THE BIRTH PANGS OF JOY

Three words for weeping are used in John 16:20. Jesus said, "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." All three words were used for mourning the dead.

The first word for weeping is κλαυσετε. The word was used for expressing the intense emotion of deep sorrow at the death of a loved one. In the Old Testament, it generally indicated the act of wailing as a form of dependence on God instead of an expression of total despair. The second word for weeping is θρηνησετε. This word was used for a funeral dirge. The bewailing of death was often characterized in public by striking the chest and singing dirges in a loud voice. (NIDNTT, 2:416-420).

The first two words refer to outward expressions of grief, but the third word speaks of inner suffering (Bernard, John, 2:515). "You will be grieved," Jesus said. The word is λυπηθησεσθε. It is future passive meaning that something outside the person causes the inner grief. The only other time the word is used in John describes Peter's feelings when Jesus asked him after the resurrection if he loved Jesus. Peter was grieved (John 21:17).

There is a sharp contrast in the verse which an English translation cannot bring out effectively.  The "you" (υμεις) is emphatically placed at the end of the clause immediately adjacent to "the world" (ο κοσμος) beginning the next clause. The contrast between you who grieve and the world that rejoices intentionally intensifies the pain of grief for the believer. The joy of the world makes their tears more painful, but, of course, the story does not end with their tears and the world's joy.

Their tears will not merely be replaced with joy. The verb is γενησεται which means "to be or become." The very event - the cross - that causes their tears will become the event that brings them joy (Morris, John, p. 705). So today, the symbol of the cross - the source of sorrow - has become the symbol of faith - the source of hope.

The very same event can change pain to joy. Jesus uses the example of childbirth to illustrate the point (v. 21). Birth pangs had long been associated with the coming of the messianic figure in the Old Testament (Isaiah 26:17-18; 66:7-8; Hosea 13:13). Jesus is predicting the birth pangs of the Messianic Age.

Pain is often the precursor to joy in our lives.  Suffering on earth leads to the joy of heaven. Our tears at death are the birth pangs of our joy in life with Jesus forever.

SEEING JESUS

Seeing Jesus involves more than merely seeing Jesus! Seeing Jesus through the eyes of faith involves spiritual insight, that is to say, insight produced by the Spirit of God. Jesus taught this truth when He said, "A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me" (John 16:16).

Two different verbs are connected to two time sequences ("a little while"). The first "little while" (μικρον) is the interval of time until His death on the cross. After the cross "you no longer see Me." The verb (θεωρειτε) is in the present, not future, tense which is significant - you see Me no longer. "No longer" (ουκετι) does not mean "never again." The action simply stops (Bernard, John, p.513). The seeing in this case is sensual in nature. It means to "be a spectator, look at or observe (BAGD, p.360). After the cross the disciples ceased to see Jesus with their physical eyes for a little while.

The second "little while" is the interval of time between the cross and the resurrection. The adverb "again" (παλιν) ties the two intervals together negating any identification of this "seeing" with the return of Christ. The two "seeings" are connected closely in time by the adverb. The resurrection appearances are in view here.

A different verb (οψεσθε) is used for resurrection sight, and it is a future tense (from οραω). This verb replaces the former verb because it is always used in John to emphasize spiritual perception (Bernard, John p.513). Jesus combines Easter with Pentecost. The resurrection appearances certainly involved physical sight, but, when the Holy Spirit arrived on Pentecost, the understanding was transformed into spiritual insight. The second "seeing" carries this double sense. The Holy Spirit turns physical sight into spiritual insight (TDNT, V:360).

However, we must be careful not to over spiritualize this spiritual insight as if it is only a spiritual vision without any reference to actual physical sight as some do (Meyer, John, p.451). The post-resurrection appearances of Jesus were bodily appearances verifiable by physical eyes not mere visionary spiritual experiences.

One clue that the physical sight and the the spiritual insight are both true is found in the parallel expression where Jesus says, "After a little while the world will no longer see (θεωρει) Me, but you will see (θεωρειτε) Me" (John 14:19). The same verb is used in both sightings - the pre-death and the post-resurrection sightings (Morris, John, p.703) - making a distinction between sight and insight irrelevant in this statement.

Seeing Jesus involves more than merely seeing Jesus but not less than seeing Jesus. The post-resurrection sightings of Jesus were actual physical sightings not merely visionary experiences of faith. The bodily sightings of Jesus were understood by the spiritual insight of the Holy Spirit even as He was actually visible to those who saw Him. Seeing by the eyes of the body and seeing by the eyes of faith converge to form a single sighting protecting our faith from both mysticism and rationalism.

THE SPIRIT - OUR TEACHER

The Holy Spirit performs three functions for the believer (John 16:13-15) parallel to the three functions He performs for the world (16:8-11). With respect to believers, the Holy Spirit will 1) guide (οδηγησει) us (v.13); 2) teach (αναγγελει) us (v.13); and 3) glorify (δοξασει) Jesus to us (v.14).

The clause about the glorifying work of the Holy Spirit is intensive in form (v.14). Literally the text reads, "that one Himself will glorify Me" (εκεινος εμε δοξασει). The glorification test is an important measuring tool for our ministries. Any ministry claiming to be led by the Holy Spirit will not be characterized by an emphasis on the Spirit but by an emphasis on Jesus. The Spirit guides and teaches in a manner that honors Jesus.

The teaching work of the Spirit is mentioned three times (vs.14-15). The verb (αναγγελει) also can mean to report, disclose, announce or proclaim (BAGD, p. 51). It is used of Paul's preaching ministry (Acts 20:20,27) in a way synonymous with teaching (διδαξαι). The primary preaching work of the Holy Spirit is not revelatory, as in disclosing new information, but proclamation, as in announcing truth to us.

Jesus explains the process of proclamation that the Spirit uses. The Spirit receives from Jesus what He teaches to Jesus' followers. The verb is future in verse 14 (λημψεται) and present in verse 15 (λαμβανει). It can mean either to take or to receive (BAGD, p. 464). The source of information is Jesus. Twice the phrase "of Mine" - literally "out of Me" (εκ του εμου) is used, and, once again, the "Me" (εμου) is in its emphatic form showing us that the Spirit's focus is to point us to Jesus.

Jesus explains that He is the source of the Spirit's information because the Father is the source of His information (v.15). Here we see a neuter plural subject, "all things" (παντα) with a singular verb (εστιν) to emphasize that the information being communicated is viewed as a whole mass not specific individual teachings (Dana & Mantey, Grammar, p. 165). Jesus is not separate from the Father for they hold all things - all knowledge - in common (John 17:10). The Spirit communicates knowledge in perfect unity with God the Father and God the Son.

The symmetry of the godhead is perfect. The Spirit communicates what He receives from Jesus who shared in the knowledge of the Father. In this way, the Spirit glorifies the Son who glorifies the Father for they are one (John 17:4-5).

Help me, Lord, always to study your Word on my knees in total dependence on your Holy Spirit to teach me to know you.