John 16:22, commentary and pictures

Spoken to the eleven faithful disciples alone in the upper chamber after Judas withdrew, because the multitude could not understand such sacred truths, just before telling of His approaching separation in leaving them. The present sorrow is their grief at His death and during His absence, to give way to joy when He should see them again after rising from the tomb, and His resurrection and triumph fulfilled the promise with a joy that could not be taken away. Even the faithful could not fully understand it until after the resurrection took place, yet in disappointment and trial repeated it to stay their sinking hearts, while the women grieving at the cross and the empty tomb had forgotten the promise to see them again. It is a word of encouragement, comfort and lasting joy after sorrow when He meets His followers again, belonging to farewell words that their hearts should not be troubled, bringing strength and assurance to the true believer as long as time shall last. To prepare them for a dark and troubled future and their future work, He set the hopeful part of the future before their minds, strengthening them for trials and temptations so that through faith they should not fail nor be discouraged but stand fast in the most trying hour.

Setting and Fulfillment

The promise was spoken in the upper chamber after Judas withdrew, to the eleven faithful disciples alone, because the multitude could not understand such sacred truths. It belongs to the words of comfort, counsel and prayer recorded in John 15, 16 and 17, given as He prepared to leave them and just before He spoke of His approaching separation from them. Even the faithful disciples could not fully understand or appreciate it until after the resurrection took place, but in their great disappointment and trial they repeated it again and again to stay their sinking hearts.

The present sorrow is the disciples' sorrow at His death and during His absence, which was to give way to joy when He saw them again after rising from the tomb. His resurrection and triumph fulfilled this promise, and the joy it brought when they saw Him again could not be taken from them. The women at the cross failed to remember this promise to see them again while grieving after His death, and the women at the empty tomb had forgotten it while grieving, though the resurrection fulfilled it and turned their sorrow into joy.

The joy no one can take away is the joy He Himself kept ever before Him, that all His humiliation and suffering would glorify the Father's name, to which He first directed the disciples' thoughts as the great object of His mission. Rejoicing in view of God's mercy and goodness and the Christian hope is that joy no one can take away.

Encouragement and Application

Jesus spoke with full knowledge of every phase of experience and every conflict the disciples would meet, of the trials His church would face through unconverted believers, and of the severe testing of the faith and courage of His disciples. He was grieved that they must pass through manifold afflictions from the world with great temptation to lose faith. To prepare them for that dark, troubled future and for their future work, He set the hopeful part of the future before their minds, mingling bright, hopeful lines with the dark. That preparation taught that their efforts depended on divine power, acquainted them with His purposes and plans, strengthened them for future trials and temptations so that through faith they should not fail nor be discouraged nor fail to stand fast in the most trying hour, and reminded them of His love as they worked and counseled together.

The saying is a word of encouragement, hope, comfort, consolation and lasting joy after sorrow when Jesus meets His followers again, belonging to His farewell words that their hearts should not be troubled. With the whole discourse of John 14-16 and John 14-17 it brings strength and assurance to the true believer as long as time shall last, is of highest value for every soul consecrating his life to God's service, and its words are so simple that even children may understand them. It was spoken not from thought of Christ's own terrible ordeal awaiting Him but from care for His disciples. Through the disciples' testimony its truth has spread over all lands and lives through all ages to comfort the hearts of the desponding and give peace and hope to thousands who believe. As part of chapters containing lessons of deep importance and rich promises it is to be studied and kept ready to encourage the oppressed, sorrowful, and afflicted.

It belongs to Christ's instruction for all who claim to be Christians, to be received in homes as instruction about coming into possession of Christ's grace and meeting the conditions He gives. It belongs to the instruction in John 6 and John 13-17 that plainly expresses God's will, calling believers to live out Christ's prayer in practical life in unity and love with one another and with Christ so that dissension is cured and they stand the test in the shaking time. It belongs to John 14-17 which shows what God desires to do for the human race, so that when the Holy Spirit comes upon people as it came upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost, blinded eyes are opened and the scales fall from them. The instruction in John 14, 15, 16, and 17 is understood with new enlightenment when minds are unsoldered and resoldered by the melting influence of the Spirit of God and shows the great possibilities placed within reach.

The chapter promises that whatsoever is asked the Father in Christ's name He will give and that Christ will come as a Comforter to bless. These promises are to be believed with faith that gives up drugs and trusts that Jesus does not desire His people to be sick but will keep well those who live according to the principles of health reform.