Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed. Isaiah 54:4

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised.” Matthew 28:5-6

Fear is something everyone experiences at some time in their lives. There are lots of kinds of fear. We can be afraid of the dark, or of snakes, or other things we can identify and avoid. We may have a more constant anxiety that we are not measuring up as we think we should be. In Isaiah the people were fearful because of the way they had sinned and not had faith in their God. The  prophet Isaiah affirms that even though the people have abandoned God, He has not abandoned them. They need not fear, God is not going to allow them to be ashamed before other nations.

Then, in Matthew, we see another fear. Every time an angel shows up in a Bible passage, they have to start out by saying “Do not fear.” The women coming to the tomb were probably already fearful with all that had happened. They arrive and expect to find Jesus’ body, but it’s gone. Instead they find an angel there. All they planned to do was the usual funeral preparations, but something has gone wrong. Or has it?

This fear had a wonderful ending – they didn’t find Jesus, not because his body was stolen, but because He had risen! All part of God’s plan of salvation for all of us. Not just for the people that Isaiah wrote to, but for people all over the world. We no longer have to fear and be ashamed of our sin. We will still have fears about many things, but we can be assured that God is on our side.

Lord, forgive us for our fear-based focus in life. Loving God, you continually whisper to us to not be afraid. Still, our very human selves often give in to fear. Tune our ears to hear your voice of assurance. Embolden us to serve bravely. Open our hearts to receive your peace. Amen.

Chris Gabel

Ministries
Teaching Mission Party