In Part 1 of 2 in Thessalonians 5:1-11 we looked at “His Return”. This week in Part 2 we’ll consider “Our Response” and the perspective/attitude His followers ought to have in regard to His return.
In today’s passage, John the Baptist seems to be having some doubts about who Jesus is. At Jesus’ baptism, John seems pretty confident that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Son of God. Now, John is in prison and Jesus doesn’t seem to be the Messiah He expected. Jesus, ever compassionate to the weak, speaks into John’s doubts with words of assurance. The questions for us: What causes doubts to rise in our minds about our Savior Jesus Christ? How should we combat those doubts?
This entire passage deals, in one way or another, with the “day of the Lord” but there is far too much to preach on in one sermon. This week is Part 1 of 2 that we look at the nature of Jesus’s return and how it will be unpredictable as well as Inescapable.
Paul is seeking in this passage to both encourage and call on his listeners to encourage others to be hopeful about those who have died in Christ. It is absolutely not the end for them. They can and must remain hopeful. But how? Paul gives clear direction. They (and we!) remain hopeful by looking to Jesus (the One who died but didn’t stay dead), listening to what Jesus says on this matter, and by going and comforting others with these truths.