The Glory

Posted on by korgrocker

“I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.”
John 17:4-5 NLT

“Glory” is not a word often used in secular language. It might perhaps be associated with an outstanding sportsperson, or used to describe a beautiful sunset. But in that latter natural phenomenon, seen in our created world, we perhaps get a hint of the glory of God. In the spiritual world that we have yet to experience in all its fullness, the glory we will see will be breathtaking in its beauty. Words are incapable of describing the glory of God though, because how can a mind limited by its humanity ever be able to describe the fullness of God in all His glory? 

The glory of God is all of who He is. His attributes, His character, His love and grace, His … the list is endless. And we will spend eternity in His presence never fully able to plumb the depths of God’s glory. But in the here and now, no human being will ever be able to see God’s glory. That demands a capability totally beyond us. But that didn’t stop Moses from asking. Exodus 33:18, “Then Moses said, “Please, show me Your glory!””. God’s response was, “ … “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. …  But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live”” (Exodus 33:19-20). 

How could God ever reveal His glory but at the same time, emphasise its magnitude and importance in a way so significant that human beings can get a glimpse of it? In the Old Testament, this often happened with fire and smoke, earthquakes and other natural phenomenon. Today we have to look a bit harder, but God’s glory can still be found. This morning I watched the sun rise and the colours, the different shades of pink, were breathtaking and moved me to praise our wonderful Creator God. As an aside, I always feel sorry for atheists, because they see such beauty but have no one to thank for it. They get a glimpse of God’s glory but fail to understand what it portrays. 

Jesus prayed that His Father would “bring [Him] into the glory [they] shared before the world began”. How could a human being pray such a prayer, unless He was also divine. And there is now in Heaven a Human Being, sharing in the glory of God. One day we too will find ourselves in, what the Christians of a bygone era called, “glory”. If that doesn’t bring some excitement to this war-torn world, then nothing will. 

Dear Father God. We sing the hymn, “Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son, endless is the victory, thou o’er death hast won”. Our words cannot fully express the glory for which You are due, but please accept our feeble attempts. Amen.

Eternal Life

Posted on by korgrocker

“After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.”
John 17:1-3 NLT

The John 17 prayer of Jesus is rich in content relevant to disciples and pilgrims today, but verse 3 needs to be unpacked to find out why there is an apparent contradiction. The verse starts with the assertion that Jesus chooses people to whom He will grant eternal life, people who have been given to Him by His Father in Heaven. Did this just apply to His disciples or does this have a more far-reaching meaning? Jesus’ work of course continued through the work of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. But specifically chosen? We of course can refer to Deuteronomy 7:6, “For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure“. In the New Testament, Paul wrote, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” (Ephesians 1:4-5). So this brings a picture of God cherry-picking those He thinks would perhaps fit well into Heaven and ignoring everyone else. 

In the next part of verse 3, Jesus prayed, “And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth”. This seems to introduce an element of personal choice, giving human beings the opportunity to believe in Jesus and, through repentance at the cross, to find the treasure of eternal life. Paul wrote to Timothy, “This is good and pleases God our Saviour, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time” (1 Timothy 2:3-6). So has God chosen everyone, leaving to each person the decision to accept salvation and eternal life? 

So we have an apparent conflict between the sovereignty of God and human will, that has introduced two schools of theological thought over the centuries. Perhaps the solution to the potential conflict lies in the character of God. He is sovereign over all, and as He said to Moses, as quoted by Paul in Romans 9:15, “For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose””. God knows the end from the beginning, being outside of time, so He knows in advance who will respond to His offer of grace through Jesus, becoming “chosen” in the process.

Dear God. That You for choosing us, the followers of Your Son Jesus. Amen.

The Hour Has Come

Posted on by korgrocker

“After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him.””
John 17:1-2 NLT

John 17 is often referred to as Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. He started off by touching base with His Heavenly Father, by saying that “The hour has come …” Jesus was saying our loud something that both He and His Father knew, that very soon He would be arrested and the final events of His earthly life unfurled. This chapter records Jesus’ longest prayer and it starts with the request for His Father to glorify Him. What does that mean, other than Jesus returning glory back to His Father by His submission and humility, His willingness to see through His mission, His sinless life and the defeat of the forces of darkness for ever through the cross? Jesus said to Philip earlier that whoever has seen Him has seen the Father (John 14:9), and so in a way, albeit limited by their humanity, God’s glory was to be seen to all who met Jesus. Then Jesus prayed about the authority given to Him by His Father. We of course remember what Jesus said to Thomas in John 14:6, “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me“. That profound statement is a decisive and eternal statement that focuses all faiths and beliefs down to one single point that is the gateway to eternal life, Jesus Himself. So when Jesus said that He grants eternal life to all those given to Him by His Father, He clearly stated that this was not just a one off, but an eternal ministry, started during His time here on earth, and continuing right up to today and beyond by the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Some of Jesus’ last post-resurrection words can be found in Matthew 28:18, the Great Commission, “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth“. 

We pilgrims obey the command, “Go and make …” continuing the work Jesus started, honoured to be included in His mission of salvation through grace, and reassured by, ” … I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b). Jesus’ time as a human being on Planet Earth was just about up but for us pilgrims the “end of the age” is still before us. Thankfully, through His Spirit, Jesus is indeed still with us. 

But there will come a time too when we pilgrims can say our hour has come. This may be the end of a ministry, or the end of our lives, but we too can in our individual ways give glory to God. I was privileged to be able to share the last hours with a dear Christian friend, who was facing into a death blighted by cancer. But He never complained and he faced his last hours in a way that gave glory to God.

Jesus, through His life, gave glory to His Heavenly Father, and through it to Himself also.

Father God. We too give You all the glory today, through our lives submitted and committed to Jesus. Amen.

Trials and Sorrows

Posted on by korgrocker

“But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
John 16:32-33 NLT

Jesus said to His disciples that in this world they will “have many trials and sorrows”. And it didn’t take long before this prophetic warning came into fruition. Acts 5:40, “ … They called in the apostles and had them flogged …”. Acts 7:59, “As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit“. Acts 8:1, ” …  A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem …”. Acts 12:2, “He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword“. As we read the accounts of the first years of the early church we do indeed find that Jesus was correct in what He said. But what was there about these early Apostles and disciples that drove them on in spite of all the opposition they faced? Jesus followed His prophecy with the words, “But take heart, because I have overcome the world”. The men who had been with Jesus, and many others in those early years, were empowered by Holy Spirit and nothing was going to stop them from spreading the Good News about Jesus. The documented accounts of Paul and what he faced into on his missionary journeys came under the category of “many trials and sorrows“, and we can read all about them in 2 Corinthians 11. But Paul gave us a glimpse of his relationship with God when he wrote, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love” (Romans 8:38). Through the power of Holy Spirit in his life Paul was able to put to one side the “trials and sorrows” and instead consider his life unimportant compared with his mission for Christ. He knew that one day his spirit would join his Saviour in Heaven.

What is the source of the opposition to believers who are going about their lives doing the Lord’s work? One would think that the love and grace of God is indeed Good News, and His message would be welcomed by everyone rather than having to face into the alternative destination after death. But we can trace the source of the opposition back through the clouds of evil, sin and wickedness to the devil himself. He will do anything to persuade Christians to deny their faith and it must be an immense source of frustration to him to find that Christ’s followers do the opposite by continuing to share the message of hope. You see, he cannot offer eternal life with our wonderful God. All he can offer is an eternity of misery , of “weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth”, as Jesus so succinctly put it. 

What does all this mean for us pilgrims? Someone once commented that if we don’t experience opposition in our Christian lives then our witness must be ineffective. Here in Western culture, there is a general acceptance of any faith or ideology, with governmental pressure and equality laws attempting to keep a lid on any attempts to proselytise others. But even this has limits. We can stand in our High Streets with a placard displaying the Gospel message, but do the same outside an abortion clinic and an arrest will soon follow. Doing the same outside a registry office when a same-sex marriage is taking place will invite the “trials and sorrows” that Jesus warned us about. But we have the knowledge that Jesus has “overcome the world”. Paul wrote, “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:14).

We pilgrims are on a journey to our promised land, the “Glory” spoken of by the saints of old. We are in it for the long haul, but nothing will stop us from sharing our faith with other seekers after truth. Will it?

Father God. You never said that being a believer would be easy, but the reward of hearing the words “Well done” on the other side of the Great Divide is enough for us. Please continue to help us on our journey of faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I Am Not Alone

Posted on by korgrocker

“But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
John 16:32-33 NLT

Jesus was talking to His disciples after they all had left the Upper Room, where the momentous events of the Last Supper and Jesus washing His disciples feet had taken place. They were on their way to the Garden of Gethsemane, which was located on the Mount of Olives, about half a mile outside Jerusalem’s city wall. This was a favourite place for Jesus and His disciples. Luke 22:39, “Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives“. Jesus knew what was coming because it was in the Garden that His arrest would take place, and he warned the eleven remaining disciples that they would all do a runner and leave Him on His own to face the soldiers. But this could surely not be the case, because Peter and the others said otherwise. Matthew recorded, “Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” … “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same” (Matthew 26:33, 35). Of course, such a heroic last stand by the disciples was not in God’s plan, because dead disciples would have been no use in the propagation of the Gospel and the establishment of the early church. 

Matthew’s Gospel records that a token resistance commenced. “But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear. “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?…  But this is all happening to fulfil the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled” (Matthew 26:51-53, 56). And Jesus was arrested, a lonely figure facing a terrible few hours, being unjustly and falsely accused, tried by a kangaroo court, convicted through lies and executed by the Roman authorities.

But Jesus said to His disciples, “Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me”. The presence of God has greatly helped many men and women over the years ever since. The first martyr, Stephen, told his audience, just before he was stoned to death, “ …Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honour at God’s right hand!” (Acts 7:56). Today, we pilgrims are never alone. Every time we pray three other People join us – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Whatever our circumstances are, we can lift our eyes to Heaven and feel the presence of God. Just as Jesus was not alone on that fateful evening, neither are we. God will stand with us through our circumstances. The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you” (Deuteronomy 31:8). That promise made so many years ago still reverberates through the lives of believers today. 

So, dear fellow pilgrim, what are you facing into today? A medical condition? A crisis at work? A marriage or relationship breakdown? Whatever it is, you are not alone. Matthew finished his Gospel with these words, “ … And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b). Notice that Jesus didn’t say “sometimes”. He said “always”. He will always be with us as we walk on in our journeys of faith.

Thank You God that You will never leave us or forsake us. Security in You trumps anything the world can provide. Amen.

Coming and Going

Posted on by korgrocker

““Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.” Then his disciples said, “At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. Now we understand that you know everything, and there’s no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God.””
John 16:28-30 NLT

History records that there have been many people who have said that they are divine. People who have claimed that they are “gods” and deserve affirmation and worship from those around them. The problem is, however, that their graves are still on Planet Earth. The people in North Korea regard their founder, Kim Il-sung, to be divine. But he died in 1994 and his body lies under a glass cover in Pyongyang, with extraordinary attempts being made to prevent it from decomposing. Every year in mid-April, the country stops to offer their praise and worship to their “god”. But only Jesus is the true God. As He said, He came from His Father, and was soon to return to Him. And, most significantly, there is no grave on this planet containing Jesus’ bones. But we know what happened to Jesus, and it was just as he said. Acts 1:9, “After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him“. In front of witnesses Jesus returned to Heaven, witnesses who were the remaining eleven disciples. These were not men who would have been taken in by some fancy conjuring trick. They knew what they were seeing, and a couple of angels were there just to make sure that they didn’t make a mistake. ““Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”” (Acts 1:11). As an aside, we must consider that there is a human being in Heaven, the man Jesus who is both divine and human. Perhaps a bit unbelievable or controversial to some, but where else can Jesus be?

Jesus’ entry into this world was well-trailed by the Old Testament prophets, and the Jewish nation at that time were expectant that their Messiah was coming soon. Scriptures such as Isaiah 9:6, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace“. Isaiah 7:14, “All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’)“. Some Biblical scholars claim that Jesus fulfilled over three hundred Old Testament prophecies in His earthly ministry. The coming of the Son of God was witnessed by His people, and the records of His advent exist both inside and outside the Bible. But there still many prophecies yet to be fulfilled about Jesus, because, as the Acts 1:11 angels said to the Eleven, “he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go”. 

As we pilgrims know, the main impact of Jesus and His ministry, His death and resurrection, was that He fulfilled God’s plan for the salvation of mankind. Paul wrote about this plan in Ephesians 1:4-5, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure“.

We pilgrims are chosen of God. We are a privileged people. We rejoice in our salvation, and we look forward to seeing the fruit of it one day. Come Lord Jesus!

Dear Lord Jesus. Thanks You for coming to this earth to show us the way to salvation and eternal life. Amen.

Dearly Loved

Posted on by korgrocker

“I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God.
John 16:25-27 NLT

We pilgrims know and understand that God loves us. In fact, Jesus said that we are dearly loved by His Father because we love His Son and believe that He came from God. But in a sense we also know that God loves everyone. The Scripture John 3:16, “For God so loved the world …..” paints a picture of a God who mercifully loves His creation even though most do not reciprocate that love. Sometimes we wonder why God “loves” those who are so evil and who reject Him so forcefully, but instead of punishing those who do wrong on the spot, He allows them to continue their lives, giving them an opportunity to repent and turn to Him. We speak about “common grace”, as illustrated by Jesus in Matthew 5:45b, ” ….For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike“. God’s love is not conditional on a response from human beings, but He allows sinful man (and woman) to continue their lives and finally enter the place they have chosen for their spell in eternity.

God created man in His image (Genesis 1:27) and with that the ability to love. Human beings possess what is termed as free will, the ability to make choices. And loving somebody is a choice we can make. But the downside of having free will is the ability to hate. Love and hate are emotions and responses that we find embedded deep within our world cultures, and we know that there is an enemy lurking behind everyone ready to influence good and bad choices (mostly bad) to suit his evil agendas. But Jesus came to this world saying counter-cultural things like “love your enemy” (Matthew 5:43-44), overturning established thinking and founding a Kingdom aligned to God’s will.

So, the question for everyone, including us pilgrims, is “do you love Jesus and believe He is God’s Son”? The answer to that question will determine a person’s future beyond the grave.

Dear Father, thank You for Your love and for Jesus, who was the outworking of that love for all mankind. Amen.

Jesus Figuratively

Posted on by korgrocker

“I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God.”
John 16:25-27 NLT

Why did Jesus use parables or figurative language when He spoke to those around Him? Apart from the fact that this was a common form of communication in those days, and has been used in one form or another ever since, the use of illustrations in the way that Jesus did somehow made events and situations easier to remember. Even humorous examples today, using figurative language, like, “That comment landed like a lead balloon” or “He’s as useful as a chocolate teapot” somehow convey a meaning far beyond what would otherwise be recorded as “That was an inappropriate comment”, or “He’s useless”. A good example in book form is The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, a book rich in hidden meanings and allegorical language. 

Jesus often used parables to illustrate a point that He was making. Although there are about thirty five parables in the Gospels, a good example is the Parable of the Soils (or Sower), that we find in Matthew 13. Jesus was surrounded by a crowd of people so He borrowed a boat and taught the people who were standing on the shore. In Matthew 13:3, we read, “He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds“. And He ended the parable, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand” (Matthew 13:9). ‭‭And that really illustrates the point of figurative language and messages in the form of parables. Those with spiritual “ears” would understand, but those who had little interest or just didn’t “get it” would miss the point. 

The disciples asked Jesus why He used parables and we find His answer in Matthew 13:11-12, “He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them“. Imagine today, if we asked someone to read the Parable of the Soils, someone who had had no previous church or Biblical exposure and was without any understanding of spiritual matters. How would they respond? Some would understand but many wouldn’t. There are sadly many around us in our societies who lack spiritual ears, so what would they make of this Parable? If they have the listening ears that Jesus referred to then they would understand. The Holy Spirit works in amazing and enlightening ways, but many would cast aside what they had read and instead would move on to deal with, what they would consider, more important matters. 

Jesus had used figurative language to describe His person and work. Examples would include His seven “I Am” statements comparing Himself to bread, light, a gate, a shepherd, resurrection and life, the way, the truth and the life and a vine. These figures of speech were hard for the disciples to understand while Jesus was with them. In Mark 4, Jesus quoted a verse from Isaiah 6:9-10, “And he said, “Yes, go, and say to this people, ‘Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.’ Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing“. 

But although puzzled, even confused, at the time, there was going to come a time when the disciples would understand these allegories, and the figurative language. This time arrived following His death, burial and resurrection and with the coming of the Holy Spirit. Today, we pilgrims are those who understand the parables because we have Holy Spirit within us, the One who leads us into all truth. So before we reach for the keyboard so that we can consult Mr Google, instead we should go to the Source of the parables Himself, our Lord and Master Jesus. 

Dear Father God, the Source of all truth. Through Jesus You alone are the One who can bring spiritual light into our secular world. We are so grateful. Amen.

Robbing the Joy

Posted on by korgrocker

“So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.”
John 16:22-24 NLT

We need to start with a definition of joy. Most people use it as a synonym for happiness but there is a difference. Both joy and happiness are emotional experiences, but it is the root of this experience, the context of where it comes from, that matters. Jesus wasn’t referring to a source of happiness that comes from a pleasurable activity. He was referring to a joy that comes from the relationship the disciples had with Himself and their Heavenly Father. And such a relationship produces a joy that is impervious to the trials and sorrows we experience in this world. The Psalmist, David, wrote, “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever” (Psalm 16:11).

Jesus referred to “abundant joy” in our verses today. John 10:10 reads, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly“. The word “abundant”, describing joy and life, truly describes a counter-cultural experience far beyond anything our secular world can find. A joy that even in some way is detached from society around us. A joy that never left the early Christians as they faced martyrdom in the Roman amphitheaters, prisons and on crosses of torture. A joy that even today seems to elevate us pilgrims above the trials and tribulations of life. A joy that James wrote about in James 1:2, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy”. Paul also wrote about this joy in Romans 5:3, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.”

What is there that could rob us pilgrims of this joy, the abundant joy experienced by those early Christians, and available to all believers everywhere? Our enemy the devil will soon put his finger on any weak point that would bring us down. But even though he is still the god of this world, he was defeated by Jesus Christ at Calvary. The devil’s days are numbered and one day he will find himself in a place of total darkness, created for him and his demonic angels. But in the meantime, we remember the words of Paul about Jesus, “In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross” (Colossians 2:15).

We pilgrims are living in the light of Jesus’ victory. Through Him we continue to live a life of joy, and one day our joy will be complete in Jesus’ presence. And we remember the words in Nehemiah 8:10b, “ … Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank You for Your sacrifice at Calvary, giving us the opportunity to live a life of joy. Amen.


‭‭

From Grief to Joy

Posted on by korgrocker

“Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does he mean when he says, ‘In a little while you won’t see me, but then you will see me,’ and ‘I am going to the Father’? And what does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.” Jesus realised they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labour. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.”
John 16:17-22 NLT

This conversation started up between “some of the disciples”. We don’t know which ones, but some talked and some thought. Natural reactions to the crisis that was unfolding before them. If Jesus had said to them that soon He was going to be killed by the Roman authorities and would end up buried in a rich man’s grave, then they would have perhaps found that easier to understand. Their grieving process would have started and their thoughts would have extended to the period afterwards, as they faced into a life without Jesus. But Jesus said “So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again”. Such an event was totally out with their experience and understanding. How could Jesus die and then reappear again? They had obviously forgotten about the Lazarus event, where Jesus had resurrected a man who was graveyard dead, and was still alive at this time as they spoke with each other. But how could Jesus resurrect Himself? They didn’t know the answer and still hadn’t got their minds around the supernatural power of God. But with a natural analogy, Jesus tried to reassure His friends that their emotional experience would be a bit like childbirth, where a woman goes through much pain, but something soon forgotten when the new born baby is placed in her arms. Jesus told His disciples that their grief would soon afterwards be replaced by “wonderful joy”. 

What message is their here for us 21st Century pilgrims? There has to be the Kingdom reality that our faith and God’s power provides a limitless combination. Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:15a, 19-20, “Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus, … I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honour at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.” In the same epistle, Paul wrote, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).‭‭‭‭ Sadly, we too often put a boundary around God’s capabilities, looking at the situations around us with worldly eyes, instead of eyes of faith. As we look around at our challenges and sorrows, we mostly forget that our Heavenly Father has a remedy and through our faith He will bring about a Godly result. 

Father God. You are the all-powerful God. Nothing is impossible for You. We praise and worship You today. Amen.