1 Thessalonians 4:9-18: a reflection

9But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, 10for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more; 11and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you, 12that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing. 13But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, 17then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Paul writes to comfort believers who grieve the death of those they love, and he does not tell them not to grieve; he tells them how to grieve. We don't want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don't grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. Christians grieve, but not like those who have no hope; because Christ died and rose, those who die in him will rise, and we will be with the Lord forever. Our grief is real, but it is a grief with hope, grounded in the resurrection.

Notice the difference Paul names: grief with hope, not grief without it. He does not say Christians do not grieve; the loss of those we love is real, and grief is fitting. But our grief is not like the grief of those who have no hope, who see death as the final end. Because Christ died and rose, those who die in him are not lost but sleeping, to be raised when he comes; we will be reunited, and be with the Lord forever. Our grief is held within a hope: the hope of resurrection, of reunion, of being with the Lord. We grieve, but with hope, because death is not the end for those in Christ.

That is worth resting in, for we grieve with hope, not as those who have no hope, because of the resurrection. When those we love die, our grief is real and deep; but for the Christian it is not the hopeless grief of those who see death as the final end. Because Christ died and rose, those who die in him will rise; we will be reunited and be with the Lord forever. Our grief is held within the hope of resurrection. When you grieve the death of those you love in Christ, do not grieve as those who have no hope; grieve with the hope of resurrection and reunion. Grieve the death of those you love in Christ with hope, not as those who have no hope, because Christ died and rose and will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in him, as Paul comforts us; for death is not the end for those in Christ, and our grief is held within the sure hope of resurrection, reunion, and being with the Lord forever.

Lord, Paul writes to comfort believers who grieve the death of those they love, and he does not tell them not to grieve; he tells them how to grieve. We don't want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don't grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. Christians grieve, but not like those who have no hope; because Christ died and rose, those who die in him will rise. Show me the difference Paul names: grief with hope, not grief without it. He does not say Christians do not grieve; the loss of those we love is real. But our grief is not like the grief of those who have no hope, who see death as the final end. Because Christ died and rose, those who die in him are not lost but sleeping, to be raised when he comes; we will be reunited, and be with you forever. Our grief is held within a hope. Let me rest in that, for I grieve with hope, not as those who have no hope, because of the resurrection. When those I love die, my grief is real and deep; but for me it is not the hopeless grief of those who see death as the final end. Because Christ died and rose, those who die in him will rise; I will be reunited and be with you forever. When I grieve the death of those I love in Christ, keep me from grieving as those who have no hope; help me grieve with the hope of resurrection and reunion, Lord, because Christ died and rose and will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in him.