Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Old Testament Lesson just read, from Isaiah 25. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- Our text follows a rather lengthy description of God’s punishment upon the unbelieving and vicious nations of the world. God revealed, through His prophet Isaiah, that the judgment which the Babylonians brought upon Israel would come to an end. Babylon itself would be utterly destroyed and desolate.
- The language Isaiah uses is very similar to other parts of Holy Scripture which detail the end of the world and the coming day of Christ’s glorious return. Hence, our text not only speaks of the return of the Jewish people from Babylon, but also the return of the Lord to usher in His great “feast” – the resurrection, a new heaven and earth, the kingdom of Heaven.
- At times it is easy to see the dismal darkness of life in this world. Natural disasters – which cannot be deflected or escaped – remind us of the tenuous nature of life in this world. Likewise accidents and injuries, some of which are difficult if not impossible to fully recover from. The same is true of diseases, or even of the ravages of aging and death. Worst of all are the human disasters – individual crimes of violence or theft, massive crimes of mass murderers, and war.
- We don’t like to look at this darkness. It voids our enjoyment of the blessings in life that God has given us. So we spend a good deal of time and energy convincing ourselves that there is very little darkness, very little that is wrong in the world. We immerse ourselves in joys and pleasures. But these are temporary, and cannot endure; dark times and dark experiences invade our lives again and again.
- The Scripture indicates that this will be the history of the world, including that history which is upcoming in the future. Ultimately, this present world will come to a disastrous and catastrophic end – at the hand of God. It will be complete destruction of the world – far worse than anything in human history, or our own personal histories.
- This is the backdrop of our text, the description of what is coming on the Last Day, “THE LORD’S FEAST.” Both realities – of the hopelessness of this world, and of the relief and salvation of God – are given to us in God’s Word.
- There are two purposes: 1] that we not delude ourselves into thinking that there is any kind of permanent relief and deliverance in this life; and 2] that we not despair in the face of the horrifying experiences we ultimately endure in this lifetime.
- Think about it! God wants to warn us about the horrors to come, so that we are well-informed and prepared, but more importantly He wants to make sure that we are among those rejoicing “in His salvation.”
I. God’s Feast, Described In Our Text, Is His Salvation
A. It Is His Gracious Forgiveness, The Removal Of Our Reproach, Our Tears Of Repentance And Mourning For Human Tragedy, Including Our Own Sin And Suffering
Text: “The Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth.”
B. Ignorance Of God Will Be Removed And We Are Among Those Experiencing This Today – Through The Gospel, The Word Of God
Text: “He will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations.”
C. Death Itself Will Be Ended Forever
Text: “He will swallow up death forever.”
Statement: Dire and nasty things will come to an end – whether natural disasters, the catastrophes caused by human sin, or the natural consequences of our mortality. “God will wipe away the tears from all faces.” Our mortality will come to an end; we have eternal life! Everything that is wrong, painful, depressing, sorrowful will be taken away. This is the promise of our text, and of many other passages of Holy Scripture.
Application: Already we reap the benefit of God’s salvation. Our sins have been taken away, forgiven and cleansed from us by Christ’s blood. This is received by faith in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Though our reproach remains as far as the unbelieving world is concerned, we know what God has done for us and that He is fully and completely reconciled to us, His dear children. If we know and believe His great love for us, the veil of ignorance in regard to the true character and nature of God has also been removed from us. Each time we hear the good news of His love and rejoice to receive His Sacrament the light of God’s love is poured into our hearts.
Transition: This means that we will also receive all of the blessings spoken of in our text, that we are headed to “THE LORD’S FEAST.” For:
II. If The Lord Is Our God We Will Rejoice [For We Already Have The Wedding Garment Of Faith, Which Is Christ Himself, Our Righteousness]
Unlike the guest in Jesus parable who had no wedding garment and was cast out.
Statement: The Scripture is clear. Jesus Himself could not have said it more plainly than He did: “He that believes the Son has everlasting life; he that does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on Him.” The point is that there is worse disaster coming for those who reject and repudiate the love and salvation of God in unbelief, as Jesus said in the parable: “Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Application: It is sure and certain that we have been delivered from this, and this is the cause of our gladness and rejoicing even in the suffering of this life! The Lord has spoken and His Word creates what is real and certain! So with confidence Isaiah asserts:
“It will be said on that day, ‘Behold, this is our God, we have waited for Him, that He might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”
Transition: This is true for all who believe God, who trust in the Lord Jesus as Savior and Lord. For:
III. Rejoicing In The Lord’s Feast, We Even Now Live In His Peace
Epistle Lesson: “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let you requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Statement: Your hearts and minds are “guarded” by the peace of God in Christ Jesus! And we have His peace – which surpasses our understanding – because we know His love, His forgiveness, His salvation, and the upcoming “FEAST OF THE LORD.” So “let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” Indeed, let us “rejoice in the Lord always.”
Application: This is the comfort, strength, peace, joy, confidence, and courage that God wills for us to have – already in the troubles and tribulations of this life! We receive these things by faith, knowing the good that is soon to come to us in “THE LORD’S FEAST.”
Conclusion: Yes, we are well aware of the array of troubles and suffering that can come to us in this life, in this present fallen world. We know the troubles that have already occurred.
There is some comfort if we are able to have our attention distracted for brief times of pleasure and enjoyment, but these are fleeting. Other troubles will come to us, many directly. However, in the end these troubles, including death, “will be swallowed up forever.”
In this joyful expectation and hope, assured to us by God’s own Word, we too continue to be glad and rejoice in His salvation. Thanks and praise be to God, Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, Amen.