October 1, 2023
The Relief Of A Tormented Person
“Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. Therefore you too have grief now, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you?” John 16:20-22 (NASB)
When I was stationed in Germany in 1983, my wife arrived from America six months pregnant. We figured it out; our son was conceived on our honeymoon night. A few months later, she gave birth to our premature son. The night of his birth, we had a friendly snowball fight with the neighbor's children. When we got back to our apartment her water broke. I called a German cab, who arrived a few minutes later. The cab ride took about 15 minutes to the Army Hospital in Landstuhl. The cab fare would turn out to be one he would never forget. As my wife got into the cab the labor pains began. She was a high-risk patient. As we headed down the road, we began to climb. The hospital was at the top of the mountain. As the labor pains increased, the cab driver muttered in German and began to drive faster (on snow-covered roads). When we arrived, the cab driver helped us out and then checked the back seat for anything left behind. Then he drove off quickly. I think he wouldn’t have even cared if he got paid.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. “In this verse, which is introduced by a familiar Johannine double amēn (“truly, truly”) oathlike statement, the coming twofold experience of the disciples is clearly set out by Jesus, who understood the imminent future. There would first be a period of sorrow for the disciples while the world rejoiced, but that period would give way to a period of rejoicing for them.”[1] The world would rejoice in the death of the One who caused so much turmoil, but Jesus’s resurrection would, in the end, bring joy to the disciples. “Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.” Jesus used a human birth illustration to share what He meant. This same language is seen in the Old Testament, which speaks of the suffering of the faithful before the Day of the Lord. These terms describe birthing pains (Isaiah 27:17; 66:7; Micah 4:9). This picture is of a mother who has given birth to her child. Despite all the pain, she can smile with joy when the child comes. It is the rejoicing of a new life, after so much pain. It was all worth it.
An hour or less later, my wife delivered our son. I was in the operating room (a makeshift delivery room) with her. As my son was delivered, I remember when he screamed to life. He urinated on the surgery light as they raised him. The doctor said, “Well, we know that works!” Still premature, they took the baby back to an urgent care room since he was in respiratory distress. My wife wasn’t able to hold him for a while after. Because of the high risk, we had counseling beforehand to let us know something bad could happen and he might not make it. It was a tough time watching and waiting. He did. He thrives today raising his own family with his child now. Suffering and pain now bring joy to each life who sees childbirth.
[1] Borchert, G. L. (2002). John 12–21 (Vol. 25B, p. 174). Broadman & Holman Publishers.