The Worst Day Ever

Things will get much better for God's children.

John 16:16-19  “In a little while you won’t see Me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see Me again.” 17 Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does He mean when He says, ‘In a little while you won’t see Me, but then you will see Me,’ and ‘I am going to the Father’? 18 And what does He mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.”

19 Jesus realized they wanted to ask Him about it, so He said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see Me, but a little while after that you will see Me again.

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Instead of celebration, this Passover was awkward and confusing, the past week in Jerusalem has been chaotic. Right after the crowds sang his praises Jesus predicted that some of them would kill him, the confusion gets worse as he cleans out the temple and pronounces woes upon the religious leaders.

Things were just as strange during the Passover meal as their leader starts washing their feet, Judas suddenly leaves the room and never returns and then there was the harsh rebuke from Jesus that was aimed at Peter.

They didn't have any idea why things were so peculiar, to them this was just another routine Passover like any other, the past few days were just the beginning. Soon they will see their best friend be brutally beaten and die from incredibly brutal agony.

How would it feel to see your son treated so viciously to the point of death? How did Peter feel when he realized that he did the very thing that he could not conceive was even possible?

We like to jump past this part of Jesus story and get to Sunday as fast as we can but if we do that then we lose the part of Jesus that helps us when we go through dark days. Grief, pain and hopelessness will come our way and we can take comfort that our creator knows exactly how we feel.

John 16:20-22 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to Me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy.

21 It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world.

22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.

In the middle of their hopelessness there is no way that they could understand that their worst days are nothing compared to the joy that is on the way. They will soon realize that the very event that brought them all of this sorrow is the source of their eternal hope.

I must remember that it is difficult to see God working when we are standing in the dark but that is where his greatest work is accomplished. Don't give up... Sunday is coming!