The Resurrection of the Body

Intro

Punctuation matters

“Some people find inspiration in cooking their families and their dogs.” vs. “Some people find inspiration in cooking, their families, and their dogs.”

“I don’t think I’m funny.” vs. “I don’t think. I’m funny.”

“Let’s eat grandma!” vs. “Let’s eat, grandma!”

The Comma serves as a temporary or slight pause with a continuation of the subject or event.

The Period brings the subject matter or event to an end.

How would you describe the spirit of the room of the last funeral you attended? A Comma or a Period?

Lonnie Teltow’s Funeral

Mamaw Funeral

Hope

1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 ESV

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

“I do not want you to be uninformed, brothers”

It’s not likely that the doctrine of the resurrection was lost among them like it was in the church of Corinth.

It’s more likely that it simply was not at the forefront of their minds, as they would weep bitterly over their dead.

This is an excessive grief

Grief is far from sinful. It’s actually healthy.

To weep too grievously over believers looks as if we have no hope.

It is easier for us to grieve moderately over Christians because they are not like unbelievers who have no better life than this one.

Knowing that Christians must leave this world in order to enter into the next is a deep comfort.

“through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep.”

Paul stirs up their remembrance of the doctrine of the resurrection

Christians hold a promise from God, who cannot lie. Paul said, “For this we declare by a word from the Lord” (v. 15).

Resurrection from the dead is a "word from the Lord.”

God cannot lie, therefore, we can trust that the Lord will do as He says in raising the dead.

“asleep in Christ”

There is a major difference between “asleep” and “destruction”

The body is “asleep.” This references a physical death.

Upon death, the physical body lies in a tomb, as if asleep.

Jesus used this type of language when referring to Lazarus (John 11)

The uncomfortability of death resides in it’s mystery. We are totally in the dark regarding the state of being dead.

To be asleep in Christ means that death does not annihilate them.

Death is a sleep/undisturbed rest.

“ They have retired out of this troublesome world, to rest from all their labours and sorrows, and they sleep in Jesus.”

-Henry, Matthew

During this time, their souls sleep in Christ until He returns.

Paul points to a word received from Jesus regarding His return.

Return

1 Thessalonians 4:15–16 ESV

For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Paul briefly explains how believers will be raised from the dead.

Upon the return of King Jesus, all who are in Christ will be resurrected to rule and reign with Jesus.

Paul corrects bad theology

The Thessalonians mistake the role of the dead in the second coming

They imagined that the dead would be deprived from the resurrection.

Paul addresses this errors by saying that not only are they going to participate in it, they will actually go first.

All of this hinges on the “word of the Lord” that Christ will return.

Jesus will return with all of the pomp and power of the heavens as the conquering King who has authority and power over sin and death.

Jesus has the authority to raise the dead and give them their souls!

At the loud cry and the trumpet sound, those asleep will come awake and be reunited, soul and body in a beautiful and glorified body!

Jesus’s cry will be like an archangel, unlike anything we’ve ever heard before. It will be a victorious battle cry.

So loud that it will wake the dead!

This is the final defiance of death and demonstration of it’s destruction.

The first time Jesus came was humble, ordinary, and hardly anyone knew about it.

The second time will be loud, non-ignorable, and everyone, even the dead will know about it!

Jesus will return in power!

Revelation 19:11–16 ESV

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Reunion

1 Thessalonians 4:17–18 ESV

Then we who are 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. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Our souls will be joined again to our bodies, only perfect in Christ!

Reunited and it’ll feel so good!

Verse 18 commands us to encourage one another with these words:

The most major comfort is found in verse 17

“We will always be with the Lord.”

Jesus promised this same thing after giving the Great Commission!

Matthew 28:20

When we are gathered together into the Kingdom, we will never again have to experience the bitterness of death! We’ll be just as Christ is!

We will live in the Kingdom as long as Jesus lives!

As in love as the first day we loved our spouse, we will endure an eternity with our ever-loving husband.

We hold to this hope with bold confidence!

When with the ransomed in glory

His face I’ll at last shall see

Twill be my joy through the ages

To sing of His love for me

Conclusion

Jesus freely offers this eternal life to all who will believe

You have people you talk with every day who do not know this good news.

If they died now, they would die in their sins. They would not sleep, they would be destroyed under the justice of God.

Who could you share the hope of the resurrection with this week?

How does this view of our resurrection from the dead influence how you will be more intention with discipleship and evangelism?