God Will Wipe Away Every Tear
All Saints Day is a day to grieve with hope.
The day after Halloween, we celebrate All Saints Day—a Christian tradition dating back to the early centuries of the Church. Biblically, saints are not just extraordinary Christians or people who have accomplished great things. Saints are all those who belong to Jesus Christ through faith.
We often associate Halloween with costumes, candy, and even a fascination with death. But All Saints Day faces death head-on and declares a powerful truth: In Jesus, death does not get the last word.
And that matters, because our lives are filled with tears.
Over the years, I have stood beside countless grieving families as a pastor. I have seen the pain of an empty chair at the Thanksgiving table, the sadness of a first Christmas without a loved one, and the heartbreak of parents burying a child. There is so much death, so much grief, and so much pain.
Yet our culture often struggles to make room for grief. We are encouraged to move on, return to normal, and keep everything together. Well-intentioned friends might say, “At least they’re in a better place,” or “Everything happens for a reason.”
But grief does not follow a schedule. Tears we refuse to cry do not simply disappear. They can become numbness, anger, or loneliness.
And if you have ever wondered why God allows such pain, you are not alone. The psalmist cried, “How long, O Lord?” Even Jesus cried out from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Asking why is not necessarily a lack of faith. Sometimes, it is faith that is still talking to God.
The good news of All Saints Day is that God meets us in our grief and promises that our tears will not last forever.
We Know How the Story Ends
Revelation 7 gives us a glimpse of the future God has promised. The apostle John sees a multitude too great to count, gathered before the throne of God and the Lamb. People from every nation, tribe, people, and language stand together, clothed in white robes and worshiping God.
But how can sinful people stand before a holy God?
Not because they have lived perfect lives, loved their neighbors flawlessly, or done enough good works to earn their place in heaven. Their robes have been washed white in the blood of the Lamb. They stand because Jesus Christ gave His life for them.
The crucified and risen Jesus has defeated sin, death, and the devil. Through Him, we have forgiveness, salvation, and the promise of eternal life.
Then John sees something beautiful: God shelters His people with His presence. The Lamb becomes their Shepherd, guiding them to springs of living water. And God Himself wipes away every tear from their eyes.
Notice what God does not promise. He does not explain every painful “why.” He does not hand grieving people a complete explanation for their suffering. He gives them a Shepherd.
God may not answer every question we ask, but He promises to be with us—and one day, He will wipe away every tear.
No more death. No more funerals. No more suffering or separation. Jesus will return, raise the dead, and bring about a new heaven and a new earth. Those who have died in Christ will be raised bodily, and all God's people will live in His presence forever.
It Is Okay to Grieve
Until that day comes, we still live in a world of hospital rooms, funeral services, and empty chairs. Christians are not exempt from sorrow. We miss the people we love. We ask hard questions. We cry.
And that is okay.
Jesus Himself wept at the tomb of His friend Lazarus. He knows our pain and meets us in it. As Jesus promises in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Jesus does not tell mourners to move on. He calls them blessed because He Himself is their comfort.
All Saints Day reminds us that those who have died in the faith are with Jesus, resting in His presence as they await the resurrection. Their story is not finished, and neither is ours. The best is still to come.
So bring your grief to Jesus. Speak the name of the person you miss. Allow yourself to cry. And remember that your tears are never invisible to God. Psalm 56 tells us that He keeps count of our tossings and gathers our tears.
We grieve, but not as those who have no hope.
The same Jesus who died and rose again has promised to return. Until then, He holds us in His grace, feeds us through His gifts, and sustains us through His promises.
One day, we will stand together with all the saints, reunited in the presence of our Savior.
And on that day, God will wipe away every tear.
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