1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 says,...
Today's verses are 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, which read,
v.13 - But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
Paul is going to talk about physical death with the Thessalonian Christians. Some of their brothers and sisters in Christ have physically died. How do we handle this as Christians? Notice that we will grieve their passing but we will not grieve as those who don't know the Lord Jesus Christ. We will grieve differently. We will grieve with the light of Jesus and the hope in Jesus in the midst of our grief. We will glorify God even in our grief, that is quite a difference than the one who does not have an eternal hope.
v.14 - For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
The hope that we have is that Jesus died and rose again. This is what we have faith in. If you are one of those people then you have comfort to know that those who have fallen asleep (died) in that same hope and faith will be brought by God to Himself.
v.15 - For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
If you happen to be on planet earth when the Lord returns, you are alive and well, He will not forget those who have passed on before you. They will actually precede, or go before you, in that resurrection. They board the plane first before you or they get priority over you, the living.
v.16 - For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Jesus is not sending an angel this time. It will be Him coming. A shout is to be heard. The voice of the archangel is to be grand. A trumpet is to make sure that all hear. This is not going to be a hidden event. Paul tells that Thessalonians that the physical bodies of those who died in Christ will rise first.
v.17 - Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
After the first have boarded the plane, then we living in Christ will follow. The phrases "...together with them..." and "..so we shall..." give comfort that not only will we be with the Lord always but also with those who have gone before us in the Lord.
v.18 - Therefore comfort one another with these words.
I pray that these words are a comfort to you. The Bible lays out what happens at the end of life for those who are in Christ. We can explain it to our children. We can give hope because we have hope in the One who made salvation possible. We grieve but not because we will never see them again, but only for awhile.
"Lord, thank You for Your plan and Your provision. Thank You to give us the eternal picture to hold onto. May more of our family members and friends be 'in Christ.' Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.13 - But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
Paul is going to talk about physical death with the Thessalonian Christians. Some of their brothers and sisters in Christ have physically died. How do we handle this as Christians? Notice that we will grieve their passing but we will not grieve as those who don't know the Lord Jesus Christ. We will grieve differently. We will grieve with the light of Jesus and the hope in Jesus in the midst of our grief. We will glorify God even in our grief, that is quite a difference than the one who does not have an eternal hope.
v.14 - For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
The hope that we have is that Jesus died and rose again. This is what we have faith in. If you are one of those people then you have comfort to know that those who have fallen asleep (died) in that same hope and faith will be brought by God to Himself.
v.15 - For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
If you happen to be on planet earth when the Lord returns, you are alive and well, He will not forget those who have passed on before you. They will actually precede, or go before you, in that resurrection. They board the plane first before you or they get priority over you, the living.
v.16 - For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Jesus is not sending an angel this time. It will be Him coming. A shout is to be heard. The voice of the archangel is to be grand. A trumpet is to make sure that all hear. This is not going to be a hidden event. Paul tells that Thessalonians that the physical bodies of those who died in Christ will rise first.
v.17 - Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
After the first have boarded the plane, then we living in Christ will follow. The phrases "...together with them..." and "..so we shall..." give comfort that not only will we be with the Lord always but also with those who have gone before us in the Lord.
v.18 - Therefore comfort one another with these words.
I pray that these words are a comfort to you. The Bible lays out what happens at the end of life for those who are in Christ. We can explain it to our children. We can give hope because we have hope in the One who made salvation possible. We grieve but not because we will never see them again, but only for awhile.
"Lord, thank You for Your plan and Your provision. Thank You to give us the eternal picture to hold onto. May more of our family members and friends be 'in Christ.' Amen."
Pastor Adam
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