The passage also teaches what is the principle by which this change is to be effected, viz: hope; for when there is no hope, there is nothing left but the sorrow of the world. I feel therefore that I cannot select a safer subject for our careful study on this solemn day. The Spirit indeed appears especially to have stamped it with his own authority as peculiarly suitable for such a season, for He has said in v. 18, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” May He grant then his own blessing on the words which shall be now spoken! May He raise our thoughts to things above! May he teach us to realize the blessed hope! And may He so make use of the present sorrow as to prepare our souls for a tearless re-union before the throne of Jesus!
I. The first thing to be noticed in the passage, is the light which it incidentally throws on the _present state of departed believers_.
The prominent point of hope presented to our view is very clearly the glorious coming of our blessed Lord, with the accompanying resurrection and reunion of his saints. But the present position of the soul is three times incidentally mentioned, and each of these times is described under the beautiful figure of sleep. Twice are our dear brethren described as those “which are asleep,” and once as those “which sleep in Jesus.”
What then are we to understand by this expression? Are we to regard it as proving their present state to be one of unconsciousness or stupor? God forbid! for then how could such a spirit as hers that has now left us, say, “To me to live is Christ, to die is gain.” She could truly say during her life time, “I delight to do thy will O Lord,” and it could be no gain to such an one to sink down into stupor and inactivity.
But still they are said to sleep in Christ, and the beautiful suitability of the expression may be seen from two points of view.
In the first place, death is the separation of the immortal spirit from the mortal body, and the body alone now lies sleeping in the grave. When we assembled around that opened grave on Friday, it was to leave there the body. We committed her body to the grave, “earth to earth, dust to dust, ashes to ashes.”
And this body may be justly said to sleep. It sleeps, for it is without feeling. There is no pain or languor now, no advancing illness, or exhaustion from decaying strength. This is all over now, and the poor body sleeps in Jesus.