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Commentaries
English
John
  
20"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.21When a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world.22So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.23In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name."


Jesus read the disciples thoughts, and made out what they were saying, though he had not heard. In answer to their misgivings, he did not calm their fears or lighten their sorrows, but he stressed that much pain, tears and laments would soon shake their lives. It was like the death of a good king; the people grieved and lost hope. While the disciples sorrowed, their enemies would gloat. By enemies Jesus meant the world at large, not just Jewish rulers. All outside the Church of Christ belong to the lost world far from God, rebels against the Holy Spirit.
Further, Jesus promised his disciples that they would find great joy. The hours of tears and mourning would be brief, as the birth pangs of a mother. Mothers regard these birth pangs bearable compared to the joy of holding their infants in their arms.
At the resurrection, all questionings on the disciples were silenced. The issues of guilt were settled for them, and the problem of death overcome, Satan’s dominion was shattered, and God’s wrath no longer pressed on them in doom. Their denials, fears and unbelief would not deter Christ’s return and their forgiveness. The Jews were unable to trap them, because the Lord would keep them. So all the questionings and dilemmas that troubled them found an answer and a cure on the Resurrection day in the Person of the Risen One.