(This sermon was preached for a dear member of our congregation named Ron.)
On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:6-9 NIV)
It seems like we just did this. Because we did! I looked back, and Annette’s funeral was here on November 19, 2021. Just three months ago. I certainly didn’t expect to be back here again so soon. I don’t think you did either. My heart goes out to you and your family. I can’t imagine losing a mother and father so close together. No matter how old a person is, death is hard.
I wish I could tell you this is the last time you’ll be at a funeral. But I can’t. You’ll be here again. Maybe not in this church. But at a funeral. The Bible explains why, “The one who sins is the one who will die” (Ezekiel 18:4). Death isn’t just the result of COVID or cancer. Death is the result of sin. Every person who sins will one day die. How many people does that include? Everybody. Every single one of us. We lived in a broken world filled with death because of sin.
So what can we do? There’s a psalm in the Bible—Psalm 121—that starts like this: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2). When we need help, the Bible tells us to look to the mountains. Why? When you look to the mountains, what direction do your eyes go? Up. Where does our help come from? Up. So it’s no surprise that when the Old Testament talks about heaven, it often pictures heaven as a mountain. This lesson from Isaiah is what I read to Ron in the hospital after Annette died. I know it brought him comfort. I hope it brings you comfort too.
It starts like this: “On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines.” This is one of my favorite pictures of heaven. Know why? I like to eat! What does the Bible compare heaven too? A feast of rich food! That’s what Ron gets to enjoy today. And tomorrow. And the next day. And forever. I bet you have memories of a Thanksgiving feast or a special Christmas dinner. Good times with good food surrounded by people who love you. That feast is what heaven is like!
Except heaven never ends. I bet those memories of feasts come with a hint of sadness. You’re not at that feast anymore. It ended. Like everything good on earth. But not the feast in heaven. It never ends. That feeling that you’re surrounded by people who love you, that you’re safe and warm and home—that’s what you’ll enjoy in heaven forever. And you won’t get old. And you won’t get full. And you won’t have to go back to work the next day. Doesn’t this sound good? I know you’re sad. But don’t be sad for Ron. He is enjoying the feast in God’s house forever.
And it gets even better: “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever.” That feast in heaven couldn’t possibly be enjoyable if death was still hovering around, like death hovers around everything on earth. Death is like this dark veil that clouds even the best days of life. But God will destroy it. God “will swallow up death forever.” In fact, he already has. Our Savior Jesus Christ “has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim 1:10).
Jesus chose a really strange way to defeat death. Do you know what it was? He died. Actually, Jesus is the one exception to that rule we talked about: “The one who sins is the one who will die.” How many times did Jesus sin? Not once. And yet, Jesus still died. Why? For us. He died for our sins. He died in our place. He died to destroy death and bring life. Because of Jesus, the Bible taunts death: “‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). There’s victory over death in Jesus!
Because Jesus didn’t just die. He rose from the dead. And he says to you and me, “Because I live, you also will live.” Jesus promises, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25-26). This is how Jesus destroyed the shroud that enfolds all people. This is how Jesus swallowed up death forever. He lived and died and rose in our place and gives eternal life to all who believe in him. Ron isn’t really dead. Sure, his body is. But Ron lives with Jesus in heaven.
Here’s what that means: No more tears. “The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.” If heaven is a feast of rich food… If in heaven death has been completely destroyed… If Jesus is really the resurrection and the life… Do you know what there isn’t in heaven? Tears. Not one. The book of Revelation says: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Whenever tears fill your eyes, know this: They won’t in heaven. Ron will never be sad again.
And it’s not just tears. “He will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth.” There is more heartache in this world than just sadness and tears. There’s this aching in your heart. This pain and emptiness. A mixture of guilt and regret and hurt and shame—“disgrace.” That’s going to be gone too. In its place, your heart will be filled with all the good things of Jesus. Peace and joy and hope and forgiveness. Doesn’t this sound good? There is a mountain of God’s salvation. Jesus gives us hope in the face of death. Jesus gives us joy in the face of sadness. Even today.
So how do we get there? This is so important. Thankfully, getting to heaven isn’t a mystery. You don’t have to try to find your own way there. The people who are already in heaven tell us: “In that day they will say, ‘Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” How did they get there? They trusted in God, and God saved them. “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
When someone like Ron dies, you might think that he’s in heaven because he was such a good guy. He was! We miss him already. Ron did so much for our church. He was 1/3 of our entire men’s section in the choir. He loved to read in Bible class. Behind the scenes, he carefully collected and counted our church offerings for years. He was always here. When I came here last summer, Ron explained how he took care of the offerings. I said, “That’s great. What happens when you’re not here.” He said, “I’m always here.” I said, “But what happens when you’re not here?” He said, “I’m always here.” He was. Ron was a tremendous blessing to our church.
But that’s not why Ron is in heaven. That’s not why anyone is in heaven. No one is saved by being a good person. Ron knew it. When Annette died, I heard lots of people compliment Ron on how he had so faithfully taken care of her for so many years. He didn’t like hearing that. He told me again and again, “I didn’t deserve her.” Know why? He wasn’t a perfect husband. He wasn’t a perfect father. He knew it. He knew he was a sinner. You are too! If you think your goodness is going to get you into heaven, you’re going to be surprised. That’s not how heaven works.
We need a Rescuer. We need a Savior. Who is it? Jesus! “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” Salvation is by faith. Not by our works. By faith in Jesus Christ. “We trusted in him, and he saved us.” Ron is in heaven today because he trusted in Jesus, and Jesus saved him. Heaven is open to you. To me. To all peoples. Through Jesus who says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Ron trusted in God, and God saved him. Because of Jesus, Ron is enjoying the mountain of God’s salvation.
So remember this—today and in the days to come—“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2). It’s going to be easy to spend these days looking down. But your help doesn’t come from down. It comes from up—from the Lord! It’s always easy to look to ourselves. But your help doesn’t come from you. It comes from up—from the Lord! There is a feast of rich food prepared for you. Because Jesus Christ has destroyed death for you too. One day, God will wipe every tear from your eyes. No more tissues! One day, God will remove every disgrace from your heart. No more regrets! It’s all yours in Jesus. “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
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