The End of the Christian Life: Lenten Study Companion, Week 6
Author: J. Todd Billings and Kaitlyn DeVries
March 26, 2026
The Fracturing of Our Stories and Life After Death
“The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”’ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” –Matthew 4:8–11
“It’s getting late, honey; we’ll finish the story tomorrow,” I say, closing my daughter’s bedtime storybook. “No, please finish it! I want to know how it ends,” she pleads. We are story-loving creatures. On a very deep level, we not only love to tell and hear stories, we want our life itself, with all of its ambiguities and mysteries, to make a story-type of sense. This storytelling instinct is fundamentally a good gift from God. But like all good gifts, we can curve our stories inward, toward the self, rather than recognizing them as part of the larger story of God’s work in our lives and in this world.
When the reality of death hits, it can be like a story cut short, a song that is building, interrupted by silence. The silence stings. We want resolution. We want all of the pieces to fit together.
On the Lenten path, we follow a King who breaks with the expected storyline for a royal ruler. Rather than claiming the power over the kingdoms of this world that was offered to him in the desert, Jesus freely chooses the path of the cross with all of its scorn and shame. A crucified king seems like a contradiction in terms! What could be a greater rupture in the royal storyline than death on a cross?
As ones who belong to Christ, we are given the freedom not to manufacture a resolution to our broken life stories. We belong to Christ, crucified and risen. He has gone before us in death, and he has gone before us in resurrection as well. God writes the final chapter of our life story, so that we are freed from the burden of writing it ourselves. Thankfully, this means that we need not pretend that our lives’ stories are less jagged and broken than they are. Jesus himself has gone before us, into the final chapter. Jesus has made straight the way of the Lord (Isa. 40:3–5).
Practice:
• Daily: Jesus said “no” to the worldly power offered to him, and instead displayed profound trust in God his Father to provide. What activity, habit, or entitlement might you give up today to practice trust in God’s provision? Perhaps avoid using your microwave or dishwasher, or turn off your internet connection for an hour or two. What does giving up these small “powers” reveal about our dependence on them? What might we learn about dependence on God?
• This Week: Pick a favorite short story, song, or movie and read, listen, or watch just part of it. Notice any longing you feel for resolution. Take a moment to reflect on places you long for resolution in your own life. Bring those longings before God in prayer.
Prayer:
As you pray, name the pieces of your life’s story that seem disconnected. Take a moment to praise God that you are free from manufacturing your story’s resolution and that, by the Spirit, you are enveloped in the grand story of God’s redemption in Christ.
Study based on The End of the Christian Life, by J. Todd Billings. Used with permission.
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