Across much of the world, few question whether Jesus of Nazareth truly lived. History affirms His existence, yet the deeper question, who is Jesus? remains the dividing line of faith. Some call Him a prophet, a moral teacher, or a godly man. But the witnesses of the New Testament insist He is infinitely more. As C.S. Lewis famously argued, “He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity) Jesus’ own words reveal His identity with unmistakable clarity: “Before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:58)
To know Jesus is to know the One who stands at the centre of creation, history, and the future. Eschatology, the study of the End, is not speculation about distant events, it is the heartbeat of the Christian story, because the End has already dawned in Jesus Christ. As T.S. Eliot wrote, “In my beginning is my end… In my end is my beginning.” (T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets) In Christ, the destiny of humanity has been revealed.
Christ the Beginning and the End
Scripture begins not with the cosmos but with the eternal Word: “In the beginning the Word already was.” (John 1:1) Christ stands outside time as both origin and goal. Revelation echoes this truth when Jesus declares, “I am the Alpha and the Omega.” (Revelation 22:13) Creation is not grounded in impersonal forces but in the person of the Logos, and therefore in the humanity of Jesus.
Human personhood itself flows from the eternal communion of Father, Son, and Spirit. Humanity was always intended for union with the Son. Adam’s vocation was to order creation toward its divine end. The Fall was not merely a loss of innocence; it was a deviation from humanity’s intended destiny. Eastern theology calls this an “eschatological ontology”: evil is a movement away from the goal rather than the beginning.
This means the Incarnation was never a divine emergency plan, it was the eternal purpose of God’s love. Humanity could only reach its perfection through union with the Son. Christ is the fulfilment of creation, the One in whom all things find their unity.
The Eschatological Christ
Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, ascension, and present heavenly reign reveal the transformation of humanity; His glorified humanity is the pattern of our own. His return will unveil the fullness of who we are meant to be. Eschatology begins with Christ because He is the future of humanity made visible.
Paul writes that Jesus is “the image of the invisible God… the firstborn from the dead.” (Colossians 1:15,18) In Him, the future has already broken into the present. Christian hope is not wishful thinking; it is participation in the future inaugurated in Christ’s resurrection. His rising from the dead is not a possibility within history but a new possibility for history itself, a divine rupture revealing humanity’s destiny.
Hope: The Atmosphere of Faith
Hope is the oxygen of Christian existence, without hope, faith suffocates. Human beings are created for the eternal, and without a promised future, despair takes root. Modern society’s rising depression and suicide reflect a collapse of eschatological vision, a world cut off from its true end.
Scripture describes the lost as “dead in their sins” (Ephesians 2:1, Colossians 2:13) because they have lost the future for which they were created. Hell, itself was “prepared for the devil and his angels,” (Matthew 25:41) not for humanity. Only the resurrection of Jesus prevents suffering from ending in nothingness. Hope (in Christ) refuses to treat the present as ultimate; it presses toward God’s promised future. Hope purifies, strengthens, and sends the church into the world with courage.
Knowing Jesus Beyond Theory
Knowing Scripture is essential, but knowing Jesus is life (1 John 5:11-12). When Scripture is separated from the living Christ, we misinterpret it. Jesus entered history; He stepped into flesh and time. Ever since, history and humanity are the places where we meet Him, not in abstractions or theories.
He inspired the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16), but we understand them fully only when we read them with Him. It is like standing before a magnificent painting: beautiful on its own but transformed when the artist stands beside you explaining its meaning (John 14:26).
Jesus is not an idea, He is alive, He is here, He stands at the door of the heart and knocks (Revelation 3:20).
The Messiah Who Suffers and Redeems
Scripture presents a single, unbroken testimony: the Messiah would suffer for His people. Isaiah foresaw Him: “He was wounded for our transgressions… and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) Moses listed the covenant curses, sickness, torment, famine, war, (in Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26) but Paul proclaims the good news: “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.” (Galatians 3:13)
Jesus carried every curse, every wound, every sorrow. Roman scourging tore His flesh; thorns, the symbol of the Genesis curse, pierced His brow. Zechariah foresaw the wounds in His hands. (Zechariah 13:6) John records the fulfilment: “Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.” (John 19:1)
He suffered for us, He bled for us, He died for us, and He rose again, for us. The suffering of Christ is the doorway into the hope of glory.
A Personal Encounter with the Eschatological Christ
To know Jesus is to know the End toward which all creation moves. For me, this became real through encounters that marked my life. In dreams, I saw His face, Mediterranean, beautiful, yet filled with compassion; three tears rolled from His eye. Another time, He lifted His hand and blessed me. In 2009, I encountered Him face to face; His presence was overwhelming, His love indescribable, and many revelations followed.
These encounters awakened a lifelong question: Do I truly know Jesus?
Why the Church Must Recover Eschatology
When the church loses eschatology, it loses its orientation. Discipleship becomes moralism, mission becomes activism, and worship becomes nostalgia. But when Christ is seen as Alpha and Omega, everything is reordered toward His glory.
Eschatology restores hope, identity, and mission. It reminds us that humanity was created for union with the Son, and that His return will unveil the fullness of redeemed humanity. The suffering Messiah is the returning King who will complete our redemption.
To know Jesus is to know the End. To behold Him is to behold our destiny. To follow Him is to walk toward the glory for which we were made.
“There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 22:5)
Lilian Schmid
