The Encouragement of Resurrection Hope in Times of Grief

In a letter full of encouragement, Paul now seeks to encourage the Thessalonian believers by applying the truth of Jesus' death, resurrection and return to one of the more trying of experiences for believers; grieving the loss of a beloved sister or brother in the Lord. He wants them to know that all believers will be raised up to be forever with the Lord, whether they have died ('fallen asleep') before his return or not. Those believers who have died before Christ's return will not miss out! Grief with this hope is very different to grief without hope. The hope that Paul is referring to is all the more wonderful because it is firmly based, not on sentimentality or wishful thinking, but in what Jesus has already done for us in dying and rising again. How fitting that we look again at the sure basis of this hope on Easter Sunday. In receiving this word of encouragement to the Thessalonians for ourselves, let our prayer be that our crucified and risen Lord Jesus so grips our hearts that even in times of bereavement we are full of thanksgiving for the hope we have in him of one day all being together with him forever.