The Certainty of Christ's Coming

Introduction

One of the most fascinating realities given to us in Scripture is that Jesus Christ is coming back again! As we celebrate the birth of Jesus during the Christmas season, we also look forward to His life, death, resurrection, and ascension. However, we also know that Jesus is actively doing something right now and that the Bible is clear that He will come again. This is so cool, but it also is something that can lead to false teachings. We discussed some of these false teaching in previous weeks as some of the Christians in Thessalonica were tempted to quit their jobs because they had confidence that Jesus was going to return immediately. Likewise, there are some people today who believe all sorts of crazy things about Jesus’ second coming. Some think that Jesus won’t come back at all, others think that Jesus will come back and that some people won’t know about it (it will be a secret of sorts), still others think that Jesus has already come back.

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is something confusing for some. Scripture doesn’t answer all of our questions, so we must be careful not to insert answers where Scripture gives none. But, Scripture does speak with certainty that Jesus will return. Scripture clearly teaches that it will not be in secret as all the world will know that He has returned. Our text tonight speaks to the reality that Jesus will come again and the fact that this should give us hope. We’re not going to study all sorts of theories, although there are many out there, we are simply going to study what the text says.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 CSB

13 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For we say this to you by a word from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 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. 17 Then we who are still alive, who are left, 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. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

What must we be? (13)

(Be informed)

Paul’s purpose in writing this message was to encourage them and give them comfort. We see in our opening verse that Paul does not want them to be uninformed. What does it mean to be uninformed? How many of you have ever been a little late to the party and you asked a question that had already been asked? Sometimes that can be a little awkward but you didn’t know better because you were simply uninformed. You didn’t know that the question had already been asked. Think about it another way, on Saturday Lindsey and I took Gabriel down to see my parents because we weren’t able to during Thanksgiving. Lindsey asked me, “Do I need my coat?” I replied and said that she probably would because she always gets cold. She went outside and said, “I don’t need my coat, it’s nice out here.” She was uninformed about the weather!

People can be and often are uninformed about all sorts of things. When this happens, what do we strive to do? Sometimes we want to do this harsher than others, but we want to simply inform them and help them out. This is what Paul wants to do about this topic. There are people who are uninformed about Christ’s second coming and Paul wants to help them out. Why would people be uninformed about Jesus’ return, though?

There were some teachers who were saying false things about death. Perhaps they were confused, but more than likely they were purposely trying to stir up conflict in the congregation. There were some who taught that if you died, you would miss out on Jesus’ second coming. Because of this, there were some in the congregation who were upset and concerned about loved ones who had recently passed away.

What does Paul desire? He desires to help set the record straight. He does this pastorally, though, not as a jerk. He wants them to be informed and to ultimately have hope. Whenever a loved ones passes away, we have hope that we will see that person again because we know that death is not the end. Think about the non-Christian who thinks that this world is all that there is. Death is not something to be hopeful about, it is something to be feared and avoided at all costs! Yet, as followers of Christ, we look at death and we don’t have to be afraid because we have hope. We have hope that death doesn’t get the final word and we have hope that we will see our loved ones once again! What must we be, though? We must be informed. We must study Scripture and be obedient to follow it as well. It’s not enough to hear the message or take someone else’s word for it - we are responsible for our own walk with the Lord and we must not be ignorant. Inform yourself, study Scripture, and have hope!

What must we know? (14-15)

(The fact of Christ’s resurrection)

Why can we have hope, though? How can Jesus give us hope as Christians? Because we see that Jesus Christ didn’t just come and live and die, He was raised from the dead. Paul highlights the importance of this fact in 1 Corinthians 15

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 CSB

3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Friends, the death, burial, and resurrection are essential beliefs for Christians to hold on to. We must not only know these things but we must allow them to change our lives! Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, you don’t have Christianity at all. The resurrection changes everything. The resurrection also is something that blows our mind because we cannot understand it fully. Think of some absolutes on our planet. If you throw a baseball as high as you possibly can, what is that ball eventually going to do? It will eventually fall back to the ground. If you go to a lake and find a really good skipping rock and you skip it as best as you can, it might skip a dozen times but what will that rock eventually do? It will sink to the bottom of the lake. If someone passes away, and they are dead for 3 days, we would say that they are dead and gone. They’re not coming back! Yet, here we have Jesus. He was as dead as dead can get, but we see that He rose from the dead and He appeared to thousands of witnesses! This is what our faith is built upon. The resurrection of Jesus should give us hope and Paul brings up the resurrection because even in a difficult season with false teachers and dealing with death and grief, the truth of the resurrection gives us hope and purpose.

As Christians, we know that we share in the victory of Jesus Christ as co-heirs as Romans 8:16-17 talks about

Romans 8:16–17 CSB

16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

So if we are co-heirs with Christ, and Christ rose from the dead, what is our hope according to 1 Thessalonians 4:14? It’s that God will raise every believer who has passed away. God is true to His promises and even though there is temporary grief whenever a loved one passes away, we also know that there is eternal hope. God will not forget about those who have passed away - they are brought to glory as well. Not only is there hope for these people who are grieving from losing loved ones, there is also a reminder that there is no advantage to being alive whenever Christ returns as those alive will not precede those who have passed away.

Consider how the resurrection changes everything as death gives way to life. Again, how do we know this to be the case? Because of what Scripture teaches. Paul says as much at the beginning of verse 15 - there might be false reports and teachings, but Paul’s teaching is from the Lord. This is why understanding Scripture and reading our Bible matters so much! Even if we can’t completely understand something like the resurrection with our finite brains, as we read, we experience hope and encouragement.

What must we have? (16-17)

(We must have hope that Jesus is coming again)

Verses 16-17 of 1 Thess 4 are some of the most fiercely debated verses in the entire Bible. The debate centers on the “rapture” of the church, when that will take place, and will there be a time of tribulation and when will that take place? While there are completely different views that people hold to, as I mentioned at our beginning, we are simply going to look at the text. Our text shows that Christ WILL come again and He gathers His church to be with Him. This is a promise and Paul references this promise in order to give the believers hope. So the main takeaway for us is that Christ will return and when He does, there will be a reunion with Christ and this should encourage us.

Why does Paul not talk more about the intricacies of eschatology, though? It’s important for us to remember that Paul never claims to and does not intend to write a comprehensive overview of the last things in this section of Scripture. He doesn’t answer if we will go with Him to heaven or if He will immediately bring about His kingdom on earth. He keeps things simple - Christ will come again for His church. All will be raised, even those who are dead. This is a theme of encouragement. We can’t read more into this text than what is there, but we also can’t miss the certainty that Christ will come again!

Verse 16 shares that His coming will be sudden and it will be something that no one will miss. The Lord shall descend and there will be 3 things: a shout, a voice, and a trumpet. Revelation 1 speaks to this reality

Revelation 1:7 CSB

7 Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. So it is to be. Amen.

Every eye will see Him! The Thessalonians were being led astray by false teachers, they were being persecuted and loved ones were dying. Paul is sharing with them that there is hope because Jesus is coming back and He will rescue them. At this point, though, many preachers would turn into looking at signs and dates. This is what we talked about this morning, how many people think that they have it all figured out. Friends, Paul doesn’t answer that question here and there isn’t a specific place in the Bible that says that you have to be a pre-millennial, pre-tribulation believer and that that’s the only “right” position and you’re wrong and crazy to not believe that way. As one commentator puts it, “The emphasis is not on the when of His coming, but on the how of His coming. We know that He is coming, how are we living in light of His coming?” How are you living in light of Christ’s coming? This is what Paul is sharing with them. You’re not going to miss the Day of the Lord. He will come back for His people and even if you have a loved one who passed away, you’re not without hope either.

What happens when Christ comes? Those who are in Christ will be caught up together with Christ in the clouds. Many commentators note that this means that believers will go to heaven as we see references in Scripture to clouds being a reality in such eschatological passages.

We see in Acts 1 that Jesus was caught up and ascended to heaven in a cloud

Acts 1:9 CSB

9 After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

We see in Daniel 7 that the son of man came with clouds

Daniel 7:13–14 CSB

13 I continued watching in the night visions, and suddenly one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. 14 He was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.

The Son of man has a kingdom of every people, nation and language and His dominion is an everlasting one and His kingdom will not be destroyed. Daniel 7 doesn’t talk about there being a 1,000 year reign of Jesus’ kingdom or 7 years of tribulation. Paul doesn’t reference any of those things either. He simply says that those in Christ will be taught up with Him in the clouds to meet the Lord and be with the Lord forever.

Again, Paul’s main purpose isn’t to teach a seminary level course in eschatology. To quote Gene Green, “His main purpose is to console members of the church in their moment of agony.” We would love to have more information and to have all the answers, but God gives us exactly what we need to know and nothing more or less!

From these verses we have more than enough information to have hope and as Leon Morris notes, “There is no need to add to that.”

What must we do? (18)

(Encourage others)

What should we do as a result of this text of Scripture? What were these Thessalonians instructed to do based on these verses? To encourage one another. Isn’t this interesting? Initially these believers were ignorant and uninformed about the second coming and now at the end, Paul tells them to encourage one another with the certainty of Christ’s coming! This passage is all about having hope that Jesus is coming back and that death doesn’t get the final word.

Consider our world and society right now. Think about all of the confusion, ignorance, and the lack of hope that people have. What is our call? To encourage one another! To help speak the truth in love as Ephesians 4:15 says. To help guide people to the truth of Scripture. To point people to Jesus. To help other Christians not be led astray, but instead to have hope because Christ is all that we need.

Are you sharing hope with others now? Are you encouraging others to be more like Christ and to have hope? Strive to do this, especially during this Christmas season.

Conclusion

While there are differing views and opinions on how to interpret the things found in our text, what cannot be debated is that Jesus Christ is coming back and when He does, it will be an incredible time of worship and celebration for those who are in Christ Jesus!

As one hymn puts it, it will be a great getting up morning!

Don’t be led astray or uninformed, Scripture is clear about this reality and this should give us hope. Death is not the end. We will see our family members and friends who have gone on before us. God will make good on His promises and we can take this to the bank. Are you ready for Christ to come again? Even if you are, there is work to be done before this happens, though. There are people to evangelize. There are conversations still to be had. We must continue to share the Gospel with the expectation that Jesus Christ is coming back. We don’t know when, but we know He’s coming and we must live accordingly.