“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8).

In the Chaplain’s Corner last week, we read about the meaning of Advent, which means coming. As a season, it is a time of celebration of the first coming of Christ (Nativity). Officially, it is also a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the return of Jesus as the Second Coming. However, what I really want to focus on in this Chaplain’s Corner is worshipping the God “who is,” which is the first attribute mentioned in the scripture quoted above. I am, of course, speaking of the Trinity:  God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ, son of God), and God the Holy Spirit.

I relate this to how God described himself in Genesis, the great “I am,” which relates to God’s divine attributes of “self-existence” and “omnipresence.” God has attributes that we as humans can aspire to, attributes such as love, mercy, justice, etc. God also possesses attributes that are not humanly possible. These are the divine attributes such as self-existence, omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience.

Self-existence means that God exists eternally. He was not created; He always was and always will be, the Alpha and the Omega. He is not contained by time. He was as present to my great-grandparents as He will be to my great-grandchildren. Moses wrote this beautiful tribute found in Psalm 90:1-2: “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

Omnipresence means that God is always everywhere. Not only does God exist eternally, God is also present “geographically” everywhere all the time. What a comfort (for believers) is the truth that is contained in this passage from Psalm 139:7-10:  “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

To me, this means that we not only worship the historical Jesus or the future Jesus, we also worship the current Jesus, the Jesus of today. When Jesus ascended to Heaven, he promised us he would be with us always. Notice the present tense of this verse: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b). We acknowledge Jesus with our prayers. When we pray with expectation that He will answer, then we are acknowledging the Jesus who is with us today. When we recognize and praise Jesus for answered prayers, we are acknowledging the grace and mercy of Jesus who is with us today.

• “Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
• Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:34b).
• “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 1:1-2).

Every day, every moment, realize that Jesus is with you. Earnestly seek Him. Acknowledge Him. Talk to Him. Ask Him. Thank Him. Jesus is not just a historical event that we read about in the Bible, although He was. Jesus is not just a future possibility that we can hope for when we die, although He will be. Jesus is real, He is now. He is the Word, living and active. Jesus is our intercessor, our intermediary, our advocate. He is Emmanuel, God With Us.

It is my prayer that this message will help us all to more fully celebrate and worship our great God, the giver of all good and perfect gifts, during this holy season of Christmas.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).

In Christ,

Judy