Reading Plan:
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Our Thoughts:
People say some crazy things at funerals. Usually, the words spoken in those moments are meant to give comfort or encouragement, but in some cases, they miss the mark. In Thessalonians 4, Paul wanted to encourage the church of Thessalonica in their sorrow. The Thessalonians were deeply grieved because they thought their brothers and sisters in Christ who had already “fallen asleep,” or passed away, would miss the return of Jesus. The Thessalonians firmly believed in the promise of the Lord’s return and understood the eternal implications of others missing out.
When Jesus comes again, He will return with a commanding cry which shows His authority and urgency. The voice of an archangel will call out, which some theologians believe indicates prominent angels will accompany Jesus on His return. The trumpet of God will sound to signal all of God’s people to instantly gather in the clouds with our Lord and Savior.
“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.
Stop and just try to imagine this! Jesus’ cry, the voice of the archangel, and the blast of the trumpet can be heard throughout the earth. Up in the clouds, every believer joins Jesus and His angels in the greatest family reunion this world has ever known. First the dead in Christ and then those who are still living will be “caught up” together in the clouds to encounter our Lord with new, eternal bodies! (1 Corinthians 15:52-53). I feel certain that nothing we can imagine comes close to what Jesus has in store for His Church.
Few words can soothe grief, but Paul offers the greatest message of comfort that believers can give to one another to the Thessalonians: Jesus is coming again, and ALL believers will spend eternity with Him!
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 says, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.”
Not even death can break our unity with Jesus or with other Christians. This is the comfort we can give Christians who are grieving the loss of a believer: “We will always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17b. Like the Thessalonians, we don’t know when the Lord will return (1 Thessalonians 5:2), but as believers, let’s live with urgency and anticipation until the day Jesus comes for His Church.

More Questions:
Who in your life needs to receive the comfort and encouragement of 1 Thessalonians 4? Send a note to a friend with an encouraging verse about eternal hope in Christ.
Do you feel urgency for anyone unchurched in your life? How can you share the hope of Christ with them this week?

Prayer:
Lord, I am overwhelmed at the thought of your return. I can’t even grasp how awesome eternity with you will be, but I am so thankful for the eternal reward of spending “always” with you. Thank you for your promises of eternal life and thank you for your plan to come again for your Church. Help me to live with urgency for your work and in anticipation of your return. Show me who needs encouragement from your Word today. Give me boldness to share your truth.

Author: Amy Fontenot