REVELATION 1:1–8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord
(Rev. 1:8a)
Jesus’ announcement in John 10:30 that He and the Father are one caused quite a stir. What about this claim created such antagonism and hostility? What was Jesus saying? In essence, Jesus was claiming to be God. This, of course, in the minds of the Jewish leadership was impossible. By saying that He and the Father are one, Jesus was claiming to possess all the characteristics of divinity. Those trails include eternality, infinitude, spirituality, omnipotence, immutability, omniscience, and omnipresence. All of these traits can only belong to God. This is what made Jesus’ claim so extraordinary. All the Jews saw was a man. The reality of His true identity, of the mysteries of the incarnation, were beyond their perceptions. They had no faith, therefore, they were unable to understand the truth about Jesus Christ.
During the next few studies, we are going to look at these divine characteristics to which Jesus staked a claim. As we study such mysteries as the eternality of God, let us look upon Jesus Christ with the eye of faith. How the Logos, the Son of God, took on human nature is a mystery to us. But we must never forget who Jesus Christ is. In this day of sentimentalization, and friend-oriented worship, we must not forget that Jesus Christ is God, that He is the Creator of all things, that He is eternal, almighty, the beginning and the end. As we come into His presence to worship Him, this reality must ever remain before us. Otherwise, we run the risk of demeaning our Lord, of thinking of Christ too much as a brother and too little as our God. The paradox here, of course, is that He is indeed our brother, the first-born; yet He is still our sovereign God. That tension must be kept, not ignored.
To begin our study of Christ’s divinity, let us simply define what it means to be eternal. Using the words of Scripture, it is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega. While all other things pass away, God remains forever. “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (Ps. 90:2). When Jesus said, “I Am,” this was His claim—that He is from everlasting to everlasting, that He is our God.
CORAM DEO
Nehemiah 7–8
Acts 3
When you consider what Jesus was saying, you begin to realize how necessary it was for those who heard Him to have faith. His claims were so extraordinary! What would your response have been if you had been standing there that day? What is your response today, that Jesus Christ is God eternal?
For further study: Deut. 33:26–29 • Dan. 7:13–14 • Luke 1:32–33
thursday
june