The Risen Lord Returns (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
Sermon Summary
Pastor David Yan
16 April 2023
The Thessalonians had difficulty understanding the state of departed believers. Paul enlightens them. They must not be ignorant like unbelievers who do not have knowledge and are without hope.
Christians have hope. They believe in Jesus. Jesus died. Jesus rose. Jesus ascended. Jesus shall return.
Deceased believers shall return with Jesus. After death their bodies sleep, that is, in a state of death and decay. They await their resurrection. And when Jesus returns they shall be raised.
Jesus will descend. He is the same person but now is in his resurrected glorified state.
His descent will be noisy. A shout. The voice of the archangel. The trumpet sound. Similarities with the fall of Jericho.
The dead rise from their graves. The saints alive at the time shall rise to meet the heavenly entourage.
Those alive shall be caught up. There is precedent for such a rising up. Enoch (Genesis 5:24). Moses (2 Kings 2:11). Adam and Eve before they fell could have entered heaven by rapture.
Time that separated the saints on earth shall be no more. They are alive in heaven for God is the God of the living.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are alive (Matt.8:11). We shall sit with them in heaven even though they lived thousands of years before us (Matt.8:11).
Moses and Elijah appeared together on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt.17:3). Around 500 years separated them on earth but in glory there is no such separation.
Supremely we shall see Jesus though he lived on earth around two thousand years before us. Death will not hinder us. Time will not separate us. We shall see Jesus and be changed by the radiance of his face.
We shall not be separated from all the saints who have lived on earth before us. We shall meet all the biblical saints. We shall meet our departed loved ones in Christ. What an expectation! What a glorious hope God we have.
Be comforted by these things. As your body ages be comforted by the prospect of resurrection. As you learn to turn from the vanity of this world turn your eyes upon Jesus. You will not be put to shame.
The lesson from 1 Thess. 4:13-18 is when the risen Lord returns the entire church shall be gathered to him forever. Hallelujah. What a hope we have.