John 16:16-24: Unrivaled Joy

John 16:16-24: Unrivaled Joy

Please turn with me to John 16. If you’re using the Story Bibles, that’s on page 748. We’ve been going through the Gospel of John passage by passage, and this morning, the text takes us to John 16:16-24. John 16:16-24: 16 “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 19 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’? 20 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. 21 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. 22 So 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. 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. 

One of the things this morning’s passage here in John 16 reminds us of is that sorrow is a part of life. It’s all around us. I’m sure pretty much everybody in this room knows someone who’s going through a time of significant sorrow right now. Maybe you’re even going through it yourself. And many times, when something difficult happens to us, we often wonder, “Why? Why would God allow this to happen?” This past year, I helped coach my son’s t-ball team, and there were several other coaches on the team, including one coach who was named Jeff. And I really enjoyed talking to Jeff. He was very down to earth, very approachable, and in many ways just an all-around great guy. But then, halfway through the season, Jeff died. And I’m still not sure if the family ever announced the exact cause of his death—since he was only in his mid-40’s, I’m guessing it was a heart attack or something like that—but I remember getting a text from the head coach announcing that Jeff was no longer with us. His death was very unexpected and very tragic since he left behind his wife and three young boys. And I bet Jeff’s death made a lot of people ask the “why?” question. “Why would God allow Jeff to die the way he did? Why would God leave Jeff’s wife without a husband? Why would God leave Jeff’s kids without a dad?” And I’ll be honest with you this morning: I don’t have all the answers to those questions. There are many things related to suffering and sorrow that only God can understand. And at the end of the day, we simply have to accept the fact that God has reasons for things that are just beyond us. That’s one of the things that makes him God and us not God. 

However, even though I can’t offer you a complete explanation of sorrow this morning, I can point you to a unique kind of joy—a kind of joy that’s available even in life’s most difficult seasons. And that’s the kind of joy Jesus talks about here in John 16. The main thing for us to get from this passage is that Jesus’ resurrection will bring his disciples unrivaled joy. Jesus’ resurrection will bring his disciples unrivaled joy. And there are four things we learn about the joy Jesus’ disciples will have: the source of their joy, the magnitude of their joy, the permanence of their joy, and the fullness of their joy.

The Source of Their Joy

So first, let’s look at the source of their joy. Look what Jesus says in verse 16: “16 A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” You have to understand that Jesus uttered these words right before he was arrested and eventually crucified. He was trying to prepare his disciples for the deep grief and sorrow they would feel when the Roman soldiers hung him on the cross. So that’s what Jesus means when he says that in a little while “you will see me no longer.” But then, he says, after another period of “a little while…you will see me.” And that will happen when Jesus rises from the dead. His disciples won’t see him during the time he’s buried in the tomb, but they will see him when he rises from the dead three days later. And that resurrection will be the source of unrivaled joy for them. Look at verse 20. Jesus says, “20 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.” That joy is a joy rooted in the resurrection—because Jesus’ resurrection is the ultimate solution to all the suffering and sorrow people face. It’s the first step of God bringing renewal and healing and hope to this broken world. 

You see, when God first created this world, his original creation didn’t include anything that wasn’t good and perfect and right. The Bible says that God looked at his creation and saw that it was “very good.” But then, human beings rebelled against God. And all of a sudden, because of that sinful rebellion, this world became a very broken place—a place filled with sin, suffering, hatred, disease, dysfunction, wars, natural disasters, and even death. None of those things originally existed, but they immediately came in when the first humans rebelled against God. And the most tragic consequence of that rebellion is that we all became alienated from God and even under the wrath of God because of our sin. But that’s where Jesus comes in. Jesus came to rescue us from all of the effects of our sin, and he did it through the cross. Even if you’re not a Christian and have almost no knowledge of Christian teaching, you’re still probably aware that the cross is the symbol of Christianity. You see it all over the place. Why is that? Why is the cross such a big deal? Well, it was on the cross that Jesus paid for our sin. Our sin cried out for God’s judgment against us—that’s what we deserved—but Jesus took that judgment in our place. His death satisfied God’s justice. And then, like we’ve said, Jesus victoriously rose up out of the grave, defeating sin, defeating death, and definitively beginning a movement of God that will one day bring renewal to this entire world. That’s what Jesus’ resurrection accomplishes. Instead of being alienated from God, we can be reconciled to God. And instead of being left with nothing more than empty clichés and self help books to deal with the brokenness of our world, we can have real hope that God is bringing and will bring renewal to the world. All of that flows out of the resurrection.

And the greatest part isn’t even the absence of suffering. As wonderful as that is, there’s even more. Through Jesus, God adopts us into his family and brings us into an all-satisfying relationship with him. Notice in verse 16 that Jesus tells his disciples, “you will see me.” That will be the source of their joy. And that’s the source of all true joy. Ultimately, our joy isn’t just in the blessings God brings but rather in seeing him and being with him and knowing him. Just a couple weeks ago, we celebrated Christmas. And when I was a child, I remember how the best part of Christmas for me was the presents. That’s what I looked forward to more than anything else. I couldn’t wait for the minute I had permission to run to the Christmas tree and start tearing open those presents. But now, I’ve discovered that it’s a little bit different. It’s obviously still nice to receive presents, but now the highlight of Christmas festivities and Christmas celebrations for me—other than, obviously, the birth of Jesus—is time spent with family. I just like spending time with the people I love. Presents are nice, but spending time with people you love is even better. And it’s the same way with God. He gives us some wonderful blessings, but the greatest blessing is God himself. God himself is the source of our joy. 

The Magnitude of Their Joy 

And the joy of truly having and communing with God is an inexpressible joy, an unrivaled joy. And that leads us to the second thing we learn about the joy of Jesus’ disciples here in our text. Not only do we learn about the source of their joy, we also learn about the magnitude of their joy. Their joy will be so great, they won’t even remember their sorrow. Read with me in verse 21: “21 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.” So Jesus says his disciples’ joy will be similar to that of a mother with a newborn baby. Even if the birthing process was horrendous—and remember this was before the days of epidurals, so it was even worse than it typically is now—but even if the birthing process was horrendous, when that mother is holding her newborn baby in her arms, it’s almost as if she forgets the anguish she felt just a few minutes prior to that because she’s so joyful that her baby has finally arrived. 

And that’s been true in my family’s experience. Many of you know that Becky has had some extremely difficult pregnancies with nausea so bad that she weighed less at the peak of her pregnancy than she did before she got pregnant. And not only that, but of course a newborn baby is pretty exhausting to take care. And yet, it never fails that right when the baby turns a year old or maybe a year and a half old, Becky gets sad that we don’t have a little baby anymore, and she begins to want another one. In spite of her severe nausea during pregnancy and her exhaustion after, she loves babies so much that it’s never long before she starts talking about needing to have another one. So for Becky, the joy of a baby surpasses all of the associated difficulties to such an extent that so far it’s been well worth it to her for us to have another one. And in the same way, Jesus says, seeing him again will bring his disciples such joy that they won’t even remember their sorrow. They’ll have a joy that rises above everything else in their life, a joy that shines even on the darkest of days, a joy that’s greater and fuller and more satisfying than anything else in this world. And that kind of joy is something Jesus also offers to us. Psalm 34:8 invites us to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” He satisfies in a way that nothing else satisfies. He fills in a way that nothing else fills. I think we could even say that you haven’t even experienced true joy unless you’ve experienced the joy of closeness to God. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Have you tasted, and have you seen? Have you come to know a joy that rises above everything else in your life? That’s what Jesus offers.

The Permanence of Their Joy

And the best part of that joy is that it’s permanent. That’s the third thing we learn about the joy of Jesus’ disciples in this passage. Not only do we see the source and the magnitude of their joy, we also see the permanence of their joy. In verse 22, Jesus tells them, “22 So 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.” Isn’t that something? “No one will take your joy from you.” In other words, Jesus is saying, “It doesn’t matter what kinds of hardships you face—and by the way you will face hardships. It doesn’t matter what kind of suffering you face—and by the way you will face suffering. But,” he’s saying to his disciples, “none of that will be able to take away your joy.” Now let me just say that that’s not at all the way it is with most of what people call joy or happiness in their life. Usually, a person’s happiness is based on how well life is going for them at that particular moment. If life is going well, they’re happy, and if it’s not going so well, they’re not happy. Their happiness is totally dependent on their circumstances. But according to Jesus, the joy he offers is different. It’s permanent. Nothing can take it away. 

And the reason nothing can take it away is because it’s not based on the ever-changing circumstances in our lives. It’s based on Jesus and the wonders Jesus has done for us in the gospel. Think about it like this. Most of Becky and I’s money is in the bank and in various accounts for investment and retirement. I don’t really keep much money at all in my wallet—usually just a few dollars—because I make just about all of my purchases with my credit card. I don’t need to use the credit card; it’s just a lot more convenient that way. So if someone steals my wallet, they’re not going to get very much money at all—assuming I notice they’ve stolen it and cancel the card. As long as I cancel that card, they can take my wallet, but they’re not going to get hardly any of my money. Because at the end of the day, my money isn’t in my wallet; it’s in the bank. And in a similar way, if our joy is rooted in the unchanging person of Jesus and the unchanging realities of the gospel, then nothing that happens in our lives will be able to take that joy away. That joy will be untouchable. So that’s how you can have a joy in your heart that’s just as real when you face bankruptcy as it is when you get a promotion. That’s how you can have a joy that’s just as real when you go through bereavement as it is when you welcome a child or a grandchild into the world. And yes, that joy may be mingled with grief sometimes, but it will always be present to one degree or another in and in one form or another. The key is for your joy to be rooted unchanging realities of the gospel rather than the ever-changing circumstances of life. Or think about it like a tree. Why is it that even the tallest of trees don’t usually fall over? Why is it that even when strong winds blow against those trees, those trees usually just keep on standing? Well, of course, it’s because trees have roots—strong roots, deep roots. If a tree didn’t have roots, it would fall over almost immediately. Its roots keep it from falling over. And it’s the same with us. We need to be rooted in the gospel. If you want a joy that doesn’t change every time the weather changes, then your joy needs to be rooted in Jesus. That’s the only kind of joy that can’t be taken away. So let me ask you this morning: Is that joy real in you? Is it real in you? Not just a fake smile you put on when you come to church or when you’re around your friends. I’m talking about a joy that’s so rich and so real, it overflows into every part of your life and is present even when life becomes difficult. Is that joy real in you?

The Fullness of Their Joy

But there’s also one more thing we learn about the joy of Jesus’ disciples in this passage. Jesus also talks, number four, about the fullness of their joy. That’s point number four: the fullness of their joy. And the way I’ve worded that comes straight from the way Jesus himself has worded it in the text. Look at verses 23-24: “23 In that day [after my resurrection] you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” So at first glance here, Jesus appears to move on to a different subject in verses 23-24. He was talking about the joy his disciples would experience through him and his resurrection, but now he starts talking about prayer. However, it’s not a different subject; it’s the same subject. And the link is at the very end of verse 24: “that you joy may be full.” Another translation says, “That your joy may be complete.” Jesus is continuing to tell his disciples about what will give them joy. And the thing that completes their joy—and our joy—is God giving us what we seek through prayer. That’s what Jesus promises. God not only saves us but also continues to be actively involved in our lives by answering our prayers. That completes our joy. 

And if you look at the way Jesus presents this promise, it’s pretty incredible. It almost sounds too good to be true. Verse 23: “Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.” “Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.” If you’re anything like me, you read that promise and you think to yourself, “Am I reading that correctly? Can that really be a promise Jesus makes?” This promise seems so big and so incredible that often when Christians and Christian teachers are talking about it, we don’t typically like to teach on this promise without giving 101 caveats about what this promise doesn’t include. And we spend so much time talking about limitations and stipulations that we often miss the point of what Jesus is saying. He’s giving us an absolutely astounding promise about God answering our prayer. And like it or not, Jesus doesn’t directly give any stipulations here except for asking in his name, which basically means asking according to his merit. So since Jesus doesn’t give 101 caveats here, I’m not going to either. Because let me be honest with you. Most of the time, our problem isn’t that we ask God for too much but that we ask him for too little. It’s not our presumption in asking but rather our failure to ask. Just like the Bible says in James 4:2: “you do not have because you do not ask.”

I can tell you that for these past few weeks, Becky and I have been asking for more. And guess what? God’s been answering. Usually, we’ve seen about one answered prayer every day. For example, one day, I couldn’t find my slipper even after spending about 10 minutes looking for it in various places around the house. I even enlisted my five-year-old son to help me look, but we just couldn’t find it. So, we prayed together. And lo and behold, within 20 seconds of praying, we found that slipper in a place I thought I had already looked. Remember: we spent 10 minutes looking for it before praying but then prayed and found it within 20 second after praying. Was that a coincidence? Maybe. But, as one preacher said, coincidences seem to happen a lot more often when you pray. Then in addition to that, just this past week, it looked like Becky was going to have to schedule a surgery to remove her gallbladder. Various physical symptoms she was experiencing combined with some details of her medical history made it extremely likely that she had stones in her gallbladder that would need to be removed surgically. But we prayed very specifically that when they did her ultrasound this past Tuesday, they wouldn’t find even one stone. And guess what? Not one stone was found. The doctor said that was very, very unusual. But why should we be surprised when we prayed for that very thing? 

Jesus says, “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” The fullness of your joy is directly related to the boldness, frequency, and specificity of your asking. Is it possible that the reason your joy isn’t as full as it could be is simply because you haven’t been asking? 

Conclusion

So those are the four things we learn about the joy Jesus’ disciples will have: the source of their joy, the magnitude of their joy, the permanence of their joy, and the fullness of their joy. Maybe you’re here this morning and you want to have that kind of joy. Up until now, you haven’t had it, but you want it. I’ve got some good news for you: that joy is available to you right here and right now. Listen to this invitation from Isaiah 55:1-2: “1 Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” What about you? Have you been spending your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Have you been busily running here and there in life on an endless quest for genuine joy only to be disappointed time after time? God offers you something that truly satisfies. He offers you joy in him. Jesus died and rose again in order to make that joy freely available. But there’s a requirement: you have to renounce all of the things in your life that don’t honor God and then call out to God forgive you and rescue you and make you into a new person. And if you’ll do that, he will! He will.