Let's turn our Bibles to John chapter 16. John chapter 16 and I commence reading from verse 16 through to verse 24. John chapter 16 and I commence reading from verse 16. If you are there, the Bible reads, A little while and you see me no longer. And again, a little while, and you will see me again. 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. Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him. So he said to them, is this what you are asking yourselves? What I mean 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. 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 the joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again. and no one will take your joy from you. In that day, you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive. that your joy may be full. Amen. Well, this morning we continue to make our journey through the Gospel of John. And we are finding ourselves in verse 16 through to verse 24. And just a quick reminder, what we considered as Lord's Day, we saw that Jesus was still speaking to His disciples. He warned his disciples about what will happen to them, the future trials that will come, and the persecution that will come as a result of his death. And he wanted to assure them that they are not alone. He's going to give them the Holy Spirit, the comforter, the helper. And as he says so, he says, this is what the Holy Spirit will do. He will remind you of the things I say to you, the things I taught you. But he will also convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. That's what we considered last week when we looked from verse 7 through to verse 15. And this morning, we come to the portion we've read in verse 16 all the way to verse 24. And the Lord Jesus Christ somehow in this portion changes gears, and as He does so, He is now moving a bit slowly, but a bit away from pointing them about the Holy Spirit. But He now wants them to see what will happen when He dies and when He's hung on the cross and is finally, as it were, crucified. He wants to show them and tells them about the trials that will come, the sorrow that will come on account of His death and then their disciples being scattered. But as he does so, he wants to show them that that act of the world will result when he resurrects from the dead, will result in this joy that no one can take away from them. He's going to die, yes, but ultimately he will rise again on the third day in glorious power. And He wants, He's interested in how their disciples will respond to that, how they will react. And as He does so, He wants them to know that when He finally conquers death, they will remember what He had said to them. And when they remember what He has said to them, they will be flooded with this joy that no one can take away from them. This joy that cannot be found in anything in this world, but only in the Lord Jesus Christ. His glorious resurrection is going to bring them joy. The French philosopher, Pascal, once said and wrote, all men are seeking for happiness and this is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this, seeking for joy and happiness. Pascal went on to write and he says, Even the person who commits suicide, he's ultimately looking for happiness. Now, even you this morning, present, you obviously do recognize that that's a need in you, to look for joy, to look for happiness. You are on a quest for happiness. But the sad reality is that human beings, their quest for happiness never seems to succeed because they look for it in the wrong things. Our quest for happiness never seem to be satisfied by the things of this world. True joy is something that we long for. but is something that we cannot find in the accumulation of the things of this world. And that's the problem of the human race, is that you look for joy in the wrong things, and yet the true joy, the true source of joy, It's the Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins so that we can be reconciled to God and find that true joy. He's ignored. And the ignoring of the true joy puts you on the quest or this roller coaster of seeking after joy in the wrong things. And never find joy. The source of Christian joy, the source of Christian joy, the hope in life for Christian is rooted and centered and founded on the death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that He came into this world, He died, and He rose from the dead. And that's where our joy is founded, is rooted, and is centered. That to have your sins forgiven and to be reconciled to this God, who was raised from the dead, and to live in obedience to this God. That's where we find true joy. This is what the Lord Jesus Christ is saying to the disciples in this passage. And in this passage, we discover three kinds of words that are used in this passage. From verse 16 to 18, we see the disciples expresses words of confusion. And then in response, verse 19 to 22, the Lord Jesus Christ gives the words of comfort. And then in verse 23 and 24, the Lord Jesus Christ goes on to reassure the disciples with the words of confidence. And it is by following what Christ says that we truly find joy. And so let's look at those words that are used and draw lessons for ourselves this morning. And the first thing we see is the words of confusion. Words of confusion, verse 16 to 18. A little while and you'll 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'll see me, and because I'm 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. The disciples expressed words of confusion. They didn't understand what the Lord Jesus Christ was talking about. And of course, we have the privilege of being on the other side of the cross and having the Scriptures right in front of us, and we're able to see what Christ was referring to. But they did not have that privilege. They could not understand what the Lord Jesus Christ was talking about. You and I are about to see what happens next, and we know that the story doesn't end with Jesus' death. He is raised from the dead. But put yourself in the place of the disciples. They did not understand what the Lord Jesus Christ was talking about. They seemed confused, both by the language of the Lord Jesus Christ and also by the timing of the message. And when you notice in verse 16, he says, a little while and you'll see me no longer, and again a little while and you will see me. These men had no idea that this would be their last night with their master. They still expected the Lord Jesus Christ to lead a military revolution against the Roman kingdom. You recall in chapter 12, Jesus had entered Jerusalem to the shouts of Hosanna. And the city was buzzing with expectation, hoping that this is a time when finally the Roman kingdom will be conquered. And they still had that in mind. And they were just wondering, when will this actually take place? And now, why would he? Why wouldn't the world be the Lord Jesus Christ? Leave them now, even if it's just for a little while. They didn't understand. They could not comprehend what He was talking about. They didn't know at what point Jesus would leave them, even if it meant for a little while. Notice that their primary confusion is centered around how best to understand the phrase, in a little while. And there's some tension in Jesus' words, both in the timing and in what is seen. And the tension of timing is reflected in the two periods of time that are coming. Jesus Christ doesn't give them all the details when or how long this will happen. He only says a little while. Now, that's not a joyful statement, is it? They are now beginning to wonder, so when exactly? And this confusion has been interesting when you look at different commentaries. Some of them would point to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Others will point to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. But when you look at the immediate context, it's obvious that what John wants us to have in mind is about the coming death of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's not so much talking about the second coming. It may be implied by the immediate context is the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the words of the Lord Jesus Christ centers on this tension, in a little while and you will not see me. And in verse 16, there are two words that are used there for see in the original. In the English word, it's just simply the word see. But the first part of the scene, a little while and you'll see me no longer, the word that is used in the original gives us this idea of a sense of observing with continuity and attention. So when he's saying, in a little while and you'll see me no longer, he's actually communicating that there's a time, yes, when this will not continue. You will not see me anymore. So this observing with continuity and attention will not be there. But when will this be? John simply says, a little while. And then the next word that is used in the last part of verse 16, and again, a little while, and you will see me. In the original, it gives us this idea of visibility. It gives us this idea of sight. So, Jesus is saying, this will break at some point, and then you will pick it up. But this time, you will see me. I'll be visible. You'll be able to see me again. And so, you understand the confusion. When will this take place? It's in a little while. And you not observe with continuity. This attention will end. And then again, you'll be visible, I'll be visible to you. And you understand the confusion that they had. And the Lord Jesus Christ is basically saying, a time will come. When I'll be taken away from your sight, I'll be buried, and the tomb will be sealed with a stone." And in the disappearance and the reappearance was the assurance of Jesus' promise to His disciples. When He disappears, He will be cut off from the land of the living. The disciples will not see Him as the way they've always seen Him. He will no longer be visible to them. who will be cut off from the land of the living. And in his death, he will pay the price for sin. And then in his reappearance, when they will see him again, they will have this assurance that all things are complete. What he came to do, he's finally accomplished. And the very things he said about himself have been confirmed to be true in their sight and in their hearing. The disciples, though they did not understand what Christ was saying and expressed words of confusion, Jesus was simply saying, the time has come for me to live. And if you want to understand a bit of the confusion of what the disciples had expressed, just imagine parents. You are with your children. Or the children come to you and they ask, so what time can I have a snack? And then you tell them, in a little while. Now if you have a son like mine, one of my boys, you want to know exactly what time. So don't tell me in a little while. Tell me at 12 or after I've eaten my lunch or after my nap. Not this little while. Or if you are with them on a journey and driving. Once when we drove to Choma and my youngest son, after Mazabuka, he says, are we in Choma? I said, no. So he says, so after all, Choma is not in Zambia. He felt like we had been traveling for long. And I kept on saying, no, very soon. Again, afterwards, he woke up, are we in Choma, no? So I said, but you said Choma is in Zambia. We've been traveling for some time. Now for him, even if I say 400 kids from Lusaka, it didn't make sense. He just wanted to get in the car while in Choma. Now his confusion is similar to what the disciples. Jesus said, you'll see me now, and then you won't see me. Now when will that happen? In a little while. So when is this exactly coming? Now the disciples' problem is a problem we all have. is that as human beings we want information on our fingertips. Many of us find joy in information, knowing when this will take place, how it will take place, at what time and where, so that we begin to prepare, we begin to plan for it, we begin to anticipate and want everything to be in our control before it comes. And this was their problem. This is a problem that we have. that where we feel there's a lack of control, we become confused, and our joy is taken away from us. But the point that the Lord Jesus Christ is saying here is that true joy is not found in the information. But true joy is found in trusting God who knows all things and sees all things. And when He says, you'll always be with us and by our side, even though we don't know when and how, we can trust Him. And that's a point that the Lord Jesus Christ wanted His disciples to know. But the second thing we see there is words of comfort. Words of comfort, verse 19 to 22. Jesus knew what 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'll not see me, and again a little while and you'll see me? Truly, truly, I said 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 this 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." After the disciples expressed the words of confusion, the Lord Jesus Christ gives them words of comfort to reassure them that all will be well. And look at how the Lord Jesus Christ responds to the words of confusion here. So when He says in verse 19, Jesus knew that they wanted to ask Him, and then He went ahead to ask them. Jesus wanted them to know that He knows what is going through their mind. He knows the confusion that has been created with His words. He knows exactly what the disciples were discussing. And again, this element John highlights for us was true even throughout his stay on earth. He knew the thoughts of men because he's God. And again, we see here that Jesus knew their thinking, their thoughts, their questions. And then He goes ahead and says, is this what you are thinking? Is this what you are saying? But notice that the Lord Jesus Christ does not fill in the blanks for them in terms of details of His eminent departure and reappearance. He focuses on what will happen and how they will respond to what will happen. He says His absence will produce sorrow. there will be sorrowful, he says. And this so inspiring absence of the Lord Jesus Christ will be a source of rejoicing for the world, for those who are opposed to the truth of God, that Jesus has been revealed. That those who are opposed to God, the truth that Jesus Christ reveals, that moment when you'll be crucified, He's saying, they will rejoice. It will be a source of rejoicing for the world. And Jesus is trying to prepare them for what is going to come. He says, they will rejoice. And then in verse 26, but truly, truly, I said to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. The disciples are still confused. But the Lord Jesus Christ says, while the world will rejoice, here is some good news. Your sorrow will quickly turn into joy. How will that be, Lord? How is it that when you disappear and the world is rejoicing, we are sorrowful? How will that sorrow turn into joy? And the Lord Jesus Christ is not saying that your sorrow will be replaced by joy. He says your sorrow will turn into joy. But how will that be? Notice the illustration he gives in verse 21. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because the hour has come. But when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish. for the joy that a woman, for the joy that a human being has been born into the world. The Lord Jesus Christ, I'm thinking of the sorrow of the woman in labor. That sorrow is not eventually replaced by some independent joy. No, her sorrow, her pain is purposeful. The miracle of a life, of a baby, the miracle of a new life puts everything, even a sorrow, into perspective. The pain is not replaced, but it puts everything into perspective. As she goes through that pain and then the child is born, the joy that comes with the birth of a new life makes her forget the pain and the anguish of labor. Just say He's in the same way. He's encouraging His disciples that they should not give up when the darkness of death covers them. They should not give up. They will see Him again. And His reappearance will mean rejoicing like they've never rejoiced before. They will see Him crucified. And then on the third day, He will be raised from the dead. And the joy of seeing Him again will cause them to forget the anguish and the pain of seeing their Savior hanging on the cross. He said, but your sorrow will turn into rejoicing. And no one will take that joy away. The Lord Jesus Christ is saying, I have secured joy for you. And this secured joy is secured by the certainty of the victory of the Lord Jesus Christ over death. Their joy is secured. sorrow-producing event will ultimately result in the new life, the Lord Jesus Christ being brought back from the dead. And as the disciples will see Him, they will rejoice. The cross of Jesus Christ is the very place where the enemies of joy were defeated once and for all. The cross of Christ is a place where the world thought it is over for this troublemaker. This person who claims to be God, when they hung him on the cross and he said, it is finished, and they saw him die, the world rejoiced. They celebrated. They thought all is done. They've won. But they didn't know that three days later, the Son of God will burst forth from the grave. He will triumph over the grave and death, and the joy of those who believe in Him is secured in the glorious victory of His death. That's why he said, when you see me again, you will have this joy that the world cannot take away from you. The Lord Jesus Christ was talking about his work of substitution, his work of atonement, and his work of reconciling the world. It will be finished on the cross, and no one can rob you of that joy that comes by faith in the finished work of Christ. The rejection of the cross may be the occasion for the world to rejoice, but Jesus affirms That's the means of the greatest victory over sin, the devil, and the kingdom of darkness. And we can rejoice in the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. And when you think of Christ's death through the big picture, of God's redemptive plan. Christ's death is an occasion for hope and great rejoicing for all who are in Him. Because on the cross, Jesus freed us from our enslavement to sin. On the cross, Jesus freed us from these false, empty joys that the world offers. On the cross, he freed us from the power of sin, from the penalty of sin, and the victory of certainty in the cross of Christ is a cause for rejoicing because our joy is secured. The world cannot take that joy from us. These are the words of comfort to all of us this morning. The joy that comes in the death and resurrection of Christ cannot be taken away from you. It is sealed by Christ in his death. He intercedes for us before his father's throne and has given us his spirit who whispers every day to us, we are his. That joy that is down in our hearts. And in the third place, the words of confidence. the words of confidence, verse 23 and 24. In that day, you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever I ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. So not only does Jesus Christ give words of comfort in response to their confusion and in light of the coming events, but He also gives them words of confidence. What the Lord Jesus Christ is saying in these verses is that a time is coming when He dies and He ascends back to the Father. The disciples will ask of the Father in His name, and it will be granted to them. And notice the change that Jesus is describing in terms of the disciples' relationship to God. He's saying during the Lord Jesus Christ's earthly ministry, The disciples depended on Him, demanded a lot from Him. They asked Him questions. They asked Him for provisions. They asked Him even for places of honor when He comes into His kingdom. And they did all these things because they somehow did recognize that all the things that Jesus would talk about might be true about Himself. You recall in John chapter 3 and somewhere in verse 35 when Jesus talks about the Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hands, the disciples heard that. Somehow they thought this might be true. They had their own preconceived ideas. They were thinking when He comes in His kingdom, they'll be given places of honor, they'll rule with Him. Now the Lord Jesus Christ is saying, forget about your thinking, your ideas. He's saying to them that in a little while, after a little while, when you see me again in that day, you'll ask nothing of me. You'll be amazed. You'll remember everything that I said to you. You'll ask nothing of me. But instead, what is it that you do in that day? You go directly to the Father in my name and ask of Him in my name, and He will give it to you." And he said, up to this point, you've not been doing this. but a time is coming when I'll grant you this access to the Father. Now when the Lord Jesus Christ says that in verse 23 and 24, that in that day is the last part, whatever I ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. The Lord Jesus Christ is not guaranteeing a blank check to his disciples. but He's assuring them of an open door to His Father. He's assuring them of a fatherly favor to their responses. He's assuring them of a fullness of joy. He's saying to them, in that day, a time will come when you'll have this access open to you to the Father. Ask of Him in my name, and my Father will give you a fatherly response. He will give you a fatherly favor. He will give you the fullness of joy. When that time comes and I'm back in my Father's presence, I will give you my Spirit. He will help you. He will remind you that you have this access to my Father. And while I'm before my Father, I will continue to intercede for you. There is this open door to my Father. And the Lord Jesus Christ communicates His words of confidence. He's letting us know that God is the true source of joy. And when we are reconciled to Him, We have peace with Him through Jesus Christ and our joy is full because God will graciously and generously give us everything we need for this life to live in obedience to Him. If you ask for help, the Father will grant it to you in the name of Christ. If you ask for strength, the Father will grant it to you. And if you ask for forgiveness, the Father will give it to you in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. And what could be more joyous than the reality of God as your Father? What could be more joyous than knowing that I have an open door before my Father's throne? What could be more joyous than knowing that He who said in the beginning, let there be, and everything in this world was created? to know that He is my Father because of the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. What could be more joyous than that? To know that He who created the world and gave the world a distinct existence, and yet this world is dependent on Him, to know that He is your Father. If He sustains all things in this world by the power of His Word, what is it that He can fail to give to you when you ask in His name? What is it that He can fail to accomplish on your behalf? What could be more joyous than knowing that I've been reconciled to this God who is holy, who knows my thoughts, who knows what goes through my mind, and yet is pleased with my life because of the righteousness of his Son, Jesus Christ? What could be more joyous than knowing that I'm at peace with this great being called God? What could be more joyous than knowing that He's working out everything for my good? All things are working for my good. And that this God desires to pour this joy of heaven into my life. and that when I look confused and lost, I can go back to this God, by the head of his Holy Spirit, in the name of Christ, born before my God. Our joy is secured by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if this is true, What kind of people ought we to be as Christians? We ought to be a joyous people. because we are living in the fullness of joy. Our sins forgiven, our future is guaranteed in heaven because of Christ. He's interceding for us by name and has given us a deposit, his Holy Spirit, to assure us that we are his. We ought to be a joyous people. The things of this world cannot be compared to the joy that we have in Christ Jesus. James Hudson Taylor, the well-known missionary to China, once wrote, it is the consciousness of the threefold joy of our Lord that makes us to forever be joyful. Number one, His joy in redeeming us from sin, the consciousness of the joy of being redeemed from sin. Number two, his joy in dwelling with him as our savior and the power for bearing fruit. And number three, his joy in possessing us as his bride and his delight in us. He says it is the consciousness of that reality, the consciousness of this joy, which is our real strength. To know that I've been redeemed by the Lamb of God. To know that He dwells in me, and it's in me His power to bear fruit for His glory. But also to know the joy of being possessed as his bride, and the fact that he's delighted in me. The consciousness of this reality is a real joy, and that real joy is a real strength for us to soldier on in this world. And dear friends as believers, Our joy in God may change, may fluctuate, may vary, but His joy in us knows no change. We will sin against Him. We will disappoint Him. And as the Bible says, if we remain unfaithful to Him, He will remain faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. The joy of God in us is unchangeable because it's rooted in Christ, accomplished by Christ, and the Father is well pleased with His Son. And all those who are in Christ are pleasing before the Father. And if you are not a Christian this morning, I ask, where can you find such joy? Where can you find a joy so real, so deep, so pure, so lasting? Where can you find this joy? In the things of this world? In the perishing things of this world? True joy is found in Christ. There is every element of joy, deep, ecstatic, satisfying, and sanctifying joy in the Lord Jesus Christ. And the believer is essentially a happy man. Because he finds satisfying joy in Christ. He finds sanctifying joy in Christ. He finds forgiving joy in Christ. And therefore, a child of God is of necessity a joyful person. His sins are forgiven. His soul is justified. His person is adopted. And his trials are a blessing to him. His conflicts are victorious. His death is immortality. His future is in heaven. And in heaven, there's this promise of inconceivable and thoughtful and told and endless blessings. And therefore, as we live here on earth, We live in this reality and let everyone know about this joy that is seated in us because of Christ. And with such a God, such a Savior, such a hope, ought you not to be a joyful person? we ought to be joyful. And every day we can sing that glorious Sunday School song, I've got a joy, joy down in my heart. And it's down in my heart to stay. And I'm so happy, so very happy. Why? I've got the love of Jesus in my heart. And you know what? I know the devil doesn't like it, but it's down in my heart and it's there to stay. That's a Christian life. That's a Christian joy. And dear friends this morning, where are you looking for joy? Are you looking for ultimate joy in your marriage, in your career, in a life free of pain, free of worries? Are you looking for joy in feeling, in being in control of your situation? Are you looking for joy in the approval of others or the approval of your parents? Are you looking for joy in entertainment, recreation? Are you looking for joy in the fact that people who said to you about you that you were the best in this and that? Let me tell you this morning. There may be some pleasure in all those things. but you will not find true joy. That joy in those things is fleeting. It's dependent on your situation and your circumstance. It's temporal. And at the very worst, that joy in those things is an obstacle to God and you finding joy in his son, Jesus Christ. The joy in those created things are meant to point us to the true and lasting joy that is only found in the giver of joy, the fountain of joy, the source of joy, joy himself. the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you received this joy? Do you know this joy? Can you sing that I've got the love of Jesus in my heart? And I'm so happy because I have the love of Jesus in my life. Is that your joy? If that is not your joy, Jesus stands ready to forgive you of your sins and to pour the joy of heaven into your life. The things of this world cannot satisfy because there's a God-created vacuum in all of us That can only be satisfied by God and not any created things. And once you have that joy, no one can take it away from you. Because it's secured for us in Christ, rooted in Christ who's in heaven. Even while you live in this dark and evil world, God the Spirit reminds you that you are His. Don't continue pursuing the things of this world and bypassing the true source of joy, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.