Don’t be afraid

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. – Revelation 1v17-18

Can you imagine what it must have been like when John saw Jesus? Remember, he was a man like us, despite all that he had been through. The last time he saw Jesus he still looked like a man and was ascending into heaven. Now He looked like this:

Clothed with a garment down to the feet
Girded about the chest with a golden band.
His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow
His eyes like a flame of fire
His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace
His voice as the sound of many waters
He had in His right hand seven stars
Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword
His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

Jesus’ glory and majesty were obvious. When John saw it he did what I think we all would do. He fell on His face in fear. “Who wouldn’t?’ we might ask, “If they saw Jesus like that?”

We may not see Jesus face to face like John did, but we claim to know Him and we claim that we have a close relationship with Him. If we truly had the faith that we sometime claim to have this is how we would see Jesus whether we see Him face to face or spiritually. Jesus’ holiness should move us the same way.

But look how Jesus responded to the fear. It is amazing to note that in this instant He showed both His holiness and Hs love. Out of those burning eyes he looked down at John with words of compassion – ‘Don’t be afraid.’

Sometimes our English language can be a little cloudy, but this statement really does make sense. Jesus wants us to fear God, without being afraid. We stand in reverence of His awesome power, in that sense we fear Him. But we need to be afraid, because He is our God. He loves us. He is the one Who conquered death. He is alive forever.

The Jesus that John saw is the same Jesus we serve today. If you take the time to study this you see that all the descriptions relate to aspects of His divine nature. Because we are His however we don’t have to be afraid, but can rejoice in the truth that He is on our side and then reverence His holiness.