The Ultimate Ending

The full video of this teaching is available at the bottom of this post and this link.

WHEN LIFE DOESN’T MAKE SENSE (Genesis 37–50)

Joseph was seventeen—that awkward, in-between age, old enough to work but still young enough to drive his older brothers crazy. And these weren’t just any brothers. They were tough, hard-working, and seasoned by life in the fields. But Joseph? He wasn’t just another worker in the family business. Verse 37:3 says it all: “Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age.” He was the favorite. The golden child. The one who soaked up all of his father’s affection—and, let’s be honest, everyone knew it.

And as if being the favorite wasn’t clear enough, Jacob gave Joseph a coat—a bright, extravagant robe that shouted, “I love him most!” It wasn’t just a gift; it was a statement. Then came his dreams—where his brothers bowed down to him. To Joseph, it all pointed to his Ultimate Ending: a life of power, honor, and his brothers finally admiring him as much as his dad did. At seventeen, he probably imagined the journey to that Ultimate Ending would be filled with joy, ease, and wealth.

Well, it wasn’t! His dysfunctional brothers were already fueled by jealousy, resentment, and Joseph’s dreams? They were like rubbing salt in the wound. They couldn’t stand him or his ridiculous coat. To them, every word, every action—even his dreams—felt like a constant reminder that they would always be second best. And here’s the thing: Joseph wasn’t doing anything wrong. He was just living his life. But their jealousy, stoked by their father’s blatant favoritism, twisted everything he said or did into something unbearable.

So the older brothers grab him, rip off his robe—the symbol of everything they hated—and toss him into a pit. Then, without a shred of remorse, they sell him to passing traders and tell their father he’s dead. It’s not just betrayal—it’s pure evil.

Now, imagine Joseph—a teenager, bound and shackled, staring out at a foreign land. Everything he thought he knew about his life and his dreams is unraveling.

What do you think he prayed for? Most likely:
“God, get me out of this.”
”God, this can’t be how my story ends.”
”God, deliver me.”
And yet, God didn’t set him free. That’s hard to accept, isn’t it?

For about 13 years, Joseph was forgotten—sold, enslaved, falsely accused, and imprisoned.

Thirteen long years to wrestle with his pain, his doubts, and his faith. Can you picture him in those moments, replaying the dreams he had at 17? Wondering if the Ultimate Ending he once imagined was just a cruel illusion? Wondering if God was still with him—or if what God had planned for him had been abandoned altogether.

It wasn’t until Joseph was around 30 years old that the story finally turned. At last, he is elevated to second-in-command in Egypt—a position of incredible power and responsibility. He’s no longer praying for deliverance. He’s managing the world’s most critical food supply during a devastating famine. And then, in a twist no one saw coming, the very brothers who sold him into slavery come knocking at his door—starving, desperate, and utterly unaware of who he is. The story comes full circle. The ones who betrayed him now stand before him, entirely at his mercy.

Joseph has a choice. Justice? Revenge? Or something else?

God doesn’t force Joseph’s hand. God’s hidden sovereignty has been working behind the scenes. However, Joseph must still choose how to participate in God’s redemptive plan. Will he continue the cycle of violence and retribution? Or will he reflect God’s covenant faithfulness? Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, and they panic. They expect judgment. Instead, Joseph weeps. “You meant evil against me,” he says, “but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive” (Genesis 50:20).

At that moment, Joseph finally sees the bigger picture. He realizes that God’s purposes had been quietly unfolding the whole time. The betrayal, the pit, the slavery, the prison—none of it was wasted. God didn’t cause the evil his brothers committed, but He worked through it, weaving it into a redemptive story. And now, because Joseph trusted God even when life didn’t make sense, an entire nation is saved from famine.

Joseph’s story reveals a profound truth: God’s sovereignty isn’t always obvious. His hand is often hidden. But when we step back and zoom out, we see that God is still writing even in the darkest chapters. And the story? It’s more redemptive and beautiful than we ever imagined.

Why am I telling you this story? Because many of you reading this feel like life is broken beyond repair, you have been “sold into slavery” by someone you trusted, a health situation, or job loss. Joseph reminds us God is still writing. Some of our stories? They stay messy. They remain unresolved. The healing we long for doesn’t always come. The justice we fight for still feels out of reach. And we’re left wondering: Is this how it ends?

But here’s the thing—the Bible doesn’t leave us hanging. It points us toward a more significant, Ultimate Ending. One where all those loose threads are finally tied together. One where the brokenness of this world isn’t just patched up but wholly restored. And that ending? It’s not wishful thinking. It’s a promise. God is making all things new.

THE ULTIMATE ENDING (Revelation)

We live in a broken, sin-filled world. A world where some stories end well—beautiful, redemptive, and tied up in a bow. And other stories? They leave us hanging, unresolved, with more questions than answers. But the beauty of the biblical narrative—this brokenness isn’t the end of the story. It’s not even the middle. God has always been writing toward an Ultimate Ending. And Revelation gives us a glimpse of what’s coming.

But right now? We’re living in the tension. We see glimpses of God’s kingdom breaking through—stories of redemption, reconciliation, and healing. But we also know the brokenness that lingers. Wars rage on. Loved ones pass away. Injustices persist. And we cry out, like Joseph probably did in that pit, “God, when are You going to fix this?” (Luke 17:20-21; Isaiah 61:1-3; Romans 8:22-23; Ecclesiastes 3:16; Habakkuk 1:2-3; Psalm 13:1-2).

But here’s the thing—the Bible doesn’t leave us hanging. It points us toward a bigger, ultimate ending. One where all those loose threads are finally tied together. One where the brokenness of this world isn’t just patched up but completely restored. And that ending? It’s a promise: God is making all things new (Matthew 6:10; John 16:33; Revelation 21:4; Romans 8:18-21).

When will this happen?
And the answer?
God already is.
And He will.

The entire book of Revelation isn’t just a scary apocalyptic nightmare—it’s a promise. It’s God pulling back the curtain and saying, “I’m not done yet.” Revelation 21:1-5 gives us the picture of the ultimate ending we’ve all been waiting for. It’s not about floating on clouds or harps or golden gates. It’s about a new heaven and a new earth.

And here’s the key:
God comes to dwell with us.
The distance between heaven and earth? Gone.
The separation between Jesus and humanity? Gone.
Everything that sin fractured? Restored.

God’s ultimate goal isn’t to abandon this world, but to redeem it. He’s not scrapping creation and starting over. He’s renewing it. Making it whole. Making us whole.

Picture it: A world where there’s no more death. No more tears. No more unresolved endings. Every painful story finds its resolution. Every broken relationship finds healing. Every injustice is made right. And we—finally—are in perfect relationship with God and each other. That’s the ultimate ending. Not some far-off dream, but the destination toward which all of history is headed.

We’re not meant to just sit around waiting for it to happen, paying taxes and streaming videos. Instead, we’re invited to step into that story right now.

When we forgive, we show the world what it looks like when relationships get put back together.

When we care for the vulnerable, we glimpse a future where nobody’s left behind.

When we fight for justice, we’re giving a taste of the day when God’s justice wins.

The ultimate ending is already breaking into the present. The resurrection of Jesus was the beginning of that future, bursting into the middle of history. And the church is called to be a preview of what's coming. Like a trailer for a movie—you're supposed to see the church and think, "I want to be part of that future."

But it's not all here yet. We're still waiting. We still feel the ache of unresolved stories. And like Joseph, we cry out, "God, when are You going to fix this?" But the promise of Revelation is that God will. "Behold, I am making all things new" (Revelation 21:5). Not some things. All things. Your life. Your relationships. This world. It's all being renewed.

Hope in the Second Coming of Jesus is grounded in God’s faithfulness. The resurrection of Jesus is the guarantee. If death couldn’t stop God’s plan, nothing will. Not brokenness, not injustice, not the unresolved endings we sit with today.

So, what do we do now?

We live in hope.

We live as people who know how the story ends.

And what is the Ultimate Ending for those who accept and follow Jesus Christ?

With God dwelling with us.

With hearts healed and tears wiped away.

With a new heaven and a new earth.

With wholeness.

Because the story God is writing isn’t over yet. But when it is? It’s going to be the Ultimate Ending.

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