Jesus in this passage prophesied to the Disciples about his death and resurrection. “A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.”

He put it in a way they wouldn’t understand instantly. The way Jesus worded it, it could’ve meant something as simple as: I’m going on an afternoon stroll, see you in the evening guys! But of course, that’s not what Jesus meant. In fact, I suspect the Disciples knew it meant something deep and significant. Just like every other word that had ever come from Jesus’s mouth, each one was significant. That would explain why the Disciples deliberated about what He said. The Greek word for “deliberate” is zēteite, which means “to seek [in order to find out] by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to enquire into.” Jesus goes on to say, “Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, ‘Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, “A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me”? Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.’ ”

The Disciples must’ve been even more confused and eager for answers after those words. “What do you mean the world’s going to rejoice!? Can the world really experience joy!?” Isn’t joy a genuine experience for genuine Christians? No Jesus, no joy. But joy, the sort that delights in evil, is obviously a counterfeit type of joy. How do we know it's counterfeit? “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy … it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-6 ESV) Counterfeit joy always exists counter to God’s love. Anything in opposition to love is evil, for God is love. “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1 John 4:16 ESV)

Jesus predicted their immediate response to His death would be “lament.” Widely practiced among Hebrews, “lament” means to express grief over sin, death and more. These periods of grieving were not short, commonly lasting at least a month! Lament is beneficial when practiced temporarily. Jesus said: “... you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.” Their grief was temporary because Jesus rose from the grave.

Jesus compares the emotional weight of these events to a woman giving birth. Commonly a woman is in labor for usually 12 to 14 hours, like how Christ suffered torture, and hung on the cross for hours. Both experiences are extremely painful, but what comes after the pain and suffering is glorious. The birth of a new life, and in the case of Christ, the birth of the free gift of eternal life. All that is required of the recipient is to receive that gift by faith, shifting one’s complete confidence onto the person of Jesus. This establishes a living relationship between God and the new believer where His character and glory begin to flow.

Finally, notice in verse 24, “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” The Disciples hadn't yet asked anything of Jesus, but now Jesus invites them to do so, and He does with us too! Just as they had learned to pray to God from Jesus, now He was teaching them to pray to Him and the Father!