John 16:17-24

¹⁷Some 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'?" ¹⁸They kept asking, "What does He mean by 'a little while'? We don't understand what He is saying." ¹⁹Jesus 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'? ²⁰I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. ²¹A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. ²²So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. ²³In that day you will no longer ask Me anything. I tell you the truth, My Father will give you whatever you ask in My name. ²⁴Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."

Jesus’ disciples immediately illustrate what He has just said about the necessity of the Spirit’s ministry: for once again, they fail to understand His teachings (v17-18) – it is only after His resurrection that they will understand, and that painful experience of His crucifixion will result in the abundant joy found in His resurrection. So Jesus explains His words further, using the illustration of a woman going through great pain to deliver a baby. Resurrection changes everything, because death no longer has any power. 1 Corinthians 15:55

When He died on the cross, in just a few hours, they would be filled with grief. But when they see Him again, after He has been raised from the dead, they will be filled with a joy that no one can take away. Then, they will receive the Spirit and will understand what Jesus has taught them. Then, they will not still be wondering about when Jesus will show them the Father, but they will understand that, in Jesus’ name, they may go directly to Him in prayer, certain that He will hear them – for He is their Father too! Truly, the world and all the powers of darkness rejoiced when they saw Jesus hanging on the cross; but three days later they fled in terror, struck with a deathblow from which they would never recover (Colossians 2:13-15). The disciples sorrowed when they saw Jesus on the cross; but three days later, or at least when believed He was raised, they were filled with a joy that made them forget their sorrow – just as a woman who has just given birth forgets her pain and rejoices in her new child.

V23-24, which Jesus will effectively repeat in v26-27, indicate that the believers can go directly to the Father with prayers and supplications – in Jesus’ name. The disciples were bold enough only to ask Jesus about the Father; but soon they would be bold to approach the Father Himself in Jesus’ name. Jesus remains our Mediator, but His mediation is completed. Still, He sits at the right hand of the Father ever and always interceding for us.