Jesus--the End and the Beginning

“Telford Work invites us to follow him to oft avoided, if not precarious, vantage points where new vistas of Christ can be pondered. Like studying a photograph’s negative, contemplating Jesus as the omega and alpha draws disciples deeper into the unmeasurable richness of Christ’s beauty, provoking us to grapple with our rehearsed Christologies and compelling us to explore afresh what it means for Jesus to be the center of Christian faith for us today. This book will not just provide you new frames of reference, but most importantly it will prod you to reconsider if Jesus is or can be your omega and alpha.”

Brian Lugioyo

“As a slogan, ‘Jesus is the answer’ can be found in a wide range of mediums from songs to bumper stickers. As a theological truth, many Christians struggle to appreciate it. Telford Work’s latest book unpacks this truth to reveal Jesus as the key to understanding God, the cosmos, humanity, etc. He is skilled at weaving together Biblical passages and modern examples to explain the centrality of Jesus for everything. Work deftly navigates different and differing theological traditions to paint a coherent picture of Jesus as both the ending of the old and the beginning of the new, the Omega and Alpha. Work’s text is an invitation to Christian discipleship. He warns believers throughout of ways Christ could be displaced as the Omega and Alpha in their own thinking before ending with a call to a richer understanding of a Christ-shaped life. This book is profound and quotable. I took notes of examples and explanations that would help my students to better grasp what I have been teaching for almost twenty years. Jesus—the End and the Beginning will be required reading in my classes.”

D. Allen Tennison

“In his accessible, often witty, yet theologically deep way, Work retells the scriptural story from the perspective of Jesus as the disruptive turning point of history. Examined from this Christ-outward perspective, God, the cosmos, Israel, humanity, the nations, and even our own lives all have fresh light shone on them. Deeply scriptural and orthodox yet culturally current, Jesus—the End and the Beginning is a wonderful way to know more deeply and to be challenged by Jesus, who is at the nexus of all things.”

David Stubbs

“This is a wonderfully fresh approach to Christology—or, better, to the pivotal place of Jesus in the entire Christian vision. From multiple angles, Work guides readers in apprehending the concrete difference Jesus makes for all creation. Attentive readings of Scripture abound in this book, and they are shaped by deep engagement with the Christian tradition. Work’s prose is a joy to read—it is simultaneously lively and precise, shining new light on familiar themes. Particularly well suited for classroom settings, this volume is a gift to all who seek a coherent and compelling account of the centrality of Jesus.”

Doug Koskela

“What if Christ were all in all? What if Jesus truly were our beginning and end? Drawn by these questions, Work presents the reader with a vision of life enfolded by Jesus Christ. A scriptural imagination engages here with matters of faith. This lively book opens up questions of the Christian faith to show their root and resolution in Jesus. All things, Work reminds us, are gathered up in Christ. Here is the engine that propels him through his consideration of numerous issues of faith and contemporary life. Jesus discloses to us our beginning and end, and life is found in the midst.”

Stephen Wright

“A dynamic and engaging vision that proclaims Jesus Christ as the answer to everything. Simple but not simplistic, Work’s book shows that Jesus can transform every dimension of human life from individual salvation to civic life and international relations. Work’s focus on biblical theology and specifically on Jesus as the Omega and the Alpha makes this an effective book for classroom teaching and discussion.”

Steven M. Studebaker