When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last. (Revelation 1.17)

Would our response be any different from that of John the apostle’s if we saw Jesus? John lived for three years with His teacher, stood at the foot of His cross, ran to the tomb when he heard the witness of Mary Magdalene that it was empty, stood in the room when Jesus appeared fully alive with the marks of crucifixion on his hands and side. John watched as His Lord ascended into the heavens. And now, in the heat of his island exile He sees Jesus is his supreme glory!

No effort at human holiness could ever give us feet before the perfection of God. John fell on his face and it is here that John met with Jesus once again, and we join him. Jesus is the first and the last, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. Jesus does not wait for humanity to achieve perfect holiness, He steps down and speaks forgiveness for our sin, clothes us in His righteousness and says, “Fear not, I am the first and the last.”

Before we breathed our first breath, born in sin, Jesus was. When we first felt the sting of conviction in childhood as we betrayed our Creator’s passion, Jesus was. As we walk our journey of faith gawkily and ungainly, Jesus is. As we service Him with awkward efforts and sincere passion Jesus is. And as we look into the future and even beyond our finite vision is able to see, Jesus will be. Over our past, present and future, Jesus stands and says with His right hand on our shoulders, “Don’t be afraid.”

Jesus, thank you that you speak peace over my life. You call me to freedom and confidence in your supremacy as the first and the last.