The man who is the last word

AFTER the new Doctor’s first four adventures, fans of Doctor Who are getting used to his latest regeneration.

It’s always a big deal when the BBC changes the Time Lord in the long-running sci-fi series. It has now happened on ten occasions, and the popularity of the programme remains. People still have their favourite, though, whether it is William Hartnell, Tom Baker or David Tennant.

Whatever we may think of Doctor Who – and whoever is playing the part – it is one of the BBC’s success stories. It was first broadcast in 1963 and is now avidly watched around the world by a huge army of fans.

Even the TV trailers are eagerly awaited. At the start of the new series we were told: ‘The end is just the beginning.’

That is an interesting thought – the end and the beginning existing together. But it’s not completely original. The Bible records Jesus as saying: ‘I am the alpha and the omega’ (Revelation 1:8 New Inter­national Version). Alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. So, what did Jesus mean by saying that he was the start and the finish, the A and the Z?

Everything has a beginning and an end, a start and a finish. Jesus claims to be both, as well as what’s in between. Jesus was at the start of the world and he will bring it all to its conclusion.

That is a tremendous claim. He who started will finish. And it is not just this world which Jesus is interested in. Jesus is interested in you and me. If we trust him and allow him to be a part of our lives, he will work on changing and improving us. The transformation he starts he will bring to a completion. As such we are a work in progress. The change Jesus brings about in our hearts and our minds continues.

We may not be fully aware of this change taking place, but those around us will be more than aware. When Jesus is in control of our lives it shows. The changes can be quite dramatic, because Jesus changes who we are.

War Cry 2010 - TSA UK