READ: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
KEY THOUGHT:
Where do you find comfort? Many think of comfort in the sense that it brings relaxation or physical ease, like getting comfortable on the sofa with some popcorn to watch a movie. But comfort in the sense that it is mentioned in today’s passage from Paul to the Thessalonians is more of a sense of relieving anxieties, stresses, and spiritual grief. Paul instructs the church, and each member of it, to comfort one another with the words he just wrote. Those words contain a picture of hope and promise in one of the clearest Scriptural representations of Jesus Christ’s return.
In the words in these few short verses, Paul describes a lasting comfort that comes from knowing that Christ will return. The promise is not based on anything less than the evidence of Christ’s own death and resurrection. Surely, the promise of comfort that Jesus made in is reaffirmed here in Paul’s words with the intent to help believers have hope and not worry. While getting comfortable on the sofa might bring temporary relief from the stresses of this world, the hope you have in Christ’s return and His victory of death brings lasting comfort and freedom from the anxiety and grief that even death brings. Even death cannot defeat you because Jesus is coming back for all who trust in Him by faith. You can take comfort in knowing that!
CONSIDER:
- What are some ways that you and your friends seek comfort?
- Why does death bring anxiety even to Christians who know God’s promise of everlasting life?
- How can you comfort your friends and other believers with the hope of Jesus’ return?
APPLICATION:
Be comforted in the promise of Jesus Christ’s return and share that comfort with others.
