The Alpha and the Omega

By Professor Thomas Egger

What does it mean to confess that Jesus Christ is “the Alpha and the Omega”? You’ve probably seen these capital Greek letters adorning the altar, banners, or baptismal candle in your church. To most of us, capital Greek letters suggest college fraternities and sororities, but that’s not the case here! Jesus is not being proclaimed as a member of the Alpha Omega fraternity. Or is He?

In Revelation 22:13, Jesus says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” This is one of many New Testament passages that clearly portray Jesus as true God. In the Old Testament, the Creator announced, “I am He. I am the First, and I am the Last” (Isaiah 48:12). And now, here is Jesus, claiming this title for Himself. He is part of that most exclusive fraternity–Alpha Omega–to which only the three persons of the Holy Trinity belong.

In the Greek alphabet, Alpha comes first and Omega last. Jesus is, in other words, the A and the Z. Along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, He gave shape to all things from the beginning and will one day bring all things to their end, their glorious goal.

Jesus is a true man within history, but He also holds all of history in His hands. If you search the word Buddha on Wikipedia, you find the dates 563 to 483 BC. For Muhammed, it’s 570 to 632 AD. If you search Jesus Christ, a range is given: 7–2 BC to 26–36 AD. Now, it is true that during those years, Jesus was incarnate by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, buried, rose again, and ascended into heaven.

Still, unlike Buddha, Muhammed, or anyone else, the true extent of Jesus’ life and work for His people cannot be bound by a pair of numbers. No, here we need language like Alpha and Omega, First and Last, Beginning and End!

In the Beginning, Jesus was at the Father’s side. “Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). Already at the beginning, He was loved by the Father (John 17:24) and appointed to be the sacrifice for our salvation (1 Peter 1:18–20). It was the Lord Jesus who saved Israel out of Egypt (Jude 5) and who provided water for them in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:4).

In the days of Caesar Augustus, two thousand years ago, the eternal Son of God became a man. He went forth from Nazareth doing good, healing diseases, and proclaiming the good news of God’s kingdom. He was faithful and obedient in all things, even to death on the cross, dying in our place. On the cross, Jesus cried out “It is finished!” His suffering and atoning work was indeed complete. But His wonderful works for men were not at an end. Death could not hold the Alpha and the Omega.

The history of the Church in the Book of Acts is the story of the continuing work of Jesus in the world (Acts 1:1–2) after His ascension into heaven.This work of the Alpha and the Omega continues today. Jesus is reigning over all creation (Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:20–22). Jesus makes His dwelling place with you and every believer (John 14:23; Galatians 2:20). Jesus especially reveals Himself as present for you when the Church gathers for worship (Matthew 18:20). At the altar in His body and blood, and in His Word that is read and preached, Jesus Himself comes to you, forgiving your sin and recreating your heart. Lutherans joyfully believe that Jesus is present in His Word and Sacraments, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

The End of the age will come one day soon. On that day Jesus, who has been the Alpha, will show Himself to be the Omega. He will return to our world visibly in power and glory. He will say to you, “Fear not, I am the First and the Last, the Living One. I died, and behold, I am alive forevermore. And I hold the keys of death and Hades” (Revelation 1:17–18). He will raise all the dead and give eternal life to you and to all believers. He will renew the creation in beauty, strength, peace, justice, and love. With Jesus, the End will be a kind of beginning. The feast that begins on that day will never end. And Jesus will reign as our gracious King forever for He is the Alpha and the Omega.

Professor Thomas Egger teaches at Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis, and can be reached at eggert@csl.edu.

Self Portrait in the likeness of Christ by Albrech Dürer. 1500. Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Munich