The Dawning of Spring
Narnia 3 (1 Thes. 4:13-18
12/25/05
Introduction: Always winter and never Christmas.
1. Imagine a land of perpetual winter.
When the four Pevensie children entered Narnia they learned that it was always winter and never Christmas. Christmas is the most anticipated time of the year and for many it is what makes the winter worth enduring. But what would winter be like if it never ended and Christmas never came? Imagine a child, anticipating the joy of Christmas, being told that Christmas isn’t coming and we don’t know if it ever will again.
2. Winter in Palm Springs.
Winter in Palm Springs is the most beautiful time of the year, so it may be hard for us to relate. We would better understand the torment of perpetual summer! But there are places in this country where snow is not a cute novelty. There are places that are bone chilling cold and people cannot wait for the spring. Even here, behind San Jacinto Mt. it gets dark before 5:00. Those that are working may not get to enjoy the beautiful weather during the day. Some may love winter, but no one really wants it forever. Winter is complete with the joy of Christmas and the promise of spring! Never ending winter is a place of death without hope, dominated by fear. Narnia is fictional, but many live in never ending winter.
Trouble in the text: Death threatens hope (read v. 13).
1. Death threatens the hope of the Christian community in Thessalonica.
Paul and his co-workers were run out of town when they came to Thessalonica (cf. Acts 17). They had just started the church and were able to teach them about the 2nd coming of Christ. Timothy has been back to Thessalonica to get a report to take back to Paul (it was mostly good). Apparently, some of the church had died (fallen asleep). This caused the Thessalonians to loose hope. They knew that the Lord would come, but thought that the dead would miss out this benefit of his coming. So, they despaired when their loved ones in Christ died.
2. The ancient world faced death with despair.
Paul’s concern is not that they will not grieve, but rather they not grieve like those with no hope. Who are those that have no hope? They are those that see death as final or at best have some unsubstantiated vague notion of the afterlife. Here is a 2nd century letter regarding death:
Irene to Taonnophris and Philo, good comfort. I was as sorry and wept over the departed one as I wept for Didymus. And all things whatsoever were fitting, I did, and all mine, Epaphroditus and Thermunthion and Philion and Apollonius and Plantas. But, nevertheless, against such things one can do nothing. Therefore comfort ye one another. (The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Leon Morris, pg. 90).
It seems the idea is to comfort one another, though there is really no hope. This is not how Paul wanted Christians to grieve.
Trouble in our world: It is still winter on earth.
1. Our experience on earth is filled with loss.
We all go through our personal times of winter, times of loss, and ultimately our own death. This world is still full of wintry moments. A Tsunami, a year ago, wiped out over 200,000 people…winter. A hurricane completely destroys one of our major cities…winter. Over forty million abortions in the last 33 years…winter. A personal loss in your family, chronic pain, eventual death are all symptoms of a fallen world, under the spell of an evil ruler. We cry out with the rest of creation; will it ever be spring!?
Illustration: Sayaka
Not much has changed since Paul’s time in how people experience death. A young lady that I studied with in Japan wrote me several years ago after her friend and 18 year-old student died in a car accident. “It was too early to die wasn’t it? I can’t believe it’s fact. His parents, his friends, and many, many people are very sad. Is this accident destiny? Has God known about it? Actually God doesn’t do anything for us. My student never comes back and our sadness will never disappear.” This is winter w/o Christmas and no hope of spring.
2. Why the hope of Christmas leads to hope of spring.
The famous line in the book/movie is “Aslan is on the move.” Everything would change when Aslan would come to Narnia. Before Jesus came into our world there was only winter…no hope. But in Jesus came not just a baby boy, but God made flesh! What do you think is going to happen when God comes into the world? Things are going to change! We said last week that Jesus has won the victory through his death and resurrection. It may still be winter, but it is the dawning of spring!
Grace in the text: Jesus returns as the glorified and victorious Lord (14-18).
1. Our faith in what God will do is based on what God has done.
Our hope is not wishful thinking, but is based on what God has done through Jesus Christ, specifically in his death and resurrection. He bore the full consequence of death, but defeated death in his resurrection. That is why we have hope in our own victory over death. It is why we have hope for those that have died. Paul says it as fact. If Jesus has died and rose again, so will those who have fallen asleep in Christ. Fallen asleep is an intentional way of speaking about death. It speaks to the temporary nature of death.
2. Christ’s second coming is very different from his first.
All things will be consummated when Jesus returns. The glorious resurrection of the dead and the living saints will meet Jesus in the air. Jesus came as a baby to a poor family in a manger. Most of the world recognizes this, but what the world fails to comprehend is that he is coming again! This time he comes as the victorious Lord, with a trumpet blast, the voice of the arch angel, and with the saints that have died in Christ! But it not just their souls that will liver forever, not just our souls, but our bodies will be transformed into immortal, spiritual bodies. Death will not reign over us or over our loved ones in Christ.
3 And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Paul’s main point is that we should not despair those that are dead in Christ before the 2nd coming. In fact, they shall rise first and they will meet the Lord in the air first. Then those that are living go to meet Christ. Scripture tells us a new heaven and new earth, the city of God where we will live forever. But here Paul tells the most important aspect. We will be with the Lord forever! Now that is spring time! The promise is for never ending peace and joy with Christ, where nothing can ever separate us from him. When we have this hope, we don’t have to grieve like those that don’t have any. We still grieve, but not for those who have fallen asleep in Christ. They have already entered the Lord’s presence and now await that final resurrection as we enter that glorious new heaven and earth together.
Grace in our world: Winter is almost over.
1. We live in the end times.
I don’t mean that as some do. The next few verses in chapter five tells us that no one knows when that final day when come. It may be a thousand years to us, but for the Lord that is but a day (cf. 2 Pet. 3). The point is that ever since Jesus ascended into heaven at God’s right hand the end times have come. It may still feel like winter on earth, but spring is almost here.
2. Spring in Narnia.
When Aslan is on the move in Narnia the winter begins to end. The snow is melting, the sun is out. Life begins to appear. The witch is still present, but her doom has begun. She and all the characters in Narnia knew exactly what the end of winter and the dawning of spring meant. In our world, Satan knows he is defeated. The cross and the resurrection sealed his defeat, and spring is almost here. He doesn’t know and we don’t know exactly when Christ will return and the dead shall rise. It is inevitable and it finalizes his doom.
3. What happens at springtime.
We have already seen that Jesus will return as the victor. We will live forever with him and a place called “the new heaven and the new earth.” It is place where there is no winter or darkness. Satan, his allies, and all evil will be destroyed. Read Rev. 20:7-10. It really isn’t much of a battle. That’s because the outcome has already been decided. It happens the same way in Narnia. When Aslan shows up for the battle after his resurrection, it is pretty much over. The next scene in Revelation is the judgment, but then for those on the side of the victor, the Holy City of God. It is Christmas, and we remember Jesus came into the world as an infant. He’s coming again, and this time it will be as the victorious Lord!
4. Enduring winter.
For all of those that are hurting or suffering this holiday season, I know winter is more than just a time of year. Just like in the story of Narnia, there are two reasons that we can endure the winter in our lives. The symbol of Christmas. God did enter the world in flesh. Through what he accomplished in Christ, we have hope. The other is the symbol of spring. As surely as the seasons change, Jesus himself will return and bring to an end all suffering for his people. Jesus Christ is on the move. Winter is almost over and springtime is almost here. The last words of Jesus in the Bible are, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Invitation
Don’t just see Jesus as a baby in the manger. See him as Lord of the universe and Lord of your life. You weren’t here for his first coming, but one way or the other we will all be present for his second coming. Are you ready for that day? It will come. Accept the grace of God in Christ, today. What a wonderful day it would be for you to give your life to Christ.
