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4^th Sunday of Easter – April 21^st, 2024 Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church, Block, Kansas Rev. Joshua Woelmer Text: John 16:16–22 “Sorrow and Joy” Theme: Jesus will turn your sorrow into joy, perhaps not always as you expect it, but it will be a joy that no one will take away from you. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia! One of the hardest things to do in life is lose at something and then sit and watch the other person or team celebrate. Now, on the small scale, we call this “taunting.” It’s frowned upon in sports, and you can even get flagged for it in football. It’s considered “Unsportsmanlike Conduct.” There is a debate as to whether or not taunting should even be a penalty, because after all, these are grown men tackling each other. In the Olympics, which are coming up here shortly, I find it interesting that two people on the podium who are happy are the people who take first and third place. The person or team who came in first is celebrating—obviously. The ones in third place are also celebrating, because they won a final match over the fourth-placed person or team, who isn’t even on the podium. They’re also just happy to get a medal. But the second-placed person or team is in despair, because they just lost and they have to put up seeing the first-placed receive the honors. In a way, this is replicated for nearly every game, every competition, and even throughout life. You will lose way more than you win. The March Madness tournament ended earlier this month. Sixty-seven teams lost one game, and they were done. Only one team came out of there without a loss. All but one team had to watch another team celebrate. Furthermore, a perfect season in any sport is incredibly rare—you have to get used to losing from time to time. Sometimes, this feeling of sorrow and shame can drive a team to play better and maybe next year win it all. The reason I bring all this up is because we as Christians go through these times in our lives too. This is not just the case of having good days and bad days—everyone has those. What I mean is that there are days when the devil or the world sure is laughing at us. Sometimes, you just wish that Jesus would end it all by coming back right now. Let’s look at what Jesus tells his disciples in the Upper Room before they go to the Garden of Gethsemane. First, there is an exchange about Jesus saying, “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me” (16). The disciples are confused by it, but we can clearly see that Jesus is talking about his death and resurrection. He would be gone for a little while, and then they would see him again in the resurrection. Jesus then says this: “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” (20). This certainly came true during Jesus’s crucifixion. The disciples and women following Jesus definitely wept and lamented. They thought this was the end of Jesus—no one knew it was necessary. There was great sorrow. There was also rejoicing. The world rejoiced. Here “the world” stands in for those who believe this world is all there is. It’s true then as it is today. The devil also rejoiced. It’s the happiest he has ever been, seeing the Son of God suffering on the cross, die, and then being buried in the tomb. If we could go back and see this happening with our eyes, there would be tons of gloating and taunting. The Pharisees and high priest and Sadducees and many others were also rejoicing on a day that should have been a solemn rest. Their political positions were secure…for now. And yet…this sorrow for the disciples turned to joy, and the joy of the world turned to sorrow in an instant. The image that Jesus uses for this is a graphic one: “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world” (21). There is indeed great joy when a baby is born, especially when both mother and child survive the childbirth. The time of anguish tuns into joy because love sees its object. A mother sees her baby whom she could not really see before, only feel its kicks. The disciples and believers in Christ will have their sorrow turned into joy when they see the object of their faith and love. This will also happen to us. The message for this Sunday is that Jesus will turn your sorrow into joy, perhaps not always as you expect it, but it will be a joy that no one will take away from you. Firstly, Jesus is definitely pointing us to the End Times. Just like he pointed the disciples to his resurrection after death, he points us to our resurrection after death. There will be many sorrows in this life: loss of a loved one, aging, anxiety, shame, doubt, the list could go on and on. We may even have people in this world who mock us for our faith. But when we die and by faith rest in the arms of our Lord, we will have joy that is unending. Yes, it may well be like a woman giving birth: now is the time of anguish when we cannot see why we are going through what we are going through. But we will be delivered from this world to the next, “and no one will take your joy from you” (22b). Secondly, I must also emphasize that Jesus is not saying that there will never be any joys in this world whatsoever. God does indeed give us times of goodness while we are on this earth. On the other hand, we should oppose the prosperity gospel preachers. There are the Joel Osteens of the world who preach the Power of Positive Thinking. You must be wealthy, healthy, and wise. They say if you truly believe in God and claim his grace, then he will make your life on this earth easier. No, the truth is what Jesus says: there will be sorrow, and joy will come out of it. It is hard to repent, but forgiveness brings joy. It is hard to make a living and put food on the table, but God rewards hard work. It can be hard to sustain many things in this life, but the joy comes through buckling down and doing what’s difficult. Sometimes it is fine letting the world laugh at us, because we know that joy is better than laughter. Joy lasts forever. Sometimes living in this world seems like you’re in second place on the podium, watching everyone else have fun and laugh and live it up. Sin sometimes seems fun. But we as Christians know the truth: our sorrow and repentance and self-control and faith will lead to a greater joy, perhaps in this life and certainly in the life to come. That is the wonderful message of Christ in this Easter season. Jesus will turn your sorrow into joy, perhaps not always as you expect it, but it will be a joy that no one will take away from you. Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen. Return to Top \| Return to Sermons \| Home \| Email Church Office

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4^th Sunday of Easter – April 21^st, 2024

Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church, Block, Kansas

Rev. Joshua Woelmer

Text: John 16:16–22

“Sorrow and Joy”

Theme: Jesus will turn your sorrow into joy, perhaps not always as you expect it, but it will be a joy that no one will take away from you.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

One of the hardest things to do in life is lose at something and then sit and watch the other person or team celebrate. Now, on the small scale, we call this “taunting.” It’s frowned upon in sports, and you can even get flagged for it in football. It’s considered “Unsportsmanlike Conduct.” There is a debate as to whether or not taunting should even be a penalty, because after all, these are grown men tackling each other.

In the Olympics, which are coming up here shortly, I find it interesting that two people on the podium who are happy are the people who take first and third place. The person or team who came in first is celebrating—obviously. The ones in third place are also celebrating, because they won a final match over the fourth-placed person or team, who isn’t even on the podium. They’re also just happy to get a medal. But the second-placed person or team is in despair, because they just lost and they have to put up seeing the first-placed receive the honors.

In a way, this is replicated for nearly every game, every competition, and even throughout life. You will lose way more than you win. The March Madness tournament ended earlier this month. Sixty-seven teams lost one game, and they were done. Only one team came out of there without a loss. All but one team had to watch another team celebrate. Furthermore, a perfect season in any sport is incredibly rare—you have to get used to losing from time to time.

Sometimes, this feeling of sorrow and shame can drive a team to play better and maybe next year win it all.

The reason I bring all this up is because we as Christians go through these times in our lives too. This is not just the case of having good days and bad days—everyone has those. What I mean is that there are days when the devil or the world sure is laughing at us. Sometimes, you just wish that Jesus would end it all by coming back right now.

Let’s look at what Jesus tells his disciples in the Upper Room before they go to the Garden of Gethsemane. First, there is an exchange about Jesus saying, “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me” (16). The disciples are confused by it, but we can clearly see that Jesus is talking about his death and resurrection. He would be gone for a little while, and then they would see him again in the resurrection. Jesus then says this: “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” (20).

This certainly came true during Jesus’s crucifixion. The disciples and women following Jesus definitely wept and lamented. They thought this was the end of Jesus—no one knew it was necessary. There was great sorrow. There was also rejoicing. The world rejoiced. Here “the world” stands in for those who believe this world is all there is. It’s true then as it is today. The devil also rejoiced. It’s the happiest he has ever been, seeing the Son of God suffering on the cross, die, and then being buried in the tomb. If we could go back and see this happening with our eyes, there would be tons of gloating and taunting. The Pharisees and high priest and Sadducees and many others were also rejoicing on a day that should have been a solemn rest. Their political positions were secure…for now.

And yet…this sorrow for the disciples turned to joy, and the joy of the world turned to sorrow in an instant. The image that Jesus uses for this is a graphic one: “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world” (21). There is indeed great joy when a baby is born, especially when both mother and child survive the childbirth. The time of anguish tuns into joy because love sees its object. A mother sees her baby whom she could not really see before, only feel its kicks. The disciples and believers in Christ will have their sorrow turned into joy when they see the object of their faith and love.

This will also happen to us. The message for this Sunday is that Jesus will turn your sorrow into joy, perhaps not always as you expect it, but it will be a joy that no one will take away from you. Firstly, Jesus is definitely pointing us to the End Times. Just like he pointed the disciples to his resurrection after death, he points us to our resurrection after death. There will be many sorrows in this life: loss of a loved one, aging, anxiety, shame, doubt, the list could go on and on. We may even have people in this world who mock us for our faith.

But when we die and by faith rest in the arms of our Lord, we will have joy that is unending. Yes, it may well be like a woman giving birth: now is the time of anguish when we cannot see why we are going through what we are going through. But we will be delivered from this world to the next, “and no one will take your joy from you” (22b).

Secondly, I must also emphasize that Jesus is not saying that there will never be any joys in this world whatsoever. God does indeed give us times of goodness while we are on this earth. On the other hand, we should oppose the prosperity gospel preachers. There are the Joel Osteens of the world who preach the Power of Positive Thinking. You must be wealthy, healthy, and wise. They say if you truly believe in God and claim his grace, then he will make your life on this earth easier.

No, the truth is what Jesus says: there will be sorrow, and joy will come out of it. It is hard to repent, but forgiveness brings joy. It is hard to make a living and put food on the table, but God rewards hard work. It can be hard to sustain many things in this life, but the joy comes through buckling down and doing what’s difficult. Sometimes it is fine letting the world laugh at us, because we know that joy is better than laughter. Joy lasts forever.

Sometimes living in this world seems like you’re in second place on the podium, watching everyone else have fun and laugh and live it up. Sin sometimes seems fun. But we as Christians know the truth: our sorrow and repentance and self-control and faith will lead to a greater joy, perhaps in this life and certainly in the life to come. That is the wonderful message of Christ in this Easter season. Jesus will turn your sorrow into joy, perhaps not always as you expect it, but it will be a joy that no one will take away from you.

Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

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