty days later at Pentecost. Yet the disciples remain perplexed. They whispered amongst themselves as to Christ’s meaning and wondered if they dare ask Him to explain.

Broken and defeated

The Lord, knowing their hearts and minds, knew their confusion. He knew they would weep and lament. He understood the genuine shock the coming hours would inflict upon His friends and the distress and sadness that would follow. It was not merely the disappointed ambition of shattered dreams. It was disillusionment and grief, mourning and shame, fear and confusion, loss and regret. The Lord was gone. Judas was dead by his own hand. They were broken and defeated.

Christ’s comfort

Once again we note the care taken by the Lord to address His disciples’ need and soothe their pain. It was the divine plan that Christ would rise from the dead. The disciples’ sorrow would be short-lived. Their desperation need not drive them to destruction as it had Judas. Yes, the Lord would be taken and slain. Yes, the Lord’s enemies would rejoice. Their loss would seem final but only for a short time. Soon they would see Him again. Hold this thought. Their hopelessness would be turned to happiness; their sorrow would be turned to joy.

A child brings joy

The Saviour pre-empts the questions the disciples were struggling to ask and uses a familiar analogy of a woman in labour to assist their understanding. A woman travails in labour and toils in pain. It seems she will be overcome by her efforts and exertions but then, when all seems too much to bear she is delivered of her child. She forgets the hardship of labour and all her sorrows turn to joy and gladness. So it will be for the disciples. They will labour only a short time; then their joy will be great and permanent.

Victory, liberty, success

The joy of the Lord’s disciples is the joy of victory, liberty and success. Christ drank ‘the cup of trembling’, even the dregs of the cup of God’s fury against our sin. When the Saviour died He secured our victory, liberty and peace with God. The return of the Lord from the grave opened a whole new perspective for the disciples and gave them a whole new purpose. They discovered the joy of the Lord. 

What lies ahead

That which gave the Lord’s disciples endless joy belongs to us, too. It is true that for a little while we experience sadness and sorrow in the flesh as we negotiate our journey through this fallen world. Yet the joy of the Lord remains and the fulness of our joy lies ahead. Christ’s suffering and death was the price of our salvation and His resurrection is the source of our life and joy. Trusting in Him our sorrow, too, like that of the disciples, shall be turned into joy. Living upon Him our sorrow shall be turned into joy. Dying in Him our sorrow shall be turned into joy.

Amen.