[Jesus said] “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

Devotion based on Revelation 22:13

Winston Churchill liked to tell the story of a young boy who was rescued by a sailor. The boy fell off a pier into the icy water, and a sailor jumped in, rescued the drowning boy, and was able to revive him. Later in the day, the boy and his mother were walking down the street when the boy exclaimed to his mother, “That’s the man who saved me!” The boy and mother quickly rushed over to the man, where she asked him, “Are you the man who saved my boy this morning?” “Yes, I am,” the man replied. “Well, where’s his hat?” she asked. “He came home without his hat!”

She missed the big picture. A hat is nothing compared to a life saved.

Sometimes, we miss the big picture, too. We fret over all the problems of life. We forget the One who is Eternal Life.

In our Bible reading for today, the apostle John gives us the big picture. He presents to us the glorified Lord Jesus. Having been crucified and raised, and then ascended into heaven, he speaks to us from the final chapter of the Bible. And what does this glorified Jesus want us to know?

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

Jesus has always been in existence. There is no starting point for the eternal Son of God. Jesus will always be in existence. There will be no ending point for Jesus. Alpha and Omega are the “first and last” letters of the Greek alphabet. Jesus is stating his eternal existence.

What makes this so comforting for us is that Jesus, who is eternally present, is also the One who set aside his glory and power for a while so that he could take our sin upon himself.

Our God is not some timeless but disinterested entity out there. Our Savior, Jesus, is both timeless and loving, eternal and sacrificial.

Keep that big picture in mind as you serve your Savior. He can help you in your needs. He exists. He loves. He cares.

Prayer:

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.