Christmas #13: He is Alpha and Omega

He is Alpha and Omega

I've been saving this one for a long time!  Probably because it's the coolest.  I'm going to let scripture do most of the talking, though.


There are many today who are seeking to distort who Jesus is.  The #1 way to distort the Gospel is to change the identity of Jesus.  Many people and religions make the following claims:

1) Jesus never existed
2) Jesus was just a man who died and was not resurrected
3) Jesus was a liar
4) Jesus was just a good teacher or prophet
5) Jesus is more than human, but was a created being like the angels
6) Jesus is the literal son of God, conceived via some sort of procreation between The Father and ?

All these teachings seek to reduce who Jesus is.  I can tell you right now that based on Biblical Christianity, Jesus is bigger than you or anyone can fathom, and any single idea that reduces who He is must be false according to real Christianity.  He is Alpha and Omega, meaning that in the great, grand story of the cosmos, Jesus' part isn't J through Q.  He's from A to Z.  He's at the very beginning of the story and at the very end.  Let's look at scripture now before continuing:


John 1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.


Colossians 1
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

John 8:53-58

53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”
57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

Revelation 1:8
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 22:13

13 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”



All of these passages specifically refer to Jesus Christ.


Jesus didn't merely live some pre-mortal life that had its own beginning.  He IS the beginning.  He's been part of God for all eternity, and will one day be finally glorified by all of creation when He reveals Himself for the second time.

Before Abraham was born, "I AM."  Jesus exists outside of time.  Creation -- which includes time itself -- all exists within Him.  Therefore, your past and your future is God's present.  Jesus is at the end right now, and He's at the beginning.  He can SEE the entire timeline.  How reassuring is it to know that in His eyes, your tomorrow has already happened!  Jesus is looking at the whole picture and sees what we call "next week" just as clearly as He sees last week.  It's all reality for Him, while for us, it hasn't happened yet.

To quote one of my favorite (and most hilarious) books, "Space is big.  Really big.  You just won't believe how vastly hugely mind-bogglingly big it is.  I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space."  (Douglas Adams)

And yes, Jesus is bigger.  Nothing contains Him, because He contains everything.  "Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool" (Isaiah 66:1).  And yet He has created us, given us free will, and initiated relationship with us.

In Jesus dwells the "fullness of God."  Everything that it means to be God has been poured into Jesus.

Colossians 2:8-10
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

And HERE is the Gospel (The Good News):  As Christians, the fullness of CHRIST now dwells in US!

And here's the other point I want to make (which verse 10 above hinted at): Jesus is the end as much as He is the beginning.  He's not merely the starting point of our faith.  He's the goal, too.

Ephesians 4:11-13
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;


1 Peter 1:6-9
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith ... may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

Growing as a Christian does not mean getting better and better at "doing the right thing."  Nor does it mean praying more, giving more, etc.  Christian growth is simply growing in your knowledge of, understanding of, and relationship with .... Jesus.  This is a challenge to those who believe more in a works-based "progression," where you reach higher levels of "sainthood" or draw nearer to your ultimate goal of perfection and glorification through obedience.  Growing in Christ leads to growth in all those other areas.  They are the results -- the fruits -- of being part of the Tree.  You don't need to explore other things or find anything else.  "You are complete in Him!"  That's a huge statement, and it gives most of us a relief that we didn't imagine possible before.  He grows us from within, and all we have to do is stay connected to Him, the Head.

Thanks for bearing with me.  It's difficult to be coherent when you're talking about something so huge.  Now go do your own exploring of Him!  He's inexhaustible.