We Believe in the Resurrection

Introduction

Many of us grew up in churches that had some interesting eschatological views, or what is known as the end of days. How many of us are familiar with the movie A Thief in the Night or the Left Behind book series? I will readily admit that growing up in the Pentecostal tradition, I was traumatized with the concept of the rapture.

The rapture is one of those tools that some in the Church use to exercise power through fear. Don’t get caught in sin when Jesus returns. Properly understood, however, the second coming of Christ is one of present and future hope.

Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians as a letter to the followers of Christ in the ancient city of Thessalonica around 51 A.D. while he was in Corinth (Acts 18). Paul had visited Thessalonica and was sharing the gospel in and around the Jewish synagogue. However, the local Jewish religious leaders grew jealous of Paul and organized a riotous mob to grab Paul. The believers helped Paul escape in secret, giving Paul the opportunity to travel to Athens and then to Corinth. While Paul was in Corinth, his young friend and protege Timothy arrived from Thessalonica with a good report, but also with some questions. This letter contains Paul’s answers to those questions.

One of those questions was regarding the return of Jesus Christ. After describing what it means to be faithful to Jesus in the first three chapters, Paul spends the last two chapters discussing the second coming of Christ (parousia).

When reading this passage, many within the Church focus on the how and when of Christ’s return without understanding. Paul and many Christians in the first century were expecting Christ to return in their lifetimes. However, believers were beginning to die. There were some who wondered what would happen to those who had died when Christ returns, evening fearing that they would miss the kingdom of God. Would they ever see their loved ones again? These questions are surrounded by many of the ancient Greco-Roman, pagan beliefs that the soul lived on after death, but was in an ambiguous state with no hope. Paul’s answer is the resurrection.

We Believe in the Resurrection

Part of the historic teaching of the Apostles passed down to the Church is that Christ will return, there will be a resurrection of the physical body of Christ-followers, and that we will spend eternity with Him.

Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:14 that we believe Christ died and resurrected. He continues to say that when Christ returns, he will bring back alongside him all of those who have died in relationship with God.

2 Corinthians 5:8 and Philippians 1:21-22 tell us that Paul believed that the soul goes to heaven at death, but that this is a temporary status. At the resurrection, those who have died and are in the presence of God the Father will return with Christ and be reunited with a resurrected and glorified body. Then, those of us alive will join Christ and the resurrected in the air as He continues to earth to set all things new.

Why is the resurrection such an important part of Christian belief?

· Jesus rose from the dead, just as he said he would.

· The resurrected and living Christ is the great and final proof that Jesus is Messiah and the Son of God.

· Because he resurrected, his promise to resurrect the faithful means death is not the end for us.

· His resurrection not only brings a future restoration of our physical bodies, but it brought a present power to resurrect our dead spiritual lives to abundant life (John 10:9-11).

Alongside these words of Paul, many try to interpret Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:1-13 as a call to “be ready” for his return by not living in sin connected to the concept of being alert. However, the none of the virgins were alert. They were all drowsy and asleep. The text is not emphasizing holiness as a way to escape this world. We are not to just stand around not sinning. The point is that we are to live expectantly and with hope, just as Paul was telling the Thessalonian believers. The Christian’s hope rests upon God’s continued providence and continued process of creation/redemption through us until Christ comes to seal and finalize our witness in that providence and redemption.

Conclusion

While we do have a blessed hope, we should not believe in the return of Christ and the resurrection of the dead as some sort of escape. It’s not. We are not leaving this earth to go spend eternity in heaven. Instead, the Second Coming of Christ and resurrection of the faithful is a renewal. It is a restoration. It is the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises and characteristic of his goodness and holiness. It is something that we are to hope for, but also to live as witnesses to.

Carlo Carretto in Blessed Are You Who Believed. Christianity Today, Vol. 40, no. 4.

When the world seems a defeat for God and you are sick with the disorder, the violence, the terror, the war on the streets; when the earth seems to be chaos, say to yourself, "Jesus died and rose again on purpose to save, and his salvation is already with us."

Every departing missionary is an act of faith in the resurrection.

Every peace treaty is an act of faith in the resurrection.

Every agreed commitment is an act of faith in the resurrection.

When you forgive your enemy

When you feed the hungry

When you defend the weak

you believe in the resurrection.

When you have the courage to marry

When you welcome the newly-born child

When you build your home

you believe in the resurrection.

When you wake at peace in the morning

When you sing to the rising sun

When you go to work with joy

you believe in the resurrection.