"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)
Death and funerals are often heartbreaking experiences. Especially when it is the death of a loved one or if it comes unexpectedly. We go through the often negative stages of mourning; anger, depression, bargaining, guilt, for what seems like a lifetime before we come the final stage of acceptance. For some the journey is short, but for others it can take years.
But Paul gives us hope in the verses above.
The Thessalonian Believers
The first thing to realise is that the believers in Thessalonica to who Paul wrote this letter, were still very young believers. They had probably only been saved a few months earlier. It also appears that they were people who deeply cared for their loved ones and were worried about what would happen to them when Jesus returned.
It is also important to remember, that despite what is often taught from this passage, it is not meant to be a theological treatise about what will happen when believers die, but rather it is a passage that is meant to give hope to the upset, confused, worried, and fearful Thessalonian believers.
Paul does indeed indicate what will happen to the believers who had died - that they would rise first when Jesus returns - but we must not lose sight of the hope that is contained in these verses.
True Hope
In this life we so often tend to think of death being absolutely final. As if there is nothing beyond it. Many philosophies and religions have tried in one way or another to give answers as to what happens after we die. From reincarnation to heaven, all religions have some sort of response to this question. But none of them, except for Biblical Christianity, give us any real hope. In fact, even the verses above give little hope when the person who has died is not a believer. After all, none of us wants to go into eternity without the possibility of seeing our loved ones again.
However, when we and our loved ones have both accepted the gift of God's forgiveness through Christ's death and resurrection, and received eternal life, we can experience the true and incomparable hope of that eternal life, today. Though we may not fully understand why things happen, why our loved ones are taken away so early, or why we are left behind without them, but if we have faith in the person of Jesus Christ, we can rest assured that the person who has been taken from us is safe in His arms. That they will be with Jesus before we are, and that we will join them upon Christ's return.
God's promises will always come to pass. The Bible is full of evidence for that. Though His timing is different to ours, we can rest assured that this promise in 1 Thessalonians will also come to pass according to His perfect plan. For at the end of the day, it is not about how much we know, how much we own, or what we have accomplished in terms of how the world defines accomplishment, but rather it is about who we trust, and if we truly trust Jesus and believe that He is the "resurrection and the life" (John 11:25) then we can and will have true hope that is unlike any hope the world can offer us.
The promise to us then is this: God, who raised Jesus from the dead, will do the same for those who love Him when Christ returns.
Have you lost a loved one recently? Then rest assured in this promise.
Just a Thought!
© 2012
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