Comfort in the Resurrection

Introduction

We didn’t plan this, but the song the choir just sang is a perfect introduction to the sermon. My grandfather was a wonderful man, so his death stung. I’ll always remember being at the funeral home, and we were about to view his body for the first time. My grandmother broke down. I gained a newfound appreciation for the sting of death, as I watched her weep and say, “I can’t do it.”
She did by God’s grace, but life as she had known it for over 50 years would never be the same. Death stole her greatest earthly love, her life companion. 
Death is awful. It hangs like a shadow over all of life. Every illness and every trip to the doctor reminds you that death is coming. The aging process is often a daily reminder that time is running out. And the death of a loved one is painful. Life is never the same after you lose someone you love. 
The Thessalonians understood. Several saints in the church had died, and they were grieving hopelessly. But Paul wants them and us to know that there is hope in the resurrection of Jesus (read). I have 3 “Ps” for you today. First, vv. 13–14 describe…

I.  The Promise (vv. 13–14)

The Thessalonian Confusion: The occasion for this passage was that the Thessalonians were “uninformed…about those who are asleep.” Their problem, like many of ours, was fundamentally theological. 
In particular, the Thessalonians were enduring heavy persecution; therefore, they were eagerly looking for the return of Christ. Paul commends them in 1:10 because they were “wait(ing) for His Son from heaven.” They believed Jesus would return soon and rescue them from persecution. 
But then several of the saints died. The rest grieved because they thought they would miss Jesus’ return and all the blessings that will come with it.
Paul says they grieved “as do the rest (unbelievers) who have no hope.” Thessalonica had a hodgepodge of views about death. The Platonists and Stoics believed the soul continues in some form. But most common people were not schooled in Greek philosophy. Gordon Fee says, “The evidence is thoroughgoing that death in pagan antiquity was understood as final and complete, so that untimely death often elicited unspeakable sorrow and mourning.” 
Have you ever watched someone grieve without hope? It’s awful. If we are nothing but a marvelous product of chance, death is absolute and terrifying. I doubt you believe that since you are at church on Easter. You want to believe there’s more. But death is serious. You need something more sure than hopes and wishes. You need firm truths and promises. And the gospel provides just that.
The Truth of the Gospel (v. 14): This verse offers one of many reasons why Easter is vitally important. Paul says, “if we believe,” but make no mistake, Paul did not question the resurrection. The idea is, “Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again.” 
On Friday, we remembered Jesus’ death. Jesus died a cruel death on a cross. He suffered the punishment you deserve, and he took your debt out of the way. You sin is removed, expiated, so that you can be forgiven and saved.
Then Jesus rose again. Pastor Tim read the facts earlier. The women went to the tomb to tend to a dead body, but the angels announced that Jesus had risen. Jesus appeared to Mary, and later in the day he appeared to the disciples. Over the course of 40 days, he appeared many times. 
The disciples did not invent the resurrection. They knew it happened. People don’t suffer and die for a lie they have invented. You can trust their testimony. We believe that Jesus died and rose again. 
The Implication of the Gospel: But the resurrection is more than a historical fact. It means, “God will bring…” Isn’t that a precious description of Christians who have died? They have “fallen asleep in Jesus.” When Lazarus died, Jesus said he was merely sleeping. No saint is truly dead; they are asleep. 
To be clear, Paul is talking exclusively about the saints. The NT consistently teaches that the only people in Christ are those who receive him as Lord and Savior. The Easter story offers great hope, but it’s not enough to be spiritual or have some general faith. You must receive Christ. 
How do you do that? You can’t earn it because salvation is a gift of grace. You must receive it by faith. You can do that today if you repent of your sin and put your faith in the salvation Jesus provided on the cross. 
If you do, the Spirit will unite you to Christ. In Christ you will receive forgiveness, justification, and new life. Then you will live the rest of your life in his transforming power. 
And notice that this union will not end with death. Dead saints are “asleep in Jesus.” Their bodies are in the grave, asleep, but they are alive as ever in the presence of Jesus. There’s no such thing as soul sleep. Jesus told the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”
We miss them. This week I’ve thought about the saints Life Point has lost. Our church will never be the same. But they are not gone forever. They are with the Lord. God promises you in our text that not even death can separate you from the Savior. You don’t have to fear death!
But that wasn’t where the confusion lay. Rather, the Thessalonians feared that God would leave the dead saints in heaven when Jesus returns, and they would miss out on the splendor of his return and the blessings that would ensue. They may have even thought that the dead saints would remain half glorified, without new bodies.
Whatever it was, Paul is adamant that dead saints will not miss out on any blessing of Jesus’ return. Why? Because of the resurrection. 
The resurrection means that Christ will fix everything. Sin, suffering, violence, and decay have dominated our world since the Garden. But Jesus defeated them all when we walked out of the tomb. And someday he will fix all of it down to our sin-cursed bodies. 
We all have fears, pressures, and sorrows, but the resurrection means it will all be okay. Remember the resurrection when you are afraid.
But the primary concern of our text is the dead in Christ. The resurrection means “God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.” Death has not defeated them. They will not miss out on any blessing of Jesus’ return. God will fully restore them just as he will all creation. Verses 15–17 describe the process by which he will glorify his people.

II.  The Process (vv. 15–17)

In John 14:3, Jesus promised, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself.” Only God knows when that day will be, but Jesus will rapture the church. And Paul gives an exciting window into how it will happen. Notice he does so “by the word of the Lord.” Paul didn’t suck this out of his thumb. The Lord revealed it to his apostle. The process will begin when…
Jesus will give the command. Jesus came the first time as a sacrificial Lamb. He came meek and mild to lay down his life for us. But he will not come quietly to rapture the church (v. 16). Jesus is the Lord, and his return will be accompanied by 3 sounds that the Thessalonians would associate with a royal parade. Jesus will come, not as a lamb but as a king. 
First, Jesus will descend from heaven “with a shout.” The Greek word pictures the command of a military leader. This is not just a loud scream; it is an authoritative command. Specifically, Jesus will command the dead in Christ to rise, and a tremendous miracle will ensue. Bodies that have been asleep for millennia will rise by Jesus’ command. So, will the saints we love.
The second sound will be “the voice of the archangel.” When a Roman emperor paraded through town, he brought an entourage to highlight his glory. Jesus will do the same. This archangel is almost certainly Michael, since he is the only archangel mentioned in Scripture. So, Michael the chief among the angels will announce the coming of Jesus.
Third, the saints will hear “the trumpet of God.” Again, trumpets commonly signal royalty. Can you imagine “the trumpet of God”? The trumpet is one of those instruments that can sound terrible or glorious depending on who’s playing. The trumpet of God will exceed every imagination. Christ will arrive with great pomp and glory. 
But what’s most important is that he will come with authority. He will give the shout of command, “Rise from the dead. Join me in the clouds.” In response…
The dead saints will respond first. Remember that Paul is as a pastor to people who are grieving for their loved ones. So, the primary punch of this section is to assure them that their departed loved ones will not miss any blessing of Jesus’ return. The same is true of saints who have departed Life Point. Roger Peterson, Jim Battenfield, Elionor McCollum, Pat Hanson, Don McMichael, and Betty Sessler won’t miss a thing.
We might think that death and decay are too great for God to reverse, but v. 15 assures us this is not so (read). Jesus will not forget the dead. They will take priority. Verse 16 says, “The dead in Christ will rise first.” 
Remember that there is no such thing as soul sleep. Everyone who dies in Christ is alive in Christ and in the presence of Christ. Jesus assured Martha after Lazarus died, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die” (John 11:25–26). Dead saints are very much alive.
But they are not yet fully glorified. Their bodies have been asleep ever since they died. But someday, Jesus will give the command, and their bodies will rise from the grave. They will be transformed. They will be fully glorified. 
One of the greatest honors of pastoral ministry is leading a committal service. When we bury a dead saint, we aren’t merely disposing of a body. We commit them to the ground with confident hope that they won’t stay there forever. Someday, Jesus will give the command, and they will rise. 
We all miss someone. I miss my grandparents, Heidi’s dad Matt Minahan, and the people I mentioned earlier. I’m sure you have your own list. As you remember Jesus’ resurrection, take hope that every saint will rise. The tomb could not hold Jesus, and it will not hold them either. But that’s not all.
Living saints will follow (v. 17). I hope that’s today. 1 Corinthians 15 says it will all happen in a moment. Jesus will give the command, and every saint will gather in the clouds. 1 John 3:2 says the greatest sight will be Jesus. You will see him as he is, and when you see him, you will be like him. Your sin nature will flee to be replaced by pure holiness. And your broken, aging body will give way to a perfect, fully glorified one. 
You will never again suffer the effects of the curse. No aches, no pains, no temptation, and no failures. You will be reunited with all the saints who have gone before us. It’s going to be a happy reunion. 
But the greatest blessing is the final line of v. 17, “And so we shall always be with the Lord.” Last year we walked through the Farewell Discourse. The disciples were deeply troubled when Jesus said he was leaving. They knew the joy of being near to Jesus, so they felt to sting of being apart. We’ve never had the joy of physical fellowship with Jesus, but someday we will. And that fellowship will never end. Christian, you will always be with the Lord.
And again, it all is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus won! He is Lord! He signed the death sentence for the curse of sin. Today he is sitting at the Father’s right hand waiting to put every enemy under his feet. Christians don’t talk nearly enough about the resurrection. A lot of Christian preaching is sanctified self-help and positive thinking. But Christianity is about grace. And the resurrection is the engine of that grace. 
So, rejoice that Christ arose! And don’t ever let your thoughts stray far from the empty tomb. It is a mighty symbol of the power of God. It is full of hope and life. And that brings me to my 3rd P-word which is purpose.

III.  The Purpose (v. 18)

What should we do with this window into the future? Verse 18 commands you, “Comfort…” If you want to get a group of Christians fired up, start a debate about eschatology. Are the Rapture and the 2nd Coming two events or one? We could debate it all day, and there’s value in striving to understand what Scripture says.  
But always remember that Paul wrote as a pastor. His primary purpose in our text is to give comfort through a true theology. Study the Bible to know God and to know the truth so that your heart is conformed to his. 
And a godly heart is not controlled by fear or hopeless grief. A godly heart is at rest behind the sure fortress of the gospel. 
This world is a mess. We could complain for hours about violence, pure evil, natural disasters, suffering, and death. I’m sure you are dealing with your own suffering. People have hurt you, you are in pain, you’re lonely, money is tight, your kids have problems, and on it goes. You have concerns for the future? Where is our country headed, will my job last, will I ever get out of debt, will my kids be okay, will my parents be okay, and what will my own death be like?
How do you handle it all? Behold the resurrected Christ. The Gaithers hit the nail on the head when they wrote, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow! Because He lives, All fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!”
They wrote that song while they were expecting their 3rd child in the late 60s. America was a mess, people were terrified of nuclear war, and they were afraid for their children. Where could they turn. They turned to the resurrection, and so must you. 
When you are afraid, when you are in pain, when you are alone, and when you are betrayed, remember, “He lives.” And let’s help each other do the same. Verse 18 is a command, and the verb, parakaleō, includes the idea of exhort. When you see a brother or sister lost in the fog, cut through the confusion. Tell them that Jesus lives, and because he lives it will all be okay. Praise God for the resurrection!

Conclusion

Do you know that Jesus is your Savior? I imagine that just about everyone here believes in Jesus. You’re an American. Of course you are a Christian. Jesus warned that at the final judgment many people will be surprised that they are condemned. They called themselves Christians and did Christian things, but Jesus will say, “I never knew you.” You don’t want to hear those words. You don’t want to stake your soul on some vague, nominal Christianity. 
But you can know that you will be with the Lord someday if you will confess that Jesus is the Lord. He reigns over you, and you have sinned against him. Repent of your sin, and come to Jesus. Believe in the finished work of the cross. He will save you. You can receive him right now. Talk to him. Repent and believe. If you have questions, we want to talk with you afterwards. We don’t want to leave with a warm fuzzy. We want you to leave with strong comfort, eternal comfort in the resurrected Christ. Please come to him and be saved.

We’re going to close today by singing, “It Is Well.” This song was written by a man who was grieving after his entire family died at sea. What do you do with that sort of pain? Our text, and this song both say the only true solution is the gospel. Christian rejoice that it is well because Jesus lives. And if you need to be saved, give you pain to Jesus, run into his arms, and it will be well.