◆“Beyond Sorrow, There Is Hope”(Commemoration Service for Those Who Have Gone to Be with the Lord) (John 14:1–3) November 2, 2025

Today is our Commemoration Service for those who have already been called home to heaven. We are a small flock, yet five of our dear brothers and sisters have already returned to the Lord. When I think about that, I am reminded how close death really is. All of us experience the death of someone dear—family members, friends—and someday, our own time to leave this world will also come. Parting is always painful.
My father went to be with the Lord twenty-two years ago, and I still remember the sorrow I felt at that time. Some may think, “If you have faith, you shouldn’t feel sad,” or “If you know about heaven and believe in the hope of reunion, why be sorrowful?” Some might even say, “If you feel sad, perhaps your faith is weak.”
But longing for someone you love, wishing to see them again, and grieving because you cannot see them now—this is natural. It does not show weakness of faith. Rather, it shows love—love that was real, and love that continues even now.
Even Jesus Himself wept at the tomb of Lazarus. John 11:35 says, “Jesus wept.” Those who saw Him said, “See how He loved him.” Jesus Himself grieved over the death of Lazarus.
Today’s Scripture was spoken by Jesus when the disciples were filled with a sense of uneasiness. They sensed something troubling in His words.
In John 13:33, Jesus said, “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’”
These were unsettling words. “Why will we need to look for Jesus? Where is He going? Why can’t we follow Him?” The disciples wondered these things.
Jesus was speaking of His own death. The disciples didn’t fully understand, but they sensed that He was going somewhere they could not follow, and they became anxious.
Jesus then continued, speaking on the premise of His coming death. He said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” and promised, “I am going to prepare a place for you. And when it is ready, I will come back and take you to be with me, so that you may be with me always.”
For our loved ones who have already departed in the Lord, this promise has already been fulfilled. Jesus has prepared their place. He has welcomed them. They are now with Him.
Are they grieving our absence? No—they are beyond sorrow. Revelation 21:4 says that God “will wipe every tear from their eyes; there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain.”
And they know that we, who believe in Jesus, will someday join them. Jesus Himself says in John 14:3, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me.”
Therefore, we will meet our loved ones again. We will reunite in the presence of God. We have not been separated forever.
Once, at a crematorium, I saw a scene I will never forget. In city crematoriums, where it is often crowded, families must use adjacent halls at the same time. In such a place, a family was saying their final goodbye to what seemed to be a grandfather or grandmother. When the casket was opened for the last viewing, a mother, weeping, said to her child, “This is the last time. You won’t be able to see them again. Look closely.”
It may be true—if that person had not received Jesus Christ as Savior, then indeed it would be the last time. They would never meet again. This is a painful truth, yet it is the truth God tells us.
But God does not desire “the last time.” He does not desire permanent separation. He sent Jesus Christ so that our sins might be forgiven, that we might become children of God, and that we might be welcomed into heaven.
Our loved ones in the Lord walked their earthly lives believing in Jesus, and when God’s time came, when their place was prepared, He transferred them into His presence. They now dwell with Jesus forever. And the Lord will one day come to welcome us as well.
If we believe that Jesus bore the judgment for our sins in our place, and that we are forgiven through Him, then we too will be welcomed into God’s kingdom. At that time, we will meet again those we loved in the Lord, and death will never again separate us. Our momentary sorrow will turn into joy—joy greater than any other.
At that time, we will praise God together. We will cry out, “We have been welcomed into heaven because of the redemption of Jesus! By grace alone we have been saved and made children of God! Praise be to our Lord Jesus!” And we will worship Him together.
But until that day, must we remain in sorrow? No. Satan would like that. He would like to make us grieve endlessly, or even cause us to resent God: “Why did You take that person away from me?”
But the Lord does not leave us at the mercy of Satan. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Our Lord is the One who is with us.
Psalm 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” The valley of the shadow of death includes every dark and painful experience—our grief over losing someone we love is such a valley. But even there, God is with us. He shares our sorrow. He says, “Grieve fully,” and then, in His time, He lifts us up and says, “My child, take courage.”
Finally, Revelation 14:13 says:
“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
Those who die in the Lord—who know Jesus as Savior and trust Him—are blessed. They will be freed from the labors of life and will enter rest. Their deeds—their faith expressed in obedience to Christ—will be rewarded.
Following the Lord in this world often brings conflict with how the world lives. It involves struggles, and even fear. But none of it is in vain.
A day is coming when we will say, together with our loved ones in heaven, “It was good to believe in Jesus. It was good to follow Him.”

Sermon script modified based on proofreading and translation with ChatGPT.