In my quiet time I was faced with the picture of Jesus we find in Revelation chapter 1. This picture of Jesus is in my estimation the purest single picture of Jesus we have in scripture. The scary thing about this picture of Jesus is that it reveals Jesus as anything but "safe." Safe is not "eyes like blazing fire," a sword for a tongue, or face of blinding brilliance as that of the Sun. Our reaction to this Jesus, like John who wrote the account, is loss of consciousness; overwhelmed. And now we understand what scripture constantly refers to as "the fear of the Lord."
Yet the presence of Jesus in the same moment is completely satisfying, "holding the keys of death and hades," who's method of operation is grace and wisdom and motive is pure unadulterated love. So our response to this Jesus is one of complete surrender to the God of the universe. Our response is fear.
Those who argue this have reduced Jesus to a rabbits foot on a key chain in their pocket they rub in blind hope when any whimsical desire comes fluttering by. Their God is one of convenience not authority, of occasional delight not of complete surrender. Ouch! Is that mine. Every time I don't move forward out of fear I make the decision to treat Jesus as a rabbits foot and not as the fearful God he is. Fearing God means surrender to the blade, surrender to the surgeon who's motive is my heart and who's M/O is grace and wisdom. When God wants to move us forward our proper response is to "surrender the fear." "Then he placed his right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid." (Rev. 1:17b)
Phillip Woody
phil@ridetheriver.org
