No More Tears in the City of God
Month 12: On Mission & Finishing Well · Family Worship
Today's Scripture
Read together: Revelation 21:3-4, 22-23
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. 4 ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.” … 22 But I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp.
Memory Verse
“And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.””— Revelation 21:5 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Revelation 7–9
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 361 of 365 — the great multitude before the throne.)The Heart of It
There is a promise here so gentle it can make a grown man cry. And that fits, because it is about tears. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death. No more crying. No more pain. The old, broken things will be gone for good. Notice that God does not simply make the tears disappear. He bends down and wipes them away Himself. He is like a Father drying His own child's face. Every hard thing this broken world ever did to us will be undone. Every funeral. Every fear. Every wound. And the hand that undoes it all is the hand of God Himself.
Then John tells us something surprising about this city. He says, "I saw no temple in it." In the old world, the temple was where you went to meet God. You met Him from far off, through priests and thick curtains. But in the new city there is no temple. The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. We will not need a special building to find God. God will be everywhere, and we will see Him face to face. There is no sun or moon there either. The glory of God lights up the whole city, and the Lamb is its light. Jesus Himself is the light of that city. The best part of heaven is not the golden streets. The best part is being with God, right out in the open, forever.
Around the Table
In heaven, God Himself wipes away every tear. No more crying. No more owies. No more goodbyes. We just get to be with Jesus!
Let's do it: Gently wipe a pretend tear off your cheek and say, "Thank You, God, for no more sad in heaven."
Heaven's light is not a sun or a lamp. The light is Jesus Himself. Being close to Him is what makes it heaven.
Let's talk: What is one sad thing you will be glad is gone forever when we are with Jesus?
There is no temple in the city. We will not need a priest or a curtain to reach God anymore. And there is no sun, because God's own glory is the light ().
Let's go deeper: Why is seeing God's face the real treasure of heaven, even more than any reward we could dream up?
💬 Conversation Starter
What is one thing that makes you cry now? God promises it will be gone forever. How does that feel?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
The Bible never pretends that pain is not real. It looks death and tears right in the face. Then it promises that one day they will end (). A made-up faith would try to comfort us by saying our sadness is not real. But the true God says it plainly. Yes, the hurt is real. And then He promises to wipe it away with His own hand.
For Dad · Go Deeper
You shepherd children who already know small griefs, and bigger ones may come. is not a sentimental escape. It is the firm Christian answer to suffering. Pain is real, it is temporary, and it has an end date set by God. Teach your kids to grieve with hope (). Don't let them stuff sorrow down or pretend it away. And let this verse search you, too. The longing you feel for a world without tears is not weakness. It is homesickness for the place you were made for. Pastor that ache in your home tonight, and point every tear toward the hand that will one day wipe it dry.
Draws on: Randy Alcorn, Heaven; Paul Tripp, New Morning Mercies.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that one day You will wipe away every tear. Thank You that Jesus Himself will be our light. When we hurt right now, help us trust You. We cannot wait to see Your face. In Jesus' name, amen."
Every tear has an end date. It is set by the God who will wipe my face with His own hand.