John 16:20-24 The Night Will Pass, the Day Will Come

“Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” John 16:20-24

Background

Jesus prepared the disciples of what to expect in the coming days and the persecution that awaited them. He reminded them of the eventual victory of His second coming this time as King of the world. He assured them of His immediate presence and the love of the Father. It is through the instrument of prayer that we remain connected to God. And it is through prayer that God provides for our every need.

Observation

1.  Jesus prepared the disciples for the pattern of things to come: “that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve”. The evil man rejoices while he feasts on the sufferings of the righteous man. Jesus wanted the disciples to expect injustice to happen in every facet of society. And that they must learn to wait patiently and accept injustice as a temporal phase of human history. He used the analogy of a woman in labor pain, who experienced suffering and grief for a moment but will be followed by victory and joy. The night is just a phase that will soon pass, and the day will come.

2.  Jesus told them that they would see Him again when He comes a second time, this time as King of the world: “but I will see you again.” And the joy will wipe away the memories of their sufferings and their joy will endure forever: “and no one will take your joy away from you”; the joy of living life in the Kingdom will last forever. Jesus wanted them to set their hope to Jesus’ eventual return as King.

3.  Jesus affirmed them that even though He is absent in body, whatever they ask for, the Father will give it. Right until then, they did not ask Jesus for anything because He has provided all things. But from then on, they could ask, so that the Father’s love could be felt through answered prayers: “if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.” Jesus emphasized the certainty of fulfilment when they ask.

Truth

1.  During difficult times, we must remain in prayer until we receive the promise in our spirit. During times of grief, we have to remain focused on prayer, so that the Father’s love can be felt through His Spirit. Even though there is death and suffering, it does not mean the Father’s love is not present. The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that He has heard our prayers and will do it in His time. When we have gotten His answer in our spirit, we can rejoice in confidence while awaiting His salvation.

2.  We must not be distracted by injustice, but remain patient and do all to help those that are suffering. We must take comfort that on the day of God’s judgment, the righteous will be vindicated and evil shall be punished forever. Suffering and injustice is a phase in the sovereign plans of God. Just like a woman who experiences labor pains for a time before the child comes into the world. Hence, during the time of suffering and grief, we need to remind ourselves of the future victory by praising God for His faithfulness.

3.  We must learn to give thanks for every blessing great or small. Answered prayers even in small and seemingly insignificant things remind us of the faithfulness of God. And that our breakthrough would come very soon; the night will pass and the day will come.

Applications

1.  If you are going through a family situation where a loved one has passed away or someone you loved has left you or you may be facing continual hardship and grief. Spend some time to pour out your heart to the Spirit and let God empathise with you. Defocus from the suffering of the present and look to the joy of future victory. He will put a peace and an assurance in Your heart and cause You to be a light in your circumstances.

2.  Take time to count the blessings and answered prayers that God has given you. You will be pleasantly surprised by His frequent visits and intervention in your life.

Dear Lord, I cast my cares and worries into Your hands. People may not understand completely how I am feeling, but You know how I feel in my spirit. Even though I may not see a solution right now, but I believe You have something in stored for me and will grant to me my desires. You put the rainbow at the end of every storm as a reminder of Your faithfulness, that every child of God will always have a good ending. I pray that You give me the grace to change and to improve so that I can see my breakthrough as soon as possible. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.