A common thought among us is that, although the death of our loved ones brings sorrow and grief, we sometimes find comfort in believing that they are now free from pain, sickness, and struggles, resting in the bosom of Jesus Christ. In earthly death, every person is laid to rest with the hope of resurrection on the day of judgment. To give awareness about life after death, Jesus once told a disciple, “Let the dead bury their own dead,” refusing him permission to perform the last rites for his father. Though this may seem socially harsh, Jesus was teaching an important truth: not everyone who dies will inherit eternal life. Only those who believe in the Father’s love and in the redemptive work of Jesus will be saved. To such believers, the Holy Spirit is given as a seal and guardian of their salvation until the day it is exchanged for eternal life.
God Removed Disgrace from His People
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)
God foretold His people that He would wipe away their tears and remove their disgrace. This prophecy not only reveals what God will do but also when it will happen. Often, we focus on the beauty of this promise but overlook the clear timing described in God’s Word. When we fail to grasp the appointed time of its fulfillment, we long for it to take place after death—believing that only when we close our eyes on earth and awaken before our Father will this prophecy be fulfilled.
For this reason, passages like Isaiah 60 are frequently read at funerals, where God describes the state of our souls after leaving our mortal bodies. There we read that heaven will need no sun, for God Himself will be its light. Every believer who meditates on this passage feels a deep longing to experience that glorious reality.
Yet, God also declares that He will wipe away tears and remove disgrace in this present earthly life. If we fail to receive this grace while still living in this fallen world, how can we be certain of standing before God in heaven? Scripture says that when Jesus swallowed up death forever, our Father would wipe away the tears and remove the disgrace of His people. Since Jesus has already conquered death, these blessings should naturally be evident in the lives of believers, for they are inseparably tied to His resurrection.
If the removal of tears and disgrace is connected to Christ’s resurrection, and we believe firmly that He has risen and defeated death, what then prevents us from experiencing these promises? The truth is, God has already made provision through the resurrection of His Son. He has given us the grace to live without disgrace and to find comfort in the midst of sorrow. But it is we who struggle to fully embrace and apply this provision.
To learn how to let God accomplish these things in our earthly lives, we must look to the book of Hebrews, which reminds us how Jesus endured suffering and disgrace with joy, setting the example for us to follow.
Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. – Hebrews 12:2-3 (NIV)
For Jesus, the joy set before Him—the joy of seeing all people become His Father’s children—enabled Him to endure suffering and count it as nothing. In the same way, if we truly grasp the joy of salvation that comes from knowing our sins are forgiven, we will not magnify the small trials we face each day. Instead, we will see them as insignificant compared to the joy of our salvation.
Paul also experienced this joy and expressed it to the believers in Rome:
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” —Romans 8:18 (NIV)
He reminded the Corinthians of the same truth, listing the troubles he endured yet showing that none of them could truly shake him (2 Corinthians 4:7–10). Since we have already received salvation through Christ, who conquered death, this joy has powerfully displaced our grief, dried our tears, and removed every disgrace—through the deep understanding of what Jesus has accomplished in our lives.
A Glimpse Of Heaven
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 (NIV)
This revelation is given to believers not so they may expect to receive these blessings only in eternity, but to show what will take place after the Day of Judgment, when Jesus separates the righteous and gathers them to Himself. It offers us a glimpse of His Kingdom, where there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain—because by then the world will have passed away, and with it all the sufferings tied to it. Thus, this is not about the fulfillment of promises in our present lives but rather an unveiling of the eternal reality of His Kingdom.
With this understanding, we must act without delay, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. By doing so, we can endure or even disregard temporary sufferings, rejoicing instead in the joy that our sins are forgiven, never to be remembered by God, and that eternal life awaits us in His Kingdom. Therefore, let us set our minds on higher things, laying aside the emotionally driven doubts that drag us down and hinder us from reaching the heavenly goal.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. – Hebrews 12:1-2a (NIV)
The Jordan Valley 
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