Comfort in Times of Loss (1 Thessalonians 4:13)

But we do not want you to be uninformed brothers about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others who have no hope.
– 1 Thessalonians 4:13

Thus begins the end of 1 Thessalonians 4. A triumphant picture of the promise of Jesus’ return for all who trust in him. But it all starts here in verse 13 with Paul saying, We don’t want you to be uninformed, brothers. So know this, be informed of this about those who are asleep. That’s a reference to those who have died in Christ but have died in this world. That you may not grieve over them as others grieve, as other people who have no hope grieve because we have hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 Reminds Us of the Hope We Have in Jesus

And I just want to encourage, well, every one of us with this reality. But particularly I know that some people listening to this right now are walking through major grief over someone who’s died. Maybe even very recently.

I think of some people listening to this who have seen a loved one pass away just in recent hours or recent days, or recent weeks or months, years. I know in my own life there’s still grief over people closest to me who are not here anymore. When I think about celebrating my dad’s birthday, though he’s been with the Lord for many years now, there’s just fresh grief, and yet there is hope, deep hope because my dad and many who we know who have died, have died in Christ and he is the resurrection and the life. And he who believes in Jesus, though he or she dies, he or she lives, lives now.

They have fallen asleep, but they are with God right now. That’s 2 Corinthians 5, and one day we’re going to be together with them. So if I could just read the rest of 1 Thessalonians 4.

We declare to you by a word from the Lord that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord will not proceed those who fallen asleep or the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the sound of the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise. Then we who are alive, who are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so together we will always be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 Reminds Us Our King has Conquered Death

Yes, that’s what’s coming. That’s the hope we have. Death does not have the last word. So we grieve. Yes, we grieve. But we grieve with hope because we know our King has conquered death. We know our King is coming back. That’s why 1 Thessalonians 4:18, “Therefore encourage one another with these words.” I just want to encourage anyone who has experienced, is experiencing right now grief to know that in Christ there is grief with hope.

So we pray, Lord Jesus, all glory be to your name. You are the resurrection and the life, and we worship you as our life. We praise you that even as we prayed according to Philippians 1, that to live is Christ and to die is gain. We praise you that those who’ve gone before us in Christ who have died, have gained. They’ve gained.

We praise you for their gain that’s made possible by your death on the cross for our sins and your resurrection from the grave. All glory be to your name, the ascended alive King and Savior, and Lord of our lives, and just makes us I think in a healthy way look forward to death. Thank you God for turning death into gain for us and for the promise that one day Jesus is coming back for us and we’re going to have resurrected bodies together where we’ll always be together with you.

This Verse Helps Us Grief with Hope

So help us to receive this encouragement today from your Spirit, especially for weary hurting grieving hearts. Amidst the grief, I just pray God for a blanket of hope to cover over brothers and sisters who are grieving right now. And when we face grief in the future, help us to grieve with hope as we know this world is not the end of this story.

And even as we pray all of this, God, we pray that you would give us your compassion to share the gospel with people who don’t have this hope, who don’t have this security. People all around us today for whom death will not be gained unless they trust in Christ. God, we pray that you would help us to share the gospel boldly and compassionately today. Lord, we pray for 3 billion people in the world who never even heard about this hope in Christ.

Prayer for the Coong People of Vietnam

God, help us to get the gospel to them, to the Coong people of Vietnam. God, please cause the Coong people to be reached with this hope. Please, oh God, this small people group in Vietnam, no known followers of Jesus. God, please change that for them and thousands of other people, and groups like them. God, we pray, help us to spread this hope, to give our lives. Even to lose our lives, spreading this hope so that they might grieve with hope. Oh God, we praise you for this hope and we pray that you would spend our lives spreading this hope with anticipation of this scene in 1 Thessalonians 4. In Jesus’ name, we pray the name of our coming king. Amen.