He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove the disgrace of his people 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."
Death is a subject that we don’t like to talk about. Nevertheless, it is the one sure thing in life the Preacher says in Ecclesiates there is " a time to be born and a time to die". Paul says in Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:". Death is sure! In the Bible death is called giving up the ghost, the king of terrors, a change, going to thy fathers, putting off this tabernacle, requiring the soul, going the way whence there is no return, being gathered to our people, going down into silence, returning to dust, being cut down, fleeing as a shadow, departing, the enemy and sleep. There have only been two men who lived and did not die they were Enoch and Elijah. Because death is sure we are told to prepare for it . Jesus says in John 9:4 "As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work." In the Bible death is viewed as our enemy. However, he is for the blood washed child of God a defeated enemy! Paul even viewed death as a friend he said "for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
He sees it as the means of moving from the struggles of life to the pleasures of the present of God. Yes! From the part to the whole, from the mortal to the immortal, from tears to no tears, sickness to no sickness, and from departing to never parting.
However, for the non believer death is for sure and enemy. He has only the second death to look forward to. Endless ding , no way out , no way up. Worst than life , tears but no one to wipe them, burdens but no one to bare them, sickness but no one to heal them, sins but no one to forgive them that is hell!
In the words of our text the prophet Isaiah tells of a day when death will be swallow up for ever. A day when the last enemy has been wiped out. A day when the righteous will not be subject to the tyranny of death. Don’t you want to know when that day will be? Let me first tell you when it was not….
Widow of Zarephath son was raised to life by Elijha. But that was not the day.
Dead man touch the bones of Elisha, and came back to life but that was not the day.
Jairus daughter was raised by Jesus but I need to tell you that was not the day.
Widow of Nain son was also raised by Jesus but that was not the day.
Lazarus had been dead for four long days and Jesus raised him but that was not the day.
Even though each one of these are the wonderful working of God not one of them swallow up death. In each of these cases they had to face death all over again and the second time death won. In the context of this passage there are three pointers that point us to the day that death would be destroyed.
The Geographical pointer: v6a; On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples,
The Symbolic pointer: v6b; a banquet of aged wine-- the best of
meats and the finest of wines.
The Gracious pointer: v7; On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations;
The Geographical pointer:
This pointer speaks of a place were death would meet with it’s ultimate challenge. This challenge took place some 700 years after these words on a mountain out side of the city of Jerusalem. Jesus and itinerant preacher from Nazareth, had been accused of crime fond innocent and nailed to a cross. On that day death put it cold hands on the very Son of God. The earth convulsed, the sun refused to shine, the moon cried tears of blood and hell rejoiced! He who said that He was the way, the truth and the life was dead. He who said He was the light of the world was dead. He who said that He was living water was dead. The door was close because He who said He was the door was dead. There is no doubt about it on that mountain on that day Jesus the Son of God was dead!
The Symbolic pointer
This pointer be speaks that there was on that day on that mountain a greater truth taking place. It was the payment for all sin. Paul said it like this, He became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. It was the final Passover, for the Lamb of God had been slain for the sins of the world! Just days before Jesus had gone to a upper room in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover with His disciples. That night He took bread and blessed it and said this is My body that is broken for you. All of you take and eat. Likewise He took the cup and blessed it and said this My blood that is shed for the remission of sin! All of you take and drink. He instructed them to celebrate this as a memorial and reminder of His death to declare Him until He comes back! By His death we have been made welcome family members at the Lord’s Table.
The Gracious pointer:
On that mountain on that day grace was extended to all the descendants of Adam. The path way back to Paradise was reopened for all who would believe. That Jesus is the Son of God, who take the sin of the world upon Himself and open the way into the presence of God. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs of the righteous dead broke open but they could not get up because death still had it’s cold hands around the neck of Jesus. Hell celebrated all night Friday, all day Saturday and all night Saturday. However, I need to tell you that these events are not the event that swallow up death they only point to the event. You see as long as death had Jesus we had no hope. There was no one who could help us. He was the best God had and now death had Him. But glory be unto God the Father, early Sunday morning Jesus got up from the grave and took life out of the grip of death. On that day death was swallow up and the record says, "the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people" (Matt.27:51-53). On this day we celebrate the passing of our dear brother in Christ from sickness to the healing of heaven. From labor to reward. From pain to no more pain. From tears to no more tears. From life to eternity. How can these things be? Because Jesus is alive and death is defeated! Because He lives Brother Outlaw can live. How about you do you know Him? For only as we know Him can we Live beyond this life. Can you affirm these words?
God sent His son, they called Him Jesus; He came to love, heal, and forgive; He lived and died to buy my pardon. An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.
And then one day I’ll cross the river; I’ll fight life’s final war with pain; And then as death gives way to victory, I’ll see the light of glory and I’ll know He lives.
Because He Lives I can face tomorrow; Because He Lives
All fear is gone; Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
