While I believe Mary Magdalene to be a very important woman person in Jesus’ ministry, this week I want to focus something a little different. I want to start with a section of scripture where Jesus is telling the disciples about what is to come. It comes from the Book of John:
Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.” Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.
I love what Jesus says, “…you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” He is talking about his death and resurrection. They will first mourn as a result of Jesus’ death, but “in a little while” their “grief will turn to joy”, because “after a little while you will see me.” And that is, indeed, what took place.
—John 16:16-20 NIV
I have to admit to my readers that I intended to discuss Jesus’ journey to the cross in this blog post, but I just received a leading to take this somewhere else. This may seem redundant, but let’s go back to the passage above and read it again.
Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.” Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.
—John 16:16-20 NIV
In this passage, Jesus is sharing with his disciples that he is going to the Father, but, then, after a little while, they will see him. He explains that their grief will turn to joy.
When I read this passage, I cannot help but to think about some friends of mine who have recently lost a loved one. I have heard quite a bit about their struggles, and my heart goes out to them. Also, I cannot help to be reminded of my own loss. My mother went to be with the Lord in 2013 and my dad went to be with the Lord just four years later, in 2017. It reminds me of how thankful I am that I came to know God before I lost my parents. Both of my parents went to be with the Lord after my family and I moved to Canada so I didn’t get to say goodbye in either case. I was there when we laid my mother to rest, but I didn’t get to go to my dad’s funeral. At the time, my family was advised not to leave Canada, because we were going through the Permanent Residency process. Leaving Canada could have compromised our stay here, so, it was advised that we did not travel outside Canada until everything was finalized. It is a process that anyone seeking Permanent Residency in Canada goes through.
Yes, I was questioned. “Why won’t you come?” And I would have to explain our situation. I don’t know if I was fully understood, but there was one thing that I held on to that my Lord taught me so long ago. “‘…In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” (John 16:19-20 NIV)
To put this in perspective, though the world around me rejoices because they still have their family and are not losing anyone they love today, and though I weep and mourn over my loss, my grief will turn to joy. Though my parents cannot be called or visited, I know that I will see them “in a little while.” It will also be under better circumstances: no more cancer, no more Parkinson’s disease, no more heart conditions or any other negative circumstances.
So, you might say, “How can you be so confident in what you are saying?” First of all, God revealed to me about two years before my mother passed away that her time on earth was coming to an end. Getting to know God and settling the issue of death with him settled my heart and helped me to go through the grieving process rather quickly. Because I had already been through it once, I was ready to let go when my dad passed on. You see, I know that one day I will see them again. Honestly, I am a little envious that they are with our savior and yet I am still here to contend with the ways of the world. Had God not given me a mission, or a purpose, I would have to admit that I might still be grieving the death of my mom and dad. God revealed to me long ago that I would be writing, and it is what I set my sights on. I have a purpose to reach out to others and tell my experiences of how wonderful God is and that he is truly very aware of everything that we experience.
So, my friends, you may be grieving, but God is very aware of what you are experiencing. Turn to Jesus and seek his kingdom. If you do, you will assuredly not only see Jesus in a little while, you will also see the loved ones you have lost. Set this in your mind: if you know Jesus, then everyone else who knows him and has gone before you is on a vacation waiting for you to meet up with them in Heaven before the real party starts. If for some reason you do not know Jesus, try to get to know him a little. Ask him to show you the truth about who he is and what he is all about. I know that he will reveal some things to you if you are truly seeking him for the truth. Until then, take a moment and read How to Know Jesus. While it is short, there is a lot that you can learn there about him.
Go forth and be blessed, my friend.
Latest Posts
- A message of Masada
- What is in your perifrial vision
- Two Deceptions
- I’m speechless, but not
- My Hiding Place
New Release
The Truth About Being A Woman 