If the Frosting is Good, How Delicious will the Cake Be!

Read: Luke 1:5-20; Luke 22:54-61

Does anyone besides me remember looking forward to licking the beaters that had whipped the chocolate frosting? That was, of course, prior to the time when frosting could be bought in a can. That frosting was just a small foretaste of the cake that was to come. This morning, I was thinking that the Lord also gives us tiny glimpses of the wonders and the joy that is to come. May I explain?

Earlier in the week, I was listening to a discussion about the promise that God will wipe away all our tears when He ushers in His new kingdom, Revelation 21:4. The speakers were wondering aloud how this could be considering the possibility of loved ones not being with us. One suggested that perhaps our memories would be wiped clean of those people who were not with us in heaven. Another suggested that when we see God's perfect love and His perfect justice that we will rejoice and be satisfied because of the perfection and beauty of all that He is. I'd like to say that I know the answer. The book will be on sale in the lobby. However, like everybody else, I have no answer for this difficult question, Deuteronomy 29:29. Even so, the Bible does provide little glimpses of times when God dried earthly tears unexpectedly. Could times like these be tiny glimpses of the wonder and joy of what is to come? Let's look at a few.

First, let's look at Luke and a story that is only found in His gospel. I was thinking about Elizabeth and Zechariah this morning while reading Luke 1:5-20. The Bible speaks of them being advanced in years when we meet them in those verses. Elizabeth is described as being barren. How many years of sadness they had lived through we don't know. Surely Zechariah's reaction to Gabriel's promise shows us that at least he, had ceased to hope that the desired child would ever be a part of their lives. Then on that one day, everything turned upside down for the faithful but elderly couple. Prior to the angel's encounter with Zechariah, there had been no promise of a child. No hope like Abraham and Sarah had received, Genesis 12:3. All of a sudden, there was not only a promise but details about the mission of the baby who would be born, along with the timing of his birth that were given to Zechariah. What was it like to wait in anticipation? Knowing that, as Elizabeth grew larger, that they were getting closer and closer to seeing God's promise fulfilled! What was it like when baby John leapt in Elizabeth's womb when the mother of her Lord called out her greeting, Luke 1:40-41? Fulfilling the promise of John being filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb, Luke 1:15? Can we even imagine the couple's joy when baby John made his entrance into the world and they held him! What about the joy they knew as he grew and developed and learned about God's special plan for his life! All those tears that they had cried surely weren't part of their lives as they talked with little John and told him about God's wondrous plan that was unfolding in his life and in theirs. Surely those tears that had been so grievously shed faded into the background because of the unbelievable joy they experienced as they watched John grow, Luke 1:80. When God does intervene in a wondrous and unexpected way, is this like tasting the beaters? A mere glimpse of the wonders of what He has promised? When He turns our mourning into dancing in the here and now, Psalm 30:11, that is merely a foretaste of what is to come, 1 Corinthians 2:9.

What if, however, the tears we cry are the result of our own sin? Sins that might have caused someone a great deal of pain?? What then? Let's look at Peter as an example, Luke 22:54-61. The problem with this account can be that we know the story so well that we might skip right over the seriousness of Peter's failure so we can think about the beauty of his restoration, John 21:15-17; so, let's remind ourselves of the failure and sorrow Peter lived through prior to looking at the cleansing and soothing balm of grace that Jesus held out to him. Peter was so certain that he wouldn't deny Jesus that he had affirmed it with total confidence, 1 Corinthians 10:12. After all, he did love Jesus; so even if others would fall like that, he wouldn't. So, there he sat near the warming fire. Three times, he was confronted with the opportunity to say that he was part of Jesus' men. Three times he said no. Then that sound came. The very sound Jesus said would ring in Peter's ears. Then Peter saw Jesus looking at him. The one Peter loved saw the face of the One Who loved him. Then came the tears. The bitter weeping. Those next days must have been so very difficult. The remembering of his denying His Lord, but yet, there was also hope. Hope Peter had received from Jesus Himself, Luke 22:31-32:

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers".

Did Peter remember that Jesus had said "when" you turn back? Jesus hadn't said "if" you turn back. When sorrow for what he had done wrong threatened to overwhelm Peter, did Jesus' words sustain him??

When we read John's account of Jesus' public restoration of Peter, John 21:15-17, we are encouraged as we watch Peter's opportunity to reaffirm his love for the Savior. If that weren't enough, Jesus gave Peter work to do. Jesus didn't send him away to ponder his wrongs until he had suffered enough guilt because of them. He didn't have to wear a scarlet letter and carry it to remind others of his failure. It is likely that when Peter remembered what happened by that fire, there was some sadness, but walking along with that, there surely was the transforming joy of Jesus' love and grace that buoyed him up. A foretaste of the fullness of joy he would experience in Jesus' presence, Psalm 16:11. When all tears will be wiped away.

Even with these examples, we know that some sorrows remain in our lives and in the lives of those we love. We know that however Jesus chooses to wipe our tears away, for now, we experience sorrow on this earth. A precious gift Jesus has given us to remind us that He understands our pain is His own tears, John 11:35; Luke 19:41-44. It is comforting for us to remember that God Who created our capacity to cry also wept tears. Therefore, he doesn't stand aloof from us when we sorrow over what doesn't get remedied during our earthly lives.

Lord, You do all things well. Thank You that You wipe away some of our tears even now and for Your promise to complete that work in Your kingdom. How sweet that will be!