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Have you ever watched a replay of a game when you already knew your team won? When they're losing at half-time, you don't panic. You might even enjoy it, because you know how it ends.
Now imagine two versions of the same film. In one, everything ends in nothing. In the other, everything wrong is finally put right. Would the middle of the film feel different? Every worldview has an ending, and how you think the story ends changes how you live in the middle, which is where we are now. This is the last big question: where is it all going?
What you'll learn
- How secular materialism and "be true to yourself" say the story ends
- Why Paul calls Jesus' resurrection the "firstfruits"
- What the Bible's ending really looks like (hint: it isn't floating on clouds)
Two other endings, fairly
Secular materialism says each life ends at death. In the far future, scientists expect the sun to burn out and the universe to run down until nothing more can happen. There's no afterlife and no final judgement. This view is honest about death, and it pushes people to make the most of the life they have; many materialists face it with real courage. But it raises hard questions. If everything ends in nothing, does anything we do ultimately matter? And for millions of victims of injustice, justice will never be done.
"Be true to yourself" says the goal is to become your true self and find fulfilment in this life. There's no bigger story beyond me. It's right that this life matters and shouldn't be wasted. But what about people whose lives are cut short, or crushed by suffering, before they ever "find themselves"? And in the end, the self dies too.
The firstfruits
Paul writes:
"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." (1 Corinthians 15:20)
Firstfruits were the first part of a harvest, brought to God as a sign that the rest of the harvest was on its way. Paul is saying that Jesus' resurrection is the first sample of what God will do for all his people. Jesus rose first; the rest will follow.
Paul goes on to say that just as everyone dies because of Adam, everyone in Christ will be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22). The story that went wrong in Genesis 3 gets reversed. And then:
"The last enemy to be destroyed is death." (1 Corinthians 15:26)
Notice that death is called an enemy, not a natural friend or "just part of life". Christians still grieve when someone dies, but they believe death doesn't get the last word. And Christian hope is bodily: a real, physical resurrection, like Jesus' own.
Everything made new
The last book of the Bible gives a picture of the ending:
"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.’" (Revelation 21:3–4)
"And the One seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ Then He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.’" (Revelation 21:5)
This is very different from what many people imagine heaven to be like:
| Common idea | What the Bible actually says |
|---|---|
| People escape the world to float on clouds | God makes a new heaven and a new earth |
| We go up to be with God | God comes down to live with his people |
| The old world is thrown away | God makes all things new: this world, healed and restored |
| Death is just a natural part of life | Death, mourning, crying and pain are gone for good |
It also mirrors the beginning. In Genesis 1–2, God was with people in a good world. In Revelation 21–22, that's brought back, and it's even better.
Christians agree on the main points: Jesus will return, the dead will be raised, God will judge justly, and he will make all things new. They differ on some details and timing (for example, the "thousand years" in Revelation 20), and that's okay.
The whole story
Look back over the term. The Bible's story says the world began on purpose, went wrong, is being rescued through Jesus, and is heading for a new creation. Secular materialism and "be true to yourself" tell different stories, and you've tried to describe each one fairly.
Now it's your turn to think. Which story best explains what we actually see in the world: beauty, human worth, evil, and our deep longing for justice? Which offers the most solid hope? Where does each one ask you to put your trust? You don't have to agree with any particular answer, but it's worth giving an honest one, with reasons.
Key words
- Firstfruits: the first part of a harvest, a sign that the rest is coming; Paul's word for Jesus' resurrection.
- Resurrection: being raised from death to new, bodily life.
- New creation: God's renewed world, where he lives with his people and everything wrong is put right.
- Return of Jesus: the Christian belief that Jesus will come back to judge and make all things new.
How this points to Jesus
The one who rose first is the one who makes everything new. Jesus' empty tomb is like a window into the future: what happened to him on that first Easter morning is what Christians believe will one day happen to the whole of creation. Paul ends his chapter by saying that nothing done for the Lord is wasted (1 Corinthians 15:58), because this ending gives meaning to every day in the middle.
Think about it
Why does Paul call Jesus' resurrection the "firstfruits"?Show answer
Because, like the first part of a harvest, it is a sign and a guarantee that more is coming: all God's people will be raised too.
How is the Bible's new creation different from "floating on clouds"?Show answer
It's a real, physical, renewed world, a new heaven and earth, where God comes to live with his people, rather than people escaping the world.
If death is an enemy that will be defeated, how might that change the way a Christian grieves?Show answer
They still feel real sadness, because death is an enemy, but their grief is mixed with hope, because they believe death won't have the last word.
Take it further
Think about this question: if the Bible's ending is true, what difference would it make to how you spend this week? Then look over the worldview table you've built this term, and write down which story you think makes most sense of life, and why. Your worksheet helps you complete the table and reflect on the whole term.
If you'd like to, you could pray: Lord Jesus, thank you that you rose first, and that one day you will make all things new. Help me live now in the light of that ending. Amen.