Several Wednesday nights ago, we studied 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. It is a powerful passage. It can be spine-tingling when we ponder the Lord’s return. There seems to be some confusion at Thessalonica about the dead in Christ. Will they miss Christ’s return? So Paul writes to them about this in these verses.
First of all, the dead in Christ will rise again when Jesus returns just as Jesus rose again. In fact, the living will not precede the dead in Christ in the resurrection, meaning the dead in Christ will rise first then the living will be caught up with Jesus. Then we shall be with Him forever. What a day, what a glorious day that will be! Can you imagine? Maybe you are at work, school, outside cutting the yard, or running errands in town, and then it happens. A figure begins to descend from heaven with a shout. We hear the voice of an archangel and the dead in Christ begin to rise. Or maybe we are one of the dead and all of a sudden our lifeless body is resurrected. We speed toward heaven to meet Jesus, the one we have been living for, and we get to go home, leaving behind this world of sin and sickness.
What a blessing to ponder on that day. A day that the Bible teaches us is coming. It is easy to get distracted by so many things going on in our world and in our lives that we lose focus and begin to wonder if there is really any purpose to all of it. The Bible answers that question with a resounding yes. We do not grieve death like others do because they have no hope. So many in our world today are just simply living for the here and now but not the eternal. Their funerals are sad because everything they have loved, worked, and lived for is over. But for the child of God who has been storing up treasure in heaven, death is just the beginning of life. I hope you will comfort one another with these words. There is a great day coming. Are you ready?