Pastor Slaughter
All Saints Day
November 24, 2024
On This Mountain
Text: Isaiah 25:6-9
What’s one thing that unites all people everywhere? What’s one thing that every person of every culture experiences? I am sure you might’ve thought of all kinds of different answers to that question. But today I would argue that there is this shroud that covers everything on this earth that unites all of us and is something everyone experiences. It’s name is death with all it is experiences. We feel that shroud at the graveside of a loved one, in the doctor’s office with bad news, in counseling sessions trying to fix something that we broke, or those days where we just don’t want to get out of bed that day.
Death infects and affects everything. We suffer the symptoms—our bodies, our minds our relationships. And death is really a result of the sin we inherited and our own sin we commit. It weighs us down no matter who you are, or where you live, or what culture you are from… this shroud that covers all people.
There are days when this shroud feels especially heavy. When you have a string of bad days in a row, when the grief of death hits you out of the blue like a ton of bricks and you can’t help but cry. When we go through tough times. We hear well-meaning people say, “It will get better. It will get easier with time.” I understand what people are saying. But we do not have a promise that things will get better.
It has been 10 years since my mother died. Ironically this past Monday I took Annabelle downstairs, and she grabs a picture of my parents and nephew and niece. I tell her their names and she points at the picture and says Grandma Kay, Grandpa B. And the tears flowed.
So, what do we do… when the tears come? Where do we go on the hard days? How do we find the motivation to get out of bed? We take a little journey with Isaiah on to a mountain and see that the life that is to come isn’t just going to be better. It will be perfect.
So, Isaiah takes our hand and brings us to “this Mountain.” This mountain is rich with history. This is Mount Zion. Mount Zion where Abraham was covered with that veil as that knife was drawn to kill his son. This mount Zion is also where Abraham received his son Back from death. This is where David built an altar, and Solomon a temple, and where millions of animals death pointed to life. This mountain is where Jesus was sacrificed, died, and rose. This mountain is where God destroyed death!
Why come to this mountain? Because we have this need. Because we need to be reminded again, and again, and again, what happened on that mountain. You and I live in a world that is enshrouded with the effects of sin. You don’t have to go far to hear about situations of abuse or unfaithfulness. We begin to let all of our worries consume us. We feel the guilt when say we are going to resist sin and do better but fall prey to the same temptations, evil thoughts, unkind words, pharisaical attitudes, greed, envy. The lists goes on and on and on.
But where we really see this need to go to the mountain, is when we peer into the casket of our loved ones, where we hold the earn, when we go to the grave because there we are reminded of the ultimate consequence of our sins. Is death. We grief. We morn. And one day we will taste it.
So, Isaiah takes us to the mountain, “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that covers all peoples, the burial cloth stretched over all nations. He has swallowed up death forever!” What powerful words! What vivid pictures that we see on this mountain. Because it takes us straight to the cross. Where our God. Tasted death. Let that truth sink in for a moment. God died. Jesus true God and true man. Died. For all peoples. And that means he died for you. He forgave the sins of the world but that means he forgave you.
Although that shroud of death, that burial cloth pushed down on him, he broke free and rose from the dead. What did Jesus do with death by his resurrection? Isaiah says, “He has swallowed up death forever!” That picture of consuming food to never to see it again. Jesus has swallowed death forever! It’s gone. It can’t hurt us anymore. What gave death its power? It was sin. What did Jesus do about that sin. He died for it. Did death consume Jesus? No, rather he consumed it by rising from the dead.
But pastor, I see death all the time. My mom and dad are dead. My sibling died. My child died; my friend died. Pastor, I see death all around. True. But what happens to those who die in the Lord? What happens to those who have faith in God?
Isaiah says, “The LORD God will wipe away the tears from every face. He will take away the shame of his people throughout the earth. For the LORD has spoken.” When God speaks, he acts. One of the most beautiful pictures is what he does. With death overcome, God takes one more step. He will wipe away every tear. Human tears from broken hearts. Children shed tears when they get hurt. Adults shed tears in the face of tragedy. And tears are often the only response we can muster in the face of circumstances we cannot change. What a remarkable promise, and a beautiful picture of compassion of the Lord of the covenant! We just see God’s compassion here. He will pause to comfort this people and tenderly wipe away their tears.
We have comfort for those who died in the Lord. Today is when we are celebrating All saints day. A day where we remember those brothers and sisters in our congregation who died this past year and are with the Lord and savior. For those who are left, we have comfort. That God is keeping his promise. That there will be no more reason for crying or pain. No more sickens or disease. No more sin. On this mountain, we are comforted and we live!
We not only find comfort in what God is doing for our loved ones and what he will do for us one day, but we see what he provides. “On this mountain the LORD of Armies will prepare for all peoples, a banquet of rich food, a banquet of aged wines, with the best cuts of meat, and with the finest wines.” The best of the best is waiting for us on this mountain. For those who die in Christ, will live with Christ. And will receive something far better then anything we can imagine on this side of heaven. Isaiah pictures it as a banquet. The best foods, the best drinks the best meet the best wine.
Sometimes I think we cling to the here and now. We live our lives like this is it. This is the best that we are going to get, so make the most of it. So we pursue the things that make us happy. That allow us to escape from the pain. And the temptation for us is to start to shift from looking forward to the joys of heaven to clinging to the here and now. When we don’t see that life not only will get better, but will be perfect in heaven, then each day will be day is a step closer to when we will lose everything.
So Isaiah takes us on this mountain to show us that there is something better waiting for us. Because Jesus has swallowed death forever, securing for us heaven. Heaven, a place that God has prepared the best of the best for us, and will wipe away every tear from our eyes. We have something to look forward too. Some day we can join with the saints triumphant in heaven and say on that mountain, “Look, here is our God! We waited for him, and he saved us! This is the LORD! We waited for him. Let us be glad and rejoice in this salvation!”
My family in Christ, I asked earlier “So what do we do… when the tears come? Where do we go on the hard days? How do we find the motivation to get out of bed?” We go to the mountain and remember all the blessings that God has done for us in swallowing up death and what he will give to us in heaven. Each day is a day closer until we gain everything. Those saints that we remember today who died in Christ, are enjoying the blessings of heaven. Until that time the Lord calls us home, we find comfort in what is to come, we live our lives knowing that God has saved us. We wait for him and rejoice in this salvation!” Amen.