The first generation of Christians was all but gone by the end of the first century. The apostle John was the only one remaining from the original 12. There weren’t many others left who had witnessed Jesus personally.

This was also a time of intense persecution for many Christians. The Roman Empire was executing them. Public opinion of them was negative. It got to the point where many of them probably wondered, “Is God even here?”

If he was there, why was he not doing something to make things better?

There can be difficult times in life when it seems everything is working against you. Even if you do the right things, they lead to disaster and grief. There might be times when you wonder if God even knows where you are.

So at the end of the first century, God sent this message to his people through the apostle John—a message that he still wants his church to hear today: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 21:6).

When Jesus offered himself as the sacrifice for your sins, he guaranteed that you and God would never be far apart. Nothing can separate his love from you. 

No matter where you end up in life, God always knows where you are because he is already where you are going. He is the Beginning and the End. Keep your hope anchored to Jesus. The finish is worth it.