Jesus Brings Comfort and Hope in our Times of Fear

*The sermon manuscript below was generated from the recording by AI and edited by Sjannette Hagoort

Fear

Fear. It’s an aspect of everyone’s life, isn’t it? It wasn’t always this way. In the garden, Adam and Eve, when they were first created, had no fear. They knew not what it meant to be afraid. Now, we can’t fathom that, can we? To have nothing that causes us fear, whether it’s a small thing like a spider or a height, or whether it’s death looming for the elderly, or cancer threatened on the hill, broken relationships, sickness, or just the reality of being under the curse of God. Fear looms.

And it’s not just for humans. It’s for Christians too. You think of the teenager who’s afraid of living for Christ in his school because his friends might reject him. Or you think of the wife or husband whose spouse doesn’t believe, and it’s fear that would make them silence their testimony. Or you think of the child who desperately wants their parent to know the Lord but is afraid. You think of the worker in the workplace who has that pressure: What will my colleagues say? What will my boss say? What will the people in the lunchroom do? Will they ridicule me? Fear.

And the early church wasn’t void of fear either. They feared Rome. They feared the Emperor Domitianus who could put them to death on a whim and no one would complain. And John feared too, didn’t he? Alone on Patmos. Isolated from the churches that he loved. You could imagine fear welling up in his heart.

But then John found a reason to really fear, didn’t he? John came face to face with the living God, with Christ Jesus himself in all of his splendor and all of his might. He saw him with a face shining like the sun, robed in splendor and majesty, and what did John do? Well, we’re told in verse 17, he fell down like a dead man, right?

And it’s striking because this is the strongest phraseology throughout the scriptures of someone who comes and sees a divine revelation. So, Manoah, the father of Samson, when he sees the angel of the Lord, the preincarnate Jesus, when he sees the angel of the Lord, he’s afraid he will die, but he doesn’t do anything. Ezekiel sees God and becomes fearful, but he doesn’t fall down dead. He becomes confused. Daniel becomes weak and falls asleep in his weakness. Isaiah cries out, “Woe is me,” but John just falls down flat on his face, before the feet of Christ as though dead.

And that posture of fear is both real for John and symbolic for the Church of Jesus Christ, because the Church of Jesus Christ is often fearful. And these things are happening to John in order that the Church of Christ in Asia and today might be comforted, might find hope, and might find help. And so John is going through this strong, terrifying experience of seeing Jesus in his glory, and falling down in order that he might be helped, in order that he might be comforted so that the Church might know something more of our Redeemer, and that’s what verses 17 and 18 show us.

Verses 17 and 18 show us Jesus Christ who has just been revealed in his majesty. At the same time, it’s showing us that he is a glorious comforter, that to the same extent that he is glorious, he is a redeemer who comforts his people. And so we, who can be so tempted to live in fear, tempted to give up our testimony because of fear, need to see Christ again and be ministered by him again by his love. So, let us look to Christ.

A Tender Comforter

There’s five things that Jesus reveals about himself in this passage. In verse 17, notice first what Jesus does. “He laid his right hand on me.” And the first thing we see is that Jesus is a tender comforter and redeemer. Even though he’s gloriously high and lifted up, he is very pleased to stoop down and lay his hand upon a troubled saint.

And it’s striking, isn’t it? Because in the reading, what was in Jesus’ hands, in his right hand? The messengers or the angels or the ministers of the Church. And so, even though Jesus has these seven stars in His hand, He is more than pleased to come to John and to take His right hand and place it upon him. The Alexandrian text says that Jesus took hold of John by His right hand, took hold of him and, and lifted him up. He was not happy for John to stay like a dead man, and so He took hold of him and embraced him and raised him up again. It is a sign of tenderness and love, isn’t it?

But we know this as parents. When a child’s very afraid what do you do? You don’t stand aloof from them and say, “Stop being afraid!” No, what do you do? They’re afraid of a spider, or they get a fright from something, or you’re at the beach and they’re young and the waves are huge, and they’re fearful to go near the ocean because it’s so big. Then what do you do? You lay your hand upon them, and you pull them close, and you say, “It’s okay. Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

And that’s what Jesus is communicating to John. He’s telling John, with all tenderness, “I’m here for you. I’m with you. I love you.” It’s reminiscent of the tenderness we see in Jesus when He walks upon the Earth. I think sometimes it’s easier for us to see it in His earthly ministry when He goes to the Samaritan woman and treats her with such kindness and gentleness when she’s so shocked that a Jewish man and a rabbi would even deign to speak to her. And yet He tenderly ministers to her and brings her grace and salvation, even though she’s a horrendous sinner. Or the tenderness with which He goes to Mary after His resurrection and just simply says to her, “Mary,” and she’s overwhelmed. This is her Lord. This is her rabbi. This is her teacher.

And I’m sure many times in John’s life he had felt that touch, hadn’t he? As he lay, as John puts it, in the bosom of Jesus, around the Lord’s table, he would have felt those, those strong carpenter hands laid upon him in love. And you know this same Jesus is just as tender today. Maybe maybe you struggle with the idea of an almighty king comforting you, and yet, my dear brother, my dear sister, see His gentleness, which does not snuff out a smoldering wick nor break a bruised reed. No child is too small or too tender to be ministered to by our Savior, and so too are lowly and fearful saints like John, like you, and like me.

A Divine Comforter

And so we see the tender comforting of Christ, but then we also see that He’s not just a tender comforter, but He’s also a divine comforter. And so Jesus says to John, “I am the first and the last, and the living one.”

He’s quoting a passage that we’ve seen multiple times, Isaiah 41:44-48, where God Himself reveals Himself to Israel and says to them, “I am the Lord, and there is no other beside me. I don’t have beginning, I don’t have end. I am the living God.” It follows in suit with the catechism question which asks how many gods there are. But the question before that asks if there’s only one God. Do you remember what it says? “I, the Lord, am the one true living God. There’s one, but one only, the living, true God.” And Jesus says, “That’s me.”

But, but notice He’s not shouting at John, right? He’s not saying, “John, I’m God! What’s wrong with you?” and chastising him. But it’s with tenderness He places His hand upon him and says, “John, I’m the living God. I’m here for you. I’m with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you. Fear not. Be not afraid. I, the living God, I in whom all wisdom and knowledge is found, John and Church of Jesus Christ, I know all things beginning to end, and I have ordained all things. Your present suffering is not a surprise. It is my plan, it is my good pleasure, and I’m on the scene.”

And to the prisoner in the dungeon in Rome, Jesus says, “I am he who is present everywhere. You cannot hide my people from me. There is nowhere that Rome can place you where I cannot come.” Remember, the Apostle Paul on the Adriatic Sea in the ship? And it’s dark, and they have not seen light of day for a week. Do you remember what he says? He says, “The Lord appeared to me last night and He told me we would all be safe.” Or do you remember the time he was in prison after being arrested in Jerusalem, and the Lord strengthened him? It says that Jesus stood by his side and strengthened.

This is our Savior. He knows all things and He’s all-present, but He’s also all-powerful. Our Comforter is not a comforter who sits back and gives us lovely platitudes. “Everything will work out,” people say to us. “I’m sending you my thoughts and prayers,” people say. Wonderful. I hope they’re going to solve my bank balance. I hope they’re gonna solve the fact that I’m being murdered for my faith. Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers and wishful thinking. No, our Savior is all-powerful, all-glorious, all-able. And so He who lays His right hand upon John is also He who has all power to help him in his fear. And so too for you and me.

We feel weak, don’t we? Physically, emotionally, mentally. We feel weak in our testimony, and we are fearful. And Christ comes to us and says, “When you are weak, you are strong, for the power of Christ is made perfect in your weakness. Your weakness is your strength, because when you’re weak, I’m there.”

A Suffering Comforter

And so He’s a tender comforter and He’s a divine comforter, but He’s also a suffering comforter. A suffering comforter. And so Jesus says to John in verse 18; “I am the first and the last and the living one, I died.”

Now, I want you to picture yourself in John’s shoes for a moment. You’re lying face-down on the ground, and as Jesus Christ lays His hand upon you, you immediately turn and look at the hand, and what do you see? A hole. A scar upon His wrist that reminds you of everything you saw with your own eyes.

John was there when Christ was buckled over in tears of agony at the thought of suffering under the wrath of God. He was there when they arrested Jesus. He was there when they flogged him, and beat him, and interrogated him, and spat on him. He was there when they dressed him in a purple garment. He was there when they brought him out with a crown of thorns upon his brow. He was there when he saw blood trickle down his forehead, bearing the cross, unable to even carry the beam because of his lack of strength. John was there when they nailed him to the cross. John was there when they hung him up. John was there while Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” John was there when Jesus cried out, “It is finished.” John was there and watched him close his eyes, and die.

And don’t you think all of this would not have flooded back into his mind as he looked at the hand of his Jesus? We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with us in our weakness, but one who has been tried, tested like us in every way, and yet stood firm. You see, what Jesus is reminding John and the early church and us, “I’ve been there. I know. I know what it’s like to be betrayed for your faith. I know what it’s like to be ridiculed and hated. I know what it’s like to be forgotten. I know what it’s like to stand alone. And so as you go into your workplace, as you go into your persecution cell, and as you go to death, remember, I, Jesus, went before you. I am the author, the captain of your salvation. I have passed away and walked the road, and trail-blazed the way. I know.”

And so we have one that we come to, and we know He knows exactly what we’re going through. Don’t think you come to a God who is protected from all of the reality of what we go through. Now this is really important for us to understand because people mess this up all the time, God’s divinity never suffers. It can’t. He can’t suffer. He cannot change. There is no immutability, there’s no changeability. He cannot suffer. But did our God not take flesh and in His humanity he suffered untold amounts of wrath and pain and agony in a way we will never have to? You see, because we live with the permanent smile of our God upon us. He dwelt on a cross with the face of God turned away. Come to Him knowing He will comfort you and give you hope.

A Living Comforter

And so we, we have a comforter who is tender, one who is divine, one who suffers and who died. But you might be tempted to say to yourself, “Well, a dead comforter isn’t very helpful, is it, Logan? He can’t help me very much if he’s dead.” But Jesus says, “I died, and behold—” It’s an interjection. It’s not necessary in the text. You could re-write the sentence without it quite fine. But Jesus says, “And behold, I am alive forevermore.”

We have a living comforter. As the song goes, He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today. Because he lives, I can face tomorrow. I serve a risen savior, Christ our Lord is risen today. Hallelujah. He who comforts us comforts us today, not just in the time of John, not just when he was alive. He comforts us and brings us hope today because he’s living. He’s present. In the midst of the lampstands, he’s walking and doing his priestly job.

It’s such a comfort to us to know that he’s alive. Why? Well, what a fear death has. It’s the final enemy, we’re told. What a fear looming death can bring to us. I have seen godly saints on their deathbed, trembling in fear. They know they’re saved, but they’re trembling at the thought of dying. One of my dear friends, a minister in Christ, a godly man, the last time I visited him, he, he groaned in anguish as he approached death’s door.

But if Christ lives, we live because we’re united to him. That’s the whole logic of the Gospel. When Christ died, we who believed in him died with him. We were buried with him in baptism, and we were raised up with him to newness of life, and we have been seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And so this is the comfort. Since Christ is alive, then you will live in him.

I remember having this exact conversation with a dear, godly, elderly saint, a dear woman. She served the Lord her whole life. She had grown up in the church. Her husband was a minister. She was a lovely, godly woman. And in the hospital, drawing near to the end of her life, she rung me up. I had visited her twice, but she had had no help from her other comforters. And she rung me up and she said, “Logan, I’m afraid to die because I don’t know if I have hope for the life to come.”

And I said to her, “My dear sister, have you believed in Jesus Christ?” She said, “Yes.” And I said to her, “Then you have only hope left because he lives, and your good shepherd holds you in your hands so that you shall never be snatched away. You can have full assurance that when you die, you will wake in glory to the face of Jesus Christ, and open arms welcoming you home. Do not be afraid.”

I never spoke to her again. She died two days later, and her son told me she died with peace. And she would have opened her eyes and seen Jesus Christ. This is the comfort for us in death. Don’t fear death. Look to him who is the first fruits of our salvation, we’re told.

A Sovereign Comforter

And so, we have a living comforter, but we also have a sovereign comforter, a sovereign comforter. We’re told lastly by Jesus, “I have the keys of death and Hades.”

What does it mean for Jesus to have the keys of death and Hades? It may be a bit of an odd thing. I’m reasonably confident that there’s not a physical door at the entrance to either death or Hades that requires a key. What is going on here?

Well, you think about it from a workplace metaphor. Let’s say you’ve been working somewhere for a few years, a retail shop. I used to run a jewelry store, so we’ll use that. I was the only person with a key for the jewelry store. No one else had one, except for my regional manager. And then I got a 2IC, and my 2IC worked on Sundays, and I wasn’t there. And so my 2IC got a key, and with that key, she had authority and access to enter the store any time she wanted. She could unlock the store at any time and have full access to everything within it and to do with it as she pleased. She could have walked in there in the middle of the night, unlocked the door, put in the alarm code, wandered in, unlocked the jewelry cabinets, emptied them all out, entered the safe code, and off she could have gone. This had been entrusted to her, and that’s the way of understanding this picture of keys.

It’s used in several different ways in the New Testament. Jesus says to the disciples, “I give you the keys of the kingdom, with which anything you bind will be bound in heaven. Anything you loose will be loosed in heaven.” It’s used of Jesus in Revelation 2 and 3. Jesus says, “I have the keys of David. Any door I open, no one can shut. Any door I shut, no one can open.” It’s a picture of sovereignty and control.

Towards the end, we will see Jesus using these keys to lock the devil in Abaddon. He will lock him up for a thousand years so that he can no longer deceive the nations. He will unlock the pit, and he will lock the pit.

So, what’s it talking about, death and Hades? Well, on one hand, it’s talking about death and grave. Hades is frequently used for grave. In other words, only Christ has authority over life and death when you die and when people come back to life. Only Christ has authority to give life or take life. Only Christ has authority of the resurrection of the dead. And a day is coming, he’s telling his church, a day is coming when the trumpet will blast and the dead shall come forth. The graves will give up their dead. Those who have perished in the sea will be raised up. Those who have been burnt at the stake will be raised up with a new body. Nothing will hinder Christ in his sovereignty over every dead person, and not just for the righteous, but for the righteous and the unrighteous alike.

And so, physical death and resurrection is under the sovereign hand of God, and that’s a blessed comfort when you’re dying for the word of your testimony. And when you’re facing old age, or sickness, cancer, or whether you watch your loved ones die before you. There is great comfort and solace in knowing that there is one who has the keys to death, who can unlock the door and no one can close it.

But there’s another way of understanding this, which is equally true, and that is that he has the keys to unlock the door and lock inside of hell anyone who rejects him. Now, for those of us in safe countries such as New Zealand, this is not much of a comfort, but for those in Nigeria, This is a great comfort to know that there is a judge who judges justly. And Christ does not put up with his church being persecuted forever. A day is coming when Christ will call to account all acts of wickedness against his bride, and he will take evildoers and he will cast them into the darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth forever, and he will lock the door. And though the sinner knocks on the door and scratches at the keyhole with his burning nails for all of eternity, never will the door open. It will be like the moment when the foolish, the foolish bridesmaids knock at the door, and the bridegroom says, “I don’t know who you are, you foolish woman. Depart into the darkness.” There’s no lamp left. There’s no light left. There’s no home for them, and they are cast away from His presence, and so it will be for all of those who do not trust in Jesus Christ today. It is a comfort for the church. It is a terror for the world.

Are you fearful today? Look to Jesus—our tender comforter. He comes to us in tenderness, and he places his hand upon us in love, and he lifts us up out of our fear, and he says to us, “My dear sister, my dear fearful brother, I’m here, and I’m able to help you. I know what it’s like to suffer, and I’m alive with you today. I have the keys of eternity.”

And there’s one really important lesson that comes from this, and it’s what Jesus said to John, “Fear not. Don’t be afraid.” He doesn’t say, “You have no reason to be afraid,” does he? He doesn’t say to the early church, “Quit whining, it’s just a bit of death and persecution. Suck it up.” No, he says, “Fear not. I am sufficient. I have all you need. Do not be afraid. I am with you.”

You see, the solution to all of our fear, the solution to all of our doubts, the solution to all of the things that terrify us is the face of Christ. And isn’t it true that so often we are so fearful because we stop looking to Jesus and start looking to ourselves? But if we would keep our gaze upon our savior, brothers and sisters, if you would keep your gaze on Jesus, you will never need be afraid. So look to Him again, your glorious comforter.

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