What Does The Bible Say About Grief And Sorrow?預覽

Temporary sorrow will turn into deep joy.

Jesus doesn't play down the fact that His disciples will have to endure sorrow in this world, especially when He is leaving them. After all, they have been following Him as their master and teacher for three years, and they are waiting for Him to become King and to expel the Roman oppressors. But that won’t happen. Jesus will be crucified instead! He will have to suffer and die, and this will leave His disciples confused and sorrowful.

But Jesus encourages His disciples before any of this happens. He promises them that He will return, and that their sorrow will turn into deep joy.

Looking back, we see that Jesus has kept His word. He rose from the death and appeared to His disciples. And even though He later returned to His Father in heaven and thus left them ‘alone’ again, this joy lasted. Luke records how the disciples “worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God” (Luke 24:52-53). Knowing Jesus as the risen Lord and Savior Who has conquered death and given us eternal life, is a lasting source of joy. No one can take that joy from us. And we know it will become even better when all of creation will be set free from its bondage to corruption and death.

Does this joy fill your heart?