Day 5 - John 16: Sorrow Into Joy
Reading Passage: John 16
We had taken our family south to the beach in Florida for a much needed, and wildly anticipated, break from the glorious grind of ministry to students and parents.
One night while we were out to dinner, my husband received an unexpected phone call from a Pastor on our staff - usually never a good sign. I tried to carry on with our kids at the table while he stepped away for some devastating news.
The voice on the other end of the line was shaken with grief and disbelief.
One of our dearly loved senior students, who showed up to leader bible studies every week and served his community all the way to an Eagle Scout, was involved in an accidental shooting while cleaning guns with his longtime buddy.
The crushing reality that his Momma and Daddy were facing in wake of such a horrible accident was too much to bear.
Parents who passed on their own faith to their son, who didn’t have a child until later in life, were beaming with pride and hope for the future of their only child.
High school graduation was only a couple weeks away, with a scholarship in hand. Sam was ready to take on the world - literally this kid was a dream.
His smile brought light to entire rooms. He would walk into our home during the week with a drink from Sonic in hand for me and conversations with us about cars and dreams, and following Jesus flowed freely from this kid.
The twinkle of no fear in his eyes let others know he was living in the power of His God and nothing would stop him from living life to the absolute fullest.
My husband and I paced the outside parking lot, weary with tear stained faces, trying to process what our people at home were experiencing. How we would enter the restaurant and tell our boys. How Sam may have suffered. And how on earth his Momma and Daddy could accept this brutal reality.
The heartache of loss, and trying to find the peace of Jesus in the chaos, was messy.
We could not grasp the reality that Sam was not going to be there when we returned home and at the same time we were grateful for the conversations we got to have with him about his relationship with Jesus. How his decision to accept Jesus into His life to save him by His grace was the faith that he wanted to live by.
One of life’s hardest tensions is searching for joy in the midst of sorrow.
We’ve all walked into a situation where grief is heavy, where the pain of an earthly goodbye is heartbreaking.
The newborn baby who didn’t get to go home from the hospital.
The sudden accident that has family and friends saying unexpected and heart wrenching goodbyes.
The friend who struggled to stay above water, whose depression took over every area of their life, leading to deep sorrow and a fading will to live.
The child who had to suffer with cancer or an illness that could not be healed this side of eternity.
Isn’t it a tough place emotionally and spiritually?
Our humanity feels the depth of loss. The thought of losing someone we love is impossible to comprehend. We go to places in our heart that try and fathom daily life without their presence and it is sad.
Our faith in the God who offers us eternal life, through the saving power of Jesus on the cross and into the presence of God Almighty... fills us with hope.
In our passage of John 16, Jesus is spoke to His disciples and said,
“Truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy.” (John 16:20, CSB)
Jesus continues and gave an example about how pain can turn to joy.
“When a woman is in labor, she has pain because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world.” (John 16:21, CSB)
It is the tension of pain and joy coming together at the same moment.
He reminds them that the sorrow of His death and departure is real, but joy is coming when they will see Him again.
There is beauty in the words that Jesus spoke to the disciples that has proven true over the course of my life and maybe yours too.
The grief and sorrow after the sudden, accidental death of our guy Sam was something that would change us forever because the hope and joy Jesus spoke about in our passage - is the joy that came for Sam as he stepped into eternity in the presence of God.
Jesus closed His encouragement up by saying,
“So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you.”
Based on this verse, what did Jesus say the disciples' response would be when they saw Jesus alive again? How does the joy the disciples experienced apply to Christ-followers today? Can our joy be taken away?
Let’s dive in together, friends, to the full chapter of John 16, and experience this conversation about sorrow and joy as our hearts celebrate the promises kept by Jesus in that upper room.
Written by: Jenny Howell