In some circles of the Christian world, you will hear a lot of talk about the “End Times” and the “Last Days.” Sometimes this talk is offered as a reassuring promise of God’s unconquerable will to redeem the world, to defeat evil and bring perfect peace. Other times, talk of “End Times” sounds more like a threat: ‘Jesus is coming and there’ll be hell to pay,’
According to Matthew, the End Times are not coming.
They are not coming because they are already here.
Throughout most of Israel’s history, their belief did not include personal existence beyond death. They believed that you lived and died by God’s grace. When you died you went to the place of the dead – but this was not resurrected life, but a sort of shadowy state. As time went on, Israel grew to believe in a life of the age to come (a life beyond death). They believed that at the end of history, there would be a final judgment and those who were judged faithful would be raised to life.
That is exactly what Matthew describes at the crucifixion. When Jesus breathes his last, the graves were split open, and the bodies of the holy ones were raised. He means to tell us that Jesus’ death and resurrection ushered in the Last Days, the era of resurrection and life for all who die trusting in God.
Matthew is opening our eyes to see the Last Days in a different way than people did in his day (or in ours). He urges us to see that the ‘end of history’ is not a moment in the future, but an accomplishment already. Sin and evil, death itself, is defeated. The great drama of humanity has been answered in Christ.
The turning point has already happened. We are living in the age to come. God’s Kingdom of love and justice has dawned. Mind you, most of us are still sitting on our hands waiting for God to bring justice and deliverance, but God has already done it. God has entered the world decisively in Christ and enduringly in the Holy Spirit. God has commissioned us – the Body of Christ – to live out the implications of this new world, this age of resurrection.
Sadly, we too often continue to live as though death were still in charge.
Prayer: Open my eyes to see life rising from death. Enliven me to act in faith – to open tombs, to set free those who are in bondage to the death dealing ways of hopelessness, hatred and fear. Amen.
The dawning of the new age is expressed powerfully in the words of the hymn “The Strife is O’er, The Battle Done,” which is a translation of a much older Latin hymn text. (#290 in our church hymnal)
The strife is o’er, the battle done;
the victory of life is won;
the song of triumph has begun.
Alleluia!