Waiting for His Son

The Thessalonians began to serve the Living God and to wait eagerly for His Son’s arrival from Heaven – 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10.

The saints in Thessalonica responded to the preaching of the Gospel by turning from “idols to serve the living and true God.” Their life orientation changed radically because of their new faith in the Gospel, and their allegiance to Jesus Christ. Rather than a comfortable life in Macedonia, they chose a path that guaranteed opposition and persecution.

Paul used two infinitive clauses in the Greek sentence to express how disciples must live in this world.  First, turn from idols “to serve a living and true God.” It is not enough to exercise faith in God or Jesus. The believer must also forsake his old sinful ways.

[Photo by Mohammad Mardani on Unsplash]

Second, believers are “to await his Son from Heaven.” Paul prepared his readers for his later discussion about the “arrival” of Jesus when dead believers would be raised from the dead and together with those still alive “meet” him as he descends from Heaven. This hope enables the disciples of Jesus to endure the trials and tribulations of this life - (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

The Son of God will “arrive from the Heavens.” This is the same man “God raised from the dead.” As he so frequently does, Paul bases the future hope of the Assembly on the past resurrection of Jesus – (1 Thessalonians 4:13-15, 1 Corinthians 15:12-25).

This same Jesus is now “rescuing” his disciples (“Jesus, who is rescuing us out of the coming wrath”). The English term ‘rescue’ translates a Greek present tense participle that means “rescue, deliver, save” (rhuomai - Strong’s Concordance - #G4506). The present tense signifies an action in progress, that is, Jesus is in the process of rescuing us.

The description of being “rescued from wrath” echoes the story of the deliverance of the three Jewish exiles from the “burning fiery furnace” of Nebuchadnezzar. The Babylonian monarch threatened to sentence anyone who refused to worship his “great image” to death. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refused to do so, in his “wrath,” the king threatened the three men:

• “Whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet… If you bow down and worship the golden image that I have set up, good. But if you do not, in the same hour you will be cast into the burning fiery furnace; and who is the God that shall DELIVER YOU out of my hand?”– (Daniel 3:15-17).

The three Jewish exiles refused to participate in the idolatrous religion of Babylon. Instead, they looked to the Living God to rescue them - “Our God is in the heavens, and He is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will rescue us from your hands, O king. However, if not, we will not serve your gods, nor worship the image which thou hast set up.”

The Lord did indeed rescue Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego to the astonishment of King Nebuchadnezzar and his entourage of princes and magistrates.

Likewise, Jesus is “rescuing” his people from the “coming” wrath. The two present tense Greek participles refer to two processes at work in the present life of the Assembly - Rescue for some, but wrath for others. These processes will consummate when Jesus “arrives from Heaven.”

Disciples of Jesus must not be dismayed by the opposition that results from their allegiance to Jesus Christ. His “arrival” or ‘Parousia’ will bring rescue and salvation for those who wait patiently for him through the trials of life, but also punishment and “wrath” for those who refuse to respond to the Gospel by “turning from idols to serve the Living God.”

[PDF Copy]

SEE ALSO:

• Salvation for the Nations - (The Good News announced by Jesus of Nazareth offers salvation and life to men and women of every nation and people)

• God has Spoken! - (God has spoken His definitive word in His Son. All previous words given by the prophets were preparatory, promissory, and partial)

• The Gospel Message - (Jesus summoned his disciples to proclaim the Good News of his Kingdom to every inhabited corner of the Earth)