For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tearfrom their eyes.” (Revelation 7:17 ESV)
Happiness and Hope
Tears, in some way, are a measure of sadness. While our sadness and our responses to our sadness are profoundly personal, tears are usually a fairly accurate indicator of sorrow.
In heaven… in other words, in that absolutely sure destination of each of God’s Adopted children, every tear will be wiped away. That might seem strange, because we can imagine reasons to be sad in heaven. Sorrow for unredeemed loved ones. Sorrow for earth’s continued groaning. Sorrow for regret, or shame, or unsatisfied obligations.
It makes more sense when I remember what Jesus did for us.
He did amazing things on our behalf. He was tempted with every temptation that we are. (Hebrews 2:18, 4:15) He was punished for our sins (Romans 3:21-31) He died for us. (Romans 5:8)
But He also lived on our behalf. (Galatians 2:20)
So much of what Jesus did and experienced during His 33 years, He did on our behalf. He hurt for us, He endured mocking for us, He suffered loneliness for us. He did those things so that already in God’s eyes, but eventually fully and completely… we do not have to.
Among the shortest and most-memorized verses in the Bible tells us something that Jesus did, so that when we arrive home in Heaven, we will never have to do again.
Jesus wept. (John 11:35 ESV) He also wept in Luke 19:41 and Luke 22:62. But it was not just regular weeping. That weeping, just like Christ’s temptations and suffering, was done on our behalf. Not “for” us. But so that we will not have to weep anymore. It was weeping that wipes our tears in heaven. Not because there is no reason… but because He already wept on our behalf.
Because He wept, we have hope in heaven to never weep again.
Take the hope He gives us, He already paid for it.