“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
This is a very powerful statement by Jesus exercising his complete authority in the world.
And Jesus always speaks in such definitive words.
I am THE Alpha and THE Omega (the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet).
Just as he said in John’s Gospel:
I am THE way, I am THE truth, I am THE life.
Not A way, A truth, A life.
But as I’ve mentioned before, it’s getting real difficult for the church because we live in a generation where we have no right to claim any ultimate truth or authority – whereas Jesus speaks in exactly those terms.
Most are fairly comfortable with the first part of what Jesus claims:
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,”
People see the church as the place to begin their journey – the Alpha – having their child baptised – giving them a good start in life as I’ve often heard it referred to.
In fact my own Baptism was along those lines.
Having a Muslim father and a Lutheran/Christian mother, they discussed how their children should be brought up – to which my father commented that we would probably fit in better and have more opportunities as Christians.
And that’s the great thing about Baptism – it doesn’t matter what reason there is because it is God who is baptising.
People also see the church as the place to end –the Omega -seeking out a Christian funeral for their loved one to give them comfort and peace.
But it’s the 2nd part of what Jesus says that adds a third dimension with which people struggle:
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
So here we have the beginning and the end – the one who was and is to come – but what about “who is”?
That is a present dimension for Jesus presence in the world in much the same way God revealed his name to Moses and Israel as Yahweh – I AM.
Not I WAS or I WILL BE – I AM.
That is the part that our world struggles with and fails to recognise.
A God who is.
John’s Revelation describes what it means for us to be living under Jesus as our King here and now as we prepare for the future coming Kingdom of Heaven.
He says:
To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father,
There are 3 parts there:
First; To him who loves us.
We are loved by God.
How can we be an example to the world that we are loved by God?
Before his death Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment – love one another as I have loved you.
So to say that Jesus is our King means that we listen to him and what he commands.
The people are called to be loyal to their King.
And Jesus, our King, commands us to love – to love one another as he loves us.
To love doesn’t mean we have to like everyone – and I’m sure that there are people that you just find it so hard to like.
But to love means to see others as an extension of God – as they are created in God’s image.
So if we see a person in need we can’t ignore them just because we don’t like them.
The Good Samaritan may not have liked the Israelite that had been attacked but to ignore his needs as Jesus says – as much as you did not do it to the least of these you did not do it unto me.
We may think we have very good reason to not love someone but God had much more reason to not love us – We crucified God’s son.
But it was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us – because God loved the world so much that he gave his ONE and ONLY son.
If there was more he could have given us he would have so how can we believe we have reason to not love someone?
The second part was: To him who has freed us from our sins by his blood.
As good Lutherans we know that we are Saved By Grace.
We have defended that – our forebears in Australia left home and livelihood to uphold that – Martin Luther put his life on the line to proclaim that.
But how often don’t we allow our sin to once again own us?
That’s not to say that sin is not a struggle – it’s a massively difficult struggle.
St Paul knew that struggle all too well:
For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
But the answer to sin is not – “well I know God will forgive me so it’s going to be okay”.
That’s not what being saved by Grace means.
Not at all, as St Paul says in Romans 6:
Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
And yet that’s often how we treat sin as something that’s easier to ask for forgiveness for than to confront and overcome.
But sin is serious – it’s not just a blip on the radar.
It took Jesus’ blood to free us!
Sin is what caused the fall at Creation;
In fact Jesus talks about knowing you’re doing something wrong – he says if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
To live with Christ as our king means to see sin for what it is – that it is what caused Jesus death and not just something to look sideways at.
Finally Jesus says:
To him who has made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father.
The focus word there is that we are priests – we are all priests.
In the Old Testament the priest stood between God and the world.
In the Old Testament the Levites, from whom the priests came, did not receive any land in Israel as an inheritance.
And the reason is because God said the Lord is their inheritance – a much more precious gift.
Do we realise, as Christians, what God has given us – an inheritance of eternal life.
He has given us access to himself through his Word;
He has given us access to himself through prayer.
He has given us access to himself through our Baptism and Holy Communion.
Do we really value them or have they just become an empty ritual?
Do we pray like it’s a privilege to speak with God and ask for his help for others or is it just another “thing” we have to do?
Do we read his word – a word where in some places around the world the bible is banned and smuggled in – sometimes just a couple pages at a time?
The priest had the huge responsibility to ensure the holy things of God were used to extend God’s grace into the world
In the Old Testament there is a story of a man named Uzzah – not a priest.
When the Ark of the Covenant – the Holy Seat of God – came to its resting place, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled and it was about to fall. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God.
He was not allowed to touch it because he was not a priest.
But we are invited to extend our hands and receive the Holy Sacrament of Jesus’ body and blood.
Do we see the Holy Things of God with reverence or are they so common to us that we don’t realise what a gift God has given to us through Jesus.
To live with Christ as our King means to treat with reverence what God has given to us.
The world has lost its respect for God and anything to do with him – but we must never!
We are called to carry Christ’s Kingdom in the world even if we feel as if the world thinks we’re silly to believe in God in this day and age.
Jesus says he is returning and we will be vindicated and upheld by God himself on that day.
Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
But not us – we won’t wail we will rejoice and be proud as Jesus says in Luke 21:
So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”
Until then may the peace of God that surpasses our understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
