The Master Key
John 16:16-24
The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn to Joy
16 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.” 17 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’?” 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 Very truly I tell you, 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. Very truly I tell you, 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.
Jesus was telling about His death and resurrection as well, but His disciples were just wondering about what He was telling about, without asking about it, as they had no clue about what He was saying. Therefore, Jesus told about giving a baby as a comparison, though they had no experience of that. Without pain, there is no gain and joy as well. In a simple way, it's similar to the rule of life.
However, Jesus was telling about His resurrection and the salvation through Him. To become a life and the way for human beings to be saved, there was no other way, except His own being the greatest and the most terrible scapegoat. Having all the sins of all human races on His shoulder and having been discarded from all the men of His communities, He had to cry alone praying and suffering from all the physical, mental, and spiritual pains, as well as the betrayers' condemnations, laughing, and jealousy, and so on.
One sure thing is that without death, there was no resurrection. Grief would turn to joy, as Jesus won over the Satan's power of stopping Him from doing the greatest work for every mankind. Resurrection from death, which means that we all are to be risen from death after a while later, though it would be the time of God. About the time, no one knows it as Jesus said. It depends on God. But one more hope and gift we have got is that we could pray in Jesus name.
We, Christians, pray in Jesus name, as He promised. He would give whatever we ask in His name. That was the Gospel, the good news, I have NEVER heard from others, and even my parents couldn't tell me. That is the life and joy itself. Whenever I ask in His name, I receive what I pray, and then I feel that my joy is complete. What an amazing life it is! This is the master key of my smile and joy in my heart while living such a tough life. Thank, Jesus!
