Sorrow Turned to Joy
Notes
Transcript
Jesus used a phrase often throughout his ministry that stands out to me in this passage of scripture. It is implied in this verse and said outright in the preceding verse. The phrase is “In a little while” it is one Greek word “micron” meaning in this instance and the six other times it sprang from the lips of the Blessed Savior, “a short time.” Well the question then is raised what in a short time?
We see with this discussion with Jesus, he talking of his having to go away tells his disciples, “A little while, and ye shall not see me; and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.” Sometimes I think we like those poor unenlightened disciples scratch our head and ask, “What does he mean?”
Well Jesus tries further to explain this when he tells his disciples in verse 20, “Ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice… “You are going to face some dark times. Jesus was trying to prepare his disciples for what lay ahead.
We find that soon after this Jesus faced the ultimate trial of his ministry in the Garden of Gethsemane. We are told that the burden was so great, that the sorrow was so awful that when he prayed he sweat as it were great drops of blood. Now Finny tells us he wasn’t praying let this cup pass from me to keep from going to the cross, but to keep from dying too early, so that he might go to the cross and finish what he came to do.
They took him and arrested him, Judas kissed him with the kiss of betrayal, they took him to Pilate, who beat him, then him hawed around trying to appease everyone finally washing his hands of it all and saying go crucify him. the guards mocked him, the crowd jeered him, the solders nailed him to a rugged cross there to expire in the hot sun bleeding profusely, not much life left, even the criminals hanging beside him said, “If thou be Christ save thyself and us. “ Jesus cried apparently in despair “My God My God Why has thou forsaken me” then he cried with a loud voice, “It is finished” and prayed, “Father into thy hands I commend my spirit.” And he gave up the ghost.
As the Old Black Minister said that was Friday but Sundays a coming.
You shall have sorrow, you shall weep and lament. We find Peter who had just a few hours earlier promised on his life he would never forsake Christ, but found he wasn’t strong enough to stand up to the pressure, go out and weep bitterly. We see the women at the cross, Mary Jesus’ mother I can’t imagine the grief she was going through when Jesus tenderly looks down at her and John standing there and he says, Son behold they Mother, mother behold thy son, and John putting his arm around his new mother leads her away from the dreadful scene. We aren’t told all the stories, but I’m sure they all shed their tears, wept and cried. They had their lives in this man, they had lived with him, slept in the same places with him, at the same table with him, seen him pray, his face shining and bright, seen him heal the sick, even raise the dead, and now he was gone. You shall have sorrow. …
….But, I’m glad the verse didn’t end there. I like how verse 22 says it, “And ye now therefore have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.”
What a wonderful promise I am going away, “But, I’ll see you again.” You know they couldn’t have grasped the meaning of that precious promise, because you find them when Sunday did come, running down to the tomb after the women came back breathless and pale and shaking all over saying the body was gone.
The sorrow of Peter
The Sorrow of two on way to Emmaus
Sorrow of women at the tomb (Especially Mary Magdelene)
(Make the tomb as secure as you can make it)NIV