Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is, and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:7–8—NKJV)

With the advent of Spring and the return of the birds, I am reminded of boyish thoughts of long ago. I remember watching the common grackles flocking into the backyard, filling the air with their raucous squawking as they picked along the ground in their staggering gait. I wondered what it must be like to be limited to two feet and two wings, instead of two feet and two hands. Did they realize they were trapped by their anatomy and forever doomed to the “drunken” walk, constant squabbles, and carrying things in their beak, which now must be their most able tool?

The immature ramblings of a child, themselves limited by the lack of experience and equipped with a rudimentary concept of the purpose of God, serve as an instructive springboard for our purpose today. The average person lives almost his entire life without the realization that he is severely limited and, like the grackle, squabbles, staggers, and squawks through life, never really getting to know the One who really is the Almighty. Man compares himself to his fellow man focused only on what he can see, unless he is crushed into submission and turns for sustaining grace to the One who died for him.

Our limitations are found all around us. We are defined by numbers—vital statistics, I.Q., lifespan. We are not just limited by our size, shape, and intellect, but also by our location in time and space. We are bounded by our era, by our geographic boundaries, even the very tiny planet upon which we exist. Biblically we find we are also bound by our sinful, fallen nature. Yet, since this is all mankind knows, he easily falls prey to thinking this is all there is, and therefore, falls prey to his grasping nature and its attendant despair.

Our text is found in the fascinating opening to a most intriguing and frightening book of Scripture. As the apostle John lays the foundation for his “Revelation of Jesus Christ,” he dedicates the book (verses 4–8) to the One who is makes meaning of all of human history (for history is His story) and is the One to whom all history will lead. Verse eight unfolds the limitless nature of Jesus Christ compared to the limited nature of man.

In the NKJV there are four phrases, though the second of the four may have made its way from verse eleven and so it does not appear in some translations. Jesus Christ defines man, He limits man, He exceeds man, and He eclipses man. The progression from limited to boundless is plainly obvious. Notice the “I am,” His claim to divinity!

It is the first phrase which shows the limits of man. Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega. From the earliest days we learn our ABC’s and to the end of life we seek to cover everything from “A to Z.” Every thought, word, law, and culture of man is confined to a very limited alphabet. All of man’s society and accomplishments are contained in A to Z. Man is defined by the word, Jesus Christ is revealed by the Word.

The second phrase shows the boundaries of man. We are constantly bounded by beginnings and endings; even our life is bounded by birth date and death date. Jesus Christ sets the boundary none can exceed.

The third phrase shows the finiteness of man. We see ourselves as living at this time. Others went before us, others will come after us. Not so with Jesus Christ, He is, He was, and He is to come! He is risen!

The final phrase shows the weakness of man. From birth to our last breath we are constantly grasping for power. We cannot conceive of the limitlessness of the power of the Son of God! He is the Almighty!

What a message for the church to remember before the rapture! What a message for the tribulation saints to fortify their souls when the false god, false christ, and false leader are grinding the faithful down before the Almighty One returns to establish His Kingdom! Are you in need of the reminder of your own limits? Are you in need of the reminder of your limitless God? Trust and obey.