Revelation - Part 4
September 3, 2003 - Wed. – Danny L. Williams
Revelation 1:7-20
Every name or title that Jesus wears is a blessing that he shares.
The better we know him, the better he’s able to bless us and make us what he wants us to be.
One of the best ways to get to know him is to study his names
and titles in Scripture.
Our Lord said, "And behold, I am coming quickly, and
My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his
work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and
the End, the First and the Last" (Rev. 22:12-13).
"Alpha and Omega" are the first and last letters of the
Greek alphabet. In fact, the English word "alphabet" comes
from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet,
"alpha" and "beta."
When he calls himself "Alpha and Omega,"
Jesus declares that he is the first and the last, the beginning and
the ending.
What truths do we learn about the Lord Jesus
Christ from this name "Alpha and Omega"?
1. Jesus Christ Is Eternal God
Jesus Christ is the beginning and Jesus Christ is the ending;
he is the first and he is the last.
This means that Jesus Christ is eternal God.
If I said to you, "I am Alpha and Omega," you would shake your head and reply, "You’re confused; you’re not thinking straight."
But when Jesus Christ says, "I am Alpha and Omega, I am the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End," he has the right to say it because he is eternal God.
In Isaiah 41:4,
Jehovah God declares, "I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last I am He."
This same declaration is repeated in Isaiah 44:6 and Isaiah 48:12.
In other words, the Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New Testament.
Because the title ’Alpha and Omega" is applied to God, this means that Jesus Christ is eternal God.
Our Lord Himself said in John 8:58,
"Before Abraham was, I Am."
In Colossians 1:17 we are told, "He is before all things."
Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
Jesus Christ can’t change because he is eternal God.
He can’t change for the better because he’s already perfect;
he certainly can’t change for the worse because he’s holy.
The name "Alpha and Omega" declares that Jesus of Nazareth is eternal God.
If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you have nothing eternal except eternal judgment (2 Thess. 1:9).
Our Lord said, "If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins" (John 8:24).
Nothing in this world is going to last. Only God is eternal.
When you trust Jesus Christ, you receive eternal salvation.
Jesus Christ Reveals God to Us
A second truth that comes from this wonderful name
is that the ministry of Christ is to reveal God to us.
What do you do with the letters of the alphabet?
You use them to build words; and through words, you communicate with
people.
Jesus Christ is the Word.
"In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. He was in the beginning with God" (John 1:1-2).
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we
beheld His glory. . . ." (John 1:14).
The Lord Jesus Christ is God’s eternal Word, revealing the Father to us.
The Epistle to the Hebrews begins, "God, who at various
times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. . . ." (1:1-2).
Toward the end of the Book of Hebrews, it says, "See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. . . ." (12:25).
In other words, the major question everybody
must answer is: What will you do with the Word of God?
Because Jesus Christ is Alpha and Omega, he is the alphabet of God’s revelation to us.
From the alphabet of God’s revelation, Jesus gives us the Word.
If you want to understand God, you have to know Jesus Christ.
Many people say, "I get so much truth about God from walking in the woods." You can learn some things about God from nature, but you can’t get the full revelation of God apart from Jesus Christ. Others say, "I love to sit and look at a beautiful sunset; it tells me so much about God." But you will learn much more about God by reading the Bible and listening to his Son, Jesus Christ.
God has spoken to us in Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is God’s last word.
Nothing will replace what God has said to us through his Son.
If you want to know God, you have to come to Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is Alpha and Omega;
his ministry is the ministry of revelation. He reveals God to us.
During the Last Supper,
before Jesus went out to be arrested and then crucified, the apostle Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us" (John 14:8).
Jesus replied, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?
He who has seen Me has seen the Father. . . ." (v. 9).
Jesus is Alpha and Omega, the alphabet of God’s grace, revealing to us the heart and mind of the Father so that we might know God and have eternal life.
Jesus Christ Is Sufficient
The third truth found in this name "Alpha and Omega"
is not only that Jesus is eternal God and reveals the Father to us, but also that he is sufficient for every need that we
Jesus Christ Is Victorious
There is a fourth lesson in this title. "Alpha and Omega" means that whatever Jesus starts, he finishes.
He is victorious and successful in all that he does.
Be encouraged today!
Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
He cannot fail.
What he starts he finishes.
Our task is to keep "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. . . ." (Heb. 12:2).
Paul reminds us that "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the dayofJesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).
"Alpha and Omega" ate names that declare that Jesus Christ is eternal God.
These names remind us of his ministry, the living Word who reveals the living God to us.
As Alpha and Omega, Jesus Christ lacks nothing, and his sufficiency is available to all of his people. Finally,
these names tell of his victory, the fact that he finishes what he begins.
We need never be discouraged because he is the beginning and the ending, the first and the last.
