Malachi 3:13-18; Colossians 1:13-20; Luke 23:27-43

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

There are some things we wish would never end. Kids going to a party never want to leave and say it’s over. Some people never want to admit that their “glory” days are long past. Graduating from high school or college is often seen as the end of our education. Endings can indeed be hard and can cause us mourning and grief. When things come to an end, we must realize that they’re done and gone.

As we reach the end of our church year, we hear more about the end of the world. There will be pain and grief, sadness and mourning. Because of the finality of such moments, we can face great fear and anxiety about when that time may come. And it’s not just the end of the world, it’s also our own death that we fear. 

In our Gospel reading this week, we meet Jesus right before his crucifixion. In Jesus’ final moments, he foretells of the disasters and anguish that will be present in the end times. All his followers were weeping because of the finality of such circumstances. After three long years of following Jesus, it was all coming to an end in horrendous fashion. “And when they came to the place that is culled The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left,” Luke 23:33. Jesus was being put to death for what he taught. And what was more final than death?

There’s a good reason why, as humans, we don’t like endings. We don’t like when things come to a conclusion. Because when a period of life ends, when we finish those things that have been important to us, there’s no going back. And why do we have to face such harsh conclusions? It’s because of sin and death. Our experience of time is corrupted by sin. It’s why we feel like we never have enough time to do what we love, but all our time is stuck doing what we hate. 

But there’s a larger lesson to learn here. Consider Jesus’ final words from the cross. First, he says, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” Luke 23:34. Jesus uses his last moments to forgive us. He forgave those who were putting him to death. He forgave everyone who has sinned against him and whose sins he bore for our sake upon the cross. But there’s something we should learn about Jesus’ death. Jesus’ death was an end for our sin. Jesus’ death was an end for our death. Jesus’ death was an end for endings… because his death wasn’t an end for him. Rather, as he tells the criminal beside him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise,” Luke 23:43. In the Church, by faith in Jesus, we see our endings become new beginnings. Graduations aren’t the end of school, but the beginning of a new life. Goodbyes aren’t forever. And even death has become the gateway to new and eternal life! In Jesus, every “end” becomes the start of a new beginning!

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, You reign among us by the preaching of Your cross. Forgive Your people their offenses that we, being governed by Your bountiful goodness, may enter at last into Your eternal paradise; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!