Read and meditate on Revelation 1:17-18 today:
And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
John sees Jesus again…only this time Jesus is not veiled in His humanity but rather appears in the splendor of His glory. John’s response is to collapse at Jesus’ feet. John had walked with Jesus, talked with Him, eaten with Him, lived with Him, but now, as he sees Jesus in the glory of His deity, all he can do is fall down in fear and worship. Jesus then speaks to John…
Do not be afraid. The most often repeated command in Scripture. Because of our separation from God, fear is at the core of our being. We are weak, vulnerable, and mortal and we know it. We may hide it well but the insecurity is there. John’s fear rises to the top when he comes face to face with the awesome power, glory, and holiness of God in Jesus Christ.
I am the First and the Last. Jesus is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega (1:8, 21:6, 22:12-20). This is a clear statement of His deity. He has no beginning…He is the beginning. He has no end…He is eternal.
I am He who lives and was dead and I am alive forevermore. Jesus lived, died, and lives again. His eternal nature could not be defeated by death. The power of His life is infinitely stronger than the bonds of physical death. He is the resurrection and the life.
I have the keys of Hades and Death. Jesus is the only defeater of death, the only One stronger than death, the only One who can restore us from death. He has authority over the grave, over Satan, and over physical and spiritual death. Therefore if sin and death are our ultimate enemies, then only Jesus is our ultimate Savior.
Lord, thank You for defeating death. I bow down and worship You today!