We do not Grieve as Others Grieve
1 Thessalonians 4v13-14
17th December 2021
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
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.
Like any pastor, Paul, Silas and Timothy don't want the Christians under their care to be ignorant, or uninformed. Paul wrote his letters, and I speak most Sundays, and write these on-line Bible studies, not only to encourage but also to inform. A good pastor teaches, as well as preaches.
We don't want any Christian to be ignorant of any biblical doctrine, but the church in Thessalonica had only been in existence for about two years, and Paul and his friends had only been with them for a short time, and hadn't been able to teach them everything they needed to know. So now, in this letter, they want to make up some of this doctrinal shortfall by teaching them about death, and about the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Paul wants these brothers and sisters in Christ to understand about those whom he describes as having "fallen asleep". At the time, this was a common euphemism for death. It conveys the idea that those who have died are not really dead. They've left planet earth, but they still exist.
Paul and his friends don't want us to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. It's not that Christians don't grieve. It's not that we shouldn't grieve. Grieving, mourning, is natural and right. The pain of being parted from a loved one is very real. Jesus Himself wept at the death of Lazarus (John 11:35). When a competent Christian leader takes a funeral, he helps the family to mourn. We need to face what's happened before we can begin to move on.
But we don't mourn as others mourn. A Christian funeral is not like other funerals. We give thanks for the departed loved one's life, and we mourn that they're no longer with us, but Christians also celebrate that fact that we'll be reunited for all eternity. We celebrate the wonderful fact that, when Jesus comes back to earth, He'll bring all the saints who have waited with Him in heaven with Him, for the greatest gathering, the greatest party, ever celebrated in all of history.
Most of us have lost precious family members, church members, close friends. Rightly, we've wept, as Jesus did. But we're comforted by the knowledge that all the Christians who've died, haven't died.
John 11:25-26
Jesus said …., "I am the resurrection and the life. He one who believes in me will live,
even though he dies;
and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."
And then he asked Lazarus's grieving sister, Martha, "Do you believe this?" If you believe this, as Martha did, you'll still grieve, but you won't grieve like those who have no hope.
We know that, today, all those who died in Christ – all the Christians who are no longer with us – are in Paradise. We can rejoice for them, that they're in the immediate presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, even while we weep because we can't be with them.
When Jesus hung on the cross between two thieves, one of the thieves asked Him "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." And Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:42-43).
Although Paul uses the Greek idiom "Those who fall asleep", our brothers and sisters who have died are fully conscious – more awake than they've ever been. This is the problem with a figure of speech: it conveys a truth, but not the whole truth. It's true that they seem to us to be asleep – we can't communicate with them (and we really shouldn't try to) but they can communicate with each other, and with Jesus. And, unless Jesus returns before we die, soon we'll join them in Paradise.
Jesus was crucified and died, but He's not dead now! He stayed dead for three days, which is astonishing to us. But then He rose triumphantly from the grave, alive for ever. Forty days later, He ascended into Heaven, where He sits in authority, king of the universe. And one day He's coming back!
When Jesus comes back to earth, all the Christians who ever lived will be united. All those who died before, who've been living in Paradise, will come with Him on His return trip. If your departed father, your mother, your husband, your wife, your brother or sister, your hero, your friend, was a Christian, then that person will come back with Jesus. And if Jesus returns after you and I die, then we'll be on that amazing journey from Paradise back to earth with Jesus. The emotion and the tears of joy will be unimaginable.