Easter 4 Jubilate – Pr. Anderson sermon
St. John 16:16-23 “No One Will Take Away Your Joy”
April 21, 2024 | Christ Lutheran Church
In Nomine Iesu
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Lord God, heavenly Father, through Your Son You promised us Your Holy Spirit, that He should convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment: We beseech You, enlighten our hearts, that we may confess our sins, through faith in Christ obtain everlasting righteousness, and in all our trials and temptations retain this consolation: that Christ is Lord over the devil and death and all things, and that He will graciously deliver us out of all our afflictions, and make us forever partakers of eternal salvation; through the same, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen. (Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary, by Veit Dietrich, p. 156)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (Rom. 1:7, etc.)
The sermon text for today is taken from the 16th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John. We read selected verses in Jesus’ name:
[Jesus said:] 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.”
These are Your words, heavenly Father. Sanctify us by Your truth, Your Word is truth. Amen. (Joh. 17:17)
In Christ Jesus, who hears your prayers and cries for mercy, who brings you comfort with His death and resurrection, giving you an eternal reward, dear fellow redeemed:
It is the running theme, and we hear it more and more. Christianity is on the decline. Its downfall has come. Many of us mourn the days of old. Our churches were packed to the brim. Some of them could seat hundreds of worshipers and now those pews sit empty. It certainly feels like we are in a frantic state. As we struggle and mourn our state, the world of course is overjoyed by what is happening. If you ask them, they can’t wait for our downfall. Unfortunately for the world, they have been singing this song for a long time and they are not on the winning side. They had the same thought when Jesus was here on earth. It looked like they were going to win then. Of course we will go through pain, trials, and tribulations and in a little bit they bring us joy we do not deserve. But because you have it, no one will take away your joy.
Is it possible to find that joy here in the world? Jesus teaches His disciples they will have it. Before having that joy, it will come out of the sorrow they will have first. As we have often heard, Jesus is describing to His disciples the events of Holy Week. It is the third Sunday of Easter, but we must go back to the events of Holy Week. [Jesus said:] “A little while, and you will see Me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see Me.” So some of His 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.” Like the disciples, we will struggle with this message. To stand in their shoes, when we get the news that a family member is dying of cancer, or any other kind of life changing illness, it’s not easy for us to fathom. We don’t want to accept this message and Jesus at times is very explicit with
them about His coming death, I would block my ears too.
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.” Jesus knows all. He tells the disciples more in depth what will happen on the night He is betrayed and the day of His crucifixion. As we were with John at the foot of the cross on Good Friday, Jesus uses words to describe where the other disciples were. Lamenting, wailing, great weeping. No matter how hard Jesus tries to prepare them, this is inevitable and that is what we witnessed. They had left, and Jesus died.
With Jesus death on the cross there was great weeping, and there was great rejoicing. His enemies had plotted for so long. They had tried to kill Him and finally, it looked as though everything was going to plan. Even the High Priest had prophesied, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish” (John 11:49b-50). This was their wish that the man Jesus of Nazareth would die. They rejoiced greatly when it had finally happened, and Jesus was nailed to the cross. The world rejoices now. It looks like that Christian religion is all but done for.
Those words that Jesus told His disciples ring out. “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.” The world thinks they are winning. It sure looks like they are winning at times. Oh, how they love to gloat. We weep, sometimes thinking that the good times are over, what now is the point? How can we rejoice with so few numbers in our church? This is what the world wants, us to sit in utter hopelessness. It is at the low point where we can be tempted, thinking that it is us against the world. In the world’s domain, the world will win every time. If it doesn’t throw what looks to be our failing Christianity in our faces, then it will point out what is happening in our personal lives. They will ask, “How can you even believe that God is out there when your life has fallen apart.” Like the disciples, it is these thoughts and temptations that get us to focus on the here and now, instead of looking toward the plan of salvation. Even in this fallen world and our imperfect lives, we can dry our tears from weeping for it is only a little while and there is a reason to rejoice!
Knowing all that is going to happen, Jesus tells His disciples, and He tells us it is going to be okay. “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.” The disciples were indeed sorrowful. They had made mistakes. They had fled when He was being arrested. Peter had denied that he “ever knew the man.” And as Jesus died on the cross, it was for the sins of the world that He cried out, “It is finished.” There is the joy that their sins were taken away. And in a little while, in three days’ time, they did not find their Savior in the tomb. He came to them. “When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord” (John 20:20). The pain of life, the pain of the world, it disappears in the work and love of Christ.
The world, the devil, and their sins tried to take away the disciples joy. They tried to tell them it was over; their teacher was dead. They were so wrong, and Jesus Words are truth. He stood in front of His disciples alive and well. Not even death could destroy the Son of God. The weeping and wailing changes into joy. A joy that can never be taken away because it is eternal. Jesus would leave them forty days later, but again they would only not see Him for a little while. That is how long life is here on earth. It is only a little while and then we are taken to a home that lasts forever. Where all our tears are wiped away from our eyes.
The ending of this text confirms to you your tears will disappear and your joy holds firm. “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.” You learn from the disciples how Jesus never leaves you alone. Because of what your Savior has done for you, you get to go directly to your heavenly Father. The heavenly Father looks out for you, forgiving you of self-pity, and He promises He hears your prayers for Jesus’ sake. In the times where you struggle with prayer, Jesus promises those prayers are carried to the Father’s ears. The Father will work things out for your good.
The world will ask you what good can your God do for you? What about the loss and heartache, can He really take it all away? Can you really have joy? Jesus is teaching the difference between feeling of happiness and joy. You know that it is hard to be happy all the time. The psalms describe you will be broken down by the world and as you are pushed down, Jesus comes into the picture and takes on the beating. He takes on your sins and dies for you on the cross knowing that you can’t handle the pain, misery, and death you truly deserve. He tells you that you will have joy, and no one can take that joy away. Even though your Savior doesn’t stand before you right now, He is right here. He speaks to you the joy that you have because of His death and resurrection in His Word. He comes to you directly marking you and confirming to you the forgiveness of your sins, life, and salvation in His Sacraments.
For the world who doubts that you have your Savior who brings joy, Jesus teaches about this sorrow and joy with an image you and the world knows. “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.” The world will try to put you down, but you have a message that cannot be destroyed. You must deal with this world for a little while. It will dish out to you problems that you know you won’t be able to handle and yet your joy is with you. Jesus is with you in your worship, coming directly to you in His Word and Sacraments. As the world is changing, Jesus reminds you that you get what you need from the Father. It is this faith that dwells in you. There will be change, sorrow and pain, but you will never lose your joy.
This is the joy that the world searches for. They think they have it in happiness that changes with their feelings. Since they do not have this joy, they will try to destroy it. They dwell in sorrows and pain and think that this is it. They will point out our dying churches. All we do is hold fast to this message. We will have sorrow, but in a little while, we will have joy. As the Psalmist writes about our God, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). And you know who sits at the right hand of the Father. Since He is there you know the grave is empty and you have been declared not guilty before the eyes of God. He is there hearing your prayers and is with you always. No one will take away your joy. Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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