Sermon on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, for the 25th Sunday after Trinity (1 Yr), "Hope in the midst of grief"

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. The seasons of the church year are changing, and we are coming to the end of one year, and the beginning of the season of Advent in a couple of weeks, as we anticipate Christmas. The end of the church year focuses on Christ’s and coming judgment of the living and the dead. Today’s reading from 1 Thessalonians 4 is often heard at funerals, but also gives us some basic information about Jesus return. Paul begins by saying that “we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep.”

When Paul says “uninformed”, he’s obviously hinting that they have some basic shortcomings understanding death and the end times. One idea in the church seemed to be that some were afraid they had missed Jesus’ return and that He had already come. Today some shortcomings and confusion might include ideas about reincarnation and multiple lives, or ideas about a resurrection without a physical body, or that we turn into angels after death, rather than raised and glorified humans. Also there are too many confusions to name about the end of times, but suffice it to say that there is a lot of fear-mongering and a lot of twisting of God’s Word today. Jesus said that no one knows the day or hour of His return—but many knowingly violate that Word by trying to make predictions about the timing of the end of the world.

First of all, Paul uses a euphemism for death, calling those who have died, “those who are asleep.” A euphemism is a mild way of saying something that seems harsh or blunt. But here, and other places where the Bible talks about death, it’s not a matter of sugarcoating the reality that someone has died—but rather confessing the hope of the resurrection—that they will be raised up from the dead. A chapter later, Paul says “[Christ] died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him” (5:10). When we say that our beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord are “asleep with Christ”—we confess that they are with the Lord already, even now in His joy, but that their bodies will be awakened to everlasting life in the resurrection.

Then Paul says he wants us to be properly informed, so that we do ”not grieve as others do who have no hope.” So Paul divides humans into two groups—those who grieve their dead with hope, and those who grieve their dead without hope. Both grieve. And that’s important to stop and say, because sometimes people who are “uninformed” think that Christians should always be happy, or that if you’re not always happy, that you have to fake it. Faking our happiness drains our energy even faster, and makes it harder for us to experience real joy, according to one author (Kenneth Haugk, Don’t Sing Songs to a Heavy Heart, p. 15-16). Not only can we Christians grieve our dead or other losses, but it is actually healthy to do so. What is unhealthy is to bottle up our emotions or never allow an outlet. Jesus wept after the death of Lazarus, because He had compassion on the family—even though He was going to raise him shortly up from the dead. Death is always an invader in God’s good creation, and God mourns with us in our anguish. And because of Jesus’ power over death, we find hope in the midst of our grief. Hope in the promised resurrection.

Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep. Jesus has not lost count or forgotten even a single one of His dear sheep. Scripture says that “precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:15). Jesus will raise each and every one of His precious saints, with a renewed and glorified body like His. We are not uninformed about what the resurrection will be like—we know that it’s a body healed and perfect, glorified like Jesus’ is after His resurrection. No more suffering, tears, grief, or loss. We grieve, yes, because one has died, and we dearly miss them. But we have hope and joy, knowing that those who believe in Jesus are saved.

Paul moves from this, to declare a “word from the Lord.” He tells two things—1) the order of who will be raised with Jesus first, and 2) the circumstances of Jesus’ return. So the order, is that believers in Jesus who have already died, will be the first to rise up from the dead and join Jesus. Then anyone who is still alive and believes in Jesus, will follow after. So that means that unless Jesus comes first, and we meet Him while we are still alive, that we will all die. But then if we die, we will be among the first to meet Jesus when He returns.

Notice how public, not secretive are the circumstances of Jesus’ return. A certain teaching has become very widespread in the church today, called the rapture. It refers to the idea of being “caught up” together in the clouds with Jesus, in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. But if someone asks you if you believe in the rapture—they usually don’t mean will we join Jesus up in the clouds when He returns? (Answer is YES, we will be caught up with Him, just as this verse describes). They usually mean do you believe that Christians are going to secretly disappear from the earth, and unbelievers will be “Left Behind” (like the popular novel series and movie in Christian bookstores), to face a terrible seven years of tribulation, before Jesus comes yet another time. In other words, this confusing idea of the “rapture”, adds an additional “secret return” of Jesus to take believers to heaven, followed by another return to take everyone in final judgment. Along with other problems, this gives a false idea of a “second chance” for those who don’t believe in Jesus’s return.

Now I want to simply re-read the verses, so you hear what they say, and see how this rapture idea is inconsistent with what the Bible says. 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. 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.” Notice how public, loud, and visible Jesus return will be! A cry of command from heaven, the voice of the archangel, and sound of the trumpet.

As the Gospel reading from Matthew 24 adds, the coming of the Son of Man will be like the lightning that flashes from east to west—it will be visible all across the sky. When Jesus ascended into heaven, and was hidden by the clouds, the angels told the disciples He would come back in the same way (Acts 1:11) i.e. descending from the clouds. The book of Revelation opens by saying ”Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen.” (1:7). So everyone, even those who don’t believe in Jesus will see Him. No special teacher or interpreter will be needed to explain what is happening. It won’t be a secret event, off in some corner we didn’t hear about. Jesus’ return won’t be hidden from anyone, but public and visible across all the earth. Obviously, with the curvature of the earth, this will be a miracle just as much as Jesus own return itself from heaven will be a miracle.

There is also the matter that the Bible only describes Jesus returning once, not multiple times. Hebrews 9:27-28, in the same place where it affirms that we have one earthly life, also affirms that Jesus has been here once, when He was born, lived, died, and rose—but now will come once more, a second time: “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” Many of our Christian hymns sing this beautiful theme, that Jesus first came in lowliness, humility, suffering, and blessing—but His return will be in power, glory, majesty and victory.

Finally, why do we need to know these simple truths, about death and the resurrection, and about Jesus’ return? So that we may encourage one another with these words. Life in the sinful world can leave us feeling close to defeated, beaten down and awfully low. But God states again and again that the final victory belongs to Him, and that whatever losses we experience, even and especially death, that it will be restored to us in His kingdom. God’s Word is rich with encouraging words, to help us through the hard times of life. The long term benefits of His kingdom are delayed—but plenty blessings of life in Christ’s kingdom come to us already here and now. The mutual encouragement, sympathy, support and love of Christian brothers and sisters. The hope and encouragement of the Scriptures, written to strengthen us through difficult days. The constant presence of Christ, bearing us on His shoulders through the difficulties of life. Jesus meal of body and blood, given for the forgiveness of sins, bread for our journey, life and nourishment for branches on His Vine. In many ways, the long term benefits of Christ’s kingdom that await us in heaven, already reach backward through time to us now, and in Christ’s gifts the sacraments, He blesses, strengthens and encourages us even now.

Hope in the midst of your grieving is found in the words of Christ. In His Name, Amen.

Sermon Talking Points

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1. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 assumes that Christians also grieve over their dead, as all other people do—but what is the difference? Why is it normal and natural to grieve over the dead? Why did even Jesus do it? What does that say about death, related to God’s purposes? John 11:35
2. What are some typical things that we are “uninformed” about, concerning death, and what does God’s Word teach about them? For example, in this passage, what is the order of those who will be raised from the dead? What signals that Jesus’ return will be a public, universal  appearance? Cf. Acts 1:9-11; Revelation 1:7; Matthew 16:27; 24:27-31. How many lives do we get? Hebrews 9:27.
3. Why does the Bible often use the euphemism “sleeping” to refer to death? What hope does this confess? 1 Thessalonians 5:10; Eph. 5:14.
4. 1 Thess. 4:17 is where the infamous idea of the “rapture” comes from. As commonly taught in some churches, the idea is that Jesus will have a secret return where He takes believers to Himself, then 7 years of tribulation will happen on earth, followed by His public return in judgment. Why is this “rapture theology” inconsistent with what the Bible actually teaches? The Bible teaches only one return of Jesus, not multiple; cf. Hebrews 9:28; Acts 1:11. What marks it as public?