Those Wonderful Words

November 23

Who is Jesus? There are many answers to that question and to one degree or another, many of them are right. We could say that He was an itinerant preacher who never left the Galilean countryside where He grew up. We could say He was a charismatic personality who drew people to Himself. He was a good man, a profound thinker, a man of sterling character—He never lied, stole or harmed anyone. Some say He embodied all that is noble in the human character.

Some may distort His personhood—claim that He may have done a few good things but that the ultimate assessment of Him requires that He be deemed a liar, for He claimed to be God in the flesh. A Christian writer has said that Jesus was either a liar or a lunatic—or—He is indeed, the LORD!

Revelation 1:17 shares the Apostle John’s vision of Jesus after His death and resurrection. This man who walked beside Him, who saw Him die, then fished with Him after He arose from the grave said, “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. He laid His hand upon me and said, ‘Don’t be afraid.’” Like John, we will one day see Jesus in the glory of His Godhead.

It will either be our last view of Him before He points us toward the eternal pit our rejection of Him as Savior requires or it will be our first glimpse of eternity with Him in Heaven. May we be quick to receive Him as Lord and Savior today so we will, like John, hear Him say those wonderful words of comfort as He receives us to Himself, “Don’t be afraid.”