A Little While
John 16:16-22
April 21, 2024 anno Domini
In case you weren’t listening the sermon is about “a little while.” And you’re hoping I will only preach a little while.
How little is a little while? The word is Greek is mikron. In English micron. A micron is 1/100 of a meter. In English about 1/25 of an inch. If you still use a ruler it’s between 1/32 and 1/16. A little while is really little.
How long was the little while Jesus was talking about with His disciples? Two nights. Three days. About 48 hours. Jesus would go away in death on Friday evening. Sunday evening – on the third day, He would be with them alive in the upper room. Showing them His hands and side. Breathing on them to show He was a risen living human being. Sending them out with the breath of life for sinners – His forgiveness won on the cross and given in His Word..
48 hours of grief, sorrow, and fear. It was especially long because they didn’t believe Him. He said “on the third day (the Son of Man) will rise again.” Or in this text “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again, a little while, and you will see me.”
If they would have believed it was only a little while how would those three days have been different for the 11 apostles? Instead of being restless and despairing they would have been anxious with excitement. Instead of being downcast on the Sabbath, they would have gone to the Temple with joy for what tomorrow would bring. Even while their enemies rejoiced over their victory the disciples would have smiled knowing who really had won the day. Instead of being locked up in a room afraid, they would have camped out in the cemetery all night waiting for the dawn. They would have watched that tomb like a deer hunter on opening morning, thinking every shadow or movement might be Jesus. Is that Him over there? That looks like a man. It is Him?
Would you have been any different? Are you any different? Jesus told them what those days would be like. “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament … you will be sorrowful.” Why are you that way? Because like the disciples you trust your eyes more than your ears. Seeing is believing and what did they see? They saw Jesus arrested, tortured, murdered, and dead. They saw His body put in the tomb. They saw the big stone. They saw the High Priest rejoicing and Pontius Pilate relaxing. They saw the Pharisees and Sadduccess smugly satisfied at Sabbath services. They saw three years wasted and saw the very real chance of being treated exactly like Jesus.
When Jesus spoke of that little while, He wasn’t speaking only of those hours between His death and resurrection. He was also speaking of His ascension into heaven and His return on the last day. That is another little while. In a little while (40 days after He rose) you will see me no longer; and again a little while (2000 years and counting) you will see me again.
1/25 of an inch. A micron. A little while. 2000 years of weeping, lamenting, and sorrow. It’s quite a bit less for you. For most of you it won’t even be 100 years of weeping and lament and sorrow. It will be 1/20 of 1/25. A micron of a micron. But it doesn’t look that way, does it? It doesn’t feel that way. But your feelings lie and your eyes are clouded by the cataracts of sin and unbelief so you cannot see reality. Don’t trust your eyes or your feelings. What you see isn’t what you get. What did the disciples see? Death, defeat, and the world rejoicing. What did they feel? Despair, sadness, fear. What did they get? They got the joy of a risen Lord, the life that comes with forgiveness, and the courage to proclaim the risen Christ to the world. They got victory over sin, the Devil and the world.
This past week I visited the State Capital with 7 brothers in Christ. We concluded our visit with the 1st and last stanzas of Amazing Grace. It’s not on my favorite hymns but the last stanza teaches us why our days on earth are but “a little while.”
When we’ve been there 10,000 years,
bright shining as the sun,
we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise,
then when we’ve first begun.
Saint Paul wrote it this way to the Corinthians, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” (2 Cor 4:16-17)
Here’s the reality. On average you’re going to live 85 years. Some less. Some more. Because Christ Jesus died for your sins and rose again a little while later, your sins are forgiven. The moment you die you will be with Jesus. And after a little while He will come again to judge the living and the dead and your body will be raised and joined to your soul, and you will live forever, in your body, with Jesus and all who believe in Him. Your weeping, sadness, lament, will be over. The world’s rejoicing will be silenced and turned to shrieks of terror as they realize Jesus is Lord and they are not. That’s the way your life will be for all eternity. I’m thinking that after even a little while, a micron of eternity, you won’t remember anything about the little while you were here in this fallen world. Or if you do, you’ll say, “That, that’s nothing compared to this.”
I asked you earlier how the disciple’s would have acted if they believed Jesus would only be dead “a little while?” It still would have been a tough 48 hours, but they would have been busy, eager, and excited as they endured that little while. How would your days be different if you believed that this (whatever you’re enduring right now) was only a little while?
Saint Peter tells us in today’s Epistle, “This is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God … when you do good and suffer for it … this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.” This year you have the opportunity by your vote to put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. You can use your freedom, not to cover up evil, but to serve God. When a candidate knocks on your door or greets you at a parade, ask him where he stands on religious freedom? Ask her if every human including the unborn is entitled to life? Ask him if he believes you are free to practice your faith and teach it to your children and grandchildren without fear of government suppression? Ask her if you have the right to bear arms in self-defense of your rights, your life, and your family’s freedoms? Ask him if the state or parents are the final authority over minor children? You know how God answers those questions. You know that His will is good for all people, even those who do not believe. You might be saying, “Pastor, what good will it do? My vote won’t accomplish anything? Evil people may still win.” They might. The church could see worse in the future. The world could rejoice as we weep and lament for our nation, our children, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Ignorant, foolish people will go on thinking Christ is dead and they will keep trying to kill His church. But remember this – it’s only a micron. The disciples saw Jesus in a little while and so will you. And then your sorrow will turn to joy and your hearts will rejoice. In the name of Jesus. Amen.