“Fear not, I am the first and the last. I am He that liveth and was dead and behold, I am alive forevermore and have the keys of hell and death.” - Revelation 1:17-18
Fear not - It seems as though Christ was continually reassuring His disciples with those words - “fear not.” Today, on the day suspended between the agony of the cross and the victory of the resurrection, is a fitting day to think why exactly it is that we can truly "fear not"!
“Fear not” should be the watchword of our Christian experience! The first words of introduction to Jesus were when the angel declared, “Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings ... born this day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord.” Those words are repeated frequently through the ministry of Jesus, till at last the women came to the tomb where the angel appears and says, “Fear not, for I know that you seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen.”
Oh, how our world today needs to hear this message, “Fear not.” Seldom, if ever, was the world in such a grip of fear as today. Never before were there so many people who are in need of food, and clothing, and comfort, and hope, and safety.
The world is a frightening place in these times, and all about us we see the future in a blur of nervous tension, not knowing what a day will bring. But the word from Jesus is still the same, “Fear not.”
“Fear not” because we have the victory over death, over sin, and over fear itself.
Look at the next words in Rev. 1:17, “I am the first and the last.” He is the only one about whom it could be written. He is the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
Then, “I am He that liveth and was dead...” You need not doubt that! You can trust the efficiency of the Roman soldiers. There was too much at stake for them to have been inefficient in the action of execution. Undoubtedly, they killed Him. When they pierced His side, and blood and water poured forth, we may be sure He was dead. Then, they placed a Roman seal upon the tomb and placed a Roman guard in front of it. You may be sure they did not place it upon the grave of a living man.
But tomorrow we celebrate the fact that Jesus did not stay in that tomb. On Sunday, He was gone.
It is true that in a sense, we worship at a tomb, but it is a tomb like none other. People flock to visit the tomb of Lenin, and of Grant, and of the unknown soldier - but Lenin, Grant, and a legion of unknown soldiers are beyond helping them now.
The great pyramid is a tomb that took 2.3 million blocks of stone and the labor of thousands of men to build, yet it houses the remains of one dead Pharaoh with no message of life.
The Taj Mahal is said to be the most beautiful tomb in all the world, glistening and spectacular to behold, but it has no message of hope for the teeming millions.
Yes, we worship at a tomb because it is empty and in it we see our victory. He was dead. But now - He is alive.
We worship a risen Christ who holds the keys to death, but He is also the way of life. Our everlasting destiny is in the hands of the keeper of the keys. Truly, we can rejoice and “Fear not!”
Oh Lord how I rejoice today in Your mighty victory over death and sin. I am so thankful that the keys to my future are firmly in Your loving hands rather than in my own shortsighted possession. Thank you that I truly can say from the depths of my soul that I “Fear not.” Amen.
For HIS Glory!
Cara & Patti
Classic Christianity
Fear not - It seems as though Christ was continually reassuring His disciples with those words - “fear not.” Today, on the day suspended between the agony of the cross and the victory of the resurrection, is a fitting day to think why exactly it is that we can truly "fear not"!
“Fear not” should be the watchword of our Christian experience! The first words of introduction to Jesus were when the angel declared, “Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings ... born this day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord.” Those words are repeated frequently through the ministry of Jesus, till at last the women came to the tomb where the angel appears and says, “Fear not, for I know that you seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen.”
Oh, how our world today needs to hear this message, “Fear not.” Seldom, if ever, was the world in such a grip of fear as today. Never before were there so many people who are in need of food, and clothing, and comfort, and hope, and safety.
The world is a frightening place in these times, and all about us we see the future in a blur of nervous tension, not knowing what a day will bring. But the word from Jesus is still the same, “Fear not.”
“Fear not” because we have the victory over death, over sin, and over fear itself.
Look at the next words in Rev. 1:17, “I am the first and the last.” He is the only one about whom it could be written. He is the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
Then, “I am He that liveth and was dead...” You need not doubt that! You can trust the efficiency of the Roman soldiers. There was too much at stake for them to have been inefficient in the action of execution. Undoubtedly, they killed Him. When they pierced His side, and blood and water poured forth, we may be sure He was dead. Then, they placed a Roman seal upon the tomb and placed a Roman guard in front of it. You may be sure they did not place it upon the grave of a living man.
But tomorrow we celebrate the fact that Jesus did not stay in that tomb. On Sunday, He was gone.
It is true that in a sense, we worship at a tomb, but it is a tomb like none other. People flock to visit the tomb of Lenin, and of Grant, and of the unknown soldier - but Lenin, Grant, and a legion of unknown soldiers are beyond helping them now.
The great pyramid is a tomb that took 2.3 million blocks of stone and the labor of thousands of men to build, yet it houses the remains of one dead Pharaoh with no message of life.
The Taj Mahal is said to be the most beautiful tomb in all the world, glistening and spectacular to behold, but it has no message of hope for the teeming millions.
Yes, we worship at a tomb because it is empty and in it we see our victory. He was dead. But now - He is alive.
We worship a risen Christ who holds the keys to death, but He is also the way of life. Our everlasting destiny is in the hands of the keeper of the keys. Truly, we can rejoice and “Fear not!”
Oh Lord how I rejoice today in Your mighty victory over death and sin. I am so thankful that the keys to my future are firmly in Your loving hands rather than in my own shortsighted possession. Thank you that I truly can say from the depths of my soul that I “Fear not.” Amen.
For HIS Glory!
Cara & Patti
Classic Christianity
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