Because Jesus walked out of His grave, every believer will walk out of theirs.

POINT #1) HOPE IN OUR GRIEF (vv. 13–14)

— Grieve with hope

1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 (ESV)

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

14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

Grief and hope can sit in the same heart.

Christians don’t grieve less—we grieve differently.

Grief is not the opposite of faith. Grief is the price of love.

If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then the resurrection of those who belong to him is not optional. It follows necessarily.

1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (ESV)

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

John 11:25 (ESV)

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

POINT #2) HOPE IN OUR FUTURE (vv. 15–18)

— The grave doesn’t get the last word

1 Thessalonians 4:15–18 (ESV)

15 For this 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 precede those who have fallen asleep.

16 For 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 first.

17 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 we will always be with the Lord.

18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

The empty tomb is God’s guarantee that the cemetery is temporary.

The Greek word for caught up is harpazo = to seize suddenly, to snatch away with force.  This is where the English word rapture comes from, through the Latin— rapiemur.

Acts 8:39 (ESV)

And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

Revelation 21:2-4 (ESV)

2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Death can interrupt life, but it cannot cancel God’s promises.

1 Corinthians 15:54-55 (NLT)

Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

POINT #3) HOPE FOR TODAY (5:1–11)

— Stay ready, not afraid

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (ESV)

1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.

2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

3 While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.

5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.

6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.

8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.

11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

The goal is not calendar prediction. The goal is character preparation.

The proper response to an unknown arrival time is not calendar speculation. It is character formation.

The best way to prepare for Christ’s return is to obey Him today.

Matthew 24:36-44 (ESV)

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

The return of Christ is not meant to scare believers— but to steady believers.

Readiness is not panic— it is faithfulness.

CONCLUSION

Because Jesus walked out of His grave, every believer will walk out of theirs.

Grieve with hope. Stand firm in faith. Stay ready. And encourage one another with these words.