WITH THE LORD
1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 NET.
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly 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.
Introduction
If you listen to the way many Christians talk about death, you’ll hear a familiar phrase: “When I die, I’ll go to be with the Lord.” It’s sincere. It’s comforting. It’s well‑intended. But it’s not actually what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4.
The Thessalonian believers were grieving. Some of their brothers and sisters had died, and they were confused. They wondered: What happens to believers who die before Jesus returns? Are they missing out? Are they at a disadvantage?
Paul could have settled the whole matter by saying, “Don’t worry — the believing dead are already with the Lord.” But he didn’t say that. Not once. Instead, he said something very different — something far more powerful, far more hopeful, and far more in line with the gospel story.
He said the dead are asleep.
He said they will rise.
He said they will rise when Jesus descends.
And he said that only then will we all be “with the Lord forever.”
This is the hope Paul gives.
This is the comfort Paul offers.
This is the truth we must cling to.
I. The Dead Are Asleep — Not Already Raised (vv. 13–15)
Paul begins by addressing their grief:
“I do not want you to be uninformed… so that you will not grieve as the rest who have no hope.”
He does not deny grief.
He does not rebuke grief.
He redefines grief.
Why?
Because the dead in Christ are not lost. They are not conscious spirits floating in heaven. Paul says they are asleep — a word he uses twice in this passage (vv. 13 and 15).
Sleep is temporary.
Sleep anticipates waking.
Sleep is the posture of waiting for resurrection.
Paul’s point is simple:
The believing dead are not ahead of us — they are waiting with us.
If Paul believed the dead were already with the Lord, he would have said so.
But he didn’t.
He said they are asleep, awaiting the same moment we are awaiting: the return of Christ.
II. The Lord Himself Will Descend (v. 16)
Paul now shifts from the condition of the dead to the certainty of Christ’s return.
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven…”
Not an angel.
Not a messenger.
Not a symbolic event.
The Lord Himself.
And when He comes, it will not be quiet.
- A shout — the command of a King.
- The voice of the archangel — heaven’s announcement.
- The trumpet of God — the signal of victory and resurrection.
This is not a secret coming.
This is not a private moment.
This is the public unveiling of the King of kings.
And what happens when He comes?
III. The Dead in Christ Will Rise First (v. 16)
Here is Paul’s answer to the Thessalonians’ fear:
“The dead in Christ will rise first.”
Not “are already risen.”
Not “are already with the Lord.”
Not “have already received their reward.”
They will rise — future tense.
They will rise first — priority.
They will rise bodily — resurrection.
This is the consistent teaching of Scripture:
- Jesus is the firstfruits (1 Cor. 15:20).
- Those who belong to Him will be raised at His coming (1 Cor. 15:23).
- We will be made alive when He appears (Col. 3:4).
The dead are not ahead of us.
They are not behind us.
They are waiting for the same moment we are waiting for:
The return of Christ and the resurrection of the body.
IV. Then We Who Are Alive Will Be Caught Up Together With Them (v. 17)
Paul now includes the living.
“Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them…”
Notice the emphasis:
- Together — no separation.
- With them — no advantage for the living.
- In the clouds — the meeting place of divine glory.
- To meet the Lord — the King we have longed for.
And then Paul gives the climax of the passage:
“And so we shall always be with the Lord.”
Not at death.
Not in a disembodied state.
Not in some intermediate condition.
But after the resurrection,
After the reunion,
After the return of Christ.
This is the moment when we will be “with the Lord forever.”
V. Therefore, Comfort One Another With These Words (v. 18)
Paul ends with a command:
“Comfort one another with these words.”
Not with speculation.
Not with sentiment.
Not with vague ideas about heaven.
With these words.
The words he just wrote.
The words of resurrection hope.
The words of Christ’s return.
When we face our own death, we need comfort.
When we stand beside a grave, we need comfort.
When we lose someone we love, we need comfort.
But our comfort must be the comfort God actually gives.
And what comfort does He give?
Not “They’re already with the Lord.”
But “They will rise.”
Not “They’re watching over us.”
But “The Lord Himself will descend.”
Not “They’re in a better place.”
But “We will be together with them.”
Not “They’re at peace now.”
But “We will always be with the Lord.”
The second coming is the blessed hope.
The resurrection is the blessed hope.
The reunion is the blessed hope.
This is the comfort Paul commands us to give.
Conclusion
Paul does not point us to death as our hope.
He points us to Christ’s return.
He points us to the resurrection of the dead.
He points us to the reunion of God’s people.
He points us to the everlasting presence of the Lord.
This is our hope.
This is our comfort.
This is our future.
So, we pray:
Lord, thank you for the promise of a resurrection and reunion at your return.
Fix our hope not on death, but on Your coming.
Strengthen our hearts with the comfort You Yourself have given.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
jeffersonvann 