Thursday, May 24, 2012
Read John 16:12-22. "You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy" (John 16:20b).
SORROW BECOMES JOY IN JESUS
It is one thing to know that your sorrow will sooner or later end and it will be replaced by joy. There is some comfort in knowing that this sorrow will not last forever, but in the depth of sorrow that may be of little consolation. At the moment it is very real and we may wonder how we can ever have joy again. I'm sure that is the way it felt to the disciples when Jesus’ died.
Jesus says more than your sorrow will be replaced by joy, He told His disciples that their "Sorrow will be turned into joy." The very source of their sorrow was turned into a source of joy. That is accomplished by the Holy Spirit. Notice what "the truth" is that the Spirit will reveal to them and to us: "He will glorify Me," Jesus said. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus by proclaiming the truth about who Jesus is and what He has done for us.
Jesus' death on the cross no longer brought sorrow, it became the source of the greatest joy. Now they understood the deep love of their Savior to willingly go to the cross for them. Now they understood how Jesus' death had paid for all their sins and taken them completely away. Instead of sorrowing when they thought of Jesus' cross, they gloried in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Seeing Jesus turned the most horrible symbol of torture and death into the most glorious symbol of love and life and salvation.
Not only that, but now they fully knew Jesus' divine nature as their Creator. Now they had the full assurance that the One who calmed the storms and fed the thousands and healed their diseases was still with them to take care of them.
Seeing Jesus also has the power to turn your sorrow into joy. All the trials and troubles of life that might bring sorrow take on a whole new meaning and purpose. While they still may be difficult to take, we can see that Jesus uses those very troubles for our good.
Therefore as James says, you can "count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience" (1:2-3).
We can even look at the death of a loved one who has died in the faith completely differently. While it still brings sorrow because of our loss, in Christ we also find joy in their death knowing that their death is the passageway into eternal life with God.
O Holy Spirit, glorify Jesus in our minds and hearts so that we too may see Him and find joy in every sorrow of life, knowing that He has overcome the world and all sorrow for us.
