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. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)

Beloved,

During membership interviews for our church I always ask people to briefly share the message of the gospel.  It usually catches people off guard and makes them a bit nervous, but it is helpful to give people an opportunity to express the truth of the Christian gospel.  In all my times asking people to explain the gospel, the number one thing that is left out is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is not that people do not believe in the resurrection, but they usually just leave it out.  The resurrection has become more of an afterthought for most Christians.

The resurrection of Christ is the grounds for our Christian hope.  Peter writes, “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”  Jesus has given us a living hope.

A Living Hope in Our Future Resurrection– Jesus Christ was first fruit of the resurrection. His resurrection gives us hope that one day our lowly bodies will be transformed to be like his glorious body.  Death is not our final end, a resurrected glorified body is.

A Living Hope in Our Future Rest – Jesus Christ has promised that in death our race is finished, our battle is done and our rest begins.  We no longer have to struggle against this world, the devil and our flesh, but can live in perfect rest with God and His people.

A Living Hope in Our Future Restored Reign– The resurrection is the promise that one day God is going to restore this world back to perfection. The curse will be fully reversed.  We will reign in perfect community in a perfect place in God’s perfect presence.

The resurrection must never be an afterthought for the Christian. The resurrection is our hope and it is this hope in our future resurrection that should inform all of life.

Beloved, meditate on the resurrection.  Consider that we have been born again to a living hope through Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Do not be uninformed brothers, one day Jesus Christ will bring us with him to our final resurrected home in our resurrected bodies to live in the resurrected community.  So until that day, let us live as citizens of heaven with our hope set on our resurrected home.