John 16:21

A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. A WOMAN WHEN SHE IS IN TRAVAIL HATH SORROW ......

21._A woman, when she is in labor. _He employs a comparison to confirm the statement which he had just now made, or rather, he expresses his meaning more clearly, that not only will _their sorrow be turned into joy_, but also that it contains in itself the ground and occasion of_joy _It frequently happens that, when adversity has been followed by prosperity, men forget their former grief, and give themselves up unreservedly to_joy_, and yet the grief which came before it is not the cause of the _joy _But Christ means that the _sorrow _which they shall endure for the sake of the Gospel will be profitable. Indeed, the result of all griefs cannot be otherwise than unfavorable, unless when they are blessed in Christ. But as the cross of Christ always contains in itself the victory, Christ justly compares the grief arising from it to _the sorrow of a woman in labor_, which receives its reward...

16-22 It is good to consider how near our seasons of grace are to an end, that we may be quickened to improve them. But the sorrows of the disciples would soon be turned into joy; as those of a mother, at the sight of her infant. The Holy Spirit would be their Comforter, and neither men nor devils, neither sufferings in life nor in death, would ever deprive them of their joy. Believers have joy or sorrow, according to their sight of Christ, and the tokens of his presence. Sorrow is coming on the ungodly, which nothing can lessen; the believer is an heir to joy which no one can take away. Where now is the joy of the murderers of our Lord, and the sorrow of his friends?...

Verse John 16:21. _FOR JOY THAT A MAN IS BORN_] ανθρωπος is put here for a _human creature_, whether _male_ or _female_; as _homo_ among the Romans denoted either _man_ or _woman_....

EXPOSITION JOHN 16:1 (c) _The bitter issues of the hostility of the world_. JOHN 16:1 THESE THINGS. What things? Primarily the explanation he had given of the opposition and hatred of the world, and the vast consolation which he had promised in the identification of the disciples with himself, and the witness which would be borne by the Paraclete; but not exclusively, for they include all the preparatory instructions based on his own Person, his going to the Father, his return in the power of the Spirit. HAVE I SPOKEN TO YOU, THAT YE SHOULD NOT BE OFFENDED; that you should not be made to fall over the stumbling block of persecution, and the refusal of the people to hear your message concerning me. For the mome

A WOMAN WHEN SHE IS IN TRAVAIL HATH SORROW,.... As was said she should have, Genesis 3:16; This is God's ordination and appointment for sin: BECAUSE HER HOUR IS COME; is at hand; the fixed time in nature is up, and there is no avoiding it: BUT AS SOON AS SHE IS DELIVERED OF THE CHILD; for though the sorrow is great, yet there is a deliverance, and she is saved in child bearing: when SHE REMEMBERETH NO MORE THE ANGUISH; the sharp pains she has endured in her travail; FOR JOY THAT A MAN IS BORN INTO THE WORLD. Much such a way of speaking is used by the Jews z, who observe, "if a woman brings forth a male child, all is forgot, and she repents (i.e. of her impatience, or any unbecoming expression in the time of labour), בשמחת הזכר, "for the joy of a man child".'' And our Lord seems to have res

John 16:1. _These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended._ «That you should not be scandalized when you see me put to death, and when you miss my bodily presence from your midst. I want to prepare you for the shame and death that lie before me, and also to prepare you for all that lies before you, for many of you will have to drink of my cup, and to be baptized with my baptism. These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended,» or ashamed, or scandalized, or caused to stumble, when they come to pass.» John 16:2. _They shall put you out of the synagogues; yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service._ That terrible «time» did come very soon, and the Jewish and other persecutors hunted down the Chris

WORLD Greek, "kosmos", means "mankind". (_ See Scofield) - (Matthew 4:8). _...

CHAPTER 16 1. Persecutions Predicted. (John 16:1 .) 2. The Comforter and His Demonstration. (John 16:7 .) 3. Sorrow and joy. (John 16:16 .) 4. The Father Himself Loveth You. (John 16:23 .) 5. His Final Word before His Prayer. (John 16:28 .) Again He announced coming persecutions. The world is the same today as then, and before this age ends these predictions of our Lord will be again fulfilled, during the great tribulation. The coming of the Comforter is once more announced by Him. He could not come unless the Lord departed.

JOHN 16. There is no break between chs. 15 and 16. Jesus has told them beforehand, so that His death and their suffering may not daunt their faith, as the Baptist was offended by the course of the ministry, which did not correspond to his Messianic expectation. They must expect actual excommunication. Their execution will be thought an acceptable sacrifice to God (_cf._ the Jewish comment on Numbers 25:13, He who sheds the blood of a transgressor should be thought of as if he had offered an offering). There is no reference in John 16:2 to the rebellion of Bar-Kochba (John 5:43 *). This hostile attitude will be due to men's ignorance of God and His Messenger. In after time they will remember His warning. It was not necessary to giv