Should You Fear Jesus?
We’re going to be making some changes with our blog posts, doing some experimentation, possibly trying video, etc. This post will be different in that it will be shorter, and focused on just a single passage.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Jesus is the first one who died, rose from the dead, and now will never die again. He is the Holy One. To His glory there is no end. We are completely unworthy of His love. John feels his own humbling unworthiness at the beginning of verse 17.
And then something beautiful happens. Something called grace. The Son of God lays His hand on John, the hand with the nail scars from the cross on His wrist, and says “Fear not.”
Fear not. He does not remind John of John’s weaknesses, or John’s past sins. No, Jesus says, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
What is Jesus saying here? Simply this. You don’t need to fear Him. He has shown us what He has for all who have come to Him seeking mercy. He is here, now, to touch you and give you this same promise. Yes, Jesus is first one who died, rose from the dead, and now will never die again. But He won’t be the last.
With the keys to death and the grave, He unlocks both by His power to bring you back from the dead as well. And to raise all your loved ones who died in Him. No, Jesus isn’t to be feared. He is to be loved, just as He loved us.
Spend some time today thinking about His words. Don’t be afraid. The Living One wants to touch you gently and remind you that no matter what you’re going through, He has the final say, and if you accept His offer of salvation, He will remove any power death has from you forever and ever.
If you have follow-up thoughts, feel free to reach out to me directly via our contact form. Also, if you’d like to learn more about me and why I create all this content about following Jesus, check out my About page. If you love the content and would like to support this work, please visit Troy Stoneking (buymeacoffee.com). Finally, would you like to see a list of ALL our blog posts? Here it is!
Love you Jesus follower!