Wednesday, 29 November 2023

The Upper Room Discourse 51

Tweet

John 16:22 So also you have sorrow now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you!

You can feel the intensity. Yeshua is sharing His parting thoughts and prayers with the Disciples and ultimately with God (as we will soon see in His John 17 prayer). The word "also" is in this verse is there because Yeshua is comparing the situation of the Apostles to a woman in labor. Sorrow, while suffering the pain of child birth, but joy after delivery. Likewise, the Apostles will grieve Yeshua's death, but rejoice eternally on account of the resurrection.

From this point today, I want to meditate on the last half of the verse, "... your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you!" Two parts here. "Your heart will rejoice." Yeshua is promising (when Yeshua promises, it is prophesy) joy. Joy is not happiness. Joy is a lifestyle of gladness. The Bible is abundant with evidence, here is some.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day that Adonai has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always - again I will say, rejoice!

1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always, (That's the whole verse)

Isaiah 61:10a I will rejoice greatly in Adonai. My soul will be joyful in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation.

And there is the second part, Yeshua said, John 16:22b No one will take your joy away from you. Satan is a thief (among other unsavory things). One of his objectives is to steal your joy. John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly!

Yeshua calls Himself the Good Shepherd Who cares for the sheep, and contrasts Himself with a wolf who destroys the sheep. John 10:11 I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

Yeshua is promising joy that can not be taken away, but will remain. Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life. Abundance of joys are in Your presence, eternal pleasures at Your right hand.