Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
For 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. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
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, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 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. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. (New International Version)
Everyone needs encouragement. Everybody wants some good news in their lives. People must not only have food, drink, clothing, and shelter, but also words that they can live by – words that can sustain them and help to make ends meet for their daily lives.
The Thessalonian Christians needed some good words of encouragement. They believed the Lord Jesus was coming soon. Any day now, at any time, Christ will return and take us to be with him forever. And yet, day after day, there was nothing but the anticipation, along with the expectations that weren’t realized.
On top of it all, some of the believing brothers and sisters died. So, what happens to them when they die? Will they somehow be excluded from enjoying Christ’s return? And, by the way, are we missing out on something here? Did Jesus come, and we somehow missed it?
The believers in the Thessalonian Church were left with concerns – not only for those who had died, but for those who were still alive. Perhaps somebody, even themselves, were being excluded from the gracious visitation of God. They were curious, but most of all confused.
Hope needed to be clarified for the Christians. A confident expectation would help sustain them in this life. They can keep laboring in the Lord with faith, have hope for the future, and realize love in both this life and in the life to come.
Christ will descend from the clouds with a cry of command, the sound of a trumpet, and lift the faithful into heaven. In other words, for those people who were living in the Roman Empire, Christ will arrive with the fanfare and pageantry of any Roman Emperor. Peace and security are here – not from Ceasar – but from a Sovereign who is greater than any earthly ruler.
I realize that many believers today see this vision of the coming Christ as a literal description. Maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t. But whatever it is, the Apostle Paul intended to assure the Thessalonian faithful that the promises of God were backed up by a power even greater than that of Rome.
Furthermore, true peace, security, and hope are not found in the Pax Romana of Rome, but in the gracious rule and reign of God. Christ is the Lord; Ceasar is not. The Thessalonians, therefore, were encouraged to let God be the source of their peace. For the One who calls you is faithful.
The encouragement we need is really not so different from what the Thessalonians needed to hear. Two thousand years later, like them, we continue to look for signs that assure us that God has not forgotten us; that we will not be left behind; and that we will not be separated from those who have already died.
As world problems continue, and as time marches on, we may grow weary. We might then place more hope and confidence in the power of a national government that offers us peace and security, as we patiently wait for God. Like the Thessalonians, all we really need is the assurance that God’s power and God’s promise is real.
We might not see Christ coming down from the sky today, or even next week, or next year. But we can still embrace the hope we need in order to get by every single day.
Although an apocalypse is coming, it is actually in the little things of life that helps sustain us till then. An encouraging and timely word from a friend; praying with a fellow believer; giving thanks to God for all things; and living with an awareness of the spiritual throughout the world all these things strengthen us and enable us to see God at work.
Through a consistent walk with God, day after day, the power and presence of God becomes real to us – maybe just as real as a dramatic scene of Christ coming down from the clouds – and offers us hope to face each new day with courage and compassion for a world in desperate need of salvation.
Almighty and all-sufficient God, give me strength to live another day.
Let me not be a coward in difficult circumstances, or to turn tail and run in the face of hard responsibilities.
Help me not lose faith in other people.
Keep my heart tender and wise, in spite of others’ ingratitude, treachery, or meanness.
Preserve me from minding the little stings of life, or of giving them to others.
May my heart be pure; and may I live honestly and fearlessly, so that no outward failure can dishearten me or take away the joy of inward integrity.
Open wide the eyes of my soul that I may see good in all things.
Grant me today some new vision of your truth.
Inspire me with a spirit of joy and gladness.
Make me the cup of strength to suffering souls.
I ask all of this in the name of my Deliverer, Lord, and Friend, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Rev. Tim Ehrhardt 