Today’s Reading: Daniel 7:9-14

Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 29:1-19; Matthew 26:36-56

“And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:14) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. At the end of a movie, the credits roll and the screen goes dark, signaling the end of the story. At the end of a book, there is nothing after you get to the back cover, there are no more pages to turn. What about the end of the world? What happens after the end times?  Movies and books now come in multi-part series; will human history get a sequel? 

Many in the ancient world thought that history was cyclical and without meaning. Times were good and times were bad in a never-ending cycle that wasn’t headed anywhere. In other words, they didn’t ask about the next story because there was no story to begin with. 

The Bible teaches us that human history has a beginning and an end. Even better than that history has a planned end, a telos, a goal that God is moving it towards. This means that the end does not mean that the story is over. This means that we get more than a sequel, more than a continuation of the narrative. What awaits us is life in the everlasting dominion of the one like a son of man. 

This will be life as it was meant to be, life without the consequences of the fall. Life in the very presence of the Creator; life that will never end. This is the life that Christ obtained for you through his death on the cross. Jesus conquered sin, death, and the devil for you, and even now you are citizens in His everlasting dominion. This life is not all that there is. There is more to come and what is to come includes you. You have a place in God’s kingdom because He sent Jesus to secure it for you. This life and this world will come to its conclusion, but you will continue to the world without end. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Christ sits at God’s right hand, His saving work complete, To reign till ev’ry foe will lie Beneath His feet—All that the Father planned, The Son sought to fulfill, When first He said, “Lord, here am I To do Your will.” (“Christ Sits at God’s Right Hand” LSB 564, st. 1)

-Pastor Grant Knepper is the pastor at Zion Lutheran Church, Hillsboro, Oregon.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane Bamsch

Study Christ’s words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.