1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. – 1 Thessalonians 5:6
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Each year, when the church calendar reaches the Advent season, we are reminded again to stay watchful and to wait wisely for Christ’s return. The promise of Christ’s coming began after the sin of Adam and Eve, when God revealed His plan to redeem humanity.
Christ’s return, like His first coming, is part of God’s promise – the day the Old Testament prophets pointed toward. It will not be a day of peace and comfort, but a great and awesome day when God rules with full authority.
In today’s passage, the Apostle Paul answers the Thessalonian church’s questions about Christ’s second coming. They were troubled by false teachers saying that Christ would not return, that there would be no final judgment, and that people should just enjoy life without restraint (2 Peter 3:3–7). But Paul responds: “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night… like sudden pain to a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape” (1 Thess 5:1-3).
Paul first uses the example of a thief to show that people must be prepared ahead of time. A thief comes suddenly under the cover of darkness. If a person is unprepared, the one who suffers loss is themselves.
Then Paul compares the world to a pregnant woman who cannot avoid the pains of childbirth, showing that the world cannot avoid the arrival of that day either. The Lord will return. This is God’s promise and the certain ending of this world. No one should assume they can avoid it.
Because “no one knows the time or date… not the angels, not even the Son, only the Father knows” (Matthew 24:36), Paul encourages believers: as followers of Christ, we should not sleep or be drunk in mind, because those belong to darkness. But we are children of the light, so the day should not surprise us like a thief (1 Thess 5:4-7). Instead, we must stay awake and self-controlled, always ready as we wait for the Lord (v.6).
For those who do not believe, the day of the Lord will be a day of darkness, death, and judgment. But for those who follow Christ, it will be a day of joy and complete salvation. God has given us hope of salvation in Christ. Yes, the final judgment is fearful, but Christ already died for us. So, “whether we are awake or asleep, we will live with Him” (1 Thess 5:10). This is our hope, that death cannot separate us from God’s love. When Christ returns, we will rise again and enter His glorious kingdom forever. With these words, we are to encourage and strengthen one another, living each day in hope.
Reflection:
During this Advent season, let us focus again on the theme of Christ’s return. Christ will come again, but how should I stay awake and prepared to meet the Lord? If Christ came now, am I ready?
Prayer:
Dear Father God, thank You for sending Jesus Christ to save us from the final judgment. In Christ, we have eternal hope. Help us carry this hope into the world, so more people can know that You will return, and how blessed are those who trust in You. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.
Click to Read
Each year, when the church calendar reaches the Advent season, we are reminded again to stay watchful and to wait wisely for Christ’s return. The promise of Christ’s coming began after the sin of Adam and Eve, when God revealed His plan to redeem humanity.
Christ’s return, like His first coming, is part of God’s promise – the day the Old Testament prophets pointed toward. It will not be a day of peace and comfort, but a great and awesome day when God rules with full authority.
In today’s passage, the Apostle Paul answers the Thessalonian church’s questions about Christ’s second coming. They were troubled by false teachers saying that Christ would not return, that there would be no final judgment, and that people should just enjoy life without restraint (2 Peter 3:3–7). But Paul responds: “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night… like sudden pain to a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape” (1 Thess 5:1-3).
Paul first uses the example of a thief to show that people must be prepared ahead of time. A thief comes suddenly under the cover of darkness. If a person is unprepared, the one who suffers loss is themselves.
Then Paul compares the world to a pregnant woman who cannot avoid the pains of childbirth, showing that the world cannot avoid the arrival of that day either. The Lord will return. This is God’s promise and the certain ending of this world. No one should assume they can avoid it.
Because “no one knows the time or date… not the angels, not even the Son, only the Father knows” (Matthew 24:36), Paul encourages believers: as followers of Christ, we should not sleep or be drunk in mind, because those belong to darkness. But we are children of the light, so the day should not surprise us like a thief (1 Thess 5:4-7). Instead, we must stay awake and self-controlled, always ready as we wait for the Lord (v.6).
For those who do not believe, the day of the Lord will be a day of darkness, death, and judgment. But for those who follow Christ, it will be a day of joy and complete salvation. God has given us hope of salvation in Christ. Yes, the final judgment is fearful, but Christ already died for us. So, “whether we are awake or asleep, we will live with Him” (1 Thess 5:10). This is our hope, that death cannot separate us from God’s love. When Christ returns, we will rise again and enter His glorious kingdom forever. With these words, we are to encourage and strengthen one another, living each day in hope.
Reflection:
During this Advent season, let us focus again on the theme of Christ’s return. Christ will come again, but how should I stay awake and prepared to meet the Lord? If Christ came now, am I ready?
Prayer:
Dear Father God, thank You for sending Jesus Christ to save us from the final judgment. In Christ, we have eternal hope. Help us carry this hope into the world, so more people can know that You will return, and how blessed are those who trust in You. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.