For as long as it takes we are going to study the gospel of
John chapters fourteen to seventeen. Some of it will be what I have already
written and some will be new. Therefore it may sometimes appear that I leave
off in the middle of a topic to be continued, since I have reached my daily
word count limit.
To pick up the topic, you may need to read the one or two
postings preceding this one.
“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 and 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. 22So 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,’” (John 16:19-22).
As I read this passage a few times I wondered why Jesus
actually mentioned the comparison with the woman giving birth in this context.
When Jesus died the disciples thought ‘that is it,
Jesus is gone.’ Even though He had tried on various occasions to make them
understand that He had to suffer and die, but that He would rise again, they
seemed not to have grasped it, which is why they were so surprised when He
arose. His death, however, was more significant than just the fact that He took
our sins upon Him and bore the penalty for our sins. “Truly, truly, I say to
you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone;
but if it dies, it bears much fruit,” (John 12:24). He was the kernel of wheat
that died and through His death gave birth to lots of salvation fruit. When He
died the disciples were sad, just as the woman was when the pain of childbirth
tortured her body, but after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit they started to
see the birth of the fruit of Jesus’ death and rejoiced, just as the woman saw
the fruit of her labour to bring the child to life and rejoiced.
What is it that we rejoice in? Do we rejoice when the
Lord answers our prayers to meet our personal needs, or when we have succeeded
in a venture that improved our financial position or our social status, or even
when friends of ours enjoy a positive earthly experience? Rejoicing about this
is not altogether bad, but is it not a little bit selfish? Jesus told the story
in Matthew 18:11-13: “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one
of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and
go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to
you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray,”
and Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:1-4: “First of all, then, I urge that
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all
people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a
peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it
is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved
and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
When I read John 16:22 above I suddenly realised that
the disciples would already have been busy rejoicing by the time they saw Jesus
again. The reason why Jesus said the disciples would rejoice was not only
because they would see Him again, but because they would see the fruit of His
death.
How about us? What is it that makes us rejoice? Do we
rejoice because it goes well with us, or that we are successful in our business
life or that we just had a wonderful time of worship at church? Do we actually
rejoice or are we gloomy and complaining all the time – being discontented? God
wants to see people saved and understanding the truth. What do we do to see to
it that people get saved? What do we do to see to it that people understand and
obey the truth? We are talking about the truth
here, not about religion. Ever since I have been writing about the Word of God,
the focus has been on the question whether we know and obey the whole Bible or
just those parts that suit us.
I have not met too many people who are constantly
rejoicing about success in God’s Kingdom, about souls getting saved on a daily
basis or about revelation they have received that has changed their lives and
has increased their knowledge about the truth around the Godhead. Can you
testify about such joy in your life or those of others you know? Maybe we should
start to at least fervently pray what we are instructed to pray in 1Timothy 2:1-4
above, and start doing something to let God’s desire happen. Imagine the joy we
will constantly live in, in spite of hardships that come our way.
Lord, please guide me into helping to reap the harvest
you died for.
Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth,
via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will
accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.
Please pass this on if you
think others may benefit by it.
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