Alpha, Omega, Beginning, End--Incarnate

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (John 1:1-3).  John’s gospel opens with this statement about Jesus and claiming further that He is the “Word who became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
 
The text clearly states that He was in the beginning with God when everything was created.  It, also, states clearly that He is God (though some teach that He was the first created angel).  The text further affirms that He was Creator.  He is called the Word because that was His job when He appeared on earth—giving the word of God to mankind.
 
At the end of time, John again writes about Jesus.  “The first heaven and the first earth had passed away.  Also there was no more sea.” (Revelation 21:1).  The scene in this chapter might be the heaven where God lives.  He describes the place this way.  “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (verse 4).
 
Then, in verse 6, he reveals a clear statement from the One who sat on the throne.  “It is done!  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.”  This One was at the beginning and still stands at the end of all that He began at creation.  It is not easy to distinguish whether this is the Son or the Father talking here.  They are one so it applies to both.
 
The point is quite simple.  There was nothing before God because He was before all things.  He created all things that were created.  He will still be in charge when all created things have been disposed of through His raging fire (II Peter 3:10). 
 
The great thing about this verse is that we all have the opportunity to choose to be there with Him in that eternal place.  “I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.” (verse 6).
 
Jesus, who is God, through whom God created all things, who is even now at the right hand of the throne of the Father, did one more fantastic thing that we need to understand—He became a man!  He left His place in the eternal realm to, as John said it, “and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).  The Greek word used here is the word “tabernacle.” 
 
Jesus “tabernacled” among us.  He lived life in the same way that we live our lives.  He experienced all the joys and pains of living in this world.  Like ours, His journey here was brief (which is exactly the lesson of a tabernacle).  Eventually, He folded up His tent and returned to His eternal home.  He came and lived like us so that we could die like Him (Hebrews 2:14-15)!