“A Little While”
John 16:16-22
May 12, 2019 anno Domini – Redeemer
Don’t tell your wife in the midst of labor, “Honey, it’s not that bad. It’ll only last a little while.” “A little while.” Micron in the Greek – micro in English, as in microscopic. Tiny, little, so small you don’t notice it. But the pains of labor are no small thing at the time so don’t tell your wife it’s just a little while.
In a little while the disciples would have great pain and deep sorrow. Jesus spoke these words on Holy Thursday. After He finished his last will and testament with the disciples He would head to the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas would betray Him with a kiss. In the little while of a few hours, Jesus would be accused, tried, declared not guilty, and yet end up convicted. In less than 24 hours Jesus would be dead and buried. The stone in front of the tomb would hide Him from their sight.
The world rejoiced when Jesus died. Pontius Pilate was relieved to be rid of this political nuisance. The Pharisees and Sadducees raised their glasses in a toast to another dead prophet who couldn’t incite the people.
It’s perverted isn’t it? To rejoice in a person’s death. Even more perverse to rejoice in God’s death. But before you point at the perverts out there confess your own perversion. For is there anyone here who hasn’t gawked at someone else’s misfortune? Or even said, “Well at least I don’t have it as bad as ‘so and so’?” When we sin we seek our own happiness at God’s expense. We tell our Father in heaven “I wish you were dead’ when we ignore His commands and seek our way contrary to His Word. The temptation is common to all of us – if there were no rules, no boundaries, no expectations, I could really have some fun. In other words – we too would rejoice in the death of God. There is a part of us that would likely dance on His grave – Scripture calls it the old Adam, the old sinful self which hangs with us until death.
As the disciples watched the events of Good Friday from a distance they waited for something to happen. Jesus was their Rabbi. He claimed to be God. At some point in the trial and crucifixion surely He would do something. He had done it so many times. With a Word or a touch or by His will. Water to wine. Storm to calm. Famine to Feast. Dead to living. They waited for that moment we see in every super hero movie. All the evil forces are aligned against Iron Man, his power is waning, his atomic heart is going dead, it flickers for a moment and then by the power of good and his own determination he’s back totally destroying the enemy. But not so on Good Friday – no power, no glory, no just in the nick of time. No armies from heaven. No deliverance by God. His eyes dim. His breath stops, He bows His head and dies.
Nicodemus and Joseph bury Him quickly. The women watch. Everyone rushes home because the Sabbath began at sundown Friday. No work was allowed on the Sabbath, only what was essential to life, but no one wanted to work, not one wanted to live. The disciples lamented. The women wept. How could this have happened? How could He be dead? We thought He was the One.
We too weep and lament. You thought you were healthy until your annual physical and then the doctor says – we need to run tests. You were enjoying the arrival of Spring and then a friend is killed in a car accident. You’ve graduated from High School or College, but you’re depressed because you don’t see much of a future. You’re expecting your first child and you miscarry.
Listen to Jesus’ promise. ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’ … 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.” (John 16:19–20, ESV)
For the disciples their little while would be three days. From Friday evening to Sunday morning. Some old Lutheran preachers speculate on why it was three days from Jesus’ death to His resurrection. One said, “Well, if he rose on Saturday there would speculation that he really hadn’t died.” Another said something like, “He knew that if He waited until Monday the disciples might be too distraught.” So basically they did their speculation by the Goldilocks method – three days was just right.
It was just right. It was only a little while. It was probably only 36 hours. But don’t tell that to those weeping women. Don’t tell that to a distraught man who sees no future. Don’t tell that to someone who is suffering so horribly that she thinks God is dead or perhaps that she is dead to Him.
The women could hardly wait for Sunday morning to come. The minute the Sabbath was over they quickly did their Saturday night shopping and spent a restless night until the crack of dawn when they went to the tomb. You know that they saw – an empty tomb. Then Mary Magdalene actually saw Him, Jesus risen from the dead. They forgot all about the last thirty six hours. In the joy of the resurrection it turned out that He had only been gone a little while.
What is a little while? A little while to a toddler is 2. 1 milliseconds. A little while to an anxious person is right now. A little while to a committee of Lutherans deciding what color to paint the sanctuary is 3.7 years. When a woman is in labor don’t tell her 24 hours is a little while. When our state politicians promise to do their job in a little while they mean never.
Jesus has promises you in a “little while” your sorrow will turn to joy. Why can you believe Him? Because He took away your sin and a little while later He rose making your forgiveness certain, life everlasting certain, the joy of the resurrection certain. You will suffer for a little while here on earth. You might suffer an addiction. By God’s grace you might get help here, but in a little while you will most certainly be free. When you die and rise again in the resurrection the joy you have will be so great you won’t even remember the pain and struggle. In the last years of your life you might go blind or your husband might get Alzheimer’s or you might end up in a nursing home. When Christ raises you on the last day and your eyes see clearly and your mind knows God better than ever and you reside in the heavenly mansion your earthly tribulation will seem like a little while.
After a woman is through labor and by God’s grace has delivered a child, the joy will overcome the pains of labor. She won’t think of them day and night, but instead will have the ever growing joy of seeing her child grow and mature. Soon she will think of having another child.
In a little while we will leave the presence of Jesus – here in His Word and Supper. For a little while (6 days) we will go to our homes, serve our families, work our work, and pursue our happiness. There will be sadness among us this week. Some of you will lament. Others will weep. Remember what Jesus told you this morning, “You have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” He spoke those words about leaving His disciples in death and coming back in the resurrection. By that little while He won forgiveness for your sins and eternal joy with His Father. Jesus could say those Words about every week of our lives. This morning you have heard the Risen Jesus, seen and touched His risen body and blood at the Lord’s Supper. You won’t see Him this way for a little while, but He’ll be back next Sunday, to change your sorrow into joy. No one can take that joy from you because it is God’s joy in the name of Jesus. Amen.