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. 23 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. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” – John 16:19-24 ESV
Seven times in just four verses, John records Jesus using the phrase, “a little while.” It is the Greek word mikron, and it refers to a small or brief space of time. Jesus basically told His disciples that it would not be much longer before He would be gone. But then He followed up that bit of bad news by assuring them that, in no time at all, they would see Him again. Rather than finding Jesus’ words encouraging, the disciples became further confused and increasingly anxious. They had no idea what He was talking about. He seemed to be speaking in riddles that left them with more questions than answers. And, while Jesus had so much more He wanted to share with them, He knew they lacked the mental and emotional bandwidth to handle it.
Jesus, always alert and aware of what was going on in His disciples’ hearts, heard them discussing among themselves.
“What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” – John 16:18 ESV
They were afraid to admit their ignorance to Jesus, so they polled one another, hoping that one of them might have a clue as to what He was talking about. But Jesus, knowing that they were dying for an explanation, graciously answered the question they were too scared to ask.
Their confusion revolved around that little Greek word, mikron. They wanted to know just how long “a little while” would be. In other words, they were focused on the length of time, rather than on the events themselves and their subsequent outcome. How long would it be before they could no longer see Jesus? How much time did they have left? And how long would they have to wait to see Him again?
These men were stuck on an earthly plane, unable to see behind the veil and incapable of understanding the spiritual dimension of the moment. Jesus had already told them all that would take place in Jerusalem, but they had failed to grasp the significance of His words.
“See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” – Matthew 20:18-19 ESV
Just two days before the Passover Festival began, Jesus reiterated the details concerning His fate to His disciples.
“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” – Matthew 26:2 ESV
Later, on the Mount of Olives, just outside the walls of Jerusalem, Jesus added another new twist to the pending proceedings.
“You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” – Matthew 26:31-32 ESV
Jesus had spoken to them about His death and resurrection, but the news appears to have gone in one ear and out the other. It never fully registered with them. In fact, Matthew provides powerful proof that the disciples failed to comprehend what Jesus told them. It seems that immediately after Jesus had announced He would be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, condemned to death, mocked, flogged, crucified, and raised on the third day, the mother of James and John approached Jesus with a request.
“Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” – Matthew 20:21 ESV
The text reveals that these two brothers were standing right next to their mother when she made this request on their behalf. They were hoping for positions of power and prominence in Jesus’ earthly kingdom. They believed Him to be the Messiah and fully expected Him to rule as the King of Israel from David’s throne in Jerusalem. Nothing of what Jesus had said to them about His death and resurrection had sunk in. Now, as He revealed to them that time was running out, and His death was at hand, they were still unable to get their minds around the epic nature of what was happening around them.
And Jesus told them that things would get worse before they got better.
“I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice.” – John 16:20 NLT
The unbelieving world, comprised of the Jewish religious leaders and all those former followers of Jesus who had turned their backs on Him, would rejoice over His death. But all those who believed Him to be the Messiah would weep and mourn because His death would be proof that they had been wrong. Their hopes would be dashed. Their eager anticipation that their Savior had come would die alongside Jesus as He hung on the cross.
But Jesus gives them the good news: “You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy” (John 16:21 NLT). Their sorrow would be real, but it would also be brief. It would only last “a little while.” Just when everything appeared dark and grim, something remarkable would take place and the words of Jesus would be fulfilled.
“…the Son of Man…will be raised on the third day.” – Matthew 20:19 NLT
Just three days after being placed in a grave and written off as a failure and a fraud, Jesus would appear to His disciples. They would see Him again. And while the length of time is significant, it pales compared to the reality of the resurrection. For the disciples, those three days would feel like an eternity and be filled with fear, sorrow, confusion, and a growing sense of despair. All would look lost, and the future would appear bleak. But then, the impossible would happen, and their sorrow would turn to joy. They would discover the truth of the psalm written by King David.
Weeping may last through the night,
but joy comes with the morning. – Psalm 30:5 NLT
Jesus doesn’t diminish the reality of their sorrow and suffering. Instead, He puts it into perspective by comparing it to a woman in labor. While giving birth, she suffers very real and intense pain. It is overwhelming and all-consuming. And while her labor may seem to last an eternity, it will all be over in “a little while.” And all the suffering will turn to overwhelming joy because it has resulted in the birth of a child.
“…her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world.” – John 16:21 NLT
Jesus let His disciples know that what they were experiencing was natural, normal, and to be expected. But like the birth of a child, their suffering and sorrow would be turned into joy and celebration when they saw the miracle of “new birth” that God brought about through the resurrection of His Son.
“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 16:22 NLT
Not only would they witness the supernatural transformation of Jesus from death to life, but they would also experience a spectacular alteration in their relationship with God. Things would be radically different. With Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, the disciples would find themselves experiencing an intimacy with God the Father that they had never known before. With the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit, they could communicate directly with God. And Jesus informed them that even the nature of their questions would change.
“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.” – John 16:23 ESV
Up until this point, the disciples had aimed all kinds of questions at Jesus, and most of their inquiries had to do with points of clarification and explanation. They rarely, if ever, petitioned Jesus for anything, unless you include the request made by the mother of James and John. Jesus seemed to be saying that the very nature of their questions would change. They would be less self-focused and motivated by ignorance. With the Spirit’s assistance, their questions would align with God’s will and guarantee His gracious answer.
The disciples had been great at asking questions like, “When will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to be fulfilled?” (Mark 13:4 ESV). They asked questions because they were looking for answers. But Jesus wanted them to know that, in the future, their questions would become less focused on receiving information and more desirous of asking for God’s will to be done. The Holy Spirit would provide them with all the insight and information they would need. So, they wouldn’t have to focus their questions on things they needed to know. Instead, they would ask God for things to further their task of making Him known.
Jesus points out the key difference between their current questioning and how they will ask it in the future.
“Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” – John 16:24 ESV
They will ask in His name. This means that they will ask according to the very character and nature of Jesus as the Son of God. They will make requests of God in the same way that Jesus did, in keeping with God's will. John wrote of this Christlike attitude of petitioning the Father in a later letter he penned.
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. – 1 John 5:14-15 NLT
All of their questions will be answered and all their requests will be in keeping with God’s will and guaranteed to come to fruition. As a result, their sorrow will be turned to joy. That is why Jesus promised His disciples, “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 6:24 ESV). As His disciples, they could ask and receive, seek and find, and knock and find the door into God’s presence opened wide.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.