9. Rekindling Hope - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (Sunday March 2, 2025)
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Hope can evaporate extremely quickly.
Exam results arrive in the post and all those hopes for the future that have been nurtured for years are suddenly dashed.
An athlete focuses for four long years on gaining entry into the Olympics and winning a medal, But following one loss of concentration at a particularly crucial part of a race all hopes are lost.
Hope is the third problem area that needed attention that Timothy’s survey of the church at Thessalonica had revealed. Paul had dealt with the first two: purity in their sexual conduct and responsible living as a way of loving one another.
In this passage, Paul comes alongside to rekindle the hope of some in the church whose hope was evaporating.
Recognising the problem
Recognising the problem
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
Paul first pinpoints the problem.
Some of the Christians in that young church had recently died. The believers who remained were confused and worried.
They knew Christ was returning to save them from a great time of trouble that was going to come on the earth. They expected Christ’s return to be any day.
But now what was going to happen to those Christians who had died? Were they going to miss out in some way by not being around when Christ returned? Perhaps they would not have the full joy of being with Christ or being part of His kingdom?
They loved the Lord and were looking for His coming. But all these questions with unknown answers caused them to be very sorrowful. Their hope was running low. Every day they were continuing to be sad worrying for their friends who had died.
Paul says they should not sorrow as those with no hope.
Paul is not saying that Christians should not grieve when a loved one dies. Paul himself wrote one time about how if his friend Epaphroditus had died, he would have had sorrow upon sorrow. The Lord Jesus wept over the death of his dear friend Lazarus.
We must not gloss over the pain of death and glibly utter pious phrases about the deceased being in a better place. Loss of one we love breaks our hearts. Tears and expressions of grief by believers in these situations are not evidence of weak faith but of great love.
But while both non-Christians and Christians grieve at the death of loved ones, there is a critical difference. Believers can grieve with hope, not like those without hope. The hope that one who dies in Christ is with Christ and that we will be reunited with them in the presence of the Lord.
Non-Christians at the time of Paul had similar thoughts to many today that the soul is immortal and continues to exist in a new, hopefully better, life after death. But those who don’t believe have merely wishful thinking. A roman philospher Seneca, not a Christian, wrote how these hopes were just human pipe dreams.
By contrast, in Christ, Christians do have a certain hope, not only for themselves while they are alive, but for their fellow believers who have passed away.
Reasons for hope
Reasons for hope
Paul pinpoints the problem for their lack of hope as a lack of knowledge. They simply didn’t know the facts about what was going to happen to their loved ones who had died. Or as Paul says, those who have fallen asleep.
We can be anxious and worried simply because we don’t know all the facts of a situation. Lots of What Ifs come to mind.
ILLUSTRATION: Perhaps you are in a building when the power goes out. The lights are out. You are stuck in a lift. Without knowledge about when the power will return, you are liable to be anxious. But if you get reliable information about when services will be restored, your emotional response will be completely different.
Paul proceeds to fill in the gaps in their knowledge about the return of Christ and how from God’s perspective they can have hope.
We can avoid many sleepless nights and restless days if only we learn to view every circumstance through the lens of God’s Word.
Christ is risen from the dead
Christ is risen from the dead
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
The first reason for hope stems from the historical fact that Christ died and rose again. The Thessalonians clearly believed these facts.
The Thessalonians now needed to see what these facts implied for their worries.
Paul’s reasoning is “since we believe the historical facts that Jesus died and rose again, then we can believe that God will raise to life every believer who sleeps in Christ.”
Christ is the solid foundation on which they can find hope.
Paul wrote a similar encouragement to the Corinthian church
20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.
The Thessalonian church feared that their church members who died before Christ’s return would lose out compared to themselves who are still alive. Paul replies that because Jesus died and rose again, we can be certain God will enable those who have died to be present at Christ’s coming.
Christ’s words
Christ’s words
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 by no means precede those who are asleep.
The second reason for having hope is because of words the Lord Himself had spoken.
Pauls wrote that Jesus Himself said that those believers who are alive at His coming will not have any advantage over those believers who have died when He returns.
Just how Paul knew these words of the Lord is not mentioned.
Jesus did allude to His return for believers in some places.
2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
But the words Paul will share are not in the gospels. But
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—
A mystery is something that was once hidden but now is revealed. The words Paul shares were most likely something the Lord spoke directly to Paul .
The hope that Paul is directing the Thessalonians to rekindle their hope on a solid foundation - the historical facts of Jesus’s death and resurrection, and the words of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Reality of Christ’s Words
The Reality of Christ’s Words
Paul then shares the words that he received from the Lord Jesus.
Paul did not write this text with to give us with a comprehensive eschatological plan. But there are several truths that this passage emphatically teaches.
Truth 1: Christ Himself Will Come From Heaven
Truth 1: Christ Himself Will Come From Heaven
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
First is that the Lord Jesus Himself will descend from heaven. He will not send angels nor any human representative in His place.
23 of the 27 books in the NT state that Jesus is coming. The fact of His return is not a subject for idle speculation, but a reason for anticipation and motivation.
The visit of the Lord Jesus is characterised by three sounds, a shout, a voice, and a trumpet.
A shout
A shout
The shout is likely to be the shout of the Lord Jesus. The word has a military ring, such as if a commander is calling his troops to fall in. In this context of calling those who have died to be with Him, this shout reminds us of
43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
It is what Jesus spoke of in:
25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.
The voice of an archangel
The voice of an archangel
Accompanying the shout of the Lord is the voice of an archangel. The only other place in the Bible that mentions archangels is
9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
In the Old Testament, the angel Michael is described as a great prince who has power to protect the people of Israel.
1 “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.
The archangel Michael will come at the start of a time of great tribulation and the beginning of a renewed focus on Israel with Michael as its protector. Perhaps that is the significance of the voice of the archangel.
The trumpet of God
The trumpet of God
Trumpets were used in Scripture at Israel’s feasts and celebrations, to sound an alarm in time of war or for any other reason it was necessary to gather a crowd or make an announcement. The trumpet at this time has no connection to the trumpets of judgment in Revelation 8–11 which occur after.
It likely has a twofold purpose: to call God’s people together and to signal His deliverance of them.
Summary
Summary
There is no advance warning. No notice given. No signs that have to be fulfilled before this coming of Christ for the church. There is no reason why it could not be today.
The scriptures talk of signs that happen before Jesus comes to earth in judgment on unbelievers. But His coming to take the church out of the world to be with Him requires no signs to be fulfilled. It could be before we have coffee.
ILLUSTRATION: Sometimes we hear of members of the military who have been away from home for months surprising their families. They turn up dramatically and unexpectedly on the doorstep. And we see the resulting visible emotional reaction of the family. So it will be when Christ descends from heaven with a shout, the voice of an archangel and the trumpet of God.
Truth 2: Deceased Christians Will Be Resurrected First
Truth 2: Deceased Christians Will Be Resurrected First
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
The second truth that Jesus revealed to Paul was that dead Christians will be resurrected, before anything happens to Christians who are still alive.
Jesus promised that He would personally raise up the dead who trust in Him.
40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Far from missing out on the glorious return of Christ or suffering some disadvantage, deceased believers will be raised as the first event in Christ’s return for the church
Truth 3: All Christians Will Then Be Snatched Up Be With the Lord Forever
Truth 3: All Christians Will Then Be Snatched Up Be With the Lord Forever
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
These comforting words of Jesus showed the Thessalonian believers there will be equal participation of the deceased and living believers at Christ’s coming. There is no reason for the Thessalonian believers to lose hope when they see things from God’s perspective.
The word for caught up is a strong almost violent word. It can mean to arrest by force, like
10 Now when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.
or to be caught by a wild animal as in
12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
Jesus told Paul that when He returns, Christians will snatched up suddenly and irresistably from wherever they are to be Him forever.
In the Vulgate - an Latin translation of the Bible from the 4th century - the greek word for caught up harpazo is translated by the latin word rapio. From rapio we get the word rapture. Rapture has become the the term that Christians often use to refer to this snatching away of believers from the earth to be with the Lord for ever.
When Christians talk about the rapture it is not some intense feeling of joy, or overwhelming emotion. It is the Lord sudden snatching up of all Christians out of this world to be with Him forever.
Paul does not go into details here about the exact timing of this event. That isn’t important to what the Thessalonians needed to know at this moment.
The Thessalonians simply needed to know that all who have trusted in Christ throughout the centuries, whether alive or dead, will be snatched up to meet the Lord together in the air when He returns.
Restoring Hope
Restoring Hope
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
The passage began with grief and hopelessness among the Christians at Thessalonica. Paul identified the problem that they had a lack of knowledge that stopped them seeing things from God’s perspective.
In just a few words, God led Paul to transform their sorrow into joy and hope.
Building on their faith in the facts of Christ’s death and resurrection, Paul shared the words of the Lord with them.
Paul was not sharing the Christ’s words to educate them. He shared the words to comfort them. The God of all comfort gave through Paul the encouraging comfort that Christ will one day return for all believers.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
We will meet Christians who have lost or are losing hope. We might ourselves lose hope in our walk with Christ. If we want to comfort others or find comfort ourselves it is through sharing Christ’s words. To try to see the problem from God’s perspective.
I read about someone who visited a small Argentinian town in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. He was awestruck by the surrounding beauty of the landscape. From nearly every vantage point in town he could see the towering peaks off in the distance.
The writer asked a local shop owner if he ever tired of seeing the majestic mountains in the distance. His reply? “I hardly even notice them.”
How could it be possible for one to be surrounded by the majesty of the Andes Mountains and yet miss their beauty? I suppose it’s not difficult for someone who sees it every day.
The promises Jesus made to you and I who trust in Him tower over us from every vantage point of our lives. If we look up and see them, we will find hope.
Jesus promised
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
If we hardly notice His promises, it is no wonder we struggle to find peace today and worry about tomorrow. If we truly want comfort, or to help those struggling to find comfort, then we have to look up and remember His promises.
