5th May April 2011

John 16:1-16 – The Disciples Grief will turn to Joy

• “ The Joy of Thripsis”
• Jesus tells His disciples that for a while the non-believers will rejoice and they will mourn but that finally they will rejoice.
• His death and resurrection will take them through this process.
• During this passage the disciples begin to slowly understand and believe that Jesus was sent from God – whether they fully understand Who He was is another matter.
• Just as they understood and begin to feel good about it Jesus explains that in this life there will be much trouble – the word used here is ‘thripsis’.
• Thripsis means to "put a lot of pressure on that which is free and unfettered"
• Imagine a clump of playdo or plasticine; different colors, shapes and sizes.
• Now apply thripsis and you squeeze them into one mass.
• Thripsis was a word often used when grapes were pressed in order to eventually produce wine used at celebrations.
• Jesus does not promise a lack of trouble but peace within it and joy that comes from it.
• For those who do not give up, for those who endure the pressure they will fine that thripsis will re-shape they and press them into God.
• The Joy of thripsis is that we will become one in Him and He will be in us.
• There will be much trouble in this life and I must put my hope in the process of thripsis.