Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
1 Thessalonians 4:13, NIV
One of my favorite books to read to my son, Jude, is a Psalm 23 board book. At this point, it is well worn, with ragged corners and a creased binding. I think he loves the beautifully illustrated pages, with each sentence in the psalm matched with a different color. What I love most is that my 2.5 year old son probably has Psalm 23 mostly memorized because he has heard it repeatedly read since he was six months old.
The words of Psalm 23 are likely familiar to you as well. Its encouraging phrases (“The Lord is my Shepherd,” “He leads me beside still waters,” “I will dwell in the house of God forever”) lend themselves well to artwork and songs in addition to children’s books. It is comforting to remember that we are led by a Good Shepherd.
Yet the reality is that Psalm 23, like the rest of scripture, is not shy in recognizing the problems that God’s people—his sheep—face. Maybe we get so distracted by the protective imagery of “his rod and staff” strengthening us in dangerous places that we don’t dwell too deeply on the fact that we are in the ominously named “valley of the shadow of death” to begin with! God prepares a table for us, but it is in front of our enemies. God provides, protects, and pursues his children in Psalm 23, but that doesn’t mean his people don’t face danger and trial.
The reality of this world’s difficulties is what makes 1 Thessalonians 4:13 so interesting. Paul does not tell the church in Thessalonica not to grieve for their friends and family who have died. But he does strive to tell them what is true about Christ’s return so that they “do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (emphasis added).
Christians have a unique hope. We believe that one day, Jesus will return and make all things news. We will dwell eternally with God and the rest of his people forever. As Revelation 21:4 proclaims, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” No matter how painful this world gets, we can rest in the fact that God will fix what is broken, heal what is wounded, and remove that which is evil. We get to know how the story ends, and it is happily ever after.
Christians, then, must be a people marked by hope; a hope that is rooted in God’s promise of New Creation. He will come again. Therefore, while we grieve death and mourn the effects of sin, let us not be like those who lack the hope we get to hold. Rather, let us be people who strive forward in the valley of death with confidence, for we believe with certainty in the eternal feast that awaits us above the ridgeline.
