End

End

Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.

I’M ALWAYS A LITTLE CONFLICTED about New Year’s Eve. On one hand, it’s great to have an excuse to celebrate with friends and family. But as I get older, I’m equally likely to be fast asleep by the time the glittering ball drops in Times Square. I’d much rather see midnight arrive on a quiet breath than with a loud bang.

The day itself is always a mix of emotions too. There’s nostalgia over the end of another year, mixed with the heady promise of expectations for the one to come. The final day of the year is an end, a time to reflect on a change that has happened in the past year, a shift in perspective we’ve experienced, or a loved one we’ve lost. It’s bittersweet.

Yet we know that beginnings and endings are inseparable. Scripture talks about how, just before Passover, Jesus knew that his time on earth was coming to an end. Perhaps it was a little bittersweet for him, too. Because instead of blithely passing over the moment—focusing on his return to the Father or the work his disciples would accomplish after his death and resurrection—he paused. He didn’t simply reflect on the end or the beginning that would follow. Instead, he concentrated on what remained constant; he focused on love. By now, his disciples were not simply companions but friends. Jesus had loved them during his ministry, and in this in-between moment, he continued to love them.

If we’re honest, there are times when we can feel unlovable—days when doors close or dreams end, when new beginnings seem out of reach. But even as Jesus left this world and his earthly ministry, his disciples—and us, by extension—were not forgotten. We were always loved, always wanted. Our Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His love transcends all endings and beginnings, years past and years to come.

We were loved—to the end. What a humbling, marvelous truth.

Lord, thank you that you have loved us always, in every circumstance. Help us to remember that every end is also a beginning, and that your love covers us through it all. Amen.

-Kristin

One Good Step: What endings have you experienced this year? What beginnings are you anticipating?