Done!

Done!

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. Isaiah 25:8 NIV

Context:

For three days now, we have looked at the prophecies of Isaiah, a man who lived about 700 years before Jesus was born on earth. He spoke about the plan of God for salvation for all men, as well as the plan of God for all of eternity. Isaiah did not live long enough to see Jesus physically walk the earth, but we read his words today and we are convinced of the power and wisdom of the God whose words we read here. This is my first word of comfort: I am called to serve a God who owns and holds all I see or cannot see in His hands. Nothing can snatch anything away from his hands, and all I hold is a function of his grace. There is no room for pride or self-sufficiency. 

Message and Response:

Today's extract speaks to both the present and the future. The present, because the life of Jesus has made it possible for me to enjoy all that God is, does and gives me now, and the future, as I look to all that God has guaranteed. If I live long enough, at some point, I have to satisfy the requirement of death before judgement. Yet, I read of that which Jesus has already sorted: death will be swallowed forever. All that makes a man age and die is defeated through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. 

It is quite important that I place this in the right context: it will not happen outside of the One who defeated death. How would I expect to gain something from someone who has no power to give that thing? You cannot give what you don't have. If I seek power of death, the one whose life has defeated death is the only one who can give it to me. 

The world system has only pain and sorrow. It is the way of the world, because it is under the control of the devil. Of course, with pain and sorrows come tears, and even when one is very happy, one can even shed tears of joy. However, a time is coming when God says he will wipe away the tears from all faces. Of course, when all you have is joy, what is the use of tears? When the corruptible has given way to immortality, and the new form knows no sorrow or pain, of what value are tears?

Sin brings disgrace. Since man fell in the Garden of Eden, it has been a long and consistent story of loss and shame. It was sin that required the perfect offering and atonement, and that is what Jesus came to satisfy. He dealt that final blow on sin, and offers strength, grace and mercy to all who come to him. You will not get the disgrace of sin removed from you unless and until you are in Christ. Being moral isn't enough; having a good reputation counts for nothing in eternity. The thief on the cross got punished for his sin, but he met Christ before he saw death. Judas Iscariot walked with Jesus for more than 3 years, yet that did him no good. It is not about your past alone, but what you do in the present so you can secure your future. 

So you know what is at stake and the seriousness you need to attach to it, it is the Lord that has spoken. Have you met this Lord, or which lord do you know? This is the Lord who is in control of all that your eyes can see, and even those that you can't see. It is He who spoke in Genesis as well as Revelation, several centuries apart, and still continues to speak today, and none of his words has failed to come to pass. That is the proof of a Lord who knows what he is doing, so if he says he will do all that we have discussed above, you can rest assured that he is able. What is that thing that looks confusing? Why not go to the true Lord of all, and get him to speak a word on that matter? His reputation is tied to his name, and he will do all he can to preserve his name. For all that he has spoken in the past, I hold on to him, sure of who I have believed and certain that all will end well. His time of favour is here.