Christmas Devotion (Day 1) - The Alpha and the Omega

"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." 
-- Revelation 22:13

As the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, the Alpha and Omega represent the One in whom creation began and by whom it will one day end. Its usage as an early Christian symbol is based upon Revelation 1:8: "’I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending’, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty".

In the last book of the Bible, Jesus reveals Himself as "the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Present at the world's beginning, Jesus will also be present at its end, when He and His work are finally and fully revealed. When you pray to Christ as the Alpha and the Omega, you are praying to the One who is, who was, and who is to come. He is our all-sufficient Lord, who will not fail to complete the good work He has begun in us.

If Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of the world's painful but hopeful story, it is vital that we not only listen but that we respond, letting Christ weave our own small stories into the greatest story ever told. This week, spend some time thinking about the story of your life thus far. Take everything you remember. both the good and the bad, and give it to Jesus. Tell Him you want to surrender your life in an even deeper way so that He alone will be the Alpha and the Omega. the beginning and the end of the story of your life.

For Discussion: Can you imagine a human being claiming to be the A to Z? Why or why not? How do you think this title relates to Christ as God? Try to relate this title to Jesus' role in both creation and in world history. What do you think it means? What would it mean to say that Jesus is first and last in your own life?

Prayer:  Lord, You are the Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, First and Last. You are the source of all life and the fulfillment of all desire. You made the world from nothing and then remade it through your love. Thank you for being the beginning and the ending and all things in between.  Thank you for always being there.  Help me to remember that I am never alone because you are with me always.  Amen.

Carols: Joy to the World and A Strange Way to Save the World 

Ornaments: http://www.biblestoryprintables.com/files/BibleCrafts/NamesJesus1.pdf

Craft: Decorate your home with a Christmas banner showing the Greek symbols Alpha and Omega. Use about a yard of felt for the background. Make a casing and insert a dowel pole or stick to hang it from. Use other colors of felt to cut out your decorations and glue them to the background.

Service Project Idea:  Make a “thinking of you” card.  Decorate the front of it with a “chi ro” symbol.  On the inside of the card, send a note to someone who is house bound or in the hospital letting them know that you are thinking of them and also explain about the meaning of the “chi ro” symbol.