A text – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
4:14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died.
4:15 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died.
4:16 For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
4:17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever.
4:18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
A reflection:
Paul writes this section of his letter to comfort those who have lost loved ones. They are grieving family members and friends who have died. They are worried that they themselves will go to heaven, as perhaps the last day is coming soon and they may not have to taste death themselves but be caught up to the savior in whom they now believe. That would be joyous, of course. But what about my late brother, they say? What about my wife who recently died?
Paul offers them comfort. Yes, since Jesus died and rose again, God will now bring those who have died right through to heaven on the arm of Jesus, who paved the way. And they will be raised even before those who are still alive on that Last Day are taken up, so that right away we can be reunited with those we had lost to death. Paul wants not one of these dear believers to be afraid. God has our backs. Jesus will bring us through to our destiny of being with the Lord forever.
Paul acknowledges at the start of this passage that some people in this world grieve with no hope. We all know folks who grieve with no hope. They cannot conceive of a future in God where we are reunited with those who have died. It is a deep despair that overwhelms these grievers, and Paul does not want despair for these good folks. His comfort to them can produce hope. When people have hope, they do not give up on living on this earth, where God has a preferred and promised future for them. We grieve, but we have hope.
In these days when some or all of us may be grieving, we also live in the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection, for loved ones and for ourselves. Do not despair. Do not lose the hope that is our gift from Christ Jesus. God has things for us to do and we have the time, the calling, and the energy to do them.
A prayer:
Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for giving us hope and the promise of life eternal and work to do while we are still on this earth. Remind us that we are the hope for our friends and family. Help us never to lose that hope, for in doing what you call us to do, we help others not to lose hope. Amen.
Short Dwellings in the Word by Dr. Pat Taylor Ellison 