Scared to Death
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
Recommended Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1–58; Philippians 1:21–23
Despite
all the personal fitness trainers, gastrointestinal bypass surgeries,
expensive wrinkle creams and everything else people use to look young
and keep fit, the mortality rate still stands at 100 percent! Someone
once remarked that our generation will produce the best-looking corpses
in history. Of course, Christians aren’t immune from the desire to live
longer and look better in the process. And while there’s nothing wrong
with caring for our bodies, Paul reminds us that death is nothing to
fear.
Paul wants to address the concern of the
Thessalonian Christians about loved ones who have died before Christ’s
return. Of course, behind this worry for others likely stands a more
personal concern: “What will happen to me when I die?”
Paul
gets straight to the point with his encouraging answer. Those who die
before Jesus returns will on that final day rise from the grave and
accompany Christ to meet those still alive. Death doesn’t dash our hope
in Christ; indeed, death for Christians marks a transition to an
infinitely better life.
While Paul seeks to calm the
fears of his readers, he also expresses his concern about the effect
these anxieties will have on the other people around them—especially
non-Christians. Paul reminds us that we don’t need to grieve the deaths
of our loved ones or worry about our own deaths like “the rest of
mankind” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
Notice that Paul doesn’t say that Christians won’t grieve. Death is
horrible, and it separates us from our loved ones. If we tried to
pretend that this loss didn’t matter, we wouldn’t be authentic.
Paul,
instead, wants us to know that we don’t need to grieve like those
without hope. Yes, we mourn our loss, but we also rejoice, knowing that
one day we’ll be reunited with loved ones who also knew Christ. More
importantly, Christ will unite us with himself for all eternity. This
truth allows us to, as Paul invites, “encourage one another with these
words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
To Take Away