Jesus Foretells Our Grief

John 16:1-4

“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my [b]help are the words of my groaning” (Psalm 22:1). The words of David in this Psalm resemble our own that come from our own suffering. These are the very same words Jesus utters on the cross. These words are the words of the Spirit leading us through trials and grief of this world.

Jesus isn’t one to shy away from saying the hard things. He isn’t naive to the hard realities we live in as Christians both in the 1st century and now. Yet, because of who our God is, He does not leave us without hope. He tells us the harsh reality and the daily cost of following Him but reminds us we are never alone. We are not left to figure it out, but we expect the trials and the hope that can come from them.

Jesus died on the cross, but that was not the end. He rose from the grave in glory and victory. Jesus foretold His death and our suffering as His followers. Yet, He also foretold His resurrection and the salvation he brings. He is doing great things; though it hurts now, there will be a time when death, sorrow, and sin will be no more.

The Psalmist starts with groaning and later says in verses 27-28:

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.

Could we remember that Jesus foretold our trials and grief along with hope? Our suffering is not the end, just as the grave was not the end for Jesus. We believe in a God who brings death from life. He uses suffering to produce flourishing. He uses persecution to spread the gospel to the ends of the world. Let us remember this.