by Rev Douglas Brauner

“…Who from Their Labors Rest.”

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, ‘Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!'”
Revelation 7:9-10 New Living Translation

The glow from behind these silhouetted trees is not the result of an artificial light hidden from view. It’s from the brilliance of the setting sun. The trees block the sun from view, but they cannot stop its radiance. The sun will shine even when we cannot see it. Even when the rotating earth hides the sun from our view, it still shines.

Death tries to hide the the fact that we have been declared saints in Christ.

Today the church remembers all those who have been declared right before God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Whether living or dead they’re called saints. Today we celebrate this union between the church on earth and the church in heaven as both await Jesus’ final victory over sin, death, and the devil.

Today the church roars, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!” This roar is filled with tears for some of us as this was a painful year of loss. Some of this loss was anticipated and other loss was sudden. When someone we cherish dies a part of us dies with them.

There are those in the world who would say that we’re only softening the effects of death by believing in heaven. I disagree. Because of the promise of life with Christ, we call death what it is. It is a terrible reminder of the power of sin that causes our death. We know the price our God paid that we might be free from this enemy. We know that it cost God his Son.

It is proper for us today to remember our loved ones who have died in Christ. It’s okay to shed tears. However, the Son shines with all his brilliance even when death tries to hide it.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado