JESUS CHRIST, the BEGINNING and the END

"And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely" (Rev 21:6). "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last" (Rev 22:13).

Devotion 13 of 20

PREEMINENT IN DOCTRINE AND EXPERIENCE

Jesus is the preeminent expression of God; the most precise communication of His will and purpose. Just as a word to a thought is the closest of all philosophical associations, so the Person of our Savior is the closest of all affiliations with the Father. John describes this relationship in the opening words of His Gospel. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).

The Holy Spirit is here setting the stage for the proclamation of the Gospel. He points to the preincarnate Christ, revealing Him as the ultimate expression of God. The article "the" is important, i.e., "THE Word." Jesus is not A Word, but THE exclusive Word. The Jehovah Witnesses' sect, denying the uniqueness of Christ, say He is A Word, not THE Word--but they are wrong! It is important to look more carefully at this revelation of the nature of Christ Jesus.

The expression "the Word" is the translation of the Greek word logos. Etymologically, the word means "something said (including the thought); by implication a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive . . . tidings, treatise, utterance, word, work" (Strongs).

Of particular interest is the meaning "a topic . . . tidings, treatise . . . " Jesus is the only Person that is Himself the message! Worldly leaders HAVE a message; Jesus IS the message! When He is comprehended, the message of God gets through to the heart. Those who comprehend Christ have comprehended God's message to humanity. He is the embodiment of Divine communication. Those who do not discern Jesus know nothing of God's message.

Jesus Christ is the "Topic" of the Gospel. He is the heart of God's communication. He is the personification of "sound doctrine." Rarely is He so considered! Many present the church as the fundamental thing. Some consider the family unit the center of Divine focus, while others stoop so low as to think their nation is the primary consideration. Others see recruitment, often called "soul-winning," as the primary thing. Others consider "church growth" to be the fundamental activity.

Heaven, however, always sets Jesus forth as the Message and the Substance of the Kingdom! "We preach Christ . . . " (1 Cor 1:23). He, and He alone, is "the Wisdom of God" (1 Cor 1:24). No wonder it is written of Him, " . . . and His name is called The Word of God" (Rev 19:13). He is God's message to humanity!

No individual can allow himself to be content with merely knowing ABOUT Christ. Such knowledge is imperative, to be sure. However, the Person of Jesus Himself is to be known, for He is the Message, or Word of God. To know Jesus is to understand Him; to know why He came, why He died, why He arose, and why He went back to heaven. Such wonderful knowledge transforms His commandments into gracious words that are not grievous.

All true preaching is summarized in Christ Jesus the Lord! Where He Himself is not proclaimed, the real message is missed! Being acutely aware of this Kingdom-circumstance, Paul confessed, "For I determined not to KNOW any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Cor 2:2). Notice, Paul does not say he is determined not to PREACH anything but Jesus . . . ! He determined not to "KNOW" anything but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. The Lord Jesus is the ultimate Person and the paramount offering!

It would revolutionize our churches if but a few men made this determination! If you have been in Christ for any length of time, you know how very little He is preached these days. Preaching in which Jesus is not preeminent will not be honored by heaven. Such preaching, however learned it may appear, becomes an obstacle to the realization of blessing. God will not work through a message that is not centered in Jesus.

Preeminent in Experience

Purveyors of religion offer us a lot these days. Everything from health and wealth, to superlative experiences and sensations are being set before the people. For some, falling down under the purported power of God is the ultimate experience. For others, being able to speak in an untaught language represents the greatest of all experiences. Still, others offer a level of human discipline as the superior attainment.

Those embracing such notion market them effectively in the arena of religious simplicity and froth. This is the day of the religious charlatan! It is a day when delusion has been sent forth by God to those who have not received the love of the truth, that they might be saved. As it is written, "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thess 2:11-12).

However, we must not simply react against religious misrepresentations. Rather, we are to embrace the declaration of true and valid intentions as stated in the Word of God. My point is that Jesus Christ Himself--not something purporting to be FROM Christ--is the preeminent experience. How wonderfully Paul states the case for us. "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss FOR CHRIST. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS MY LORD: for WHOM I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may WIN CHRIST, and be found IN HIM, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of (in) Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may KNOW HIM, and the power of HIS RESURRECTION, and the fellowship of HIS SUFFERINGS, being made conformable unto HIS DEATH" (Phil 1:8-10).

See the things Paul sought to experience! "The knowledge of Christ." "The knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." "That I may know Him"; i.e., personally experience the indwelling Christ. "That I may know . . . the power of His resurrection;" i.e., participate in His irrepressible life. "That I may know . . . the fellowship of His sufferings;" i.e., with the world reacting to me like it did to Him. "That I may" be made "conformable to His death;" i.e., be so oriented for the world to come, that I realize a complete separation from "this present evil world."

this attitude will probably put you at variance with much of the professed church. You will be hard pressed to find many people in popular churches that are actually engaged in a quest for Christ. Many are the ones seeking to receive something FROM Christ--few are those who see Jesus Himself as the preeminent experience!

This is the preeminent experience--to know Christ, having no confusion concerning His Person and work; to live with Him in heavenly realms, not dominated by the world. To taste first hand of the effects of living by faith in a world dominated by unbelief! That is another way of saying "eternal life" (John 17:3). The ultimate experience is not something happening TO you, but Christ dwelling IN you. To put it another way, it is Christ being "formed in you" (Gal 4:19). The spiritually unlearned are willing to settle for a gift from Jesus. The discerning want Jesus Himself, and will settle for nothing less!

The principle Person is Christ, and the principle experience is knowing Him! Until He dwells in our hearts by faith (Eph 3:16-17), we have only occupied nether realms! No fleshly sensation--however lofty- can compensate for a lack of familiarity with the Son of God. He is THE BEGINNING--the Preeminent One! With all due respect to those speaking of spiritual sensations in their bodies, such things are reduced to trivia when Christ Himself is known and embraced!

Those who seek for things to happen TO them may appear sincere, but their desires betray their blindness. Israel had good things happen TO them, but missed the blessing! God seeks YOU more than He seeks your welfare. An honest heart will confirm this to you! Jesus is His grandest gift, and nothing really is possessed until He is owned in the heart! He is the preeminent experience. Becoming "one spirit" with Him (1 Cor 6:17), fulfills the need of man and the desire of God.

PRAYER POINT: Father, I thank You in the name of Jesus for such a thoroughly satisfying Savior, upon Whom all my focus may be placed.

-- Tomorrow: FREED FOR FREEDOM --