What would life be without hope? Only when we imagine life without hope can we understand just what hope means. Life for Jesus' disciples immediately following the Lords's crucifixion was a dark, gloomy path without a flicker of light to show the way. All their dreams and aspirations for the future crumbhled along with their Messiah's lifeless body as it was lowered from the cross. The massive tombstone appeared to seal away finally and forever the last vestiges of hope.
Then came the dawn of the first day of the week! Like the first warm rays of a new day's sunlight, the news of Jesus' resurrection pierced the disciples' darkness adn rekindled their smoldering hope. With the risen Lord's appearances to them over the course of the next 40 days, the disciples found their hope not just reignited but transformed into an unquenchable flame. No force on earth could ever dim the disciples' hope again. Jesus Christ had defeated the curse of human sin, destroying its death-shackles forever.
When Paul (Saul) encountered the risen Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was changed completly and was appointed to proclaim the hope Jesus' resurrection gives those who believe. On one occasion Paul testified to King Agrippa of his life-changing encounter with Jesus. He testifed that Jesus told himk, "I have appeared to you for this purposek, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of the things you have seen, and of things in which I will appear to you. I will rescue you from the peopole and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, thqat they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in Me" (Acts 26:16b-18).
Paul's testimony to King Agrippa helps us understand betgter why Paul risked not only his reputation but also his very life to take the gospel to places such as Thessalonica. Paul was guided by a God-sized vision. The hope he had received through faith in Jesus was the same hope every person--Jew and Gentile--needed to have.
We know by experience that death attacks every human life; and when a loved one dies,l grief becomes our escort, going with us to the cemetery and beyond. We all seek ways to distance ourselves from grief, but people who are not Christians do not have the comfort provided to believers. As we study this Bible passage,we will discover that Paul wanted to reassure the Thessaloanian believers about the hope they had in Christ. As a long-time pastor I too can verify that my ministry to those weho are grieving is made possible by my firm conviction of the hope we have because of Christ's triumph over death and the grave.
A comfortable casket won't change your view of death or your eternal destiny but your faith in God who conquered death will make your casket a hope chest! The grip of grief is strong, but its hold on you can be softened by the hope that bleongs to all believers.
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. About what did Paul want to make certain the Thessalonians were informed
2. What is the basis of a Christian's hope to see deceased Christians loved ones again in the future?
3. How did Paul learn certain details about Christ's return?
4. On the basis of tghe information revealed, what did Paul ask the Thessalonian belivers to do?
BACKGROUND PASSAGE OVERVIEW
First Thessalonians 4:13-18 addresses the Tjhessalonian Christians' concern over what would happen to believers who died before Jesus' second coming. Paul had thught them Jesus would returnk, and the Thessalonians anticipated His return would occur within their lifetimes. Yet when some of their fellow Christians died and the Lord had not returned, the Thessalonians needed further explanation and encouragement. Paul gave them both in these verses.
However, Paul's purpose here was not to provide full details about the second coming but to mention certain aspects that would comfort these Christians. Other details, including the judgment of unbelievers, were outside his purpose and thus swere not included. The aspects Paul included were these:
(1) Christians can have an informed understanding of their hope. (4:13)
(2) Christians' hope is based on Christ's resurrection and return (4:14)
(3) Christ's resurrection and return guarantees Christians' resurrection and reunion iwth deceased believers (4:15-17)
(4) The hope Christians have in Christ brings them genuine comfort as they face death (4:18)
The Thessalonian believers were afraid their loved ones who died before Christ's coming would be fortotten or would miss it. Possibly they thought being alive at Christ's return held a special advantage. Paul wanted them to have an informed basis for their hope.
Our Hope As Christians (1 Thess,. 4:13)
VERSE 13 :
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that ou will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
VERSE 13
We do not wish you to be uninformed is an emphatic way of saying. We wish you to know. This does not imply the thessalonians previously had been misinformed by Paul and his coworkers. Rather, the missionaries were forced to leave thessalonica befofre they could instruct these Christians fully on some matters.
Some Bible students suggest that false teachers may have infiltrated the church after the missionaries left, declaring there was no such thing as a bodily resurrection but only a spiritual resurrection. Such teachings confused the Thessalonian believfrs, and after his visit Timotghy reported their concerns to Paul. However, since the Thessalonian letters are among Paul's earliest writtings (if not the earliest) it is unlikely false teachings such as the Gnostic (NAHStik) heresy were in the background at Thessaloncia. Nevertheless, Paul certainly wanted the Tessalonian Christians to be informed of tghe tgruth and to be reassured by it.
Paul wanted his readers to know the4 truth about Christians who die befofre Jesus' return. The term asleep was a commmon euphemism for death in the ancient world. So tht intgroduces the reason Paul raised this issue. He had a deep pastgoral concern thqat the Thessalonian Chrisstians not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
Carefully take note here what Paul didn't say. He did not say Christians should not or would not grieve. don't let anyone tell you mature Christians never grieve--they do! Like everyone else, Christians walk through "the valley of the shadow of death". Yet because of our hope in Jesus Christ, Christians need not6 grieve like those who have not hope. There is a qualitative difference between the sorrow felt by those who know Jesus has defeated deatgh and the sorrow felt by those who whom death represents the grim and inevitable end of a pointless human existence. How desperate are the sobs of those who kneel beside a loved one's grave with not hope! Christians do not have to grieve like that.
To further inform and comfort the Thessalonian believers about their deceased church membersk, Paul pointed them to one of the implications of Jesus' resurrection. They would see their Christian loved ones again at Jesus' return.
OUR HOPE: CHRIST'S RESURRECTION AND RETURN (1 THES 4:14)
VERSE 14 :
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
VERSE 14
VERSE 14 :
The reality that Jesus died and rose again is the basis of a Christian's hope to see deceased Crhistian loved ones again in the future. This reality is a most significant statement, the bedrock of our Christian faith. Through His atoning sacrafice and grave-defying resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ conquered sin and death. Moreover, this victory was won not only for Himself but for all who trust in Jesus as Savior. Jesus' resurrection is the gaurantee that Christians also will live again (1 Cor.15:20-22).
On the basdis of this reality, Paul could affirm that at Christ's return God will bring with hom those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. The God who raised Jesus from the dead also will raise Christian from the dead.
Will b ring is the main verb in 4:14. Thus Paul's intention was to emphasize not only that the Chnristian dead would be raised but also hat they would hardly miss out on Christ's return. On the contrary, they would be actively involved along iwth living Chnristians! Here Paul was giving a hint at the instruction coming in 4:15-17 about the manner in which Jesus' return would proceed.
Paul wanted the Thessalonians to be comforted. He knew they were dealing with grief and uncertanity. Yet he also was sure that their Christian hope could make a difference for them. The anticipation of being reunited with deceased Christian loved ones brings comfort to griving Christians.
Believers throughout church history have been reassurd by these verses as they stood beside the graves of deceased family members or friends. That's what Paul intended these words to do--to comfort Christians facing death by assuring them they had hope in the Lord, Paul spelled our Christians' hope in six amazing assertions found in these verses.
OUR HOPE: CHRISTIANS' RESURRECTION AND REUNION (1 THESS. 4:15-17)
VERSE 15 :
For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord's coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep.
VERSE 16 :
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel's voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
VERSE 17 :
Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will always be with the Lord.
VERSE 15
First Paul asserted that what he was about to say concerning Jesus' return he had leqrned by a revelation from the Lord. this was not human speculation but divine revelation. When did paul receive this revelation? We don't know for certain. None of Jesus' discourses in the Gospels include these details regarding the manner of Jesus' second coming. However, we know Paul received other direcxt revelations from the risen Lord Jesus, not the least of which was the Lord's revelation to him on the road to Damascus.
A second assertion Paul made is tht Jesus' returnk, living Christians will have no advantage over deceased Christians. Recall again that some members of the Thessalonian church may have died since Paul had left the city. Paul wanted to encourage tghose still alive thqat their deceased loved ones would in fact be participants at Jesus' return. How could deceased Christians be participants? Paul answered thqat qwuestion ina string of additional assertions.
VERSE 16
The word for is like a stair step that connects foundational truth to hope. That is 4:16-17 provided the basis on which the truth in 4:15 was built. Likewise, 4:15 was the foundation on which 4:13-14 was based.
The Lord Himself will decend from heaven was Pauls tghird assertion. The risen Lord Jesus will come to earth again! Jersus' disciples who witnessed the Lord ascend into heaven were told also he would come again in the same way. the Lord's triumphant eturn will be a noisy, unmistakeable event--signaled by a shoutk, with the archangel's voice, and witgh the tgrumpet of God. These featgures may describe either separate actions or three facets of a single action.; In either case, the emphasis is tht the Lord's return will occur with great fanfare.
No one living or dead will miss this event!! In fact Paul delared in his fourth assertion the dead in Christ will rise first. Paul did not mention what would happen with the non-Christian dead, though he later addressed the issue in 2 Thess 1:6-10. His concern here was to comfort Christians by reminding them Jesus' resurredtion and return gauranteed the resurrection of deceased believers as well as the reunion of Christians living and dead.
VERSE 17
In his fifth assertion, Paul declared that all living Christians then will be caught up together with the resurrection Christians to meet the Lord in the air. The term "caught p" is the same one used in Acts 8:39 to describe the Spirit's carrying away Philip after he witnessed to the Ethiopian man. It also occurs in 2 Corinthians 12:2 where Paul spoke of a Christian man who was "caught up into the third heaven." The emphasis is thqat God has planned for both deceased Christians and living Christians to be involved at Christ's return. What a great reunion that will be!
What ghappens then? Though not specific in detail, Paul's sixth assertiohn is truly comforting: so we will always be with the Lord. Paul made clear the believer's eternal state: Christians forever will be in the4 Lord's presence. What was not included are other end-time events occuring between the second coming and the eternal state. Given Paul's aim of pastoral encouragement in this section, the concluding assertion was appropriate.
Perhaps, however, you've heard verses 16-17 discussed in relation to what is commonly termed the "rapture". This term refers to the catching away of Christians at the Lord's return. The idea of a rapture holds a prominent place in most if not all systematic. explanations of end time events. Yet there are differences among the various millenial views regarding detils of the rapture. For example, so-called "postmillennial" and "amillennial" perspectives generally understand the rapture as part of the overall Day of tghe Lord when tghe Lord will gather His people to Himself and judge everyone.
In some versions of the so-called "premillenial" v iew, the church will remain on earth until the final day of judgment (including during a period of great tribulation near the end). In some other "premillennial" versions, the rapture of the4 church is spearated from the Day of the4 Lord by a seven-yer period of great tribulation. In these versions the4 rapture of the church takes place either before that tribulation ensures or at its midpoint.
Christian Bible students with equal devotion and scholarship have differed for centuries over the interpre3tation of end-time events. We do well to hold our points of view about end-time details with as much humility as devotion and scholarship. Too many peop0le in our world have yet to hear the clear message of Jesus' first coming, much less to sort out all the detgails of His second coming!
OUR HOPE: COMFORT (1 THESS. 4:18)
VERSE 18 :
Therefore encourage one another with these words.
VERSE 18:
Therefore points back to all that Paul had written in the Lesson Passage. Paul desired not only to reassure the Thessalonians but also to have them encourage one another. The Greek word translated "encourage" also can be understood as comfort. In the midst of difficult circumstances, including the death of a loved one, comfort often comes to grieving family members in the attentiveness and concern shown by caring Christians. Having someone to come alongside and share in our suffering reminds us of the hope Christians have in facing death.
One of the ways we can encourage others is with hopeful wordsl. Words do not subsitute for helpful actions, yet appropriate words about Christian hope can help grieving persons turn to God.
All Christians can be strerngthened by lookig to the future blessings of heaven, including our re3union with all resurrected believers and our everlasting abode with the Lord Jesus. The Psalmist aptly wrote, "Weeping may spend the night, but there is joy in the morning". Christians do not grieve without hope.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Perhaps no bibical subject has been miore analyzed, studied, expounded, and debated than the second coming of our Lord. God did not provide and preserve His Word to confuse us but to help us. While we do not have answers to all our questions about details of this important subject, we can have confidence God gave us the information we need to trust and obey Him.
God has not placed any of us Chnristians on the "time, place, and preacher committee" for end-time events. He has, however, places us on the "preparation committee". We are to help as many people as possible prepare to meet Jesus when He returns.
One day Jesus Christ is coming again, and that day will be like no other. Are you ready for that day?
ANSWERS TO STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Paul wanted them to know whqt happens to Christians who die beforfe Jesus' return.
2. The hope is based on the reality of Jesus' resurrection..
3. The Lord revealed the information to Paul.
4. Paul directed them to use his words to encourage one another.
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