The Fourth Sunday of Easter – Pr. Faugstad sermon
Text: St. John 16:16-23
In Christ Jesus, “who for the joy that was set before him—the joy of saving you—endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God”—from which He dispenses His gift of joy to you (Heb. 12:2), dear fellow redeemed:
The chief priests had the apostles arrested for their public preaching and teaching. They and the Jewish Council strictly charged the apostles to stop teaching in the name of Jesus. They threatened them in every way. They physically attacked them and beat them up. But instead of going silent or going into hiding, the apostles went right back to their work, “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name” (Act. 5:41).
Paul and Silas received the same rough treatment when they proclaimed the Gospel in Philippi. They were beaten with rods and sent bruised and bleeding to prison where their feet were fastened in the stocks. How did they respond to this unjust treatment? They passed the night by “praying and singing hymns to God” (Act. 16:25).
Not just the apostles have responded in this way. We hear rejoicing from the lips of people who have lost all their earthly possessions, people who have been attacked for speaking the truth in love, people who experience weakness and pain from a terminal illness, people standing at the graves of their loved ones. How can people in these circumstances rejoice? How is this possible?
Unbelievers do not understand. When Christians are in some sort of crisis, they are quick to ask, “Where is the God that you say loves you and cares for you? If He loves you, why would He let you go through these difficulties?” They think that believing in God is only worth it if it makes your life better on earth. “What good is a God who doesn’t keep you from pain and suffering?” Thoughts like these have crossed our own minds as well. We wonder why God lets certain trials come our way, or why He doesn’t bring us immediate healing and help.
Jesus does not promise His followers a care-free and happy life on earth. In today’s reading, He told His disciples, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.” He shared these words with them the same night He was betrayed and arrested before He was nailed to the cross on the following day. His suffering and death would cause them great sorrow, while many others would rejoice. But their sorrow would last only “a little while.” They would see Him again, and their sorrow would turn into joy.
Those were comforting words, but the sorrow and pain were still out in front of them. They heard the promise, but they couldn’t understand what blessings would come of it. We also hear God’s promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5), that He is with us always (Mat. 28:20). And yet, it’s easy to forget that when we are preparing for a challenging life event. Maybe it’s a hard treatment plan or a complicated surgery, and we don’t know if it will fix the problem. Or we know we should speak to someone about his wrongdoing, but we are afraid of the anger or repercussions that could come from it. Or we know we should admit our own sins, but we don’t want anyone to think less of us.
Jesus used the example of a woman going into labor and delivery. She is thankful that God has blessed her with a baby and given her strength to carry it for nine months. She is eager to meet her little one. But the pain is real. In the midst of that pain, she might feel that no one understands the suffering, and that it may never come to an end. But then it does, and “she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.”
Jesus said to His disciples that in a similar way, they had sorrow now. They were worried about the enemies of Jesus who wanted to kill Him, and Jesus’ words about His departure caused them great grief. Jesus could see the worry and sadness on their faces. He knew that while He suffered in the coming hours, they would suffer too. Part of their suffering would be their guilt at having deserted Him, their shame at all their courageous talk being so cheap. But after this anguish, Jesus promised them, “I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice.”
He kept that promise. For “a little while” after His death and burial, the disciples wept and mourned as though He were never coming back. They went into hiding with the windows shuttered and the doors locked. But on the third day, Jesus saw them again. Rising from the dead as He said He would, He came to them bringing His message of peace and forgiveness. And just as He predicted, the disciples’ hearts rejoiced; they “were glad when they saw the Lord” (Joh. 20:20).
The source of our joy is not a feeling that everything is going our way.
It is not being successful at our jobs and having a lot of money and a nice house.
It is not having the respect of everyone around us.
It is not staying healthy and active till we reach a good old age.
It is not avoiding death or never having to experience the death of a loved one.
Having good things in this life and honor and a long life are blessings from God, but they are not the source of our joy. They might bring us joy for a little while, but they do not last.
The joy that God gives is not a feeling. It is a gift won for us by a Person. Our joy is the same joy the disciples had. It is the joy of a holy Man who had shown Himself to be God in the flesh, dying on the cross and then coming to life again. Beforehand, the disciples could not understand how Jesus’ death would benefit anyone. But after His resurrection, they learned that His death was the necessary atonement for all sin, and that it meant salvation for mankind. His resurrection showed the entire world that sin is forgiven, and the whole world is reconciled to God.
This is the source of our joy.
Jesus’ death and resurrection means that He is not against me; He is for me.
He is not ashamed of me; He loves me.
He is not far away from me; He is with me always.
He does nothing to harm me, but works everything for my good.
Like He promised His disciples, He also promises us that He will see us again, and we will see Him, when He comes again in glory on the last day.
Until that great day of rejoicing comes, while you remain here in this world, it could be that your troubles and struggles are not likely to change or improve. You might carry the heavy burden of sorrow over loss. Your physical pain might linger and get worse. You might not regain the abilities you have lost. You might not feel happy. But you can still have joy. If the apostles could limp away with fresh bruises and injuries rejoicing, if Paul and Silas could sing hymns while their feet were in the stocks, we can rejoice in the midst of our troubles as well.
We always have cause for rejoicing because Jesus is our Savior—every minute, every hour, every day, for a lifetime. St. Paul wrote to the Christians in Philippi after he had experienced that beating and imprisonment in their hometown: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice” (Phi. 4:4). The key to our rejoicing is “in the Lord,” in what He has done for us and what He continues to do for us.
When He meets us in the Divine Service, He brings joy with Him. We express this joy after the Absolution, the forgiveness of our sins, by joining the angels in their Christmas song, “Glory be to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” We sing for joy after hearing Jesus’ words in the Holy Gospel, “God be praised for His glad tidings.” We greet Him with joy in the Communion liturgy like the people did on Palm Sunday, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” And after we receive His body and blood for the remission of our sins, we sing in the hymn of thanksgiving, “Break forth, my soul, for joy and say: What wealth is come to me this day!” (Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #325, v. 2).
Our Sunday gatherings are filled with joy. Even the fact that we worship on Sunday is an expression of joy because Sunday is the day of our Lord’s resurrection. But you might not always or even very often feel the joy when you come to church. That doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you or your faith. You might come here carrying very heavy burdens, invisible to everyone else, and you don’t feel very joyful.
There is joy here, but it doesn’t always come through feelings. It does come through Jesus’ Word and Sacraments. These holy means are how the Holy Spirit works joy in our hearts, even when we are suffering. Joy is second on the list of the fruit granted by the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy” (Gal. 5:22). The Holy Spirit brings you joy as a gift through the message of Christ’s death and resurrection.
No matter how much suffering you have to endure, how much sorrow, how much injustice, how much pain, how much affliction, no one can take away from you what Jesus has done for you. No one can take away His perfect life that counts for your righteousness before God. No one can take away His holy blood that washes you clean from all sin. No one can take away His victory over death that assures you of your resurrection on the last day and eternal life with Him.
And if no one can take away your Jesus, what He has done for your salvation, then no one can take away your joy. Jesus’ promise long ago to His disciples is just as much a promise to you: “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.”
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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(picture from “Jesus Discourses with His Disciples” by James Tissot, 1836-1902)
The Fourth Sunday of Easter – Vicar Anderson sermon
Text: St. John 16:16-23
In Christ Jesus, even though we live in a world with sorrows, trials, and tribulations, we are able to rejoice in our risen Lord, who promises no one will take away your joy, dear fellow redeemed:
Change is in the air. We have watched all the snow melt away. The flowers are starting to bloom. I have noticed the green starting to appear in the grey trees as the new leaves begin to grow. I think it is safe to say that most people enjoy spring. It is a season of growth and warmth. We are transitioning from a season that is kind of dark and dreary. Those winter months can be long. We have also finished a few holiday seasons, and as we acknowledge those seasons, for some maybe those seasons aren’t as joyous as we think. During those dreary months, it is a time where people tend to pass away. The holidays that we love so much can sometimes become a time of mourning and sorrow. As the spring brings us out of those dreary months into warmth and sunshine, Jesus is telling His disciples that He will bring them joy. It won’t start out like that. He says they will first weep and lament. Jesus’ comfort for His disciples comes to you as well, your sorrow will be turned into joy!
Jesus in His discourse is telling the disciples this great message. He has told them on more than one occasion that He is going to be arrested and He will die and will rise again. Jesus tells His disciples that what He is saying, they are not going to like it or want to bear it. It will look like their lives are going to be extremely hard. Jesus assures them that they will have clarity and He will explain more to them. The Holy Spirit will guide them. Everything that Jesus is telling His disciples is so that they can be strengthened. When Jesus ends with saying that He is going to leave them, the disciples hold onto that sentence. They are having a hard time understanding what is happening. The disciples will still have their doubts, or they will not believe it.
Even after our text for today and Jesus continues to tell the disciples what is about to happen. The disciples respond, “now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God” (John 16:30). The disciples think that they understand what is happening and they put their trust in their own belief. Jesus tells them what will happen. “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone” (John 16:31-32).
Jesus wants the disciples to realize they are going to have sorrow and will lament because Jesus is going to be arrested, tried, and executed. He is telling them this so that they are aware of what is happening and so that they will be strengthened. The disciples see what is happening and they fall into despair. Like the disciples, we can have a lack of understanding with what God tells us. His commands are clear to us. Most of the time, we like to pick and choose which commands that we want to follow. The world will question the truths that we believe, and they will put us on the spot. The world wants us to cave to its demands. The devil helps the world out by getting us to question what God says. And when we cave and question God’s authority, we can fall into despair.
When battles happen on these different fronts, we can look to our own strength. We can think that our belief is our own. We forget that it is by the work of the Holy Spirit that we believe. When we tell the Holy Spirit “I got it from here,” this is usually the time that our lives start to fall apart. The disciples soon found their lives falling apart at the seams.
There are two time periods that Jesus is referring to when He says, “a little while.” Our “little while” here on this earth does come with suffering and trials and our lives can start to fall apart. We are plagued with sicknesses. We live and watch as those whom we love pass away. We watch as many, maybe someone close to us fall from faith. The world rejoices and ridicules us. Like the author of Lamentations, we can sometimes say, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD” (Lamentations 3:18). The world tells us to “just toughen up”. However, there are some trials where there might not be a toughening up to bear it. As the pain and suffering can continues to weigh us down, we can forget about the cross that won us salvation and instead fixate on our own cross.
The third commandment can bring us strength. We come to church to receive comfort. Many think that church is only filled with those who have everything going well in their lives. The world doesn’t realize that we are coming here to receive help and medicine from the loving doctor. When we neglect coming to worship. Instead of putting off our burdens on Jesus who says, “I will carry them”, we can continue to carry them ourselves and they will drag us down.
Jesus was not lying when He said that the disciple’s sorrows would turn to joy. They saw their risen Savior. He was not a ghost, but He was God in the flesh. They were comforted when they saw their teachers’ hands and his feet. They saw the spear mark in His side. The disciples witnessed Jesus fulfilling what He said He would do. The Son of man would suffer and die on the cross for the sins of the world. Like the turning from dreary winter to beautiful spring, three days later Jesus rose from the dead.
Jesus illustrates this sorrow and joy. A woman ready to give birth has pain as her child is coming into the world. Once her baby is born, the mother is filled with joy as her child has arrived. She forgets all about the pain. The sorrow of Jesus being dead doesn’t compare to the glorious joy of Him risen from the grave! The disciples would watch their Savior leave again. Like the disciples after Jesus’ ascension, we are living in a “little while.” There is sorrow now, but there will be great joy when Christ returns for the Resurrection of the Dead!
As you wait for that glorious day, Jesus does see all your struggles and hardships. He hears your cries. There are many accounts where you see the compassion that your Savior has for people. St. Matthew records, “he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). He had compassion for those who lived while He was visibly on earth, and He has compassion for you right now. He carried your burdens and sins on His shoulders and took them to the cross. As He turns the disciples’ lament into joy on that Easter day, that same day He turns your sorrows into joy!
Your comfort and joy are not in the things of this world, but in Jesus’ death and resurrection. The things of this world will pass away. Your laments turn to joy because even though there are struggles and trials in this life, you have been saved from eternal suffering. Jesus glorious resurrection assures you that God accepts Jesus’ sacrifice for your redemption. You are redeemed children of God and you will leave this world of sorrow and strife to your blessed inheritance of Heaven.
Every day we get closer to the hour that this life will pass away. We also see every day how people attempt to cope on their own with all the world’s pains. Many feel that there is no way out of this. That there is no comfort. As many despair, we hear Jesus’ Words to proclaim the Gospel. It is the power of the Gospel that turns sorrow into joy. We can share with others the comfort that we have in Christ. He is our strength. He is the One who carries us through this life because we don’t have the strength on our own. And when we need that reminder ourselves, we come to worship, repent of our sins, and again receive the comfort and strength that comes to us through the Word and sacraments. We then continue waiting and confessing, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end” (Lamentations 3:22).
As we rejoice in all the blessings that God has given us in this life, we can also rejoice that God keeps track of time way different than we do. We find the joys in spring, but we know that those dreary months will come back. Our lives will continue to have hardships and trials. But Jesus says, “A little while, and you will see me no longer, and again a little while, and you will see me.” Our time here on earth is only a little while. Every day is a blessing, but we know that soon our rooms will be prepared. Christ will call us to our heavenly home where our sorrows will cease. We will have constant joy because we have not been forgotten. Jesus has risen from the dead, and in a little while, we will see Him. Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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(picture from Jerico Lutheran Church altar painting)