Published Apr 12, 2022
By: Randy McWhorter, Lead Pastor of The First Baptist Church of Fair Oaks
Of all the “I Am” sayings of Jesus, Revelation 1:18 stands alone. Jesus said, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.” (NKJV – bold and italics added) If forever is eternal, how can there be more forever? Other translations use the term “I am alive forever and ever.” However you translate it, it’s beyond what can be imagined. Forevermore is a literary way of saying more forever than you need.
Literally the words used to translate forevermore are something like “into unending ages.” Jesus is the Living One who will continue living for ages without end. That says more than you can ever imagine when you consider that Jesus said in John 14:19, “Because I live, you also will live.” Because of the resurrection, believers don’t just live forever, they live forevermore. That’s more forever than you will ever need. But that’s Jesus. He always gives us more than we need.
As a believer you have more than enough forgiveness of sin because God made you forevermore alive with Christ (Colossians 2:13). As a believer you have more than enough power to live a victorious life because Jesus lives forevermore (Ephesians 1:19-21). As a believer you have more than enough of everything you will ever need. That includes eternity. Forevermore, or forever and ever, believers will live with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
You have more forever than you need because God’s word is forever, His love is forever, His faithfulness endures forever, His salvation is everlasting. No wonder God is praised forever and ever.
Buzz Lightyear, a hero of the Toy Story movies, proclaims his motto, “To infinity and beyond!” But like you, he has plenty of trouble just dealing with his earthly limitations much less the ability to go beyond the infinite. Ironically, no number of light years could take you beyond infinity. But God is more than infinity. He goes beyond everlasting. He is from everlasting to everlasting (that’s infinity and beyond). That means the everlasting life believers possess has the same characteristic of the life Jesus possesses. Jesus lives forevermore and those who believe in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
This Easter we celebrate a risen Lord who is alive forevermore. And because He lives, we have more forever than we need. He is KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And He shall reign forever and ever! HALLELUJAH!