"Be Not Afraid"

In Matthew 28, we read:

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.”

While the resurrection is in the thoughts of many this day, stop to pay attention to the words that the angels said to the women: “Do not be afraid.” What would these women have had to fear? This is the resurrection, the core of the gospel message as Paul writes about in I Corinthians 15:1-8. In Acts 23:6, Paul again notes the resurrection being central to his teachings, and I Peter 1:3 reminds us that our hope is derived from Jesus’ resurrection. This is the event by which the death and burial are fulfilled. This is the source of our hope. Why, then, would those women be afraid?

From Fear to Joy
In Matthew 26, we can see that they had much to fear. In verse 56, the apostles flee after Judas comes and betrays Jesus, bringing with him armed men to forcibly take the Messiah if necessary. When Jesus was to be buried, only two came forward. In Mark 16:8 and John 20:19, we see again the fear in which Jesus’ followers lived.

While the faithful lived in fear, though, Jesus’ appearance after the resurrection brought them joy. In John 20, when Jesus appears to Mary in verses 11-18, she runs to the disciples to tell the other disciples. In Luke 24:13, Jesus appears to two disciples walking to Emmaus, and He asks them to relate recent events to Him, events they are surprised He does not seem to know. In verses 25-31, Jesus studies with them and eats with them, opening their eyes to Him, and we see them, in verses 33-35, responding in joy and longing to spread the news. Jesus goes on to appear to His apostles in the same chapter, and they disbelieve for joy. Thomas joyfully repents of his doubt upon seeing the risen Lord.

Face to Face with Jesus
Luke 5 records an experience Peter has with Jesus early in His ministry. Peter and others have been fishing all night, without success, and Jesus simply encourages him and his companions to try one more time. Doing so, they catch an unmanageable number of fish, and Peter, in verse 8, falls and worships Jesus, confessing His sins in fear. At this time, Peter wants to be far from Jesus because He is overcome with fear and guilt.

John 21, after the crucifixion and resurrection, something similar happens when Peter decides to again go fishing. Once more, Peter’s efforts are in vain, catching nothing all night. Come morning, a man instructs them to cast on the other side of the boat where they catch an unmanageable number of fish. Peter recognizes this man as the Lord – a man he had recently cursed and sinned against – but this time responds in joy. Instead of wishing Jesus away from him, Peter jumps into the water and swims toward Jesus to be with Him as soon as possible. Fear has melted into joy and confidence, and this confidence becomes central to Peter’s ministry throughout Acts, gives him strength against persecution, and becomes a key theme to his letters.

Conclusion
This is the impact the resurrection should have in our lives. When confronted with our sin and our weaknesses, we can approach our God confidently and joyfully. Confidence overcomes guilt. Joy overcomes sorrow. Forgiveness defeats sin, and death is swallowed up in victory. Because He arose, we have hope, and that hope should drive us to draw closer to our risen Savior, allowing Him to raise us up in newness of life.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Do Not Be Afraid

In Matthew 28:5-6, when an angel of the Lord appear before a fearful set of guards and the women gathered with Mary, he begins his revelation of Christ’s resurrection with these words: “Do not be afraid.”. The resurrection is a core of the New Testament. In I Corinthians 15, Paul devotes most of that long chapter to the subject of our bodily resurrection, drawing parallels with Christ’s own resurrection. Acts 23:6 and I Peter 1:3 both refer to the resurrection as a hop that we have. Why, then, does the angel admonish those gathered to not be afraid?

In Matthew 26:56, Jesus’ disciples flee after the mob comes to seize Jesus. They are scared for their lives. After the crucifixion, only two – Joseph and Nicodemus – come to claim Jesus’ body. In Mark 16, after Mary and the other women see the angel of God, they flee in fear, and John 20:26-28 finds the disciples gathered together behind locked doors, fearful of the Jews (see verse 19). Jesus’ followers live in fear at this time, but the resurrection brings a reason to end those fears.

Driving Away Fear with Joy

In John 20:11-18, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, and she joyfully tells the other disciples what she has seen. Luke 24:13-35 records Jesus’ encounter with two disciples who are distraught because of recent events. His revelation to them brings them a joy that they begin sharing with others in verses 36-43. In John 20:20-28, Jesus’ appearance to the disciples behind those locked doors brings them gladness, and they bring the news to Thomas. Apart from Jesus, those disciples had many reasons to fear, but His presence brought joy.

We can see this transformation from fear into joy in the life of Peter. In Luke 5, Peter recognizes Jesus’ divinity, and his initial response is one of fear. He falls at Jesus’ feet, asking Jesus to depart from him and his sinful nature. When Pater comes face-to-face with God’s power, he sees his own shortcomings and wants to hide himself from divinity. Jesus response begins with familiar words: “Do not be afraid.” John 21 stands as a contrast to these events when Jesus repeats this sign after His resurrection. This time, instead of cowering from Jesus, Peter jumps into the water and swims to shore, desperately trying to draw closer to his resurrected Lord. He is no longer afraid.

Living without Fear

In Acts 2, this same Peter proclaims Jesus’ resurrection before the Pentecost crowds. In Acts 3:14-15, Acts 4:10-20, and Acts 5:29-32, Peter continues to preach a risen savior before those who should otherwise bring him fear. His actions stand at contrast to the fearful man we see in Luke 5. He preaches in confidence because of the joy he has in Christ’s resurrection. This is the hope Paul writes in in I Corinthians 15. Joy overcomes fear; forgiveness overcomes sin; confidence overcomes guilt; and defeat is swallowed up in victory.

When we approach Jesus, how do we react? We can shirk from Him in guilt and fear, or we can draw closer to him. We can be reconciled to Him and obtain a new life, free from guilt sin. We can live joyfully in the hope of resurrection.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Suffering Before Glory

In I Peter 2, Peter describes what Jesus underwent on our behalf, and he holds up that sacrifice as an example to us. In verse 21-25, Christ’s suffering is the basis of our calling. Philippians 2 then gives a clearer picture of what Jesus would go through before His exultation. In his book, Peter relates suffering to glory. Our endurance and perseverance leads to God’ glory and our’s in Him. Paul, in Philippians, details that suffering, that endurance, that perseverance. In recognizing that God has highly exalted Jesus, we must first appreciate the extent to which he submitted Himself.

Christ’s Humility

II Corinthians 8:9 records Paul writing that Jesus made Himself poor, and he writes, in Philippians 2:7, that Jesus submitted as a servant. The Creator of John 1:1 becomes as the created – subject to pain, sorrow, frustration, sickness, and death. In Matthew 20:26-28, when Jesus’ disciples begin to argue over who should be highest in Christ’s kingdom, Jesus remonstrates them to put such thoughts aside, that they should seek servitude as He lives in service.

In Philippians 2:8, Paul writes that Jesus humbled Himself, and this humility would be prerequisite to His coming in the form of man, living in service, or submitting to obedience. In Philippians 2:3-4, Paul pleads for Christians to live in humility, and Ephesians 4:1-3 appeals to a walk of humility. I Peter 5:6 and James 4:10 call on us to humble ourselves before God. Jesus emptied Himself, became a servant, and He learned obedience in humility. In the gospels, He is obedient, even to a humiliating death on the cross.

Emptying Ourselves

Knowing these things and applying them are two different things.

• Where we would be full of ourselves, our Savior emptied Himself. Galatians 2:20 reminds us we must dethrone self and allow Christ to reign in our hearts.
• Where we would have others serve our interests, Jesus was servant to all. Whether foreign, poor, rich, sick – Jesus reached out to their needs. Our lives should be ones of service.
• Where we would exalt ourselves, Jesus humbled Himself. We need to start with humility so we can look to the needs and interests of others.
• Where we want to do things our way, Jesus willingly and unconditionally obeyed His father. We should have the same trust we see in His submission.

Conclusion

In I Peter 1:22, Jesus calls on us to love one another fervently, living and abiding in the word of God. When we can empty ourselves, humble ourselves, serve others, and obey God, we purify our hearts before the Lord. We should be amazed at what our Savior was willing to do for each of us. The one who knows all things and spoke all things into existence – He did much for us in humility. He faced endurance and suffering before glory and exaltation. We should expect and be willing to submit to no less than that.

lesson by Tim Smelser