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

The first two words with which Jesus describes himself in this verse are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. We would say the “A and the Z.” With these terms Jesus is speaking of his eternity, but he is saying so much more than that. He is also telling us that he is our everything. If we have Jesus, we have it all. There is nothing more we could want. Jesus himself is the focus, purpose, a sum, and substance of all human history. Jesus himself is the fulfillment of all of God’s saving work. If you have him, then there is really nothing beyond him worth having.

Martin Luther once commented, “When Christ was entrusting the ministry to Peter, He asked him three times whether he loved him. For He knew and saw that no one can be a true preacher or a Christian unless he loves Christ with heart and soul. But how can a person have such love for Christ unless he first believes that he has everything in Him, unless he is convinced beyond a doubt that Christ is his Treasure and Savior, his Life and Comfort?” Jesus’ words convince us that he is our treasure and Savior, that we DO have everything in him. They move the church to love him as his bride, to pray that he would come and be our groom.

When Christ’s love for us creates a heart of faith that loves him in return, that changes our lives in many ways. In fact, life is never the same. His love living in us changes the way we look at what we own, changes what we think is important, changes how we spend our time. It changes things so simple as leading us to think of him and ask his blessing each time we eat. Sometimes it changes things so serious as what career path I will follow for the rest of my life.

But as much as anything, it simply makes us want to be with him. You know that he still comes to us to be close to us in his word: in preaching, studying, reading, and singing. That’s why we turn to our Bibles for comfort when life has dealt us a blow, isn’t it? You know that he comes to meet you in those promises that he is your Good Shepherd, that nothing can separate you from his love, that you can cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Still, this can feel like a long-distance relationship. We long to be closer still. Just before Jesus described himself as the Alpha and Omega he promised, “Behold, I am coming soon!” That gives us a thrill. And it moves us to pray with the Apostle John the last prayer in the Bible, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”