Intro When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her time has come. Yet, when she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the agony, because of the joy that a Man has been born into the world. (John 16:21) So says our Lord in St. John’s Gospel.
Jesus said those words to His disciples before His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. For Jesus spoke those words to encourage them as they were to await His return. But it’s more than that. Jesus also gives us those words to encourage us, as we also await His return. Those are His words to encourage us during the trials and afflictions of this life, as we strive toward our true goal: The joy of being in God’s eternal presence! Main Body Jesus compares our life with Him in eternity to a woman suffering the agonies of childbirth, who is then overjoyed at the birth of her baby. She then forgets the pains of childbirth. So will it be for us in eternity: heaven will be so joyous that we will forget the pains of our life now in this fallen world. Our Lord describes this time of labor, this time living in the Church Militant, as “a little while.” Although it may now seem as if this “little while” of suffering is not so little, then, it will seem as but a flash in the magnificence and splendor of eternity. How encouraging! For no matter what suffering or travail you may have, your Lord has not forgotten you. That’s why you have an eternal hope and assurance. But is our Lord only saying, “Hang in there”? Is that all He has for us? Oh, it may seem that way, but there’s more in Jesus’ words than that. Jesus’ words may, at first, seem unusual. He says: When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her time has come. Yet, when she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the agony, because of the joy that a Man has been born into the world. Is Jesus only speaking a short parable? Or is He giving us a deeper lesson through His words? When Jesus spoke of childbirth, you would think He would have said “mother.” For not all women are mothers. And only mothers give birth. But that’s not the word Jesus used. He said, “woman.” Why? It’s because Jesus is calling us back to the beginning, back to creation, back to the first human birth. In the beginning, Scripture simply calls the wife of Adam, “Woman.” It was only later that she had the name “Eve.” And it was to the first woman whom God had spoken this curse: “I will intensify your labor pains; you will bear children in anguish” (Genesis 3:16). So the pain of childbirth that Jesus mentions is to bring back to our mind the curse God spoke to Eve after our Fall into sin. That’s what Jesus is doing. Yet, when Jesus mentions the pain of childbirth, He doesn’t only want us to see that. Even more than that, Jesus is also pointing us back to our Fall into sin. He is also bringing to mind all the suffering we endure because of our fallen condition: War, bloodshed, anger, greed, depression, despair, and death. So by that word, “woman,” Jesus brings us back to our Fall into sin and all the continuing aftershocks of that Fall. But, even still, Jesus is doing more than that. For with Jesus, there is always more. When the first woman, Eve, gave birth to her first child, she remembered God’s promise to crush the ancient serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). And so the first woman, Eve, rejoiced when she gave birth to her child. In Hebrew, she cried aloud, “I have gotten a man: the Lord” (Genesis 4:1). Eve knew the messianic promise of God. By faith, she believed it. It’s just that she had the timing wrong. Because Eve’s timing was off, she thought that God would defeat the curse of sin directly through her firstborn son, whom she called a “man.” Eve thought her son, Cain, was the promised Messiah. She hoped that Cain would be the man who would bring joy into the world. How disappointed was the woman when the man whom she bore murdered his brother, Abel. So when Jesus used the words “woman” and “man” instead of “mother” and “son,” He was pointing His disciples to remember the messianic promise. Through the word “woman,” Jesus was pointing His disciples back to the first women, Eve. Through the word “man,” Jesus was pointing His disciples to Himself. For, in the end, Jesus is that man! Yet, Jesus did not simply appear on earth as a man out of thin air. He was born. Jesus was also born from a woman: The blessed Virgin Mary. And when Jesus spoke to His mother in the Scriptures, do you remember what He called her? Do you remember the Wedding at Cana? At that wedding, when Mary told Jesus that they had run out of wine, how did Jesus respond to her? Jesus did not call her “mother,” but “woman.” He said, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? For my hour has not yet come” (John 2:4). Do you see the messianic implications? When Jesus was dying on the cross, He spoke to His mother again. There, Jesus told Mary that John, His beloved disciple, would care for her. And what did Jesus call her? Again, He called her, “woman.” Oh, the depths and riches that Jesus has for us, if we only have the eyes of faith to see and believe! When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her time has come. Yet, when she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the agony, because of the joy that a Man has been born into the world. Jesus is the Man who brings joy into the world. When Jesus said those words, He was testifying of Himself. For when Christ was born from the womb of the Virgin, the angels sang, “Gloria in excelsis Deo!” When Christ was born again from the earth in the resurrection, the angels praised forth this proclamation: “Christ is risen!” And we, filled with Easter joy, resound: “Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!” Yet, now we are in that “little while.” We are in that short season before Christ’s return. Now is when we experience the Kingdom of God only dimly and in the shadows. For it is in eternity when we will experience true life in all its fullness. We are in this world only for a “little while.” It is as Jesus says. What did Jesus call His time of whipping, scourging, and crucifixion? He called it “a little while.” And what does Jesus call your life of the cross from baptism to the grave? He calls it “a little while.” When you are born, it is painful. So is this time now, this “little while” of your life. Although it may seem, at times, that your “little while” may be unbearable, trust that Jesus has not given up on you. For He is even using your life of the cross to strengthen and purify you, to make you ready for your final testing before eternity. And your final testing is this: your death. Jesus is preparing you for your death, so you may die in the fullness of the faith. Your salvation--both body and soul--is the goal of remaining strong during this “little while.” That’s the reason you endure the travail. Yet, this is not simply a “no pain, no gain” campaign. This is not simply a “hardship builds character” slogan. No, for the glory you have tasted, in part, and the fullness you seek is given through the cross. For it is through our Lord’s cross that you are blessed. It is through His suffering that you get relief. It is through His death that you gain life. It is through your suffering that you share in His cross. It is through the grave that you enter heaven. And it is through the temptations and sorrows that you now endure, that you look forward to the fullness of your salvation and the unending joy of eternity. Yet, we know that encouraging words and inspiring examples can only take you so far. So, our Lord Jesus does more than encourage you. Beyond words and promises, He also gives you Himself. He gives you Himself--not just into your mind and heart, but also into your skin and bones. For the crosses you now bear and the heartache you now have, you just don’t feel in your mind and heart. No, you also feel them in your skin and bones. So, to strengthen and keep you in the one true faith, to enliven you in body and soul, our Lord gives you Himself in His holy Sacraments. He gives you His blood, poured over you in the water and Word of baptism. He gives you His hand, placed on you in His forgiving words during private confession and absolution. He gives you His body, fed into you in His Holy Supper. There, you receive the Lord Himself, who has already lived your life of the cross, who knows the way, and who lovingly shepherds you through this life to the life of the world to come. Conclusion It is as the Apostle John reminds us: “Whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17). “Lives forever”: That is what awaits you, as you persevere through this “little while” of hardship and sorrow. >From eternity’s perspective, this “little while,” which at times may even seem >unendurable, is but a passing moment. For safely tucked inside your Lord >Jesus, you share in His cross, so you may also know and receive the fullness >of His glory. Amen. -- Rich Futrell, Pastor Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Kimberling City, MO http://sothl.com Where we receive and confess the faith of the Church (in and with the Augsburg Confession): The faith once delivered to the saints, the faith of Christ Jesus, His Word of the Gospel, His full forgiveness of sins, His flesh and blood given and poured out for us, and His gracious gift of life for body, soul, and spirit. ___________________________________________________________________ 'CAT 41 Sermons & Devotions' consists of works that are, unless otherwise noted, the copyrighted property of the various authors; posting of such gives members of this list implied consent for redistribution _with_attribution_ unless otherwise specified by the author (as long as no charge is made for the work and it is not made part of a compilation), as well as for quoting or use in a congregational setting _with_or_without_attribution_. 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