The Bible Courseනියැදිය

The Alpha and the Omega – a vision of Jesus Christ

Reflect:

Have you ever met your hero? In the documentary series The Last Dance, Michael Jordan lived under the pressure of being picture-perfect. When he was caught out and parts of his life didn’t match up to expectations, the scrutiny was unbearable.

Looking back on it all, he said: ‘If I had to do it all over again, there is no way I’d want to be considered a role model. It’s like a game that’s stacked against me. There’s no way I can win.’

There’s a reason they say, ‘Never meet your heroes’. Everyone has a skeleton in their closet, if you search long and hard enough. No person can be the perfect role model we’re really looking for.

Revelation teaches us to look to Jesus. He is the true and better leader; the only one who’ll never let us down.

What would Jesus’ words have meant to their original hearers?

When it comes to reading the Bible, we must place the text in its original context. This is particularly important when reading apocalyptic literature like Revelation.

First, this is a letter. John introduces himself, as was the custom when writing letters in the ancient world, before going on to address the seven churches in the province of Asia (verse 4), all of which were struggling in their different ways.

This is why they needed a vision of Jesus, because when you meet the real Jesus, you find the resources to keep going in him. Jesus is the only leader we can trust because he’s ‘the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end’ (Revelation 21.6, ESV).

Think about it for a second: if you know the ending of the story is a good one, it means you can walk this road called life and not be surprised by its burdens. For the churches in Asia, knowing Jesus as the beginning and the end meant that even if they lost everything, they’d never lose hope.

It’s the same with us. Following Jesus doesn’t mean we immediately arrive at our final destination. Rather, it means we have a compass that always points us to true north; we know where everything is headed.

What does the vision of Jesus in Revelation mean for us today?

Yes, as a general rule, it might be better not to meet your heroes. But with Jesus, it’s different. Jesus Christ never lets us down, and he’s everything we need.

Respond

Dwell on the description of King Jesus in today’s Bible passage. What difference does it make knowing he reigns today?