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.
John16:20
As Jesus comes to the end of his final discourse with the disciples, they are confused when he goes on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me (John 16:16 ). So Jesus allegorizes the coming traumatic time in their life, to the agony of a mother giving birth to a baby (John 16:21). The personal experience of giving birth is an extremely frightening, painful and sometimes dangerous too. But the long awaited expectancy of seeing her own child fills the mother’s heart with joy and excitement when she finally lays eyes on the baby. The bundle of joy that the mother shares with her family, turns to a wonderful celebration over the new birth, her labor of love.
Jesus, as he speaks of his temporary absence, he is preparing their hearts and minds for the shock and confusion of his arrest and crucifixion. His death is an extremely grievous and harrowing experience. However it turns to a Joyful Surprise when they see him triumphantly alive again. The happiness that the world has to offer is only temporary. But the joyful faith, hope and love that comes with the resurrected Christ is eternal (1Corinthians 15:19-20). The same allegory of giving birth is used by Isaiah as he prophesies the birth of a new age where the faithful dead will rise, Daniel prophesies everlasting life and St. Paul goes on to say that we will all be given new bodies (Isaiah 26:17-19, 1Corinthians15:19-20;Daniel 12:2; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44). With the resurrection of Christ we are assured that these prophesies will come true. It is the joy that promises that death has been defeated.
A lasting much deeper joy comes with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit opens the door to a prayerful and living relationship with God our father. It is the pleasure God the Father has when we repent of our sins and do his will (Luke 15:7, Psalms 147:11). This joy that God has to offer when we live in a good and faithful relationship with him is deeply strengthening for our souls (Nehemiah 8:10).
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When the God sanctioned Laws were instituted and the penalty by blood sacrifice put in place, it was inevitable that God would one day have to pay the price of Man's sin with His own blood to put an end to this type of restitution. When God came to earth as Yeshua, we can imagine with our human minds the determination of God to go through with this sacrifice. The stipulatory conditions that the sacrifice should be spotless, without a single blemish would have to be fulfilled. To be as silent as the lamb was necessary. And God had to be born as a human, live as a human and without invoking His Divinity, Yeshua would have to bear all. Pain, torture, scourging, spitting, mocking - all the negative emotions that could be invoked in man, He had to bear. Pain and sorrow were not just for the night and joy was not expected in the morning! The screams of pain as each nail was driven, we can only imagine. Who could Yeshua appeal to, but God? My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me? And did He want to punish His tormentors, as any human would have done? No! Father forgive them, He cried out in anguish! They know not what they do! That was what Yeshua taught us by example! Earlier that evening Yeshua told His disciples, a new Command I give you, Love one another as I have loved you. Yeshua went a step further by washing the feet of His disciples, in all humility. Need we any more examples? The judgement was predetermined by the Priests who were the appointees of God, but not just failed to see the Creator and Messiah in Yeshua, but refused to acknowledge Him, even though the Scriptures all pointed out Yeshua as the Messiah. And the priests were the repositories of the Scriptures and its interpretations! Well did John write - He came unto His own and His own knew Him not! And now, the final hours came. The Priests failed Him, His disciples failed Him - or, in other words, we all as the human race failed Him. Alone He came and alone He departed. Can we think of Joy in the morning? But everything was foreordained. The Counselor came and there was a transformation! They saw Yeshua alive and in the flesh! Yeshua was not just a Spirit, but could eat and drink like a normal human. St. Thomas could put his fingers into Yeshua's wounds! Yeshua was the first fruit of the Resurrected in the flesh!
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