John 16:19,20

“ Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask him, and he said to them: Do you inquire among yourselves concerning this that I said: In a little while you will not see me, and again in a little while you will see me. 20. Verily, verily, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. ”

Jesus anticipates their question, and gives them a last proof of His higher knowledge, not only by showing them that He knew of Himself the questions which occupy their thoughts, but also by solving, as far as possible at this moment, all these enigmas. Only, instead of explaining to them the supreme facts which are about to succeed each other so rapidly an explanation which they could not understand

He limits Himself to describing to them the opposite feelings through which they will themselves suddenly pass, and which will be the consequences of these facts: the greatest joy will suddenly succeed to the greatest grief; and all this will be brief, like the hour of childbirth for a woman; there would only be needed for Jesus time for going to His Father and returning. It is a terrible hour for them to pass through; but He cannot give them escape from it; and after this, their joy will be unmingled and their power without limits. Such are the contents of John 16:20-24.

The tears and lamentations of John 16:20 find their explanation in ch. 20, in the tears of Mary Magdalene and in the entire condition of the disciples after the death of Jesus. The appearances of the Risen One only half healed this wound; the perfect and enduring joy was only given on the day of Pentecost (John 16:22). The words: But the world shall rejoice, as far as: sorrowful, are not the real antithesis of the first clause. They form only a secondary contrast. The real antithesis of the first clause is in the last words of the verse: But your sorrow shall be turned into joy. The ἀλλά, but, expresses this opposition strongly, while marking the contrast with the clause which immediately precedes.