December 14, 2025
LINK TO SERMON ON YOUTUBE
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TEXT: Revelation 1:1-8
TOPIC: Jesus is the Alpha and Omega
SERMON SUMMARY:
The Alpha and Omega: Waiting in Joyful Anticipation
As an adult, I'll confess that Advent often feels stressful—so much to do, so many preparations before Christmas arrives. But as a child? December 1st signaled the beginning of magical waiting. Every day the anticipation grew stronger. Sometimes I thought Christmas would never come.
Do you remember that feeling? That childhood sense of joyful expectation?
This Advent, as we continue our sermon series on the names of Jesus, we're exploring what it means that Jesus calls himself the Alpha and Omega. In Revelation 1, John writes this self-declaration from Christ: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
Alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Jesus is declaring that he is the beginning and end of all things—emphasizing his eternal nature and divine authority. He has no starting point or ending point. He is the complete word of God.
This truth helps us in three powerful ways. First, his sovereignty gives us comfort about the future. No matter what disasters loom—wars, climate fears, cultural decay—Jesus rules over all. Second, it brings peace to our spiritual journey. We can stop listening to the accuser's constant criticisms and guilt, and instead trust that Jesus, who chose us before creation, guides us in love. Third, it secures our final hope. Whatever struggles we face, Jesus will draw us to himself on the last day.
But here's the challenge: waiting isn't fun. We've been taught that waiting is always a disappointment, never a gift. Yet waiting on God is woven into creation because God has a purpose in the waiting. It's the painful process of decentering from our own ego and placing our focus on him.
So where's your focus this Advent? On all the world's problems and anxieties? Or are you like a child asking "How many more days till Christmas?" living in joyful anticipation of his coming again?
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:
The Stress of Waiting: Fr. Rob contrasts his adult stress during Advent with childhood anticipation of Christmas. What anxieties or tasks are currently preventing you from experiencing joyful anticipation of Christ's coming? How might you shift your focus this Advent season?
Trusting the Alpha and Omega: Which of the three ways Christ as Alpha and Omega helps us resonates most with you right now—comfort about the future, peace in your spiritual journey, or confidence in your final hope? Why does that particular aspect speak to your current situation?
Decentering from Ego: Fr. Rob teaches that waiting on God involves the "painful process of decentering from our own ego." Where in your life might God be asking you to wait, to let go of control, and to trust his purposes rather than insisting on your own way?
Ordained in the Anglican Church more than 20 years ago, The Very Reverend Rob Holman has led congregations in New York and Los Angeles with sound biblical preaching, prayerful discernment, and trained organizational management skills. Besides his role as Rector of St. Luke’s Anglican Church in Montrose, CA, Fr. Rob is also Dean of the Greater Los Angeles Deanery in the ACNA’s Diocese of Western Anglicans. During his tenure in Los Angeles, he has run Kingdom Conferences for the Diocese and been a speaker at the Deanery’s annual Next Steps in Mission training day. Fr. Rob received his Master of Divinity at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA and is a graduate of the University of Virginia (BS Engineering '87 and MBA '91).
For over a century, the congregation of St. Luke’s has followed Jesus Christ through ancient forms of worship and spiritual growth presented in a contemporary style. St. Luke’s celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024. The original building, made of stones from the local mountains, still stands on Foothill Blvd in La Crescenta—though the Anglican congregation has moved to a new building just a few blocks away near downtown Montrose. Retaining its biblically faithful foundation and liturgically rich worship service through the move, this long-standing Los Angeles church also carries on a tradition of warm welcome for newcomers. St. Luke’s is part of the Diocese of Western Anglicans, Anglican Church in North America, and the Global Anglican Communion. We invite you to join us online or in person this Sunday!
