Dial In with Jonny Ardavanis - Dial In - John 16:16-33 (Ep. 42)

Episode Date: May 29, 2020

Dial In is a devotional series with the intention of helping followers of Christ understand God’s word and love Him more. Jonny seeks to communicate the profound depth of scripture in a digestible and condensed format each weekday. The goal of the podcast is that our “minds would be renewed” as we behold who God is in His word.  In this series, Jonny is walking sequentially through the Gospel of John. In this episode, Jonny covers John 16:16-33 where Jesus tells the disciples that their sorrow will be turned into joy. Jesus comforts his disciples in the moments before his death, telling them that they will rejoice "when they see" him again and when they receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells them to "take heart" because He has overcome the world. Watch VideosVisit the Website Follow on InstagramFollow on Twitter

Hey guys, my name is Johnny Artavanis and this is Dial In. We continue in our study of John's Gospel as we come to John chapter 16 verses 16 through 33. Let's dial in. John chapter 16 verses 16 through 33. A little while and you will see me no longer, and again a little while and you will see me no longer. And again, a little while and you will see me. So some of the 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. So they were saying, what does he mean by a little while? We do not know what he is

talking about. 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? 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. 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 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. 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.

Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full. I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf. For the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father. His disciples said, Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech. Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you. This is why we believe that you came from God. Jesus answered them, Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come,

when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. Jesus has just finished telling the disciples that the Holy Spirit is going to come and that the Holy Spirit is going to convict the world regarding sin and righteousness and judgment. But more than that, he is going to lead the disciples to the truth. Jesus actually tells the disciples in the previous passage that it is better for Jesus to leave and depart to the Father so that they might receive the Holy Spirit. We see the Trinity at work in these chapters, the work of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, three in one. The desire of Jesus to comfort his disciples in these chapters is so obvious.

On the night before his execution, when he knows full well the physical and emotional pain that he will endure on the cross, Jesus spends his final moments with his disciples, comforting them, and then telling them of the Spirit who would come, who is the comforter. I don't know what your idea of God is, but this is what we see all throughout the scripture. The God of the Bible comforts the troubled, the downcast, and the fearful. We don't only see that in this passage, but we see that all throughout the scriptures. God is a God of comfort. Psalm 147.3, God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 55.22, cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you. He will not allow the righteous to be shaken. Lamentations 3.21, this I recall to mind, therefore I have hope.

The Lord's loving kindness indeed never ceases, for his compassion never fails. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I have hope. We live in a hopeless world, and we serve a God who alone provides true hope, true comfort, and as we will see additionally in this passage, a God who himself provides true joy. At this point in chapter 16, the disciples had truly plunged into sorrow. Maybe you felt this way before, but their expectations of a Messiah were shattered. Jesus is going to die. Their friend Judas is a betrayer. And Jesus is telling them in the midst of this to not let their hearts be troubled, to have peace and to have joy. Several times throughout these chapters in chapters 13 through 16, Jesus has told them, stop being troubled. Don't be troubled. Have peace, have joy. The whole point of this next section is for Jesus to turn the disciples sorrow into joy.

Jesus says in verse 16, a little while and you will see me no longer. And again, a little while and you will see me. This sounds like a riddle from the Hobbit and the disciples are attempting to decipher what Jesus means. So Jesus, knowing their thoughts, explains it this way in verse 20. Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world is going to rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. Now, when a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow. 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 brought into the world. So you're going to have sorrow, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy from

you. Okay. So Jesus says tomorrow you will be filled with sorrow. You will be filled with anguish, but like a mother in the midst of labor labor whose sorrow is turned into joy because she beholds her child, your sorrow will also be turned to joy. Why? Well, we could answer this in a couple ways. First, in the immediate, when Jesus rises from the dead and appears in their midst in the upper room, the sorrow they possessed over a dead Messiah will be transformed into joy as they realize that Jesus had to die as the Messiah and rise from the dead.

This is what we see in Luke 24 when the two men are on the road to Emmaus and they're walking with Jesus, but they don't realize it's him and they are filled with sorrow. And they're saying, we thought this guy was going to be the Messiah, but now he is dead. And then Jesus reveals himself to them and their sorrow is turned to joy and their hearts begin to burn as they realize that Jesus is alive. Now these two men possess what Peter defines as a living hope because they, and you if you're in Christ, serve a living Savior. All of the promises of Jesus, all the talk of eternal life would now make sense to the disciples and their sorrow would be turned to joy when they see a risen Savior. But in addition to the immediate joy they will have, Jesus is going to give them

lasting joy through his spirit. He says that he will come to them when he goes to the Father. What does this mean? How is he going to come to them when he goes to the Father? Well, this is referring to his ascension, and he will come to them in the form of the Holy Spirit. And we will see this at Pentecost. And the Spirit of God is the Spirit of joy who takes up residence in the life of every single believer. This is what Jesus said in chapter 15, that his joy be in them and that they have fullness of joy. This is for all Christians. Jesus desires that his joy be in them. And this is made possible

through the Holy Spirit. I don't know what your idea of Christianity is, but Jesus expects those who follow him to be filled with joy. Isn't this the natural response? Jesus says in John 10 that no one can take your salvation from you. Neither should anybody be able to take your joy. This is why Paul says rejoice always. And again, I say rejoice. If Jesus alone has conquered death and offers us life in himself, then the spirit of God who lives in us will inevitably cultivate a heart of joy. We will finish with verse 33. Jesus tells them, I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation but take heart I have overcome the world the world is full of sin the world lacks peace but Jesus tells us that in me you have peace the most important peace peace with God and although you may have trouble and

trial and tribulation in the world, Jesus tells us, cheer up. I've overcome the world. I've beat it. Your home is with me. Stay dialed in.