Christian Comfort in Christ's Coming
1Thess 4:13-18
Soon after
the process of effectual calling began in me, I heard for the first time the
doctrine of the return of Christ. I had been to churches regularly from the
time of my birth. I was considered a good "Christian" boy. Yet, I was
not a true believer, even though I thought I was.
I heard of
this doctrine in a sermon at a mission conference. After the meeting, I started
asking a lot of questions. People were quick to offer answers--but, they didn't
agree with each other. I was perplexed. I went to the Christian book store to
buy a book or two only to discover it was one of the largest sections in the
store. This was in 1972 at the height of Evangelical obsession with the return
of Christ. Israel had become a nation in 1948. In 1967 there was a major war
between Israel and Egypt. The Middle East looked as though it would erupt into
Armageddon. And, the European Common Market was at ten nations--a somewhat
magic number for this group at the time.
Many Evangelical
and Fundamentalist Christians were told to live as if Jesus was returning that
day--they were to think like this every day. A watchword developed into a
greeting and salutation of sorts, "What if it is today?" and the
evangelical question of "Are you ready?" to which people were
supposed to ask, "For what?"
I have
observed for the last 40+ years how well-meaning men grab onto any event
concerning Israel in order to recast the prophecies and sell more books.
Prophecy is still a hot topic in Christian book sales. Some of the writers are
the same men who wrote in the 1970s and 1980s. Others have joined their merry
band and one new eschatological view has been added to the mix of perspectives.
One of the verses used by almost all who believe in an immanent return of the
Lord Jesus Christ--meaning at any time--use 1 Thess 4 as their proof text
coupled with Matthew 24.
The main use of this section is not to teach extensively
about the return of Jesus. The verses tell us what their purpose is and how these
verses ought to be used. Look at verse 18 so we get this right from the start--18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
These words were given
to comfort believers. SO as we read the text and hear this message think
"what comforts are there here for me?" and "how can I comfort
others with these words?" They are not intended primarily to teach us
about the details of the Second Coming of Christ--even though they do to some
degree.
Let's read
the text:
1 Thess 4:13-18 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. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose
again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.[a]
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. 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. 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.18 Therefore
comfort one another with these words.
We
have three main points:
1. Comfort about the
Dead
2. Comfort about the
Living
3. The Content of our
Comfort
1. Comfort about the Dead
A. Ignorance 13a
B. Sorrow 13b
C. Resurrection 14
2. Comfort about the
Living
A. Word of the Lord 15a
B. No Special Treatment 15b
3. The Content of our
Comfort
A. The Lord's Descent 16
B. The Bodily Resurrection of the dead in Christ 16b
C. Those Who Remain Caught Up 17
D. Always with the Lord 17b
E. Comfort Those in Christ 18
4. The Peril of being
without Christ in Life and Death
Let's take a look at the
text:
1. Comfort about the
Dead
A. Ignorance 13a-- But I do not want you to be ignorant,
Paul adds a personal
touch again. Word must have come back to him from Timothy that the church in
Thessalonica had questions about the return of Jesus as regards the living and
the dead--or as the Creed puts it, the quick and the dead.
It is interesting to me
that Timothy did not answer their questions in this area. Timothy defers to
Paul. If I am reading that right, it shows that eschatology was not so
important in the Apostolic age. If it was supposed to be the driving influence
in the churches, it seems to me that Paul would have taught these things to
Timothy and Silas. But, they don't offer an answer on this question.
One can be a leader in
Christ's Church without being able to dot every I and cross every t.
It is the brethren that
Paul doesn't want to be unlearned in this area. He does not appeal to all men
and women, but to a subset of them he calls the brethren. This family language
in the Epsitles always denotes the family of God, the household of God, the
Church of Jesus Christ,
brethren, concerning
those who have fallen asleep,
Fallen asleep is a
euphemism for dying. The context is what guides our understanding of this
metaphor. It is a nice way to say something that could be difficult for some to
hear.
Death in the Greek world
was an unpleasant reality. There were no social services given to widows. Family
was all one had to give support. For Christians who had forsaken the life and
beliefs of Paganism, they were often shunned by their families and friends.
Yet, in the churches, it
was a time for them to stick together and rely on each other. The picture of
falling asleep had a sense of impermanence about it. They knew, or they had
been taught about the resurrection from the dead. The certain expectation of
rising from the dead bodily is what gave Christianity a superior ethos about
death that all other beliefs. Pagans
wanted resurrection from the body--that storehouse of evil that drew
them down. Christianity provided resurrection of the body in a glorified state.
Yet, without….
B. Sorrow 13b-- lest you sorrow as others who have no
hope.
Pagan religion had no
hope. It was full of grief and grieving. The adherants knew most, if not all of
it, were lies to placate the masses in dullness. But, Christians do not grieve
as others without hope.
Christianity is full of
hope. Hope isn't like it is popularly portrayed--I hope the Red Sox have a
better second half of the season. I hope to find a better Job. I hope my
children will turn out to be believers. The root word for hope is similar to
the Greek word for faith and belief. Christian hope is sure and certain. It is
anchored by God in Christ. It is often defined as a certain expectation. When
we have hope we anticipate something coming to pass that must come to pass.
Death must come upon all, unless Jesus comes first. We can hope for death as
the means to bring us into the presence of the Lord. There is no reason to fear
death for the believer. The greatest fear is perhaps that of the unknown--it is
unknown to us because it is much more glorious than anything we have
experienced in this world. Think about the best things you have ever
experienced. It will be shown to be not to grand when compared to the delights
of heaven.
Back to the
resurrection….
C. Resurrection 14--14 For
if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him
those who sleep in Jesus.[a]
What wonderfully comforting words. Do you
believe what it says? Has it made a change in your life, in your priorities, in
your desire to please God. Do you believe that Jesus died and rose again?
Based
squarely on the resurrection of Jesus is the resurrection of all who believe. Old
and young. Of every ethnicity and race. Of many denominations and associations
where the gospel has been proclaimed and God's Word loved. Christians from the
first century about whom we read in the NT. Peasant believers from the heart of
Africa that we never heard about. Soldiers that worked for the Imperial
governments and monarchs who came to trust in Jesus alone for their soul's
salvation. Murderous Vikings subdued by God's grace. American Indians who heard
and believed in the New World--Indian missions started in Newton, MA. When
Edwards moved to Western Mass, it was to evangelize the natives. Some came to
believe. In the language of the scriptures, Revelation 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a
great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes,
peoples, and tongues, standing
before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches
in their hands…. Theologically speaking it is the elect of all time raised all
at once--in a single moment. What a sight it will be. I can't imagine the
fullness of it all.
Two
weeks ago this past Thursday I was part of a burial service for a dear 87 year
old friend. As I spoke, I remnded those present that this woman would be so
different after being in the presence of the Lord for just a few months. I SAID
IT IS UNLIKELY WHE WOULD WANT TO RETURN TO US and if she did, it is unlikely we
would recognize her because she would be so much more like Jesus. When I
finished, one of the funeral directors chimed in that she had never heard any
thing like that before and it made her want to go to heaven. The next speaker
showed her the way--there is only one person who has fully conquered death--the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Bodies
in little out of the way cemetaries all around the world will have bodies of
believers mixed with others, and only believers will be raised incorruptible.
Cemetaries next to churches in Europe and the USA will have some of their
recipients raised into the air. The raising of the dead in Christ will be vast.
When we think about the grand event our hearts should delight that we will be a
part of it all--either because we are dead, or still alive.
If
alive, there is specific comfort for us.
2. Comfort about the
Living
A. Word of the Lord 15a--15 For this
we say to you by the word of the Lord,
The topic Jesus taught
about the most while on the earth is eschatology--or the doctrine of the last
things. He taught about person eschatology--what happens when each and every
person's life ends, and general eschatology--what happens universally when the
end comes. So, there is plenty from the Word of the Lord to draw from.
One doesn't have to die
to be brought into the presence of the Lord. The Lord is able to raise up some
who will never taste death--just as the few who have already had that
experience. What a comfort. Whether dead or alive, we are the Lord's we all get
the same love, he sanctifies us by his Spirit and when all of the elect are
saved and then sanctified to the point God has purposed, and all of the
churches are established, only then will the end come.
Paul does not give them
all of the details of how this is going to work out. He stays intentionally
general. And adds to his words some directives about ….
B. No Special Treatment 15b-- that we who are alive and remain
until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are
asleep.
This is very practical.
Even though some had died, their souls have gone to paradise or heaven, their
bodies are still in the ground. The bodies and souls of all believers will
enjoy the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ together.
None get first place.
There are no super-saints. We will all be treated alike. The body of the
Apostle Paul, Stephen the martyr, Polycarp, Theodosius the Great, the venerable
Bede, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Owen, John Tombes, Adoniram Judson and
others will be raised to be with the likes of us, if Jesus comes today or
tomorrow. No preference will be given in raising them up. They will all be
raised. Those who alive do not get special handling as a prize for being alive
when he returns. Those who sleep and those who are alive will be raised
together.
This is what it will
look like:
3. The Content of our
Comfort
A. The Lord's Descent 16--. 16 For
the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an
archangel, and with the trumpet of God.
A grand display
throughout the world as the Lord Jesus Himself manifests himself upon his
return. How he will manifest himself every where I do not know--but He does. He
knows the fullness of what this means. I don't have to worry over the details.
It is up to me to take the comfort. That Jesus is going to return to raise me
up or call me home is an immense means of strength for me. That's what comfort
means--to have strength.
Jesus will descend with
a shout and with the thunderous voice like that of his greatest messengers an
archangel and with the trumpet of God. The means of getting our attention and
calling us home. To repeat with clarity:
B. The Bodily Resurrection of the dead in Christ 16b-- And
the dead in Christ will rise first.
This is those who died
in the Lord, not those who don't do anything for him. The dead in Christ will
rise first in quick succession. They are not being left behind. Their bodies
will be put back together by a sovereign and miraculous act of God on each of
them.
It is a very recent
thing that the West tries to inoculate us from the horrors of death. We have
bodies laid out for inspection, they are beautified with makeup and lipstick.
They wear their best clothes as they lay in a beautifully crafted casket. At
the cemetery, the casket is placed in a cement burial vault to be covered by
another cement slab all in an attempt to preserve the body. In the ancient
world death was a part of life. We have sanitized it. Death is a terrible
thing, that Jesus has conquered for his people.
The body doesn't need to
be preserved, God will bring all the saints of the past together is a moment.
The bodies that have been nibbled into insect fodder will be rejoined
completely and raised.
The prevailing view of
justification in America is Justification by death. People may not articulate
it as a point of doctrine but it is. How many times have you been to calling
hours or to a funeral of someone who really had no Christian testimony only to
hear someone say, "They are better off" or "they are out of
pain" or something about them becoming angels and looking out for
us"? I cringe when I hear those things. Because the person is not better
off. They are worse off. They are in a situation that makes it too late for
them to believe. They are about to face the judgment--it is appointed once for
man to die and after that the judgment (Heb 9:27).
Death is a real enemy
for the majority of people. It is a great shame for any to hear the gospel and
not obey its claims and call.
The dead in Christ are
raised, then….
C. Those Who Remain Caught Up 17--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.
It is very simple. One
day, if we are still alive, we will hear the shour of God, the trumpet of the
Lord and we will be caught up with him and all who died in the Lord in the air.
The Lord himself will sustain us as we do what we cannot do--hover over land.
We will all meet the
Lord in the air. That is where he will be. We will be raised to be with Him.
These are marvelous truths for those who believe. What comfort is found
throughout these words as our hope of the work of God for us based on that work
of God already in us.
We will be in his
presence in a never-ending manner.
D. Always with the Lord 17b-- And thus we shall always be
with the Lord.
After He comes or calls
for us, there will never be a time when we are not in the special presence of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Never, ever, will he leave us. We will always be with
him. In the new heavens and the new earth he will be the light to illumine
God's place forever, and ever, and ever.
That is why we are to…..
E. Comfort Those in Christ 18--18 Therefore
comfort one another with these words.
Are
you comforted?
There
is still one thing that must be said---
4. The Peril of being
without Christ in Life and Death
A. For those who don't know Jesus Christ
No Comfort for you--I'm sorry for that. Sorry for
the sake of your eternal soul.
Until and unless you are found with repentance and faith--there is no hope I can give
you about the second coming of Jesus.
This is the age to seek salvation. After the
parousia, the coming of Jesus, it will be too late.
Salvation is a gift from God that allows us to
share in this comfort of being raised one
day whether living or dead--to be with the
Lord always.
A large percentage of
the words and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ were about the end of time
including the doctrine of the general resurrection.
This doctrine is the
single most sobering teaching in all of the scriptures. It is also something that
most people know intuitively--that one day they must given an account of their
life.
When you stand before
the Lord Jesus Christ at the judgment, what will you say?
If you are in Christ you
can plead his merits and his righteousness imputed to you. God takes Christ's
righteousness and puts it on your account. When your ledger is brought out it
will be stamped "NOT GUILTY" because Jesus bore your penalty on the
cross in his body.
If you are not in
Christ, you will be on your own. You won't be able to claim any religious works
you have done. You can't claim to be covered by your parent's faith. You can't
claim any participation in the Christian sacraments. You will stand there to
answer for yourself.
What will you offer in
your own defense? There will not be any evidence that you were a real believer
unless you are found with the faith that justifies. That faith is in Jesus
Christ to save you from your sin. He is the savior of all who believe.
Without the Lord Jesus
Christ you will have nothing to say except to profess your own guilt for not
believing the many times you heard the gospel call--come and believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Without that faith, you will agree with God and
bow your knee, but it will be too late for your salvation and throughout all
eternity your mind will continuously remember what you stubbornly refused to
do.
At least cry out to God
to work in your stubborn heart to make you believe in the good news about the
Lord Jesus Christ. He saves sinners.
Then the comforts of this passage become yours. In your life if Jesus should
come and after your death, he will one day raise up your body to be with him
body and soul forever.
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