Random thoughts for a Saturday!

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

The first book of the Bible that I learned when taking Greek was John, we spent a lot of time on the first chapter and at one point of time I had it memorized, I have included it here because it is one that is often referred to showing Jesus was in the beginning and is in fact God (as part of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. John 1:1-18 NIV

In the original text of Revelation 22:13 (?γ? τ? ?λφα κα? τ? ?, ? πρ?το? κα? ? ?σχατο?, ? ?ρχ? κα? τ? τ?λο?. Greek Study Bible), there is not a definite article before the word "beginning," (αρχ?) meaning you cannot pinpoint the moment in time where there was a beginning. This verse stretches back in time to eternity past... farther than our minds can imagine.

Before there was a world, before there were planets, before there was light or darkness, before there was matter, before there was anything but the Godhead, there was Jesus.

Jesus Christ is coequal, coeternal, coexistent with the Father and Holy Spirit. He was "with God" and He "was God."

Yet, Jesus did not stay in the safety of heaven. Jesus became "Deity in diapers" so to speak. He entered our world. He breathed our air. He shared our pain. He walked in our shoes, and then some.

He lived our life and then He died our death.

Jesus did not become identical to us, but He did become identified with us. In fact, He could not have identified with us more closely than He did. It was total identification without any loss of identity, for He became one of us without ceasing to be Himself. He became human without ceasing to be God.

The Bible is clear in pointing out that Jesus Christ was and is God Himself. Even before the creation of the universe, Jesus was always there, as God without beginning or end (?λφα και το ωμ?γα [the Alpha and the Omega, if you will.]) (for those of you that are not familiar with Alpha and Omega they are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.)

Jesus said of Himself, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (Revelation 22:13 NIV).

With this in mind, there is no question that Jesus, who is our all-powerful God, can help us in our time of need.