GOD’S RESCUE FROM THE DOOMSDAY CLOCK
THE HOPE OF EASTER
Tick. Tick. Tick. The hands of the Doomsday Clock move ever closer to midnight. The end of life as we know it. The apocalypse. The detonation of the bomb that finally destroys the world; the global warming that boils the ocean; the press of a button that awakens the fatal dangers of AI.
Tick. Tick. Tick. In 2024 the official Doomsday Clock was set at 90 seconds to midnight. Since then, global threats have only increased: spiking global temperatures and more countries armed for war. And we only have 90 seconds left . . .
Tick. Tick. Ti–
Hang on a minute. We’re talking about the end of the world here. This is heavy stuff. But even more overwhelmingly, the experts tell us that we—everyday, ordinary people—need to fix it. Each one of us has the responsibility of turning back the hands of the clock before it’s too late.
The fate of our planet is a weighty burden. Can we really fix our broken world?
When we turn to the Bible, we find good news—and bad news. The bad first: ultimately, no, we can’t fix it. We need to be responsible in looking after our home. God made it for us to live in and care for. But it isn’t going to last forever.
The world that God made was pure—unstained by greed or selfishness. But when humanity chose to reject God’s authority, the earth became broken; the Doomsday Clock started ticking. All our hatred, selfish ambition, war and destruction comes out of our rebellion against God. We are not going to end the world, God is. The earth, we are told, is “reserved for fire, being
kept for the day of judgement”. Everything that is not 100% pure and holy, just like God is, will be destroyed.
This isn’t new information. The experts agree this planet will end. Our sun will die, an asteroid will hit, or the expanding universe will create a fatal “Big Freeze”. It just depends on what happens first. The end of life on earth is not an if, it’s a when. And how God chooses to do it.
But there is also good news: a hope beyond this world—“a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells”. A new world unstained by decay, destruction or death.
How can we have this hope? The answer is found in what God did at Easter. He made a way for us to live with him in perfection and peace, just as he intended.
Over 2,000 years ago a Middle Eastern man died upon a Roman cross for everyone in the whole world. Jesus of Nazareth had raised the dead, opened the eyes of the blind, made the lame walk and healed the sick. He showed his total power and authority over the brokenness of our world.
He also predicted his death on the cross, echoing the promises of the oldest pages of the Bible. As God’s Son, this was the plan all along. Jesus came to earth to die, and by his death to pay for all the selfishness, brokenness and pain this world has ever known. Including yours.
The Bible says the moment the Doomsday Clock began its countdown “thorns and thistles” began to grow—a symbol of the wild lawlessness in our world and our hearts. The world now literally chokes out any efforts to heal it.
On the cross, a crown of thorns was pressed onto Jesus’ head in a violent mockery of his claim to be God’s Son and our King. As it tore into his flesh, it was as though the corruption and brokenness of our world and our lives was implanted into him. The ticking bomb of the Doomsday Clock was rammed on his head. And when Jesus died, it went off. All the destruction and judgement blew up in his face, not ours.
If we put our trust in Jesus, we no longer need to be afraid. Doomsday is still going to happen. The world is still going to end. Jesus is going to return to destroy evil once and for all. The question is: will we let him take the damage and God’s judgement for us? Will we trust his death in our place? Will we put our hope in his resurrection as our guarantee of the new life God has promised?
“This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.”
FIND OUT MORE
There’s so much more to discover about the Easter story and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We want to encourage you to attend a local church during the Easter holidays to find out more about the God who takes our burdens on himself.
Our Daily Bread Ministries is also here for you. For over fifty years we’ve been helping people in the UK open up the Bible to meet the God who cares. Follow @ourdailybreadeurope on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok for daily encouragements. And visit odb.org to see all the free resources we have available to help you get to know Jesus for yourself.