Jonah Albrecht

Jubilate Sunday

May 11th, 2025

John 16:16-22

A Christian’s Joy Overcomes All Sorrow

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 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’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 19 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’? 20 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. 21 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. 22 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.

INJ Who carried our griefs and sorrows to the cross that He might give us eternal joy, DFR:

If there is one thing American History has taught us, it’s that there is no shortage of hard times. Over the last 250 years, people have endured the struggles of beginning a new colony which brought diseases, starvation, and conflict with the natives. Wars against outside nations, against tyrants, and even against its own brethren. Spanish Flu Pandemic, Polio, and COVID rocked the nation. Not to mention great recessions and depressions which many destitute and uncertain.

Yet, for every great hardship, there are people who overcome the sorrows and realize the joy, albeit temporary, that comes afterwards. The American spirit, dare I say, is one of overcoming, and self-creating destiny. If you are in the midst of a dark place, or a great struggle in life…pick yourself up by your bootstraps as the saying goes. Or as Knute Rockne said, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” “Believe you can, and you’re halfway there.” – Teddy Roosevelt.

There are many other quotes of encouragement that have come as a result of people going through tough and terrible days. Many of those quotes contain good advice and can help one persevere. But you have something greater than human advice for those dark and dreary days. Who knows more about our tough terrible days than the One who sees all things and knows all things? Who could offer a greater and longer lasting encouragement and confidence than the one Who has overcome the greatest sorrow that affects everyone in the world? This is what we have in our text this morning. Jesus reminds us of the Christian mystery that separates you from everyone else. A Christian’s Joy Overcomes All Sorrow.

We are hopping back in time from talking about Jesus’ resurrection and His appearances thereafter to a time before His death. In fact, John 16 is spoken just hours before Jesus would be arrested and sentenced to death. Jesus and His disciples have left the room where He instituted the Lord’s Supper and they were on their way towards Gethsemane. Jesus knew exactly what was about to happen to Him and the grief that would overcome His disciples. But the disciples are completely oblivious.

When we hear Jesus say, “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me,” we know exactly what He is talking about. He is foretelling His upcoming death and resurrection. For the disciples, who think nothing bad could possibly happen to Jesus, it is a mystery. Earlier that night Jesus had said to them, “33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.” These thoughts are swirling around their head, “What does He mean by all this?”

We might wonder why Jesus doesn’t plainly tell them what He means, but there is a reasonable explanation. In these last few hours Jesus has with His disciples, He spends in teaching them invaluable lessons to help them through the earth-shattering events of Good Friday. Without knowing it, the disciples will be front and center for the greatest showdown between the powers of Satan and of God the world has ever seen. To the eyes of everyone, including the disciples, this would be the most demoralizing and agonizing defeat. Jesus Christ, the promised Savior, the Son of God, dies.

20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. Within 24 hours, it will be realized just how true these words of Jesus were. Jesus’ followers would see the long-promised Messiah; the One who was the source of all healing and blessing; the One who was perfect and holy; the One who truly made a lasting change in the world, was gone. For those who loved Jesus, tears and sorrow would rip its way through their hearts. It was a sorrow so great that no word of encouragement, no motivational speech could heal the wound that Jesus’ death gave.

And yet, while His followers were grieving, Jesus’ enemies were rejoicing. Just think back to the passersby to the cross and how they hurled insult after insult against Him. “He saved others; he cannot save himself…43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God,’” (Matt 27). In other words, “Ha, so much for calling yourself God. We just killed you, I guess we are greater than God!” In the spiritual realm, the rejoicing was much the same. Satan and his demons likewise rejoiced. Their greatest adversary, the one who could destroy them was dying on the cross. They had won!

This sort of rejoicing has not ceased in our own day, has it? The world rejoices greatly over anything that spits in the face of God. Oh how the world rejoices with the celebration of sexual immorality, outright murder, lying, and disobedience. But they don’t just revel in their own wickedness, do they? Not they also target those who do not engage in the same debauchery as they. Christians who take a stand on the truth of God’s Word and do not engage in the lusts of the flesh are outcasts. They are the outsiders, the failures, the ones they “crucify” as they did the Son of God.

As the disciples were left in great sorrow and lament at the mockery and death of their beloved Teacher, are we not also faced with a similar sorrow and grief? When the world lashes out in anger against the faithful of God – it is easy to become like the prophet Elijah, who feared for his life and became greatly depressed thinking he was the only believer left in the land of Israel.

Sure, I have brothers and sisters in the faith who are with me, but they don’t really know what I am going through. They don’t experience the ridicule I receive, or the aloneness I feel. Each one of us experiences this assault from the world that rejoices to one degree or another.

But maybe that isn’t what lays heavy on your heart today. Maybe it is the other sorrow that filled the hearts of the disciples, the sorrow that fills my heart and yours whenever we are confronted by God’s Law – our sin. Looking upon the death of our Savior, we are reminded why He is there in the first place. For the disciples, it was the sin of betrayal. In a few hours, only two would stay with Jesus. By the end of Thursday night, Peter would leave in shame and only John was present at the Crucifixion. But even John would see Jesus no more. For me, it is also the sin of betrayal. When I depart from the side of my Savior and chase after that which the world loves and rejoices in. When I succumb to the desire of my flesh and ignore my Savior’s calling. The sorrow over my sin leaves an aching and shame-filled heart.

Jesus knew exactly what His disciples would go through. He knows exactly what you go through and the sorrow that weighs on your conscience. But the prediction of sorrow is only half the story because Jesus also provides joy.

You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 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. 22 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.

Jubilate Sunday comes halfway between Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and His ascension into heaven. Both events are what gives the joyful meaning and promise to Jesus’ words. The seeing Jesus again is what erased every sorrow from the hearts of the disciples. It was His words, “Peace be with you,” assuring them of His personal forgiveness for their sins that replaced that grief with boundless joy. From that day on, they could always look back to their own eye-witness of a risen Savior and remember that their sins are with them no longer. They have complete and utter forgiveness through Jesus.

But the witness of His resurrection was temporary. He would depart from them again, though only physically. Jesus’ ascension into heaven signified two more great promises that brought great joy. 1. Though Jesus had left them physically, He would be with them always. 2. Jesus would send to them the Holy Spirit to strengthen and encourage them to proclaim boldly what they had heard and seen. It was the promise of a joyful future that shredded the sorrows that lingered. This joyful future included a personal relationship with their God and Savior, both in time and hereafter in eternity.

You have the same opportunity to look back on Jesus’ resurrection and forward, within the church year, towards His ascension. Today and every day, look back on the empty tomb and see the victory that you have over sin and death. The sorrow that lingers over your sin and rebellion against God has been crushed to dust. Your sin is with you no more and Jesus says to you, “Peace be with you.” No sin is too great; no conscience too calloused for Jesus’ love to forgive. That is the jubilance, the joy of a Christian that overcomes all sorrow.

Now look forward towards His ascension. Receive the same promise that the LORD is with you always, even to the end of the age. He is with us right now as we gather to hear His Word. Every time you pray, He is there hearing your prayer and sitting at the right hand of power, working for your benefit. And yes, you have been given the same Holy Spirit that was sent to the first disciples. The same Holy Spirit who created a strong and lasting faith in their hearts creates a strong foundation of faith in yours. He reminds you daily of the promise of eternal life that is yours through faith in Jesus and radiates it through the Gospel’s joyful proclamation.

If there is one thing your life has taught you, it’s that there is no shortage of hard times. And Jesus does not promise the sorrows of this life will go away completely. He says, you will have sorrow now. What He does promise, is that sorrow will, without a doubt, most definitely be turned to joy. How? What is the secret to this mysterious joy? I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. Jesus sees you now and you see Him when you read His Word, come to Him in prayer and thanksgiving, and carry all of your sorrows to His heavenly throne. But you will see Him face to face. And when that day comes, He will destroy any ounce of sorrow and you will have nothing but joy joy joy. Amen.