Death is a topic that we really do not want to talk or even think about; thus, we avoid it. However, the sad reality is that everyone on this planet will experience death. We will lose people we love and we ourselves will die. Many people, including Christians, are uninformed or misinformed about death. As a result, many of us end up grieving hopelessly and expressing our grief in unhealthy ways. The Thessalonian church was no different as it appears that they also were uninformed and misunderstood death. They were asking questions such as the following: What happens when a believer dies? Will they miss out on Christ’s return? To correct these misunderstandings, Paul addresses this topic in the letter that he writes them. Today’s text, from I Thessalonians 4:13-18 provides comfort in three ways. The first way is with…..
The Problem of Grief
In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, Paul acknowledges that there is a problem, or more accurately multiple problems, with death. The first problem is concerning those who have “fallen asleep” (a term often used in scripture for “died”). Death is unnatural and it was never God’s original intention for man to die. However, because of our rebellion and sin against God, this very unnatural event is going to occur for us all. As I Corinthians 15:26 tells us, death is an enemy. Connected to the problem of death is the second problem of being uninformed about death as the Thessalonians were (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Finally, as a result of these first two problems, a third problem presents: that we, as the Thessalonians did, often grieve without hope. Christian, grief is not a bad thing. It is actually a very natural thing for anyone to experience in the face of death. What is bad for the Christian is grieving without hope as the world does. So, how does the world grieve? How does the culture view death? To the world, you and I had better enjoy ourselves now because when we are gone, that is it. When non-believers look into the casket at that person lying there dead, they see the absolute end of existence, and that is a hopeless perspective. In contrast, the Christian who truly understands death sees hope. So, how can we have hope in death? This is answered in I Thessalonians 4:14 when Paul writes the following: “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep.” Here, Paul provides the Thessalonians the glorious solution to their problem, The Gospel of Jesus Christ! The gospel is the foundation of Christian belief. It is what awakened you to the reality of your need for a savior. In this passage, Paul states that this same gospel is the solution to the problem of hopeless grief. If you believe that Jesus died and rose again, you must also believe two additional truths: 1) that the believer’s soul immediately goes to be with the Lord upon death (2 Corinthians 5:8, Philippians 1:23, Luke 23:42-43) and 2) that the believer’s body who dies in Christ, will also rise at the appointed time and be reunited with his soul that is already present with the Lord (I Thessalonians 4:13-18, I Corinthians 15:50-55). What a glorious hope this is!….
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