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1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

INTRODUCTION: Our message series is called “Lessons from a Growing Church” and this week we turn to the topic of Christ’s return. We know that Christ is returning, but what about those who die in the interim? What happens to them? How do they fit into God’s plan? Will they miss out on Christ’s glorious return for his people?

Our passage today answers these questions for us by sharing with us God’s plan for those who have died in Christ. These are some of the most wonderful words in Scripture concerning our loved ones who have passed away. They are words of comfort and hope. Many of you have lost loved ones in Christ. I pray that as we look at these verses together, God will give you his comfort and hope even today through his word. (Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 and pray.)

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Losing a loved one is probably one of life’s most difficult experiences. It’s something we all go through. Unless we die young ourselves, we eventually experience what it is like to lose someone to death. One person put it this way: “We understand death for the first time when he puts his hand on someone we love.” (Anne L. de Stael) Death is an abstraction, a mere formality for us until it touches someone we love. That’s when we first begin to understand the pain of separation, the dreadful finality of it all, the terrible fact that this person whom we loved, whom we still love, is never coming back. That is the horror and the tragedy of death.

Death also raises questions about those who have passed away. What has happened to them? Where are they now? Are they okay? Will I ever see them again? The death of a loved one reminds us of our own mortality. We are all going to die some day. What will happen to me? Where will I go? Will I be okay?

These are the same questions which confronted the Thessalonians as they faced the death of their loved ones. So, let’s see what God tells us in his word about those who have passed away in Christ.

I. We should not grieve like those who have no hope (13-14)

Paul says first of all, that as Christians we should not grieve like those who have no hope. Look at verses 13-14 with me now:

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)

So, how do you get there? How do you arrive at the place where you do not grieve like the rest of men who have no hope?

   A. Learn what God wants you to know (13)
      – John 11:35; Acts 8:2; John 14:6

Well, first of all, you need to learn what God wants you to know. God does not want you to be ignorant about those who have fallen asleep. This highlights for us the importance of knowing what God’s word says about all things. God has told you everything you need to know in his word, so don’t be ignorant. Learn what God wants you to know. Read God’s word for yourself. Study it. Go to Bible studies. Attend Sunday School. Take advantage of every opportunity to learn more about God’s word. God does not want you to be ignorant of spiritual matters, and when you learn what God wants you to know about those who have fallen asleep, you will no longer grieve like the rest of men who have no hope.

This is the whole purpose of our passage today, to bring comfort to Christians in the face of death. This passage is not so much about the end-times or even the return of Christ as about comforting those who are grieving. Now we learn some things about the end times along the way, but we must remember the primary purpose behind the passage. It has a very practical purpose and that is to bring comfort and hope to Christians who have lost loved ones in the Lord. God tells us what we need to know so that we will not grieve in the face of death like the rest of men who have no hope.

This does not mean that Christians do not grieve. It is natural to grieve when someone dies; it is even necessary emotionally. Jesus wept when Lazarus died (John 11:35). We read in Acts 8 that “godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.” (Acts 8:2) As Christians we still grieve when we lose someone we love, but we do not grieve like those who have no hope.

Now there is such a thing as false hope and true hope. There are many people who just assume that when you die you automatically go to a better place. But God’s word is clear. Only those who are in Christ Jesus have true hope. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) Those outside of Christ are without hope.

Losing a loved one without hope is a terrible thing. I have heard the sound of grief without hope. I have been in the hospital when people have died who did not know Christ. I have heard desperate wailing, frantic cries, loud groans of deep anguish, sounds of sorrow and despair that would allow no comforting. Christian grief is different. It is real sorrow, but it is not like non-Christian grief. Christian grief is the grief of temporary separation, not the grief of permanent, irrevocable loss.

   B. Think of death for the Christian as simply falling asleep (13)
      – John 11:11; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23

So, learn what God wants you to know. And then, think of death for the Christian as simply falling asleep. This was a common expression for death in Paul’s day. It probably arose from the stillness of the corpse, and the thought that the dead person rested from their earthly labors. Our English word “cemetery” comes from the Greek word for sleep, and literally means “sleeping place.”

For the Christian, however, this expression “sleeping” for those who have died carries an additional meaning, because the person who is sleeping eventually wakes up. We see this in the gospel of John. When Jesus received word that Lazarus had died, he told his disciples, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” (John 11:11) And four days later Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.
And so, for the Christian the term “falling asleep” points to the temporary nature of death. As one person writes “death is not a period but a comma in the story of life.” One of the early church fathers wrote: “What is death at most? It is a journey for a season: a sleep longer than usual. If you fear death, you should also fear sleep.” (John Chrysostom)

Now this is very different from the doctrine of “soul sleep.” Some people teach that our bodies and our souls sleep until the time of the resurrection. But the Bible tells us only our bodies sleep. The Christian who dies enters into the very presence of God. We read in 2 Corinthians 5 that “to be absent from body is to be present with Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:8) When Paul contemplated his possible death, he said “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.” (Philippians 1:23) John Calvin comments on verse 13: “The reference . . . is not to the soul but to the body, for the dead body rests in the tomb as on a bed, until God raises the person up.”

So, think of death for the Christian as simply falling asleep. Our bodies sleep, which means they will rise again. Death is not final. Death is not terminal. Our physical bodies will rise again.

   C. Understand the implications of Christ’s death and resurrection (14)
      – Hebrews 2:9

And then thirdly, understand the implications of Christ’s death and resurrection. How do we know that we will rise again? Look at verse 14 again: “We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” (1 Thessalonians 4:14) Our resurrection hope is not based on guesswork or some near death experience. Our hope is based on the firm foundation of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul states it simply, “We believe that Jesus died and rose again.” Christ’s resurrection is the basis of all Christian hope and belief. Anyone can die. All the world’s great religious leaders throughout history have died. But only Jesus died and rose again!

Notice how Paul connects Jesus’ resurrection with our resurrection. “We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” The two beliefs go together. We believe the second because we believe the first. If we do not believe the first, we can never believe the second. We believe in the resurrection of believers because we believe in the resurrection of Christ.

Notice that this promise is only for those who have “fallen asleep in Christ,” or as it says literally here, “through Christ,” through what Christ has done for us. To be in Christ is to be united with Christ in his death, so that you may also be united with him in his resurrection. If you are a Christian, then you are in Christ. And that means his resurrection guarantees yours. If you liked Christ’s resurrection, then you are going to love the sequel! Christ rose from the dead; therefore, those in Christ will rise from the dead.

Notice that Paul speaks of Jesus as dying, not sleeping. Jesus died; we sleep. Death is harmless for the Christian. It is only sleep, nothing more. But death was not harmless for Jesus. Jesus endured the horror of true death, which is God’s just punishment for sin. Christ died not for his own sin, but for our sins. The book of Hebrews tells us that he tasted death, so that we do not have to (Hebrews 2:9). As Christians we will never taste the bitter pill of death. We merely fall asleep in Christ.

Notice how Paul speaks about the resurrection of believers here. He speaks of God bringing “with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” Our loved ones who have fallen asleep in Christ are with Jesus right now. And Jesus will bring them “with him” when he returns. The key phrase here is “with Jesus.” When our loved ones die, we look forward to Christ’s return. Why? Not only because we will see Jesus, but because our loved ones are with Jesus, and therefore he will bring them with him when he comes. The resurrection is implied in these verses, but Paul’s emphasis here is on reunion, not resurrection. We will see our loved ones again. So that’s the first thing God tells us about those who have passed away in Christ. We should not grieve like those who have no hope.

II. We should find hope from what God has told us about the future (15-17)

And then, secondly, we should find hope from what God has told us about the future. In the next verses Paul gives us additional details about what will happen when Christ returns. Remember, God does not want you to be ignorant about these things. So, he gives us a glimpse into the future so that our hope will be even more secure.

   A. The living will not precede those who have fallen asleep (15)

First, he begins with a general word of instruction. Look at verse 15:

According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. (1 Thessalonians 4:15)

Notice that Paul gives this instruction “according to the Lord’s own word.” Paul does not claim to be a psychic or fortuneteller. He is not giving us his best guess. Rather, he speaks by the direct authority of Jesus Christ.

He speaks of us who are still living when Christ returns as those who are “left till the coming of the Lord,” or literally “those who are left behind till the coming of the Lord.” That puts a whole new twist on the phrase “left behind!” It is we who are still alive when Christ returns who are left behind. Those Christians who die before us get a jump-start on heaven. Meanwhile we await the coming of the Lord.

The word for “coming” in verse 15 is the important New Testament word “parousia.” The word itself means “presence or arrival.” In secular Greek it was a technical term for the visit to a city by a high ranking official. In the New Testament it is used to speak of the glorious return of Jesus from heaven to earth. Paul says that we who are left behind until the parousia, until the coming of Christ, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

Jewish belief taught that those who were still alive when Messiah came to set up his kingdom would enjoy special blessings from God. But Paul insists that those who are alive when Christ comes will have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep. He uses a strong phrase which the NIV translates as “certainly not.” When Christ returns, we who are still alive will certainly not go first.

   B. The sequence of events at Christ’s return – the 4 R’s (16-17)

After this general word of instruction, Paul then gets even more specific. In verses 16 and 17
he tells us the sequence of events at Christ’s return, what I like to call the 4 R’s: 1) return, 2) resurrection, 3) rapture, and 4) reunion. Let’s look at each of these four in turn.

      1) “Return” – Christ will return (16a)
         – Acts 1:11; John 5:28

First of all, Christ will return. We see this in verse 16:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God. (1 Thessalonians 4:16a)

Notice Paul says, “the Lord himself will come down.” The Bible teaches the personal return of Jesus Christ. Christ will not send an angel or some other representative in his place. It will not be another Christ or someone else with the spirit of Jesus. Jesus himself will return to earth. As the angel proclaimed in Acts 1:11: “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)

This same Jesus who ascended into heaven will come down from heaven “with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God.” The loud command means a loud cry or summons. It was used of military commands shouted to soldiers in the thick of battle. Here the loud command seems to announce the end, to rally the army of God to battle, and to call forth those who are in their graves. This is what Jesus spoke about in John 5:28 when he said: “A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out.” (John 5:28) Christ will come down with a loud command – loud enough to wake the dead!

He also comes with the voice of the archangel. The archangel is the chief of the angels. The book of Jude identifies him as Michael, the same the Michael spoken of in the book of Daniel in chapters 9 and 12. Chapter 12 speaks specifically of Michael’s involvement in the resurrection. What is Michael’s role? Perhaps he is a herald announcing the coming of the Lord, or perhaps he calls the army of God into battle. Mark 8:38 speaks of Christ coming with his holy angels.

Christ comes also with the trumpet call of God. The trumpet was not used much as a musical instrument in ancient days. Its main function was to give signals. It was often used in religious feasts in the Old Testament. In fact, some people believe the feast of trumpets mentioned in Leviticus 23 may be symbolic of the resurrection. The trumpet was also used to announce royalty, to gather an assembly together or for a battle cry. All of these images blend together at the return of Christ. The trumpet call of God announces the coming of King Jesus. It gathers the faithful assembly. It sounds the battle cry for the army of God.

When you put it all together, you can see that Christ’s return will be a visible, public, worldwide event. There will be a loud command, the voice of the archangel, the trumpet blast of God. The gospels tell us that every eye will see him. The nations will mourn. It doesn’t matter where you are when Christ returns. You cannot possibly miss this event. That’s the first part of the sequence: the return of Christ.

      2) “Resurrection” – the dead in Christ will rise first (16b)

Next comes the resurrection. We see this at the end of verse 16:

“…and the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16b)

There is no need to worry that those who have already died will miss out on the return of Christ. On the contrary, they will rise first. They get a front row seat! They get special backstage passes before the show! As John Stott puts it: “The resurrected Christ will be accompanied by his resurrected people.”

      3) “Rapture” – those believers who are still alive will be raptured (17a)
         – Acts 8:9; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4; Ephesians 2:2

Then comes the rapture. Look at verse 17:

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:17a)

The word translated “caught up” in this verse means “to seize, to swoop down and carry off by force, to snatch up or away.” It is translated in the Latin by the word “rapere” which is where we get our English word “rapture.” The same word is used in the book of Acts when Philip was taken away by the Spirit (Acts 8:39). It is used in 2 Corinthians 12 of Paul being caught up to the third heaven, presumably in a vision (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). And it is used here in 1 Thessalonians of the rapture that takes place when Christ returns.

Interestingly, in the original language the rapture applies both to those who are still alive and those who have just been resurrected. Paul writes: “We who are still alive, together with those who have just been resurrected, will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord.” Both the resurrected saints and those who are still living are raptured together to meet the Lord.

Paul says we will be caught up together in the clouds. Clouds are associated with theophanies, or appearances of God in the Old Testament. They are associated with Christ’s ascension and return in the New Testament. They are also associated with judgment, with the day of the Lord, and with the coming of the Son of Man throughout Scripture.

Notice that although we are caught up “together with them,” we are caught up in order “to meet him, to meet the Lord.” As wonderful as it will be to see our loved ones again, the greatest joy of all will be to meet Jesus. The primary focus of Christ’s return is not meeting our loved ones, but rather meeting the Lord. The word used for “meeting” here is a technical term that was used of those who went out to meet the king and then escort him back to the city.

Where does this take place? Where do we meet the Lord? We will meet him “in the air.” The air is that realm between heaven and earth. As Christ descends from heaven, the resurrected and raptured saints ascend from the earth. That’s a good thing, because trust me, you do not want to be here when Christ returns. Christ comes with his holy army to judge the earth and all of its inhabitants. That’s why all the nations of the earth will mourn when they see him. The air is also viewed as Satan’s realm in Scripture. He is the prince of the power of the air. (Ephesians 2:2) But not any longer. When Christ returns, God takes it back!

And so, that’s the rapture. Christ comes down from heaven, and we rise to meet him in the air, somewhere between heaven and earth.

      4) “Reunion” – we will all be reunited in the Lord’s presence (17b)

And then finally we come to the fourth “R”, which stand for reunion. We will all be reunited in the Lord’s presence. Look at the end of verse 17 which tells us:

“And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17b)

Some people would give everything they own just to have five more minutes with their lost loved one, to see them again just one more time. The Christian hope is not just that we will see our loved ones again. We will be together with them and the Lord forever! Death is not the end; it is only the beginning. As James Dobson writes: “The final heartbeat for the Christian is not the mysterious conclusion to a meaningless existence. It is, rather, the grand beginning to a life that will never end.”

The Christian hope is not only that Christ will return, but that when he does, he will bring those who have died in Christ with him, and those in Christ who are still alive will join them. Notice the first three R’s. The return has to do with Jesus. The resurrection has to do with those who have died in Christ. The rapture has to do with those who are still alive when Christ comes. All three are united together in our glorious reunion with each other in the air. Return, resurrection, rapture and reunion. This is the hope that God holds out for us as believers in Christ.

III. We should encourage each other with these words (18)

Finally, we come to verse 18, which is really the application of the whole passage:

“Therefore, encourage each other with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18)

There are various ways we can comfort or encourage others at a time of bereavement. We can encourage each other through prayer, through cards, through practical acts of kindness, through the simple gift of our presence, by just being there.

But as Christians we can offer so much more than just our presence or companionship. We can offer words – words of faith, hope, truth and comfort – words which help the person connect their faith in Christ with the promised reunion with their loved ones who have died in Christ.

CONCLUSION: This is our hope in the face of death. If you are a Christian, you will see your loved ones who died in Christ again. They are only sleeping. And those who sleep wake up again. When Christ returns, he will raise our loved ones from the dead. We will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord. And so, we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words.

© Ray Fowler

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