Week 52 | In the End, We Win

 LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

2 Timothy; 2 Peter; 1-3 John; Jude; Revelation

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Hope At the End of Peter and Paul's Lives (2 Peter and 2 Timothy). These two letters clearly reflect Peter and Paul -the central figures of the book of Acts- at what they know to be the ends of their lives. Reliable church tradition as early as the 100's AD suggests that both were executed in Rome under the Emperor Nero, and that setting is reflected in both of these letters as they both appear to write from prison. And yet, there is real hope in both letters. In 2 Timothy 4:18, Paul writes: "The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever." In 2 Peter 1:10-14, Peter writes: "There will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ... think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon." When our hope is found where no tyrant on earth could touch it, then our strength and our joy will be firmly founded on something that no one can ever take away.

Hope in the Ministry Challenges of John and Jude (1-3 John and Jude). The Apostle John and the brother of Jesus named Jude both faced significant ministry challenges. In Jude, there is a movement within the church to divert them from the Gospel, and he opposes it in the strongest terms. In 3 John, John has to deal with a man named Diotrephes who has decided that he is a better authority on following Jesus Christ than the apostles themselves. 1 John reflects a number of false teachings that were working their way into the church. Those who work in church ministry and want to see the church shaped by the Gospel never have any shortage of challenges within or without. But there is hope here too. Some of the most amazing passages about Christ's love can be found in, for example 1 John 3-4. Or Jude 1:24-25. How can we be without hope? Through Jesus, we win in the end.

Hope Because in the End, Jesus Wins (Revelation). There are many different understandings of the book of Revelation, which I will mostly not get into here. Other than to say that I think this is truly a book about what will happen in the future, in the same vein as the visions of Daniel 2, 7-12, for which we already have historical fulfillments. With that understanding, there are many things here that are hard to interpret. It looks like there will be difficult days ahead. But also many wonderful opportunities to make Jesus known. And in the end, Revelation 20-22 give us this message: in the end, Jesus wins. He is coming back. All tyrants will be deposed. All sickness will be cured. Every tear will be wiped away. All the proud will be brought low, and all the lowly and humble shall be raised up. When Jesus descends from the clouds to sit on his throne, the saints will rise up to bow down before it. Death will be swallowed up in life, and the nations will rejoice, and every knee will bow down and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. He wins! That's not a prediction: it's a spoiler. We who have trusted in Christ are on the winning team. We know where our home is. And we're just recruiting so that we can bring people there with us, to enjoy it together.

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? I won't lay out exact responses in this space because the possibilities are often endless. But it is worth it to think about application in the categories of worship, attitude, and actions. Does this reading direct me to God in worship and thanksgiving and praise, or does it direct me towards a change that I need to make here and now? If it's about a change that I need to make, is this something inward in my attitude, or outward in my actions? This helps to rescue application from just being a series of how-to tips, or one-size-fits-all instructions that go beyond what the Bible actually states. Sometimes, the most helpful application we can make is to get a different perspective on what's the most important thing, or about how we should respond inwardly to the things going on around us.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean