An Overcoming Joy!

John 16:16-33, NASB

Joy Through Sorrow?•This passage is the end of the Upper Room Discourse

•Deals primarily with the emotions of the Disciples

•Sorrowing, Confused, Afraid…this encourages me to know they were men, just like me

•The recurring theme here is JOY– 20-22,24,33

•Not apparent now, but what He tells them will make a huge difference in their lives-us too

16 “A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.” 17 Some of His disciples then said to one another, “What is this thing He is telling us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wished to question Him,

and He said to them, “Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’? 20 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. 21Whenever 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. 22 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.

23 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. 24Until now you have asked for nothing in My name;

ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

25 “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you

have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. 28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.”

29His disciples *said, “Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech. 30Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You

came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:16-33 NASB

1. From Confusion to Hope•Vv 16-18 would have completely confused me, beyond any hope– Charlie Brown’s teacher

•His comments went from persecution to arrest and torture, to even death!

•They missed the resurrection part—He was trying to give them hope, but they just couldn’t understand

•So, he patiently explains it so they are able to understand

2. Jesus Clarifies…•Vv 19-22, He starts to explain, but instead of asking, they opine with each other

•There is a principle to grasp here…

2. Jesus Clarifies…•Vv 19-22, He starts to explain, but instead of asking, they opine with each other

•There is a principle to grasp here…

•God brings joy to our lives, not by substitution, but by transformation

•The newborn baby is an example

• If we as parents substitute every time something goes wrong…

2. Jesus Clarifies…• Jesus did not say that the mother’s sorrow of birth pain was substituted by joy, rather that the sorrow of pain was transformed into shear joy of her new born baby

• The same baby that caused so much pain in delivery also caused such joy

• So it is in the Christian life: God takes seemingly impossible and horrible situations, adds the miracle of His grace

• In result, He transforms trial to triumph and sorrow to joy

“Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.”

Psalm 30:5b

“The Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you.”

Deuteronomy 23:5b

2. Jesus Clarifies…•The cross is another example

•An instrument of 1st Century death, has been transformed into a symbol of hope

•V 20 reminds us, they will rejoice while we weep

•The world wants nothing of Jesus and will mock and rejoice in our suffering

3. Ask…•Vv 23-24– it is important that we understand there are two different Greek words for “ask” used here…

•1st one in V23, “erotao”, which means“to ask a question or request ”

•2nd word ‘ask’ in v23 and v24 are “aiteo”, which means “to pray,” or “to request something of a superior”

•Why? One reason is because of His plan…

3. Ask…•One of the many reasons we should pray is because it is God’s appointed way of giving to us what we need in our daily lives

•Things He wants to say, do for, or give you that for His reasoning, He wants you to askfor before He can do them

•Not suggesting He’ll always say yes, but what is there to lose? A privilege for US

4. The Father loves you…•Vv 25-28 says while He was He took care of their needs, Now He says pray to the Father in His name

•Why? He’s now at the right hand of the Father interce-ding for us

•The Holy Spirit is inside each of us dispensing gifts and providing those answers according to the Will of the Father; Advocate, Intercessor, Power

5. The Overcoming Joy…•Vv 29-33, the Disciples are finally getting it!

•Although He knew they were weak, He approved of the growing evidence of their faith and assured them with His promise and encouragement

• Is it possible to have faith, knowledge, assurance and still fail Him? Sure!

•But we can choose to continue in faith, apply the Knowledge we get in Him and REST in assurance & peace

• Joy of the Lord has nothing to do with happiness, which is but a momentary emotion

• When you have joy in the Lord, we find strength to go on against all odds, against everyone’s belief

• How? Because joy of the Lord is our strength in Him

Understand this…

“Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10c

Every believer is either overcome or an overcomer. The world wants to overcome us; this is why Satan uses the world to persecute and pressure believers. The world wants us to conform; it does not want us to be different. When we yield ourselves to Christ and trust Him, He enables us to be overcomers. We must claim our spiritual position in Christ and believe Him for victory.

Take Home!

•1. The way of transformation in Christ is the way of faith and spiritual maturity

•2. Prayer to the Lord is a privilege of the believer of Jesus Christ. Exercisethat privilege daily

•3. We are overcomers in Christ Jesus. Don’t let the world get under your skin. Keep your faith in Him and be obedient in His commandments!