Master Jesus: When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. John 16:21

The Gospel of John recounts the teachings and the most important actions of Jesus during the Last Supper. The words spoken by Jesus during this very special moment in the Lord's life represent his spiritual testament. The hour of the Lord, which he had prophesied so much, was about to arrive with his arrest on the Mount of Olives, and he, as the "son of man," did not want to leave his disciples orphaned. The world had to be transformed by a new faith, and the disciples would be in charge of this work, the promise of eternal life and salvation had to be carried to the ends of the earth.
And so the teacher Jesus reminded the disciples of the new commandment, the commandment of love, and that through this love they would be recognized as witnesses of him: "I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other" John 13:34.
But his teachings did not end with this expression, for he foretold to his disciples that he would leave this world to be taken to the Father, and this would bring great sadness to his disciples, which would then be transformed into joy with the arrival of the Paraclete, that is, the Holy Spirit. And in this way, he tried to leave to the disciples a comparison, to illustrate the point, the divine master explained that the changes to come would be like a childbirth, when a new creature is born, and with these words the Lord Jesus taught them: "It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world" John 16:21.
And this teaching had a very important spiritual meaning. The disciples had to become new men, men reborn from above, and the Holy Spirit had to bring about this change, this new birth not of the flesh but of the Spirit, as Jesus taught Nicodemus. With this, Jesus told the disciples that the times of the "Son" had to end and the times of the spirit of wisdom had to begin, which would fill the whole earth with knowledge.
The disciples, upon hearing these words, could not clearly understand Jesus' wisdom because they were not filled with the Spirit. But the events with the arrival of the spirit at Pentecost proved that Jesus was right, and so the disciples, as "children in the Spirit" were able to bear witness to the Lord, as the divine master prophecied.

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