THE DISCIPLES GRIEF WILL TURN TO JOY

John 16:17-33

17 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'?

18 They kept asking,

'What does He mean by 'a little while'?

We don't understand what He is saying.'

19 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'?

20 I TELL YOU THE TRUTH,

YOU WILL WEEP AND MOURN

WHILE THE WORLD REJOICES.

You will Grieve, but your Grief will turn to Joy.

21 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.

22 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.

23 IN THAT DAY YOU WILL NO LONGER ASK ME ANYTHING.

I tell you the Truth,

My Father will give you whatever you ask in My Name.

24 UNTIL NOW YOU HAVE NOT ASKED

FOR ANYTHING IN MY NAME.

ASK AND YOU WILL RECEIVE,

AND YOUR JOY WILL BE COMPLETE.

25 'Though I have been speaking Figuratively,

A Time is Coming when I will no longer use this kind of language

But will tell you Plainly about My Father.

26 IN THAT DAY YOU WILL ASK IN MY NAME.

I AM NOT SAYING THAT I WILL ASK THE FATHER

ON YOUR BEHALF.

27 NO, THE FATHER HIMSELF LOVES YOU

BECAUSE YOU HAVE LOVED ME

AND HAVE BELIEVED THAT I CAME FROM GOD.

28 I CAME FROM THE FATHER

AND ENTERED THE WORLD;

NOW I AM LEAVING THE WORLD

AND GOING BACK TO THE FATHER.'

29 Then Jesus' Disciples said,

'Now You are speaking clearly

And without Figures of Speech.

30 Now we can see that You know ALL THINGS

And that You do not need to have anyone ask You questions.

This makes us believe that You came from God.'

31 YOU BELIEVE AT LAST!' Jesus answered.

32 BUT A TIME IS COMING, AND HAS COME,

WHEN YOU WILL BE SCATTERED,

EACH TO HIS OWN HOME.

YOU WILL LEAVE ME ALL ALONE.

YET I AM NOT ALONE, FOR MY FATHER IS WITH ME.

33 'I HAVE TOLD YOU THESE THINGS,

SO THAT IN ME YOU MAY HAVE PEACE.

IN THIS WORLD YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE.

BUT TAKE HEART!

I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.'

(John 16:17-33)

The World rejoiced over the Death of Christ Jesus.

Today, they want His Word Killed,

Because He tells them that what they do is Evil.

(John 7:7)

Those who belong to Christ receive

And their Joy is complete.

Before Pentecost the disciples deserted Christ,

But after Pentecost they went to their deaths for Christ.

We are in this World to Overcome this World.

That is the Entire Objective of our Existence.

Just as Christ Jesus Overcame the World

By the Power of the Spirit,

So we can Overcome the World

By the Power of the Spirit.

The World exists for us to Overcome,

Valuing the Kingdom of God above ALL ELSE.