Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. (John 16:20-21)
In the upper room, Jesus used childbirth to illustrate the believer’s earthly experience. Why would a woman endure nine months of discomfort followed by painful labor? Because of the joy set before her, a little “bundle of joy” will be placed in her arms! She knows that her sorrowful labor contributes to the joy that follows. Her current struggle will seem momentary and fleeting compared to the joy of motherhood.
Like birthing mothers, Christ’s disciples will experience spiritual labor that gives birth to eternal joy!
II Corinthians 4:17 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”
The Labor of Persecution
“…the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful” (John 16:20)
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
In the world, “ye shall have tribulation.” Jesus said, “I have overcome the world!” We might be the away team, but we are going to win! A man passed a little league game, and, as he passed by, he hollered out to the first baseman, “Hey kid, what’s the score?” The boy responded, “Forty-two to nothing; we are losing.” “Wow, that’s pretty bad!” the man said back. “Nah,” said the little boy, “we haven’t been up to bat yet!” Then Jesus said, “I have overcome the world!” When it seems we are down forty-two points, remember, the Lord hasn’t returned yet! We have not yet been up to bat, and we are on the winning side!
Labor of Prayer
And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:22-24)
Since the fall of mankind in Genesis 3, saints have had to labor “by the sweat of their brow” in prayer. By fervent prayer, their prayers were answered. Their joy was full:
The labor and travail of Jacob in prayer: Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us; (Hosea 12:4)
The labor and travail of Hannah in prayer: And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. (I Samuel 1:15)
The labor and travail of Elijah in prayer: Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. (James 5:17)
The labor and travail of Jesus in prayer: Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; (Hebrews 5:7)
Labor of Personal Failure
Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:32-33)
Just as Christ’s hand-picked apostles failed Jesus, we all fail the Lord repeatedly. The Christian life is a constant battle, the spirit against the flesh. “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again…” (Proverbs 24:16). A disciple grows in grace, and ultimately we will be resurrected in the likeness of Jesus! For we “shall see him as He is!” Our sorrow shall be turned into joy!
I John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.