By Brian L. Kachelmeier
Read Isaiah 25 and John 20:1–18.
In Isaiah 25, the prophet uses the word “mountain” three times to depict God’s promise of the resurrection from the dead — one of the many places in Scripture where mountains are used to represent God’s present and eternal kingdom. “On this mountain,” says Isaiah, God’s people will celebrate and rejoice in His salvation from Satan, sin and death (Isaiah 25:6).
As Jesus ascended Mount Zion on Palm Sunday, God’s people sang, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we pray [Hosanna]” (Psalm 118:24–25). After Easter Sunday, the Lord’s people sing a new song: “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, that He might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation” (Isaiah 25:9). On the Last Day, the song will be fulfilled, and the wait will be over.
Until that time, Yahweh continues to be present with His people, saving them from their sin and gathering them around His table. On this mountain, He makes a feast of rich food and well-aged wine (25:6). He swallows up the veil spread over all the nations (25:7). He swallows up death forever. He wipes away the tears from all faces and the reproaches against His people (25:8). He tramples down all those who try to prevent His kingdom from coming through false worship (25:10). On the Mountain of Yahweh, Jesus defeats the deceitful devil, delivers from the dread of death, and wins His people from the ways of the wayward world.
Throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, mountains are seen as part of creation that have existed from ancient times. They stand for perpetuity. Thus, mountains are used to depict kings and kingdoms. They outlive the life of a single human being. Thus, Isaiah paints a picture of Yahweh’s kingdom as a mountain that will be raised up as the highest of the mountains. The peoples from the kingdoms of the earth will flow up to it (Isaiah 2:1–4). When the Good News of salvation is heard, the Holy Spirit removes the veil placed over the eyes of the nations who are spiritually blind. He enlightens those who dwell in darkness by removing the covering cast over all humanity by the fall (25:7). He enlivens those who are dead in their sins (25:8). Thus, the Gentiles are justified through faith alone in the person and work of Christ alone. They are gathered to glorify God and fear Him on His mountain (25:3). They are sons of Abraham through faith in Christ.
Abraham saw God’s work of salvation and life on Mount Moriah. After Abraham received the gift of the life of a son, Yahweh commanded him to sacrifice this only son of his, his beloved one. Yet God is the source of life, and He provided a ram to die in Isaac’s place on Mount Moriah. The name “Moriah” is related to the Hebrew verb for seeing (ra’a) Yahweh (yah). Abraham saw Yahweh, and Yahweh saw to it that an animal died, so that Isaac would live. At the place of impending death, God provided. God sees life where there is death. He made Moriah the location of life, a mountain of resurrection. Abraham believed that Yahweh could raise the dead (Heb. 11:17–19). Yahweh declared that in Abraham’s offspring all the nations of the earth would be blessed (GEN. 22:18), and His plans are faithful and sure. God promised that kings would come from Abraham, and He keeps His promises.
From the line of Abraham, through Isaac, through Judah, to David, Yahweh raised up kings. After David established Jerusalem as the capital city of his kingdom, Yahweh promised to be present in the temple built by David’s son Solomon. The son of David built the temple upon Mount Moriah (2 Chron. 3:1). This is the place where David built an altar and saw Yahweh’s wonderful ways (1 Chron. 21:14–30). God stopped the schemes of Satan and discontinued the disease that brought death. At the place of the devastating death of 70,000 men, David saw, and he feared. The name “Moriah” is also related to the Hebrew verb for fearing (yara’) Yahweh (yah). This is the site where David feared Yahweh above all things, that is, believed as a God-fearing man.
As a God-fearing man, the prophet and seer Isaiah declares what he sees. He sees the mountain upon which Yahweh does wonderful things. He says, “I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure” (Isaiah 25:1). These plans are from ancient times, from the foundation of the earth. Before the mountains took shape or dust covered the earth, the pre-incarnate Christ existed (Prov. 8:25–27). He is the Wisdom of God. He appeared to Abraham and to David. He is the Lamb of God who was slain from the foundation of the world yet stands (Rev. 13:8). He fulfills the plans and purposes of God in time. The Lord does wonderful things. The two great works of God are creation and redemption, that is, life and restored life. These are the two eternal decrees. These are plans formed of old.
Yahweh filled the empty earth with life. He formed Adam from the virgin ground. However, sin brought death and a return to the ground. Death swallows up life like a serpent. The grave is filled with fallen man. Ever since the fall into sin, humanity is formed into the image of the man from the ground. Since that time, all the sons of Adam return to the dust from whence they came. However, the plans from of old, the promise given to Eve, declared that the virgin would conceive and bear a Son (Gen. 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6). He would fill the empty womb of Mary. Then His body would fill a virgin tomb. Yet, the One who went into the grave would return from the ground to save all who believe in Him. Jesus is the source of creation from the ground and the source of redemption from the ground. Jesus is the Life and the Resurrection. He empties the tombs of all humanity.
On Yahweh’s mountain, Jesus makes a feast for all peoples, swallows up the covering cast over all the nations, swallows up death for all humanity, wipes away tears from all faces, and puts an end to all the earthly kingdoms that try to prevent His kingdom from coming. God’s kingdom comes with His Word and Holy Spirit. It is on this mountain that darkness is dispersed, death reigns no more, the kingdoms of the earth come to an end, sadness is turned into gladness, and an eternal feast is inaugurated. It is on this mountain that the eternal kingdom promised to David is established forever and ever and the true sons of Abraham are raised to live eternally in their resurrected bodies.
This devotion originally appeared in the April 2025 issue of The Lutheran Witness.
Find the rest of LW‘s Holy Week devotion series here.
