“. . . to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:16-20

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Tom Wright, Matthew for Everyone (Vol. 2)

The “age to come” has already broken in to the “present age.” But, as Paul makes so clear, not until death itself is destroyed, and the whole world comes under the rule of Jesus, will God’s purpose be fully accomplished. How are we to conceive of this?

To answer, we come back to the Lord’s Prayer once more, set my Matthew at the heart of Jesus great Sermon (6.9-13), and forming a fitting way for us to take out leave of this great gospel. Bread, forgiveness and deliverance are, of course, always going to be needed as long as the present world continues. But there will come a time when those needs are swallowed up in the complete life of the new age: when God’s will is done on earth as in heaven, because heaven and earth have been joined together in the new creation; when God’s kingdom, established by Jesus in his death and resurrection, has finally conquered all its enemies by the power of the divine love; and when, in line with the ancient hopes of Israel, and now with the central intention of Jesus himself, the name of God is honored, hallowed, exalted and celebrated throughout the whole creation. Every time we say the words “Our father . . .” we are pleading for that day to be soon, and pledging ourselves to work to bring it closer (210).