#DailyDevotion Jesus Has Departed But He Is Coming Back
John 16:16-22 16“A little while and you’ll not see Me any more; and again a little while and you’ll see Me.” 17Then some of His disciples asked one another, “What does He mean when He tells us, “a little while and you’ll not see Me; and again a little while and you’ll see Me,’ and ‘I’m going to the Father?’” 18So they were asking, “What does He mean when He says, ‘A little while?’ We don’t know what He means.” 19Jesus knew they wanted to ask Him something. “Are you trying to find out from one another,” He asked them, “what I meant by saying, “A little while and you’ll not see Me; and again a little while and you’ll see Me? 20I tell you the truth, you will cry and mourn, but the world will be glad. You will have sorrow, but your sorrow will turn to joy. 21When a woman is going to have a child, she has pains because her time has come. But after the child is born, she’s so happy a child was brought into the world she doesn’t remember her pains any more. 22You, too, are sad now; but I’ll see you again, and then you’ll be filled with joy, and no one will take your joy away from you.
I guess it’s a little strange to have this text come up in the lectionary at this time of year. It seems to me those who put together the lectionary are trying to make this text have a dual purpose. What do I mean by this?
Well it seems to me, on the surface of this text the little while and you won’t see me and then the little while you will see me Jesus is talking about his death and resurrection. While we are in Easter season I guess it is not too strange he talks about his upcoming death and resurrection. The first little while is Jesus’ death. The second little while is his resurrection. The crying and mourning, the world rejoicing, the woman in childbirth pains go with Jesus’ death. The disciples having joy, the happy woman after childbirth and the like deal with Jesus’ resurrection and the disciples seeing him again.
Then stuck in there in verse 17 is, “I’m going to the Father.” This is why this passage is chosen for this Sunday. We are approaching the Ascension of Jesus to the Father in the liturgical calendar.
Now the little whiles seem like a great big while to us but it’s a drop in the bucket to God. You see this is why I think the lectionary editors are making this text do double duty. For us, the apostolic Church who follow in the footsteps of the apostles, we’re in the little while we don’t see Jesus. He has returned to the Father, to his right hand. During this time the world persecutes the Church, the disciples of Jesus. We are sad because we can see Jesus. We have his word and in his word and promises we put our hope. But in a little while we will see Jesus again, sure when we die, but I mean with our own eyes in our own flesh at the resurrection.
For now the Church is going through the pains of childbirth, we are in the Great Tribulation which I think started at Jesus’ crucifixion. Creation itself is going through the pains. (Rom. 8) When Jesus returns and he raises from the dead to eternal life, then we will rejoice with creation, seeing our LORD and God, Jesus Christ. That joy will be ours forever.
Heavenly Father, grant us faith to wait patiently for Jesus’ return so we may rejoice in him for all eternity. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.