In Revelation 1:8 Jesus declares, "I am the beginning and the ending." In verse 17 He tells us, "I am the first and the last." In Revelation 2:8, He refers to Himself as "the first and the last," and in Revelation 22:13 He says that He is, "the beginning and the end, the first and the last."

Before the dawn of creation, before there was a star to shine in the immensity of space, God the Son was preexistent with God the Father. There was never a time when He did not exist, and there will never be a time in the unfolding ages of eternity future when He will cease to be. He is the first and the last, the Eternal Lord of Glory.

He was coequal with God the Father in creation. In Genesis 1:1 we read, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." In John 1:3 we are told, "All things were made by Him (Jesus), and without Him was not any thing made that was made." In Hebrews 1:10 we read, "And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands." In Col. 1:16, "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him."

When the morning stars sang together, Jesus was there. When the Sons of God shouted for joy at the dawn of creation, Jesus was there.

When God spoke the first Word to create the first ray of light Jesus was there. When blazing stars and shining worlds tumbled fresh from Creator's hands, Jesus was there. He was not yet named Jesus, but He was there none the less, the Lord Eternal.

When this world was rescued from its watery grave, Jesus was there. When the first blade of grass started to grow, Jesus was there. When the fish first started to swim in the seas and the birds started to fly in the air, Jesus was there. Jesus was there when the animals were created in variety too numerous to be numbered. He was there when God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, Genesis 1:26. The Jesus we love and serve is the eternal Lord, Christ Jesus, our Savior.

He was no less Lord at the dawn of creation than He will be when the angels of Glory sing an anthem of victory after the last enemy, death, is put under His feet.

Lord Jesus Christ and the Father are inseparable. He shared with the Father in creation. He is now sharing with the Father in redemption and He will share with the Father in His Throne throughout all eternity.

More than 700 years before Jesus was born, Isaiah saw the Holy, six-winged seraphims flying before the throne of God and crying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory," Isaiah 6:3.

John, the Revelator, during his visions of end-time events, saw the six-winged living creatures (seraphims) and heard them, "saying Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come," Revelation 4:8. Jesus will receive the same holy adoration that was offered to God. It is difficult to comprehend the condescension of our Lord when He left Heaven and became a man. Angels must have marveled when He became a resident of our rebellious, prodigal world. They must have marveled when He gave up His crown and throne and become a helpless babe in the arms of a woman.

Someone made up this poor, inadequate illustration. Suppose a man could divest himself of his body. Suppose he could enter the body of a sheep and dwell there. He could think and dream and have emotion as a man, but he could only behave like a sheep. He could want to speak or sing, but could only bleat. He could long to accomplish and achieve things as a man, but would have to follow the sheep across the pasture. He would long for good food, a warm house, and a soft bed, but he would have to eat grain from a trough and sleep in a barn. This is a poor, inadequate comparison, but it may help us to understand what it was like when Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us. Our Lord's arrival in the world was unpretentious. He arrived in the darkness of night and the cold winter. He was not accorded the comfort of an inn when He arrived. He disembarked in a stable and made His bed with the cows and donkeys.

During His sojourn on earth, Jesus knew poverty. He performed a miracle to get money to pay His taxes. He performed another miracle to feed the hungry multitude that thronged about Him. He had to borrow an upper room to have the Last Supper with the Disciples, and when He was crucified, He owned nothing save the garments He wore. In the hour of His death, He could only bequeath His mother to John and His peace to His Disciples.

In this world Jesus often faced danger. Herod tried to have Him killed, His countrymen in Nazareth tried to throw Him over the brow of the Hill. The Jews often tried to stone Him. The high priest and the scribes wanted Him killed. The fickle multitude praised Him one day and cried, "Crucify Him" another day. Jesus knew loneliness. He was in a hostile world far from home. He spent nights alone in prayer and by day He was often ridiculed, scoffed at and mocked. One day He stood on a lonely slope with His disciples and watched a multitude, made angry at His preaching, walk away. No one invited Him to dinner or offered Him a night's lodging. Among the saddest words He ever uttered were, when he asked His disciples, "Will ye also go away?"

During His sojourn on earth Jesus experienced sorrows. Isaiah expressed it well. "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows," Isaiah 53:4. He bore the sorrow of seeing the world in rebellion against God. He bore the sorrows and sufferings of others. He knew the sorrow of losing a loved one. He wept at the tomb of Lazarus. Not the least of His sorrows was when Judas, betrayed Him with a stinging, lying kiss.

Jesus knew insult. We cannot understand what it was like for the Son of God to be stripped of His garments and clothed with a purple robe of mockery, then to be blindfolded, crowned with thorns, mitten in the face until His face was so distorted with discoloration, swelling, and laceration that He scarcely looked human. As if that were not enough, the Roman soldiers spit upon Him until His face and garments were drenched with their spittle.

Jesus knew pain. He knew the pain of cruel lashings. He knew the pain of piercing thorns upon His brow. He knew the pain of a heavy cross upon His sore, bloody back as He dragged it over the rough cobblestones streets of Jerusalem. He knew the pain of nails being driven through His open palms and the insteps of His feet. He knew torture when the cross was upraised and the weight of His body tore flesh and sinew where the nails were driven. He knew the shame of bearing the sins of untold millions and of rebellious men and women. He knew the pain of being forsaken of the Father in an hour when the sun refused to shine.

When taunted by rebellious men to come down from the cross, he clenched his fist upon the nails and stayed where he was until earth and sky fled away before His dying vision. Then at last He cried, "It is finished" and His chin sank to rest upon a lifeless chest.

In Christ we see God reaching down to lost and fallen men. That was the greatest expression of God's love. And we see Christ reaching out to the lost. For that purpose He was born. On the cross we see Father and Son working together to redeem the lost. ". . God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself," 2 Cor. 5:19.

The death was not the end of this One, who is the Alpha and Omega. The grave could not hold Him. The mighty Roman government sealed the tomb and commissioned soldiers to guard it. Jesus was bound with grave clothes and wrapped in the arms of death. Yet he arose!

An angel plummeted downward from the sky and hurled aside the stone that sealed the tomb Seasoned Roman soldiers fell backward like dead men, and inside the tomb was heard the sound of footsteps. Jesus defeated death, laid aside His grave clothes, and walked out.

An angel announced to the two Mary's, "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said, Come, see the place where the Lord lay," Matthew 23:6. Marvelous event of the ages! He is risen!

This is not the closing chapter. Christ is Eternal. He is the One who was and is and is to come. Forty days He walked among men after His resurrection, then he ascended from the Mount of Olives and walked upon the wind until a cloud received Him out of the sight of His watching apostles.

Jesus returned home and sat down at the right hand of the Father. Here the Eternal Christ continues His work as our High Priest. In this manner He is able to complete our uttermost salvation. "Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." Hebrews 7:25.

The eternal Christ is continuing to build His church. While upon this earth He said, "Upon this rock I will build (future tense) my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," Matthew 16:18. Each time He saves a soul, He is building His church. This work will continue until the last of His jewels are gathered in and the church is made complete.

Further, Jesus is building a city. In John 14:3 He said, ". . . if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself." In six short days God fashioned this world for the occupancy of man. For some two-thousand years Jesus has been building our home of many mansions. When the apostle John saw the Heavenly Jerusalem descending from Heaven he described it in terms that are difficult for us to comprehend. Paul was inspired to write, ". . . Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man., The things which God hath prepared for them that love Him," 1 Cor. 2:9.

Now we may but know in part but one day we shall know as we also are known. One day The Alpha and The Omega will come for His waiting bride and then we shall be with Him forevermore.

After His glorious second coming Jesus will reign over The earth. "The kingdoms of this world are become The kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever. " The Alpha of The beginning will be The Omega of The never ending ages.