John 16:16-22
Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
At this, 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’?” They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
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’? Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 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. 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.
This conversation between Jesus and the disciples happened just days before Jesus was arrested. He was preparing the disciples for difficult time ahead, and the pain and grief they will experience through the last days of Jesus’ life. He knows the hurt they will feel, and so he shares words of hope with them.
“In a little while I will be gone, BUT soon enough you will see me again. You will grieve while those who arrest me will rejoice in my execution, BUT that will only last for a time. Soon enough I will bring new life!”
The next part is one we can surely identify with, especially moms. Childbirth is hard and painful, there are tears, groans, and even shouts of agony, BUT as soon as the little one is born all of the pain is forgotten. Why? Because the pain pails in comparison to the joy of new life.
We have the benefit of knowing the end of the story. The disciples did not know the gravity of the coming events. In a way, I envy them. They experienced imaginable pain and grief upon Jesus death, but the also experience the joy of his resurrection far more than we ever will.
Right now there is great pain in the world, unfathomable sorrow surrounds us. Though we cannot understand the grief of the disciples, we can certainly feel the depth of sorrow that exists in the face of COVID-19.
In the midst of this terrible time, let’s walk through the last days of Jesus’ life with this in mind:
Jesus knows our pain, and he offers us words of hope. The pain we experience now will eventually pail in comparison to new life.
Pray: Lord God, we are lost, confused, and just starting to process the gravity of this terrible time in the world. You, however, offer us hope. This week, while we remember your pain, help us hold on to that which came after - new life. Amen
