The Alpha And The Omega

Would you rather listen than read? Listen here.

Bible Study

Have you ever gone to a Bible Study and questioned yourself why you came? I will raise my hand. Often, what happens before Bible study dictates how you will feel when you get there.

Has anything like this ever happened before your time with the Lord?

• Have you ever had a toddler roll around having a tantrum, throwing their shoes across the room, testing everything in you before you got to the car?

• Have you ever received a hard phone call while you’re on your way?

• Maybe you just feel agitated and overwhelmed with situations you’re facing…

I have been in these situations and I would bet you have to. It’s life. We face challenges every single day. Often, I have walked into a Bible study class where I feel like I should have it all together, but it’s where I am usually falling apart.

Names Of Jesus

One of these such days, I was in a prayer group prior to the study. My mind seemed everywhere but there. I felt anxious about the things I had afterwards and could just not settle myself. It was a day I just did not want to be with people and yet there were over a hundred on the other side of the door waiting.

The girl leading the prayer said she felt we should all say names of Jesus. The room became silent. One quiet voice after another began speaking names, Redeemer, Savior, Forgiver, Creator… as time passed, the voices got bolder, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Strong Tower, Beloved… The feeling in the room shifted and so did my heart.

The names of Jesus and His name alone have immense power. At the sound of His name, demons must scatter, healing takes place, and He sets people free. This is the final post in our series from Revelation, but it is also the beginning of a new series on the names of Jesus.

The Alpha And Omega

In Revelation 21:6 Jesus says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” I had heard this many times and never really thought about what it meant. It became a head knowledge of knowing this was a name, and not a heart knowledge of understanding what it meant.

Alpha is the beginning of the Greek alphabet, and the Omega is the end. For Jesus to be the Alpha and Omega, that means He encompasses those two letters and every letter in between. He encompasses every word that can be formed from those letters. Let that sink in for a moment.

Let’s take that a step further. If Jesus encompasses one alphabet, then He encompasses all alphabets. According to Miriam Webster, there are over a million words in the English language alone. Now think about that multiplied by the 6,500 other current languages spoken on Earth (according to World Data). That does not even include languages not spoken any more. Is this starting to boggle your mind yet? Jesus Is Everything!

The Beginning And The End

Jesus continues with, “I am the beginning and the end.” The word for beginning here in Greek is ἀρχή archē meaning; beginning, origin, first, ruler, power, authority or position of authority. The word for end in Greek is τέλος telos meaning; end, result, outcome, finish, goal, culmination, or fulfillment. (Source below)

Just like the letters, Jesus is the beginning of everything ever created and He is the end, the completion and everything in between. He is everything prior to creation in Genesis and everything that will extend for eternity. There is absolutely nothing He is not over.

Thinking of Jesus in this way brings me to my knees. I feel overwhelmed by all that He is. He is so much more than my mind can even fathom. As my youngest would say, “It wrecks me!”

So how can I walk into Bible study, church, or anywhere, for that matter, with the weight of the world on my shoulders? Because we are human and we don’t have it all together. And we are coming to face other humans who don’t have it all together. There is only One who does.

We have the privilege of knowing the Alpha and the Omega. He knows us intimately, and He knows when we are walking into a situation that may feel hard. I encourage you when days like this are happening, rest in Him. You may not have the space to close your eyes and have quiet time with Him, but you can begin claiming who He is. Everything will change by the power of His name.

Prayer

I encourage you to say His names in prayer. Thank Him for all He is. Ask Him to make Himself known to you by His many names. Start journaling all the ways He shows up in your life through His names.

I have a favor to ask… In the comments, I would love for all of you to share His names. Let’s see how long of a list we can get. If there is a specific name that means a lot to you? I would love for you to share that as well.

• Greek studies come from BibleGateway.com using the – NIV Exhaustive Concordance Dictionary Copyright © 2015 by Zondervan.