Jesus used childbirth to illustrate the believer’s experience here on earth. This example is used often in scripture: Micah 4:10; Rom. 8:22; II Cor. 5:2; Gal. 4:19; I Thess. 2:9; Rev. 12:2. Why would a woman endure the nine months of discomfort during pregnancy and then suffer painful labor? Because of joy. Joy is set before her. She has great hope and expectation that a little “bundle of joy” will be placed in her arms. She understands that sorrow and travail is only temporary and that the source of her pain is the contributor of the joy that follows. The present labor and travail will seem momentary when she is experiencing the joys of motherhood.
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)
Sorrow and struggle are only temporary. The phrase, “A little while” is used ten times to describe Christ’s going away and coming again in glory. “A little while” of travail before the joy that follows. In the upper room Jesus instructed his disciples in the upper room that they would experience “a little while” of labor in persecution, prayer, and in personal failure before the joy that will be.
“… weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5b)
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” (II Corinthians 4:17)
Labor of Persecution (John 16:20)
“…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)
Disciples are not at home in this present world. Christians are the “away team” they are “strangers” and “pilgrims” in this present world. In a ball game, the “away team” always gets a crummy locker room, and boo’s and jeers from the crowd. 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! I heard about a man who passed by a little league game; and, as he passed, 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 looks like we are down and defeated; the Lord hasn’t come back yet! We have not yet been up to bat. We are on the winning side!
Labor of Prayer (John 16:23-28)
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 and travail in prayer. By the “sweat of their brow” they labor in prayer for Christ’s name sake. Their prayers were answered, and their joy was full.
Here are a few of the many examples:
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 (John 16:29-33)
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)
The Lord in His Word allows us to observe the flaws and failings of His disciples. Thomas doubted, Peter betrayed, and the flock scattered from the Shepherd. Running from Christ in fear the apostles would “leave Him (Jesus) alone.” The chosen men would fail The Lord miserably quit their calling to go fishing.
“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief ” (Prov. 24:16)
We all fail the Lord again and again. We want to cry out with the Apostle Paul, “…oh wretched man that I am!” (Rom. 7:24). The Christian life is a constant battle, the spirit against the flesh. The good news is that we ultimately win the victory! In heaven we will be given a resurrected sinless body — no more inward battle, no more daily mortification. Victory will be ours! We will travail in sorrow but reap in joy. We will be like Jesus and even better: “We shall see Him as he is!”
As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. (Proverbs 17:15)
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. (I John 3:2)