I love to snow ski but hate to fly; however, I’ve found that both have something in common that I absolutely adore: the view. Give me a majestic view of God’s creation and I can sit mesmerized for hours. In fact, I’ll often find myself thinking, “How great would it be to live here all the time?” But if creation makes us giddy with expectancy, what will it be like to behold the Creator face to face? If we revel in nature’s masterpieces, what will it mean to be face to face with the Artist himself? Though I’ve included a chart in this lesson reflecting the differences between the Rapture and Jesus’ Second Coming, make no mistake about today’s passage: it exists to do two things: make us view life with an eternal perspective rather than a temporal one, and to bring us, simply, comfort and peace!

4 Truths from today’s text that bring comfort and peace:

1. When we “go to sleep,” our spirits are instantaneously in the presence of Christ. (See 2 Corinthians 5:6-9; Philippians 1:21-23; 1 Thessalonians 4:14)
2. The Lord Himself will come down from Heaven unmistakably, to “rescue us.”
3. Both “asleep” and living Followers will be “caught up together” to meet Christ Jesus.
4. At that time, we will all be with the Lord forever. We’ll no longer have to search for God, feel alone, afraid or lost, because we will be with the Lord … forever!

 

                          Contrasts between the Rapture and the Second Coming

 

Q: What is it that makes the Follower’s experience of death different from those outside His kingdom?

Q: Practically and specifically, what is comforting about the Lord’s return?

Bottom Line: Paul wants us to understand that if we know where we’re going when we die, we should find courage for life here and now. If we understand that death is not the end of the story but simply a turn on the road to our ultimate destination, death loses its bite. If we understand that Christ will one day return, we can spend less time trying not to die and more time actually living.