A Divine Romance

Christ stated that he is the Alpha and the Omega. The first and last letters of the Greek language, in common use at that time. So he was saying that he is both the beginning and the end. Not only do all things begin and end with him, but that they will continue in him for all eternity.

Alpha, Omega and everything in between

But by saying that he is the beginning and the end he was communicating much more to his listeners. For ancient oriental minds, this symbolized completeness or totality.

They were already familiar with using the first and last letters to express totality. So Christ was saying, in effect: I am the beginning, the end, and everything in-between!

We find an example of this in Leviticus 26. Where the Lord’s blessings went from Aleph (the first Hebrew letter) to Taw (the last letter). In this way God was stating that his blessings for his people were complete.

While conversely, that chapter’s curses only went from Waw to Mem, which were the 6th and 13th letters! Thus, God blessed his people completely, while limiting the curses they suffered. And what an awesome thought that is!

All beginnings and endings

Christ does not have a beginning nor an end – he is above and beyond them for he is eternal. The beginning and the end are in him. As Paul states: “Christ is all, and in all,” Colossians 3:11.

Which means he is (and has been) present at every beginning and ending – including our own. He brought about our earthly beginning and our spiritual birth. And will be there at our earthly end and with us throughout eternity.

But what about the here and now?

This in-between time? We know that he is always present. We know he leads and guides us through each day and in all our endeavors. But how often do we remember that he is preparing us for the future that awaits us? For our eternal union with him?

Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself.

Revelation 19:7 CSB

Think back to the first days of any significant relationship in your life. When you first met your spouse or even a friend, you couldn’t wait to spend time together. And you wanted to know everything about him or her. Their likes and dislikes, and what was of importance to them.

Do we await Christ like an eager bride?

Do we wait for Christ in the same way? Like an eager bride, are we anxious to know Christ in such an earnest way?

• Do we anxiously await and watch for our bridegroom’s arrival?
• Do we eagerly peruse all the words he’s written for us?
• Do we seek to identify with him and know him more?

That is Christ’s desire. During this in-between time he is wooing us in a divine romance.

He calls us to wait for his return with eager anticipation. To draw near to him, promising that he too will draw near to us. He implores us to cultivate real communion with him, learning to truly live in him.

Or have we grown complacent?

Do we feel his gentle nudge and hear his soft call? Or do we let the busyness and pleasures of this life drown them out?

That’s how complacency sets in. Until the image of our bridegroom starts to fade, and his return seems far away. Until finally the divine romance and excitement of our relationship with him dwindles.

Only when we heed the gentle tug of his call does our passion revive, our relationship deepen. Only then do we truly begin to move, live, and have our being in him.

Then we look forward to our earthly Omega.

Only in that way can we look toward our earthly Omega with joy. Knowing that we’re heading to an all-new and eternal Alpha. With the One who has been present every second of our lives, the Bridegroom we have learned to love and adore.

So let’s renew our commitment to deepening our relationship with the bridegroom. With the one through whom we live, and move, and have our being. And through whom we will continue to live for all eternity.

 For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’

Acts 17:28 CSB

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1. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.

Images: Bride with bouquet by Dmitry Svolskiy | Book & flower by Myriams-Fotos | Bridal couple by Engin Akyurt | Rings graphic made on Canva.