Alpha and Omega

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 22:13

How fitting it is to begin our study of Precious Words of the Bible with the two bookends: Alpha and Omega. In the Greek alphabet these are the first and last letters, similar to our “A” and “Z”. They are mentioned only three times in the Bible and only in the book of Revelation. All three references begin with the words, “I am.” Jesus is speaking about himself. He is calling himself the first and the last, the A and Z.

It is appropriate that Jesus calls himself the first and the last. We find Jesus in the first verse of the Bible, “In the beginning God created . . .” (Gen. 1:1) and the last verse, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people” (Rev. 22::21).

By stating he is the first and last, Jesus is telling us he has always existed and will always be. He existed before creation and he will still exist after the world is no more. He is eternal.

What does this mean for us? We live in a sin-filled world where there is pain and hardship. We are daily met with disappointments and troubles, some are temporary and some refuse to go away. We find great comfort knowing that these hardships will last only a while. Jesus’ love was with us before they began and will be there after they end. We can hold on to that truth as an anchor for our soul. Jesus is the bread that will never stop nourishing us. He is the river that will never run dry. He is the light that will never see darkness. He is the door that will never be closed. What comfort that gives to our soul! We rejoice in the words of Isaiah 48:12, “I am the first and I am the last.”

Dig Deeper: What two words did Jesus use to tell us he is from eternity and to eternity? John 8:58