“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” (NIV)

Have you ever felt terrified? I mean knees shaking, breath holding, hair tingling, terrified? Well, that's how John felt when he saw Jesus' return in the vision that became the book of Revelation. In today's verse, notice how seeing Jesus affected John; he “fell at his feet as though dead.” When John saw the living Jesus in his triumphant return, John couldn't function, he couldn't even remain standing.

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Have you ever thought seeing Jesus would generate this type of reaction in you? If it did in John, then how much more so for you? Afterall, John knew the incarnate Jesus. He ate with him, traveled with him, learned from him, ministered for him, and even, some say, was the disciple whom Jesus loved. I could go on, but the point is that John knew Jesus very well. Yet the sight of the risen and living Jesus terrified him. What did John see that terrified him of his beloved Rabbi? Fortunately, John tells us:

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“.... and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.” (Rev 1: 13-16)

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Have you ever pictured Jesus like this? Judging from John's reaction, I'll bet he hadn't.

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And yet, what did Jesus do when he saw John collapse at his feet? He reassuringly touched him and said four of the most comforting words ever spoken by our sovereign God:

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“Do not be afraid.”

Imagine you're John. You're laying as if dead at the feet of the risen and living Jesus Christ. You feel his touch and hear the words “do not be afraid” coming from his mouth, a mouth with a double-edged sword coming out of it. Are you still terrified? I am. Lovingly, Jesus doesn't stop there:

“I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

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These are comforting words! And spoken with complete authority, truth, and inerrancy. That's what the sword represents as the author of Hebrews states in Hebrews 4:12:

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

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In other words, you better believe and follow what Jesus says because he is judge and jury. But while Jesus will judge us one day, he also loves us so much that he tells us exactly what kind of judge he is.

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“I am the First and the Last.”

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Nothing exists outside of Jesus. Everything comes through him. He is the way, the only way to eternal life.

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“I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!”

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This is what sets Christianity apart from every other religion. It's not Jesus' death that saves us, it's his resurrection. Jesus is God, THE God. And he is seated at God's right hand for eternity. God's plan of salvation is complete. All we have to do is believe.

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“And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

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Again, Jesus is judge and jury. His double-edged sword fights for our righteousness but it also slays those that choose not to believe. Out of his love for us, his judgment is just and final.

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Are you feeling less terrified now? John was. After hearing those comforting words, John arose and at the command of a risen and living Jesus, wrote the book of Revelation. Our Lord is alive, upright, and just. He is judge and jury. He is the first and the last, the Alpha and Omega. He is the one and only God. Whom better to choose to serve?

Lord, I thank you for your words of comfort. I thank you for showing me the way and in fact, making it simple. Jesus, you are the first and the last. Through you, and only you, all things will face your just and fair judgment. Your sovereign holiness demands my belief and obedience. I give it to you now. I invite the living Jesus into a living relationship with me; teaching me, correcting me, and loving me, for ever and ever. Amen.